Finally, a representative of ABC News 7 in Chicago got back to me. Here is the official reply:
ABC 7’s Karen Jordan and Cheryl Burton emceed the 2004 Rainbow-Push Women’s Luncheon. Other employees of ABC 7 attended along with hundreds of Chicago area civic, professional and media representatives. No one recalls Michelle Obama speaking at this luncheon and our archived video does not show Michelle Obama.
The last bit is much less probative than you might think.
While ABC News did cover the entire event, they did not keep the raw footage for very long. The only bits they retained were the brief clips intended for use on the news that night. The clips showed speakers Shoshanna Johnson and Jesse Jackson Sr. (I questioned the ABC News representative carefully on this point.)
However, we have no reason to doubt the integrity of Jordan and Burton. We must trust their recollections.
Does that settle that?
Conceivably, Michelle spoke informally after the proceedings had wound down, and after Jordan and Burton had left the room. Such things do happen. Some of my readers will consider this suggestion a stretch, others will not.
Should we conclude that the sources who told Johnson, Stone and Beckel about an inflammatory Michelle Obama video are hoaxing? Not necessarily: Those sources are not responsible for the things written on HillBuzz. Or so I presume...
We must now consider a cognate mystery. Just who is responsible for HillBuzz?
The proprietor of that site divulges neither name nor contact info. He or she will not allow comments. Few other sites, even within the pro-Hillary blogoverse, link to HillBuzz. The site seems to have popped into existence of its own accord.
Consider, once more, the HillBuzz description of Michelle's alleged rant on June 28, 2004:
For about 30 minutes, Michelle Obama launched into a rant about the evils of America, and how America is to blame for the problems of Africa. Michelle personally blamed President Clinton for the deaths of millions of Africans and said America is responsible for the genocide of the Tutsis and other ethnic groups. She then launched into an attack on "whitey", and talked about solutions to black on black crime in the realm of diverting those actions onto white America.
The reference to the Tutsis and Africa has no parallel to any published or broadcast statement made by Johnson, Stone or Beckel. This description is new stuff. And it indicates that the writer has interviewed someone who has actually seen the video tape.
And yet -- if a tape exists, it almost certainly was not taken at the event described by HillBuzz! So just where did HillBuzz get those references to Africa and black-on-black crime?
Before calling the mysterious proprietor of that site a hoaxer, I would prefer to allow some time to pass. Perhaps an explanation will come.
So, this day does not end as excitingly as it began. I'm still glad I did everything I could to track down the eyewitnesses -- otherwise, the HillBuzz version of events might have lingered for days or weeks or months. I'm happy to have made the effort, even if the day ended with some magenta in cheek.
Has the entire "Michelle video" story been disproven? Nope.
We're back to where we were on Tuesday morning. She may have spoken intemperately on some previous occasion. Arguably, she was more likely to speak without thinking before her husband ran for the Senate.
Yes, I'm frustrated and annoyed to have been misled by the HillBuzz report. The level of detail in that report convinced me that this investigative trail would lead somewhere.
A friend assures me that when dining on crow, one should use plenty of barbecue sauce. Less gamy that way.
In other words, a tape could exist, but there isn't one known for the event described by HillBuzz. Or that there is any recollection of Michelle Obama going ballistic at this particular conference or even speaking at all.
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