Whiteygate

There have been lots of conjecture about the fabled "tape." I have said in previous posts I have come to the conclusion that the GOP wants to throw the election, and that's why they have held their fire so much against Obama. Obama has an Encyclopedia Britannica of dirt that can be used against him. But the "dirt" leveled at Obama so far in this campaign is mild, much like what Bob Dole's campaign did when he ran against Bill Clinton in 1996.

Now it's very possible John McCain can't abide in the usual smears the GOP is so good at. But there is the possibility that since the economy is in the shitter and no quick fix is at hand, and because Obama is so laughably unqualified for the job of president, the GOP will let the Democrats fuck themselves over, and then they can come back with Mitt or Jeb in 2012.

And of course, there could be something big and bad happening from abroad to get us into war, as Cannon speculates.

In any case, we better be worried.

Whiteygate.

Obama channels Gary Hart by insisting wife Michelle never used the word "whitey," and that she has never spoken from the pulpit at Trinity Church.

A response to the response is here.

Fight the Smears, a site with the picture of an American eagle with the Obama logo on its stomach, tries to counter "Whiteygate."

I suppose an eagle picture is better than Obama's head being superimposed on Jesus' body.

Whiteygate.

Whiteygate is allegedly the reason the Obama campaign has decided to aggressively go after people who dare post the truth, er, smears about the presumptuous Democratic nominee.

As Larry Johnson notes in his blog, pay close attention to WHEN the rumor got started:

When the Obama campaign got wind of the rumor in April, Michelle's close friend and adviser Valerie Jarrett asked Michelle if there could be anything to it; the candidate's wife dismissed it out of hand. But by mid-May, it was picking up steam on the Internet, and Michelle's advisers decided it was time to have a serious talk with her about it. On a campaign swing through Oregon, Michelle's chief of staff Melissa Winter grilled her on the particulars of the various versions. Had she ever spoken at Trinity Church? Could she ever recall having uttering that racial epithet? No, no, Michelle answered again and again. Additionally, she said, "whitey" is simply not a word that African Americans of her generation tend to use — or that she herself would ever say. Michelle was shocked and frustrated when her aides approached her the second time about the alleged incident.

As Johnson points out, it wasn't until MAY that he even knew and wrote about the tape. In other words, the Obama campaign knew about the "rumor" before everybody else did.

And that raises even more questions as to whether Whiteygate really is a "rumor."

Whiteygate II.

Somebody had the nerve to ask Barack Obama about the "whitey tape" rumor:

“We have seen this before. There is dirt and lies that are circulated in e-mails and they pump them out long enough until finally you, a mainstream reporter, asks me about it,” Obama said to the McClatchy reporter during a press conference aboard his campaign plane. “That gives legs to the story. If somebody has evidence that myself or Michelle or anybody has said something inappropriate, let them do it.”

Asked whether he knew it not to be true, Obama said he had answered the question.

What a bizarre answer. Why not just flatly deny him and his wife saying anything inappropriate?

His "answer," if you can call it that, is like Gary Hart daring the media to follow him around.

It's almost an admission one or the other or both did.

Whiteygate.

Although it's a dead issue now, at least in terms of the HillBuzz "report," I did receive an email back from WLS-TV:

Thank you for taking the time to contact us. 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.

We appreciate your interest in ABC7 news.

We know nothing happened at that event regarding Obama that was recorded, but I thought I'd share this.

Whiteygate V.

Joseph Cannon tries to track down the HillBuzz story allegations from this morning, and he discovered we are back at Square One:

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.


link

Whiteygate IV.

Here is another post about the rumored tape:

Jim Lindgren, June 4, 2008 at 1:10pm] Trackbacks
Trying to debunk the internet rumors about Michelle Obama.—

As many of you know, there has been an ever-shifting intenet rumor launched publicly by an extremely unreliable pro-Clinton blogger, Larry Johnson, that there is a video recording of Michelle Obama saying some intemperate things at Trinity United Church. The way that this story is being spread leads me to think that there is little or nothing to the rumors, which is why I haven’t posted on the issue here until now.

Until today, the rumors have been too vague to be debunked, but they have now become specific enough that the currently most prominent version of the rumor [offered by the pro-Clinton blog Hillbuzz] could potentially be determined to be false. A specific conference for the remarks has been specified: the 2004 Rainbow/PUSH Coalition Annual Conference starting on June 26, 2004.

In an attempt to get the information necessary to put this matter to bed, I drove over to the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition National Headquarters, which is in the opposite corner of my Hyde-Park/Kenwood neighborhood. I spoke with Robert (Bobby) Lewis, Director of Studio Services, who apparently handles the recordings of events.

Lewis said that the recording of events from 2005 and earlier was farmed out and most or all of the existing recordings (listed on the website) had not been conveyed in-house to the National Headquarters. He said that he did not know if the organization had a recording of the 2004 conference. In response to my more specific question, he said that the one-hour Saturday broadcasts on the 2004 Annual Conference (June 26, 2004, and July 2, 2004), which are listed on the website for purchase, are not available, since they come from the earlier outsourced period.

I was very surprised when he informed me that I was the first person to have contacted them about this matter. Given the furor on the internet, I suspect that many of you are skeptical about this claim, but he really seemed unaware of the flap. He wanted to know the name of the website that had the story about the conference. And at first, he thought I was talking about a panel on which Barack, not Michelle, had spoken. In manner, he was gracious and he didn’t seem to be particularly guarded or defensive.

As I write this, I am aware that it seems unlikely that Barack Obama’s campaign would not have scoped this out with Rainbow/PUSH long ago. Either the Obama campaign neglected to do so, or Rainbow/PUSH picked the right person to persuade outsiders that no inquiries were made, or — more likely — there was nothing to scope out.

I suggested to Mr. Lewis that he try to find a copy, since he was likely to get inquiries. He said that he planned to get on it right away, since I was probably only the first of many more requests.

I hope that if Rainbow/PUSH locates a copy they release it as soon as possible to prevent this rumor from snowballing. In its limbo state, this rumor does damage to all three candidates, as well as to the political process.

Given the tenor of comments I have seen elsewhere on this rumor, I have not turned on comments. If it proves to be false (or true), I will then post with open comments. Until then, the most civil discussion I’ve seen is here.

By the way, the Rainbow/PUSH Headquarters are just a few blocks from Barack Obama’s house and a few blocks from Louis Farrakhan’s house. When I drove past Obama’s house on the way home, there was an Obama for President sign on the front lawn of the house next door to the Obamas’s, but none visible on the Obamas’s house.

UPDATE: There are some anomalies in the story so far: according to the rumors, the Rainbow/Push conference was supposed to be held at Trinity United, yet schedules posted at Hillbuzz and elsewhere do not show the event as taking place at the church. Further, the schedule shows Michelle Obama as a "Special Guest," not a speaker. Last, if it wasn't at the church, why would the DVD have been on sale there? I remain highly skeptical that this story will amount to anything.

Whiteygate III.

Via Cannonfire, is ABC News Chicago anchor Karen Jordan the answer to the mystery of Whiteygate? She was there at the conference as a co-chair.

There are no doubt many other witnesses. SOMEBODY needs to come forward to either confirm Michelle made those remarks or deny them. Why hasn't anybody come forward? You don't need any tape of the event to find out if Michelle Obama said what she is alleged to have said.

I have tried to contact Ms. Jordan repeatedly. Unfortunately, neither she nor anyone else connected with that event will return my calls. Earlier today, I had foolishly hoped to get her exclusive comments on what happened. But this story is far more important than are my dreams of acquiring a scoop. So: If she won't return my calls, perhaps she will return yours.

If you call this number, you can ask to be patched through to her line: 1(312)750-7777.

That's the WLS-TV line, by the way, not Jordan's office or home phone number. This number is online and is public information.

Update from Cannonfire:

When I call the ABC Chicago switchboard now, they tell me to write a letter. I get the feeling they've been swamped with inquiries. If there were nothing to the story -- if Michelle spoke politely on that occasion -- why won't these two eyewitnesses reveal the truth?

ABC News anchors Cheryl Burton and Karen Jordan co-chaired the meeting. It thus stands to reason that ABC News taped the event.

A few days ago, before Hillbuzz had identified a likely specific date, Roger Stone said that "a TV network" possessed the tape. Immediately after he said those words on FOX News, right-wing blogs spread the rumor that the network in question was...(wait for it)...ABC.

And this is interesting about Cheryl Burton:

In 1993, Ebony Magazine recognized Dr. Wright as one of the nation’s top fifteen most influential black pastors. Having pastored Trinity since 1972, Wright’s fiery preaching and community outreach has pushed its membership to nearly 10,000. Chicago personalities such as Oprah Winfrey and local news host Cheryl Burton commonly fill the pews. Over ten percent of Trinity’s congregation can be found in the upper level income bracket.

Whiteygate II.

Bill Cosby probably pissed off Michelle Obama as well when he appeared at the 2004 conference (at a separate event, of course):

Bill Cosby pleaded with blacks to stop blaming the "white man" for their problems on Thursday, and he reiterated his harsh critique of the current state of African-American culture.

"It is almost analgesic to talk about what the white man is doing against us, and it keeps a person frozen in their seat. It keeps you frozen in your hole that you are sitting in to point up and say, 'That's the reason why I am here.' We need to stop this," Cosby said in an address before Jesse Jackson's 33rd Annual Rainbow/PUSH Coalition conference in Chicago.

The 66-year-old Cosby struck an introspective tone. "There is a time, ladies and gentlemen, when we have to turn the mirror around," he told the crowd of 500 people at the Sheraton hotel.

link

Whiteygate.

Just as I thought, the Whiteygate "tape" is actually a DVD sold by the Trinity United Church of Christ, so it exists.

There are probably many copies in circulation, though it's been pulled now by the church:

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. Her rant was fueled by the crowd: they reacted strongly to what she said, so she got more passionate and enraged, and that's when she completely loses it and says things that have made the mouths drop of everyone who's seen this.

The "tape" is a DVD that Trinity United sold on its website, and possibly offered free for download up until March 2008 when Trinity's site was scrubbed and the DVDs were no longer offered for sale.

This outburst happened just one month before the 2004 Democratic Convention, when Barack Obama delivered the keynote address.

UPDATED: It seems really easy for Chicago local media, especially, to determine whether or not this is the right tape of Michelle Obama. All they need to do is pull the tape from this 2004 Conference (particularly the panel Michelle was on), which should be readily available (since this was a very large multi-day event). All a journalist needs to do is watch this tape: if this is not the right one, they'd know immediately and this issue would be debunked. But, logically, this seems to be the most likely source of the tape people have been talking about at NoQuarterUSA.net

Wasn't it Fox News that obtained a bunch of DVDs from that church? And yes, the local Chicago media should have it reported someplace.

A search of the Chicago media turns up empty; I cannot find anything from the Chicago Tribune or the Sun-Times about this conference. I am referring to the meeting Michelle attended and spoke, not the one where Bill Cosby and Bill Clinton spoke and generated media buzz. However, there is this:

With "2004: A Year Of Critical Choices for Inclusion and Growth" as its theme, the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition and Citizenship Education Fund held its 33rd annual conference in Chicago.

The six-day conference at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel and Towers also marked the 20th anniversary of Rainbow/PUSH Founder and President the Rev. Jesse Jackson's 1984 U.S. presidential campaign--the first serious bid by a Black American for the nation's highest office.

Rev. Jackson, noted that the theme of the conference reflects Rainbow/PUSH's ongoing mission to protect and expand civil rights in every aspect of American life--including access to quality health care, education, law and justice.

Of course neither Obama was a household name then. There might not be a recording from the Chicago media of it; after all, there were several events at the conference. Bill Cosby and Bill Clinton would get the lion's share of the ink and video.

HillBuzz has the copy-and-paste as well of the event.

Unless somebody comes forward with the DVD, or the Chicago media looks in their archives about the meeting, this may come up empty. Then again, maybe somebody out there has it and is holding onto it until they can sell it for a big amount of money.

Here is the picture that's been circulating all around the internet, taken from Jet magazine:



At nearly six feet tall, Michelle towers over almost everybody.


Update: What I would like to know is how HillBuzz knows what is on the purported video if nobody has come forward to say they have seen it? A possible answer is in this blog's comments.

Via Cannonfire, the National Review takes a somewhat cynical view of the purported video.

If somebody has it, show it. Then we will know for sure if it is for real or a hoax. Or the media needs to interview people who were there. Right now nobody is saying a word. The silence could tell the whole story.

Whiteygate.

Rumor has it there is a "bombshell" that's coming out tomorrow about Obomba, supposedly about the Michelle Obama "whitey tape," but I will believe it when I see it:




Vegas billionaire Sheldon Adelson is rumored to have a copy, and I wish he'd mail me a copy of his copy so I could download it here. I am tired of the suspense and all.