No Cameras Allowed; Obama's Former Pastor Speaks in Tampa
Tampa is Wright's first appearance since his sermons troubled Obama's campaign.
March 25, 2008— -- Barack Obama's controversial former spiritual adviser is slated to speak at a church revival in Tampa tonight. Wright has not been heard from since his sermons became an issue for the Obama campaign earlier this month.
Every year for the past quarter century, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright has visited Tampa to preach, according to the St. Petersburg Times.
This year, the fiery African American minister is scheduled to be the featured speaker at a three-day revival celebrating the Fellowship Church of Temple Terrace's 10th anniversary. While reporters are welcome, the church has banned all attendees from bringing any recording devices, including cellphones with cameras. The church plans to make recordings of the sermons available for sale later in the week.
Wright has included incendiary remarks in his past sermons, inveighing "God damn America" and saying the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks were "America's chickens. . .coming home to roost." This has caused headaches for the Obama campaign, which has called some of Wright's language "incendiary rhetoric."
Wright, who served on Obama's African American Religious Leadership Committee, left the campaign after his sermons were reported by ABC News and others earlier in the month. Obama has said he "obviously disagrees" with some of Wright's rhetoric, including "God damn America," and accused news outlets of "cherry picking" from Wright's sermons.
ABC News' Justin Rood contributed to this report.
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