CBS 2 Chicago: 2007 Video of Obama and Wright Signing Books Together

On Feb 8, 2007 Channel 2 News Chicago had a little puff piece on Senator Barack Obama discussing his soon to be launched presidential campaign. It happened to air just before Barack's "60 Minutes" TV interview and it focused on Barack's attendance at the Trinity United Church of Christ. The interesting thing about this video is that Barack is seen sitting side by side with Rev. Wright as they sign copies of Obama's book "The Audacity of Hope." This chumminess seems to make the lie to the claim that Barack was in any way upset at his "spiritual mentor," Rev. Wright.

It is curious why the CBS 2 video showing a beaming Barack and Wright has not been more widely played by the media, but it does prove that Barack only recently, in the middle of scrutiny and only in the last month, has found himself trying to claim he disagrees with the racist Rev. After all, he was still quite friendly with the ranting Rev. Wright in the CBS video of but a year ago.

It just goes to cast a heavy pall of doubt around Barack's supposedly oh-so earnest claim that Wright's long-time rhetoric now disturbs him. There is no evidence that this could be true as this not very widely seen video shows.

The Chicago Tribune also mentioned this incident. Back on March 6th the Tribune reported the same thing the video covered.

A few weeks before Obama announced he would run for president, Wright welcomed his family to Trinity. During the worship service, the pastor relinquished the microphone for the senator to say a few words. The congregation applauded their rising star and the choir broke out into song, adapting a traditional hymn for the occasion: "Hallelujah Barach (pronounced Barack),"or "Praise the Lord!"

At a book signing after the worship service, Wright sat beside Obama, occasionally adding his own autograph to Obama's second memoir "The Audacity of Hope," a title inspired by one of the pastor's sermons.

None of this seems to support the claim that Barack Obama wished to distance himself too far from the racist Rev. Wright's outrageous comments.

This video of Obama happily signing books with Wright, though, should get far more play than it has.