HillBuzz effectively discredits their own Michelle Obama story (UPDATED!)

The emphasis is mine:

When a rumor about a tape of Michelle Obama ranting and raving at Trinity first hit the blogs, we wondered if there was any truth to it. So, we just used Google to try as best we could to piece together her public schedule for the last few years, cross referencing that with the other clues that started coming out about what Michelle supposedly said, and who was with her when she said it. We just looked for times she was in Chicago before the national media would have been paying any attention to her (so, basically, everything prior to Barack Obama's speech at the DNC Convention in 2004: logic dictates she would be less inclined to rant and rave in public after she and her husband had a national profile). The break came when it was noted on the blogs that Michelle made her remarks with Mrs. Farrakhan at a panel discussion at Trinity. Having that, another Google search turned up the Jet magazine article, a trip to the Library to check out the microfiche of that issue got the photo of Michelle and the other panelists (with all their names), a Google search of those names all together got the schedule of events for the 2004 Rainbow/PUSH Coalition Conference, and that schedule ultimately led to the rest.

We have no idea if we are right, because we've never seen the tape. But, we don't understand why a journalist couldn't get the tape of Michelle's panel discussion to check if she does, in fact, rant and rave on this panel the way it's been described.

It doesn't seem to need a Woodward or Bernstein: just someone who knows how to use Google and who can sit down with a pad of paper and figure out when Michelle Obama would have had an opportunity to do something like this. Once that is known, journalists just need to get the tapes from her appearance at the 2004 conference to see what she said and how she said it.

Do we still have any journalists in this country?

That last bit is a very good question. Please note that at no point did they make any attempt to prove that the remarks actually occurred, they just found a point at which Michelle Obama and Louis Farrakhan were at the same event (which, considering it also had Bill Cosby and Clinton, isn't that remarkable). If the tape exists, then now we know where to get it, either to debunk or prove these charges. But then again, even if someone does, it doesn't matter, because then it just becomes somewhere else that these comments were made. A different time, different place, different attendee, different google search.

UPDATE: I just did a search of my own... on LexisNexis. Found that JET article. Michelle Obama is not named ONCE in the article. That picture they have is the only evidence to be found. And there's no other mention in any other publication I can find. So perhaps there is video of this meeting, perhaps there is some sort of evidence that something was said. Somehow I don't think so. The fact that No Quarter jumped immediately onto this bit of gossip speaks volumes.

UPDATE 2: Thanks to soyousay for providing a link to the program that debunks this thing even further. Ms. Farrakhan was not featured at that conference. Here is the list from the program:

Womans Luncheon

M.C.’s: Cheryl Burton and Karen Jordan, ABC 7

Keynote Speaker: Reverend Jesse L. Jackson, Sr.

Special Guests:
Shoshana Johnson, Retired United States Military
Michelle Obama, University of Chicago
Not only was the keynote speaker Jesse Jackson, Michelle Obama is listed as a special guest. Not even as the actual host. Kinda hard to believe she would be allowed to ramble on for half an hour, huh?



Display:


Good job (2.00 / 3)

Rec'd for excellent de-bunking.  I'm 99.99% sure that there's no 'there' there.


by NewOaklandDem on Wed Jun 04, 2008 at 02:21:45 PM EST

Bill Cosby was there? (2.00 / 1)

Maybe they served Jell-O spiked with Kool-Aide.


No way. No how. No McCain!
by spacemanspiff on Wed Jun 04, 2008 at 02:24:48 PM EST

Re: Bill Cosby was there? (2.00 / 1)

Banana pudding pops for dessert!


by futbol dad on Wed Jun 04, 2008 at 02:31:21 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Bill Cosby was there? (none / 0)

Wait wait!  Let me get my Kodak camera!


Proud member of the Wikipedia Generation of American politics
by BishopRook on Wed Jun 04, 2008 at 03:45:30 PM EST
[ Parent ]

The more I learn about this story (2.00 / 1)

the LESS I find it to be credible.  

So what if Michelle Obama was on a panel with Farrakhan's wife and Mrs. Meeks.

Michelle's husband was running for Senator during this time and thus HIGHLY UNLIKELY would Michelle Obama spout anything against "whitey" especially at a conference in which is called RAINBOW/PUSH which encompasses ALL RACES in which even John Kerry gave a speech there.

Most likely Michelle had said "why'd he" NOT "whitey" and it was NOT a rant against America but rather gave a speech about the injustices in the community.

This story can EASILY be debunked for I am sure there are DVDs that one can purchase of Michelle's speech.  

This is much to do about NOTHING.


by puma on Wed Jun 04, 2008 at 02:27:50 PM EST

Re: The more I learn about this story (none / 0)

She's also an accomplished, professional woman, married to a guy who is half white and presumably close to his white family.  It is inconceivable to me that she would speak in the way suggested.


by interestedbystander on Wed Jun 04, 2008 at 03:14:57 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: HillBuzz effectively discredits their own stor (2.00 / 2)

As shown in this diary (see link below), HillBuzz claimed that the event was at Trinity Church, but a poster found that it was not.

http://www.mydd.com/story/2008/6/4/13431 /20961

If you can't even get the location right, a very basic fact, the rest is probably completely wrong.

I hope someone keeps track of this, because now that the location has been shown to be wrong, the rumor mongers will probably just change that in their next version of this slime.


We care about politics because we know politics matters for people's lives and opportunities.
by politicsmatters on Wed Jun 04, 2008 at 02:32:18 PM EST

HillBuzz effectively discredits their own story (2.00 / 1)

I imagine if they had this tape, they would've played it.  Just like if they had proof that Obama was a muslim, they would've given it up.


This administration is not sinking. This administration is soaring! If anything, they are rearranging the deck chairs on the Hindenburg!
by venavena on Wed Jun 04, 2008 at 02:32:49 PM EST

Re: HillBuzz effectively discredits their own stor (2.00 / 1)

HillBuzz is now posting what they say is the agenda and that also contradicts an earlier post of theirs.

http://hillbuzz.blogspot.com/2008/06/mor e-info-on-rainbowpush-conference.html

The earlier post (to which the diary I linked to above links) said that Michelle likely spoke at the Women's Event. But there is nothing on the agenda called the Women's Event. There is a Women's Luncheon, at which Jesse Jackson was going to give the keynote. Nothing is said about a panel and Michelle's name appears no where on the full agenda. The luncheon was scheduled for 2 hours, which makes it very unlikely that there would have been both a keynote from Jesse -- who talks a long time -- and a panel. These events are, in part, for networking, so there would need to be time to chatting among attendees.

I hope someone is keeping a file of all this or has a blog where the debunking can be posted.


We care about politics because we know politics matters for people's lives and opportunities.
by politicsmatters on Wed Jun 04, 2008 at 02:37:20 PM EST

Re: HillBuzz effectively discredits their own stor (none / 0)

Nothing that there's no links to the purported source documents or images of the purported article in Jet.  In other words, all the bs evidence, which itself would prove nothing, isn't provided just asserted that it exists.

And why would a journalist have a tape of such a thing? There are conferences every day in Chicago and very few sessions are ever taped.


We care about politics because we know politics matters for people's lives and opportunities.
by politicsmatters on Wed Jun 04, 2008 at 02:44:39 PM EST

It's great to see this story getting debunked (2.00 / 1)

This is getting so ridiculous.


by puma on Wed Jun 04, 2008 at 02:54:09 PM EST

Here you go (none / 0)

We just looked for times she was in Chicago

June 28th schedule - "special guest"

http://web.archive.org/web/2004081123375 0/corona.tpsgi.com/rpc/Conference_Schedu le.htm


by soyousay on Wed Jun 04, 2008 at 03:13:50 PM EST

Re: Here you go (2.00 / 1)

Thank you. Not only is she not a keynote speaker, Farrakhan is not even mentioned. So the idea that she would be ranting for over half an hour is even more preposterous.


If you're being chased by an angry bull and then you notice you're also being chased by a swarm of bees, it doesn't really change things. Just keep on running.
by vcalzone on Wed Jun 04, 2008 at 03:24:47 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Here you go (none / 0)

You welcome...and we'll see.


by soyousay on Wed Jun 04, 2008 at 04:10:38 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: HillBuzz effectively discredits their own Mich (none / 0)

Good. More debunking. Rec'ed. I won't believe this story until I see the tape. Until then, this Hillary supporter, says this stinks and is a smear campaign against MO. Period.

This story needs to be debunked though. Here's why - Is it possible MO said it? Yes, which is why this is making such a stink. Did she say it? I dunno. Most people will have the same response which is not what Obama needs. He needs people to say without a doubt, "no way that MO would say that, no way."


by grlpatriot on Wed Jun 04, 2008 at 03:52:51 PM EST


You are not logged in.

In order to post a comment, you must be logged in. If you have a member account, please log in to comment.

If not, you can make an account right here. It's quick and free.