Bill Kristol: Wrong on Obama/Wright

Bill Kristol cites a report by the "journalist" Ronald Kessler in today's New York Times claiming that Barack Obama attended an incendiary sermon by Jeremiah Wright on July 22, 2007:

It certainly could be the case that Obama personally didn’t hear Wright’s 2003 sermon when he proclaimed: “The government gives them the drugs, builds bigger prisons, passes a three-strike law and then wants us to sing ‘God Bless America.’ No, no, no, not God bless America, God damn America, that’s in the Bible for killing innocent people. ... God damn America for treating our citizens as less than human.”

But Ronald Kessler, a journalist who has written about Wright’s ministry, claims that Obama was in fact in the pews at Trinity last July 22. That’s when Wright blamed the “arrogance” of the “United States of White America” for much of the world’s suffering, especially the oppression of blacks.

What Bill Kristol doesn't tell you is that Kessler writes for Newsmax, the shady right-wing tabloid site. And as Marc Ambinder points out (via Josh Marshall), Kessler's report is contradicted by documentary evidence showing that Obama was in Miami that day (it has also been denied by the Obama campaign).

PS If you want a sense of what Newsmax is like, check out this excerpt from Spinsanity on the website's Deck of Weasels trading card set:

The most explicit comparisons [to Iraqi leaders depicted on the now-famous deck of cards issued by the Pentagon to troops in Iraq to help them identify top Iraqi officials], however, have been made by NewsMax.com and Greenpeace, who have both issued their own decks of cards featuring their political enemies. The NewsMax includes a picture of a politician or celebrity doctored to include a beret bearing the logo of the Iraqi Republican Guard and a "quote revealing his anti-American, pro-Saddam ranting". Prominently featured are French Prime Minister Jacques Chirac as the Ace of Spades (Saddam Hussein's position in the Pentagon deck) and "Sen. Robert 'KKK' Byrd" as the Ace of Diamonds.

This is who Bill Kristol is citing on the New York Times op-ed page.

Update 3/17 2:11 PM: Via Greg Sargent, Kristol has corrected his column:

In this column, I cite a report that Sen. Obama had attended services at Trinity Church on July 22, 2007. The Obama campaign has provided information showing that Sen. Obama did not attend Trinity that day. I regret the error.

James Joyner questions my criticism of Newsmax, citing Kessler's credentials as a reporter, but I think the institutional association tarnishes any such credentials. More importantly, the original article depends not on Kessler's reporting but on the word of a "freelance correspondent" that Kessler concedes may have gotten the date wrong (via Michael Crowley):

[T]he Obama campaign said the senator was not present at the July 22 service.

A few minutes ago, Kessler told us by telephone that "the NewsMax editors have talked with Jim Davis" and "he might have been wrong about the date."

Davis, Kessler added, "says he could have been wrong about the date, but it definitely happened."

Kessler added that he's confident about the rest of Davis' reporting because "I was impressed by the details he had." Asked if getting the date wrong isn't something that would raise questions about the rest of a reporter's work, Kessler said no. And he said that "in general, (Obama's) claim that he doesn't know anything about these sermons is ridiculous."

Kessler said NewsMax will be posting a new story about this shortly.

The site has also posted a vague "clarification":

The Obama campaign has told members of the press that Senator Obama was not in church on the day cited, July 22, because he had a speech he gave in Miami at 1:30 PM. Our writer, Jim Davis, says he attended several services at Senator Obama's church during the month of July, including July 22. The church holds services three times every Sunday at 7:30 and 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. Central time. While both the early morning and evening service allowed Sen. Obama to attend the service and still give a speech in Miami, Mr. Davis stands by his story that during one of the services he attended during the month of July, Senator Obama was present and sat through the sermon given by Rev. Wright as described in the story. Mr. Davis said Secret Service were also present in the church during Senator Obama's attendance. Mr. Davis' story was first published on Newsmax on August 9, 2007. Shortly before publication, Mr. Davis contacted the press office of Sen. Obama several times for comment about the Senator's attendance and Rev. Wright's comments during his sermon. The Senator's office declined to comment.

Comments

[Charles George]

This story blows my mind. News max, who reports email forwards as truth (Hilary cutting in line for thanksgiving dinner in Iraq). This is the supporting reporter? Excuse me while I pick up the pieces from my mind that just blew.

[Not Kristol]

You've got to love the irony that the New York Times is now regurgitating crazy Newsmax propaganda via their neo-columnist William Kristol

http://HavenWorks.com/opinion/#William+Bill+Kristol

[Not Kristol]

You've got to love the irony that the New York Times is now regurgitating crazy Newsmax propaganda via their neo-columnist William Kristol

http://HavenWorks.com/opinion/#William+Bill+Kristol

[Angel]

Obama loved his Preacher and Knew him Well Chicago Tribune, so why did he throw him under the Bus!!! Read for yourself how much he loved the man in his own words!!!

http://www. chicagotribune. com/news/custom/religion/profiles/chi-070121-relig_wright,0,5184608. story?page=1&coll=chi_news_custom_religion_promo

Obama says that rather than advising him on strategy, Wright helps keep his priorities straight and his moral compass calibrated.

"What I value most about Pastor Wright is not his day-to-day political advice," Obama said. "He’s much more of a sounding board for me to make sure that I am speaking as truthfully about what I believe as possible and that I’m not losing myself in some of the hype and hoopla and stress that’s involved in national politics

In his 1993 memoir "Dreams from My Father," Obama recounts in vivid detail his first meeting with Wright in 1985. The pastor warned the community activist that getting involved with Trinity might turn off other black clergy because of the church’s radical reputation.