Sunday, March 16, 2008

Rev. Dr. Jeremiah Wright in Knoxville, TN

On January 11, 2007 at Noon, controversial pastor of presidential candidate Barrack Obama and pastor of the Trinity United Church of Christ of Chicago, IL, the Rev. Dr. Jeremiah Wright appeared in Knoxville as the Keynote speaker for the Leadership/Diversity Awards Luncheon. WBIR's Robin Whilhoit hosted the event.

Why have WBIR and Robin Wilhoit never acknowledged that the most controversial person in the center of the Democrat presidential primary was right here in river city less than 15 months ago. Obviously with Robin having been the host, there had to have been at least one WBIR camera present. Which means that in the basement of WBIR there is video of the controversial figure known as Rev. Dr. Jeremiah Wright from right here in Knoxville, TN.

Here is the description of the event. Click on the description to be linked to the 2007 City of Knoxville Press Release.

Leadership/Diversity Awards Luncheon, Knoxville Marriott Hotel, hosted by Robin Wilhoit, WBIR-TV. Keynote speaker: Rev. Dr. Jeremiah Wright of Trinity United Church of Christ, Chicago, IL. Awards presented for Education, Advocacy, and Business.

Hat Tip to Hubert Smith of the Hubert Smith Radio Show for the information that led our research staff to this post. At least the partnership of Brian's Blog and the Hubert Smith Radio Show are knowledgeable to what happens here in river city.

My challenge to WBIR is to show your audience the video and acknowledge that Brian's Blog and the Hubert Smith Radio Show alerted you to the existence of the video.


7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Brian,
Rev. Wright was in Knoxville over a year ago? Gee, that's so ... old news. So what? Pres. Bush has been in Knoxville. Hank Williams was in Knoxville too. So what?
I was in Washington DC when Reagan was President. So what?

SteveMule

Brian Hornback said...

I believe that it would be news that the most controversial person in the democrat presidential primary sharing a stage with a Knoxville news anchor would be a story of interest.

For you to compare Rev. Dr. Jeremiah Wright to Pres. Bush, Reagan and Hank Williams is simply wrong. I have met Pres. Bush and Reagan, I know of Hank Williams and Rev. Dr. jeremiah Wright is no Bush, Reagan or Williams. Thank the good Lord.

Anonymous said...

Brian,
I wasn't comparing, or creating an equivilance between any of the folks I mentioned. Only to point out that they've been to Knoxville too. The fact they've been to Knoxville is, of and by itself, of little interest or importance. That was my only point. Why should WIBR expend the effort to dig up an old tape?

SteveMule

Anonymous said...

Why should WBIR expend the effort to dig up an old tape? Why, to see what he said when he was here is why. duh.

I give Hornback a hard time about some of the stuff he writes here but God help me, he's right this time. Probably first and last however.

Anonymous said...

Anony,
Is it possible that the reason we haven't seen the WIBR tape is because they looked and there's nothing on it? Nothing in the sense of being inflamatory?

SteveMule

Anonymous said...

I don't know but I would bet they didn't realize it or not until the read Brian's Blog.

I assume that you, stephen are for Obama since you keep downplaying it.

Anonymous said...

Obama and Wright

In Obama's autobiography, Dreams From My Father, Obama talks about "America's hunger for an optimistic sign from the racial front."

In his 2004 speech before the Democratic National Convention, Obama stated "Through hard work and perseverance , my father got to study in a magical place, America, that shone as a beacon of freedom and opportunity to so many who had come there."

Perhaps the real Obama should stand up. He claimed today he can't disown Rev.Wright, comparing their relationship to that of a family member.

Why can't he disown him? Haven't Republicans been asked to disown their alliances with people who have been judged as racist or bigoted?

But Obama did find his racial campaign message in the mess.

During today's speech he talked about "a racial stalemate we've been stuck in for years" that couldn't be overcome in one election cycle.

Ahhh. Of course. Although he finds some of Rev. Wright's rhetoric distressing, he is also bothered by the racism underlying the criticism of Rev. Wright. And how do we solve that problem? We elect Obama.

By the way, during that racial stalemate, Colin Powell was Sec. of State and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Clarence Thomas was appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court, and Condoleeza Rice was head of the National Security Council and is now Sec. of State. All under Republican administrations. Racial stalemate. Hardly.