The American Spectator

Print Email

Text Size

The Spectacle Blog

Evangelical Christian activists were puzzled and angry today when a representative of Sen. Barack Obama's presidential campaign at the last minute canceled a scheduled appearance at a Capitol Hill event.

The Rev. E. Terri LaVelle, a Baptist minister and senior advisor on religious affairs to the Obama campaign, had been confirmed as a speaker at the third annual Reese Roundtable luncheon sponsored by two major Washington evangelical organizations, Faith and Action in the Nation's Capital and the International Reapers Foundation.

At the request of the Obama campaign, luncheon organizers had reserved a table of 10 for the Illinois Democrat's supporters. Yet sources say that, less than an hour before the luncheon, LaVelle sent a text message to a roundtable organizer, announcing that she would be unable to attend.

Officials were reportedly "pretty upset" by the late and unexplained cancellation, and the table reserved for the Obama delegation sat conspicuously empty during the luncheon. The luncheon also featured Robert Heckman, an advisor to Republican Sen. John McCain's campaign.

topics:
John McCain, Barack Obama