aleonard
02-26-2008, 01:53 PM
Wendy Victora
Tuesday February 26th, 2008
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Barack Obama, the leading Democratic presidential candidate, is expected to make an appearance March 20 at a statewide Baptist convention in Panama City Beach next month.
He was one of three candidates sent a “standard letter of invitation” to speak at the Progressive M. & E. Baptist State Convention of Florida during the week of March 17 through March 21.
Obama’s team responded within days of receiving the letter in early February. No one has responded from Hillary Clinton’s or John McCain’s offices, according to convention planner, Kenneth Turner.
“We’re almost 90 percent sure that he’s coming based on conversations with his scheduling team,” Turner said. The scheduling team will confirm Obama’s visit about three days before he is expected to speak, he added.
No one at Obama’s campaign could be reached to confirm the visit.
Turner, who is based in Orlando, said Florida residents have not had the opportunity to meet the major candidates due to the Democratic Party’s decision to hold its primary early. He said he believed that this was Obama’s first visit to the state in more than two years.
“We look forward to his coming to share with our people,” he said. “This is an opportunity for him to come and address the Baptist churches in the state of Florida.”
The location for this year’s convention was planned for the Bay County area to “provide healing” for local pastors and the community in the wake of the Martin Lee Anderson case, Turner said.
Anderson was 14 when he died in January 2006 at the boot camp in Bay County after guards applied force to subdue him as a nurse watched. The seven guards and the nurse were arrested for manslaughter, but were acquitted of the charges.
The convention will be held at the Bay Point Marriott Resort.
Those interested in attending can go to www.barackobama.com and enter their zip code to get information about the conference. There are a limited number of visitor slots, though Turner said he thought they had already been filled.
http://www.nwfdailynews.com/article/12362
Tuesday February 26th, 2008
Comment on this Story | Read Comments
Barack Obama, the leading Democratic presidential candidate, is expected to make an appearance March 20 at a statewide Baptist convention in Panama City Beach next month.
He was one of three candidates sent a “standard letter of invitation” to speak at the Progressive M. & E. Baptist State Convention of Florida during the week of March 17 through March 21.
Obama’s team responded within days of receiving the letter in early February. No one has responded from Hillary Clinton’s or John McCain’s offices, according to convention planner, Kenneth Turner.
“We’re almost 90 percent sure that he’s coming based on conversations with his scheduling team,” Turner said. The scheduling team will confirm Obama’s visit about three days before he is expected to speak, he added.
No one at Obama’s campaign could be reached to confirm the visit.
Turner, who is based in Orlando, said Florida residents have not had the opportunity to meet the major candidates due to the Democratic Party’s decision to hold its primary early. He said he believed that this was Obama’s first visit to the state in more than two years.
“We look forward to his coming to share with our people,” he said. “This is an opportunity for him to come and address the Baptist churches in the state of Florida.”
The location for this year’s convention was planned for the Bay County area to “provide healing” for local pastors and the community in the wake of the Martin Lee Anderson case, Turner said.
Anderson was 14 when he died in January 2006 at the boot camp in Bay County after guards applied force to subdue him as a nurse watched. The seven guards and the nurse were arrested for manslaughter, but were acquitted of the charges.
The convention will be held at the Bay Point Marriott Resort.
Those interested in attending can go to www.barackobama.com and enter their zip code to get information about the conference. There are a limited number of visitor slots, though Turner said he thought they had already been filled.
http://www.nwfdailynews.com/article/12362