Obama Pastor Cancels Speeches

Jeremiah Wright, Barack Obama’s controversial former pastor, has canceled scheduled appearances this week, citing security concerns. Wright was due to lead a Tampa, Fla., church's three-day revival beginning yesterday, and visit several Houston-area churches Sunday. "As much as I hate for him not to come I think it's probably prudent" to cancel, said one Texas pastor, adding that there had been threats on his life.

The pastor told the Houston Chronicle that he wished Wright could have had the opportunity to "set the record straight" to parishioners in Houston. "After all these years, I am not going to kick him to the curb over sound bites." The Tampa church's pastor tells the Tampa Bay Tribune that the revival was turning into a media circus, so he asked Wright to stay in Chicago. (More Texas stories.)