Wright Cancels Wheeler

» Chron: Security concerns prompt Rev. Wright to cancel trip

Wheeler's announcement of the cancellation came the same day that Wright cancelled three days of appearances in Tampa, Fla., security concerns.

The Tampa Tribune reported that the Rev. Earl Mason, pastor of Bible-Based Fellowship Church of Temple Terrace, blamed the cancellation on "hype" and "commotion" surrounding the visit. Mason also said the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office would not provide security for the event, a claim the law enforcement officials denied, the Tribune reported.

Meanwhile, The Dallas Morning News reported the Rev. Wright's scheduled visit to North Texas also was pending.

Wright is scheduled on Saturday to attend luncheon at Paul Quinn College in southeast Oak Cliff, where he's to be honored that night at Friendship-West Baptist Church in the Red Bird area. Both events were moved from Texas Christian University because of security concerns by TCU officials, the News reported.

I don't doubt - nor make light of - the type of threats that I'm sure Rev. Wright must be getting these days. But at some point, there's a case to be made for pressing on. And that's what makes the sudden rash of cancellations look like it has as much, or more, to do with politics than it does anything else. Maybe there's a sufficient list of events that Wright isn't canceling, I don't know. But the immediate take is that it sure looks like Team Obama is trying to tamp down a very real threat to his campaign.