MEDIA MATTERS

Glenn Beck, Lou Dobbs, and prominent conservative bloggers followed the lead of conservative website Breitbart.tv after the site falsely claimed that an online video showed community organizers from the Gamaliel Foundation "pray" to President Obama. Breitbart.tv subsequently updated the original post with an editor's note acknowledging that "there is a debate over what is actually being said" and that the crowd may, in fact, be saying "oh God" rather than "Obama"; the Gamaliel Foundation subsequently stated that "at no time have we prayed to President Obama" and that in the video, the organizers "can be heard saying, 'Hear our cry oh God,' 'Deliver us oh God,' etc."

On December 4, 2008, 500 leaders from 35 interfaith organizations from across the United States led a New Orleans style funeral march to the Washington offices of United Health care to demonstrate the need for comprehensive healthcare reform that provides medical coverage for every American citizen.

At that demonstration, several members representing Gamaliel Foundation affiliates spoke. Below are excerpts of what was said:

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As a faith-based organization, it is customary for Gamaliel Foundation affiliates to begin and end every action with prayer. At no time, however, have we prayed to President Barack Obama. In the form of call and response, those who took part in the UnitedHealthcare action can be heard saying, “Hear our cry oh God,” “Deliver us oh God,” etc.

It is obvious that those who took the time to distort our sincere action for healthcare reform, by posting their own edited version on the Internet, are against what we believe is a fundamental right.