Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama has faced a firestorm of controversy for his South Carolina gospel concert tour because it includes a singer who has been openly hostile towards homosexuals — but the candidate won’t hear a note of the music.
 
While the show goes on in South Carolina, Obama will spend Saturday campaigning in Iowa and has no public events on Sunday. His campaign said the Illinois senator had never planned to attend the concerts.
 
“It was always scheduled to be a surrogate tour,” said spokesman Ben LaBolt.
 
Obama has been criticized by leading gay organizations because the tour includes Donnie McClurkin, an outspoken critic of homosexuality, and some have called for him to drop the singer from the tour.
 
Instead, Obama spoke to leaders in the gay community earlier this week and tried to smooth over things by adding an openly gay minister (Rev. Andy Sidden) to give the opening prayer at the Sunday concert when McClurkin will perform.

– Photo credit: Mario Anzuoni (Obama with Melissa Etheridge at a forum sponsored by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation)