Video asks for rain during Obama's DNC speech

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By Beth Boehne

Story Created: Aug 13, 2008 at 10:50 AM EST

Story Updated: Aug 13, 2008 at 10:50 AM EST

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — Conservative Christian group Focus on the Family yanked a Web site video of a man asking people to pray for "good ol' swamp-the-intersection rain" the night Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama delivers acceptance speech.

The video's producers said the skit was meant to be humorous but it was pulled Monday after Focus on the Family members complained.

"If people took it seriously, we regret it," said Tom Minnery, the vice president of Focus on the Family Action, the political arm of the Colorado Springs-based group.

In the video, a man with an umbrella talks about his wish for rain as he stands in front of Invesco Field at Mile High Stadium, where Obama is set to deliver his acceptance speech on Aug. 28, the final night of the Democratic National Convention.

"Would it be wrong to ask people to pray for rain?" begins the video by Stuart Shepard, director of digital media for Focus on the Family Action. "Would it be wrong if we prayed for rain on say a particular night, at say a particular location? Say the evening of Aug. 28th, right here at Mile High Stadium in Denver."

Shepard then explains his desire for rain by saying he's against abortion and gay marriage and he wants the next president to select Supreme Court justices who agree with him.

"So I'm praying for unexpected, unanticipated, unforecasted rain that starts two minutes before the speech is set to begin," Shepard says.

Shepard goes on to say he's "just an ordinary guy" who's looking for people who feel the same way he does to pray for rain.

Although the video was pulled from the Focus on the Family Action Web site, it is still shown on You Tube, where it had gotten more than 23,000 views by Tuesday night.

Shepard told The Colorado Springs Gazette the video was meant to be "mildly humorous."

"It's called hyperbole. It is meant to be humorous," he said.

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Information from: The Gazette, http://www.gazette.com

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