Obama readies for MLK speech as president, father

By Julie Pace

Associated Press

Published: Friday, Oct. 14 2011 2:30 a.m. MDT

FILE - In this Aug. 22, 2011, file photo, The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial is seen in Washington. President Barack Obama is finally getting the chance to speak during a dedication ceremony for the Martin Luther King Jr. The dedication set for Sunday was originally supposed to take place in August but was postponed after Hurricane Irene swept through the Washington region.

Jacquelyn Martin, File, Associated Press

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Summary

President Barack Obama is finally getting the chance to speak at the dedication of a monument to Martin Luther King Jr.

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is finally getting the chance to speak at the dedication of a monument to Martin Luther King Jr.

The dedication of the memorial on the National Mall is set for Sunday. It was supposed to take place in August but was postponed after Hurricane Irene swept through the Washington region.

Obama, then a U.S. senator, spoke at a 2006 groundbreaking for the memorial. He wondered at the time what it would be like to bring his two daughters, Malia and Sasha, to the monument to the civil rights leader.

He'll have that chance Sunday. First lady Michelle Obama is also expected to attend the ceremony.

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