Did President Obama Actually Talk About Monk Joachim of Fiore?

The background is here at Vatican Throws Cold Water On President Obama's Mystic Monk (Updated)

I have spent some time looking at the very interesting views and history of this monk and the Church's reaction to him. A wilki page gives an overview.

Now my question did the Preacher to the Papal Household have independent knowledge of this or is going off what the Mayor of San Giovanni in Fiore said in August of 2008.

I am not saying the mayor is wrong but it seems to me that everything I see just cites this article. Where are the links to the actual speeches. In fact many took note of this article in 2008. Modern Medieval got all all excited. But he mentions something that caught my eye in his 2008 entry Barack Obama, Medievalist (?) . He says in part:

Does anyone know anything about this? The article doesn't give details of those occasions and I can't find -- anywhere -- independent verification of this. I've used the google, searched through Obama's website, used LexisNexis, Aldo Civico's website (the scholar who's mentioned in the article), etc. Nothing.

He might actually might have mentioned him and I suppose the mayor is basing this on something. But I find it odd I can't even find one original source for this yet. It might be there but still