Archive for Thursday, February 28, 2008
Obama walks fine line in fighting false links to Islam
February 28, 2008
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Washington — For Barack Obama, it is an ember that he has doused time and again, only to see it flicker anew: links to Islam fanned by false rumors, innuendo and association.
Obama and his campaign reacted strongly this week when a photo of him in Kenyan tribal garb began spreading on the Internet. And the praise he received Sunday from Nation of Islam Minister Louis Farrakhan prompted pointed questions - during Tuesday night's presidential debate and also in a private meeting over the weekend with Jewish leaders in Cleveland.
During the debate, Obama repeated his denunciation of Farrakhan's views, which have included numerous anti-Semitic comments. And, after being pressed, he rejected Farrakhan's support in the presidential race.
The Democratic candidate says repeatedly that he's a Christian who took the oath of office on a family Bible. Yet on the Internet and on talk radio - and in a campaign introduction for John McCain this week - he is often depicted, falsely, as a Muslim with shadowy ties and his middle name, Hussein, is emphasized as a reminder of Iraq's former leader.
"If anyone is still puzzled about the facts, in fact I have never been a Muslim," he told the Jewish leaders in Cleveland, according to a transcript of the private session.
The photo of Obama wearing Kenyan tribal raiments - taken by an Associated Press photographer during his visit in 2006 to the country where his father was born - resurfaced on the Internet amid unsubstantiated claims that it was being circulated by members of Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign. Clinton and her aides said they had nothing to do with it. The Obama campaign accused them of "shameful, offensive fear-mongering."
On Tuesday Republican candidate McCain denounced the introduction he got in Cincinnati that criticized Obama in vivid terms. Talk show host Bill Cunningham referred to Obama three times as "Barack Hussein Obama" and called him a "hack, Chicago-style" politician during the introduction of McCain.
The Obama campaign is closely attuned to the rumors and insinuations. Information on Obama's Christian faith is prominently available on the "Know the facts" page of his Web site.
If there is confusion - and opportunity for political mischief - it derives at least in part from Obama's rich cultural background. His mother was a white woman from Kansas, his father was Kenyan and he spent part of his childhood in Indonesia, a largely Muslim country.
"My grandfather, who was Kenyan, converted to Christianity, then converted to Islam," Obama said Sunday. "My father never practiced; he was basically agnostic. So, other than my name and the fact that I lived in a populous Muslim country for four years when I was a child, I have very little connection to the Islamic religion."
Obama has become careful in denouncing the links, lately noting that some rumors about him also have been insulting to Muslims. Jim Zogby, founder and president of the Arab American Institute, said many Arab Americans are drawn to Obama because of his cultural background.
"It is clear he wants to have a broader relationship with the Muslim world," Zogby said. "He has a biography that connects him to the Muslim world."
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28 February 2008
at 5:55 a.m.
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bondmen (Anonymous) says…
The more we learn about Senator Obama the more we worry about Senator Obama becoming President of the United States of America.
http://www.freedomsenemies.com/_more/…
28 February 2008
at 7:33 a.m.
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ksdivakat (Anonymous) says…
Watch what you say bondman….these bloggers will attack you for that!
The issue isnt the pic in itself, the issue is, that Obama financially contributed to Odingas campaign, Odinga, if elected, was going to reinstate a law that was about islams and muslims converting to christianity, and if they did then they could be jailed for life! So if Obama is christian as he says, why would he financially support that campaign?? The article says “So, other than my name and the fact that I lived in a populous Muslim country for four years when I was a child, I have very little connection to the Islamic religion.”
********************************************************************
And other than the fact he went to a muslim school, he supported a campaign that would have jailed christians for converting from islam/muslim……..other than that he has very little connection to islamic religion…………….yeah
28 February 2008
at 12:31 p.m.
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Mark_P (Anonymous) says…
Good grief, there are a lot of nuts out there.
28 February 2008
at 12:34 p.m.
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beobachter (Anonymous) says…
all of them post here with nothing but mis-information and mostly flat out lies.
28 February 2008
at 12:55 p.m.
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ndmoderate (Anonymous) says…
Lots of fear and hatred on this thread.
28 February 2008
at 12:58 p.m.
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blahblahblah (Anonymous) says…
It would be better to divide the world opinion of the country than for the world to all have the same feeling, hatred, which is what GW has given us. Idiot.
28 February 2008
at 1 p.m.
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Mark_P (Anonymous) says…
So, dolly, we should vote for McCain or Hillary out of some sort of “reverse white guilt”?
If Obama wins, it was because of white guilt. If he loses, it was because we're all racists. Does that make sense to you?
28 February 2008
at 1:05 p.m.
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bondmen (Anonymous) says…
Barack Obama: Washington Post, Chicago Tribune investigations confirm autobiography lies; now asking: Is “African-American” a lie too?
http://kennethelamb.blogspot.com/2008…
28 February 2008
at 1:18 p.m.
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Mark_P (Anonymous) says…
That's a pretty cynical view, Dolly.
You are not really contributing here, other than offering up a dubious link and saying “ask him”.
And to say Obama is dividing world opinion of the Country because of his skin color is hilarious in itself.
Bush, the great “uniter”, has done far worse than that with his incompetence.
28 February 2008
at 1:34 p.m.
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jonas (Anonymous) says…
Wow, www.freedomsenemies.com. Now that sounds like a calm, rational and totally unbiased site.
28 February 2008
at 1:37 p.m.
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jonas (Anonymous) says…
“Mark_P (Anonymous) says:
That's a pretty cynical view, Dolly.
You are not really contributing here”
Ummm, Mark? Have you Read Dollypawpaw's comment history? This is pretty much the way of things.
28 February 2008
at 2:02 p.m.
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EXks (Anonymous) says…
Christian fundaMENTALism ranks right up there with Islamic jihadists. Both poison the mind.
28 February 2008
at 2:12 p.m.
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beatrice (Anonymous) says…
Repetition does not transform a lie into a truth. - Franklin D. Roosevelt
28 February 2008
at 2:23 p.m.
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Agnostick (Anonymous) says…
Dollypawpaw (Anonymous) says:
>>>Mark_P (Anonymous) says:
>>>So, dolly, we should vote for McCain or Hillary out of some >>>sort of “reverse white guilt”?
*
E-mail the black guy that wrote the article for that answer.
______________________________________________
A good example of extremist non-thinking. RoseyRedPaw, in this case.
A straightforward question.
The straightforward answer? “Go ask a talking head, because I'm incapable of rational thought under my own power. All I can do is parrot back the things that are fed to me by my own media gods, pundits, provocateurs, and flamethrowing AM-radio talk show goons.”
And no, I don't think the only “correct” way to answer such a question is by committing to a name…
Agnostick
agnostick@excite.com
http://www.uscentrist.org
http://www.americanplan.org
28 February 2008
at 2:25 p.m.
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The_Original_Bob (Anonymous) says…
“Good grief, there are a lot of nuts out there.”
Yep. It's pretty bad when R_T has one of the most sane posts on a thread.
Why do these nuts think anyone would believe such slanted websites? rightvoices and freedomsenemies? Comedy Goldmine, friends!
28 February 2008
at 2:27 p.m.
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snap_pop_no_crackle (Anonymous) says…
TOB, at least nobody's mentioned reptoids yet.
28 February 2008
at 2:27 p.m.
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beobachter (Anonymous) says…
Don't confuse the idiots with facts, they've already made up their mind.
28 February 2008
at 3 p.m.
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jonas (Anonymous) says…
Dollypawpaw says: “I trust that the author of the article has at least as much sense as you or jonas?”
To be honest, Dolly, if you thought I made sense I'd be re-evaluating my stance on things.
28 February 2008
at 4:11 p.m.
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Roadkill_Rob (Anonymous) says…
“To be honest, Dolly, if you thought I made sense I'd be re-evaluating my stance on things.”
Classic!!!!! Nicely done.
28 February 2008
at 5:09 p.m.
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thare (Anonymous) says…
Threads like this remind me why I moved away from Kansas. You nutjobs have nothing better to do then sit around and read blatant right-wing propaganda until the clan meeting this evening? Get a life.
28 February 2008
at 5:57 p.m.
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cg22165 (Anonymous) says…
Nuts! Who cares; why is this an issue?
There's an easy answer: “I'm not a Muslim, but if I were, I would be proud of it.”
Replace 'Muslim' with any religion you like. Who among us is not proud of our own religion?
28 February 2008
at 5:58 p.m.
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temperance (Anonymous) says…
Is McCain going to renounce and denounce bigot John Hagee's support for his campaign? Isn't that the new rule? I can't wait for Tim Russert to question McCain about it. Even the Catholic League is angry: http://www.catholicleague.org/release…
28 February 2008
at 6:38 p.m.
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temperance (Anonymous) says…
“In his books, Obama admits attending 'socialist conferences' and coming into contact with Marxist literature”
oh my god!! He came into contact with it! Did he catch teh Marx? I hear it's highly contagious.
I've learned so much on this thread: Obama is an unpatriotic communist socialist liberal fascist who is a secret Jew-hating Muslim. Is he gay, too?
28 February 2008
at 6:46 p.m.
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BABBOY (Anonymous) says…
Dollypawpaw:
Plays the real man thing a lot.
Plays the flag thing a lot.
Usually attacks the label word liberal. Must have been abused by a hippie growing up or something.
But, wow, I never knew you were a bigot and racist.
Yes, you are still a moron. I used to think you went by the login name “dotsline” which stoped about the time you started posting but you really are too stupid to have been that poster who did not appear to be a bigot…
You should try to be more like right-thinker who is actually funny, but you cannot pull that off can ya!
6 March 2008
at 1:43 p.m.
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janeyb (Anonymous) says…
People were having so much fun taking down Hillary they forgot to look at the other option. Now they are looking at Obama and aren't very impressed.
I have now been to a Democrat Caucus and I don't know what the big deal was about Gore and the Supreme Court. It is all corrupt. How is not allowing Michigan and Florida to take part in the Democrat nomination process any different than the Florida scandal in 2000? And let's not just blame the Democrats, after all Huckleberry won the Kansas GOP Caucus. Bet McCain and Clinton would have won a true primary election in Kansas.
If Obama or Clinton don't have the required number of delegates by June 30, let's forget the convention and spend the money on a nationwide primary election. Only people who have been registered Democrat for 6 months can vote, and whoever wins the popular vote takes all
6 March 2008
at 2:28 p.m.
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bondmen (Anonymous) says…
The Muslims in Keyna and many other places Muslims live, say once you're born a Muslim, you're always a Muslim! Sharia law treats those who want to change to another faith, very severly. Many of his Arabic Kenyan relatives have a different understanding about their Muslim religion than most Americans, who are woefully unaware of these realities.
Can a past of Islam change the path to president for Obama? http://www.examiner.com/a-534540~Can_…