Obama '08?

Coulter went on to say: "I do think it does show -- it further confirms my point that Democrats are racist, and they're just stunned to find a black man who can walk and talk. And, you know, not being a racist, I'm not really that impressed with a black man who can walk and talk."

In addition to the Times and the Journal, on January 17, Morris' column was cited or republished by:

. U.S. News & World Report's online "Political Bulletin"
. The conservative news website NewsMax.com
. Right-wing pundit David Horowitz's FrontPageMag.com
. The right-wing website Human Events Online
. The conservative website Family Security Matters

As of this posting, The Hill has not published a correction, and though the column still appears on the paper's website, it is not listed among Morris' columns. As of this writing, none of the other media outlets listed above has acknowledged Morris' retraction, either.

I think Bill is leaning towards one of the Hilarys. He just doesn't know if he wants to vote for the left (o) or the right (o).

cjhsa wrote:

I think Bill is leaning towards one of the Hilarys. He just doesn't know if he wants to vote for the left (o) or the right (o).

If so, this is exactly what makes a republic work -- that people retain the option to change their minds.

Not Bush. He's impervious to evidence.

Good article. <nods>

Friday, January 19, 2007

Are Hillary's People Saying That Obama Attended a Wahhabi Madrassa?

I think if Team Obama is smart, they will get out ahead of this story as soon as possible.

Are the American people ready for an elected president who was educated in a Madrassa as a young boy and has not been forthcoming about his Muslim heritage?

This is the question Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's camp is asking about Sen. Barack Obama.

An investigation of Mr. Obama by political opponents within the Democratic Party has discovered that Mr. Obama was raised as a Muslim by his stepfather in Indonesia. Sources close to the background check, which has not yet been released, said Mr. Obama, 45, spent at least four years in a so-called Madrassa, or Muslim seminary, in Indonesia.

"He was a Muslim, but he concealed it," the source said. "His opponents within the Democrats hope this will become a major issue in the campaign."

When contacted by Insight, Mr. Obama's press secretary said he would consult with "his boss" and call back. He did not.

Sources said the background check, conducted by researchers connected to Senator Clinton, disclosed details of Mr. Obama's Muslim past. The sources said the Clinton camp concluded the Illinois Democrat concealed his prior Muslim faith and education.

"The background investigation will provide major ammunition to his opponents," the source said. "The idea is to show Obama as deceptive."



Jonah wonders if Hillary's people would really leak this to Insight magazine (no offense to the folks over there, but one wonders how eager Democrats are to give hot material to the conservative press). On the other hand, maybe this is a warning shot from Camp Hillary.

nimh wrote:

Good article. <nods>

Huh? Another tired anti-Bush screed in the wrong thread and you encourage it?

Here it is, as predictable as the smell of a farm shithouse. http://hillaryspot.nationalreview.com/

Quote:

Friday, January 19, 2007

Are Hillary's People Saying That Obama Attended a Wahhabi Madrassa? [..]

An investigation of Mr. Obama by political opponents within the Democratic Party has discovered that Mr. Obama was raised as a Muslim by his stepfather in Indonesia. Sources close to the background check, which has not yet been released, said Mr. Obama, 45, spent at least four years in a so-called Madrassa, or Muslim seminary, in Indonesia.

A while back I predicted that conservatives would shamelessly smear Barack Obama and then blame the smearing on Hillary Clinton. Today I saw this article [..] about Obama from the conservative magazine Insight

<snipped>

The attribution on all this is broad enough ("political opponents within the Democratic Party"; "researchers connected to Senator Clinton") that I suppose this information about Obama could have originated with people in Clinton's orbit. But let's not forget where this information appeared. And let's be on the lookout for who goes on the cable shows and wonders whether "Barrack Hussein Obama" is "The Manchurian[, eh, the] Madrassa Candidate." Something tells me it isn't going to be Hillary, or any liberal for that matter.

I don't get it.

Obama went to a Moslem school. That's a fact.

The Republicans say that Obama went to a Moslem school, and let the public draw their own negative conclusions.

How is that a smear?

It's not just the Indonesian Muslim connection. Obama's paternal grandfather converted to Islam (he didn't like Christianity's 'turn the other cheek' philosophy, according to Obama's memoir). His father is portrayed as a non-religious man, but was given a Muslim burial. So Obama has a Muslim as well as a Christian heritage. Given current US realities, this will be an issue and how he handles it will be a test of his considerable political abilities. [..]

Obama's childhood orientation and indoctrination is a legitimate area of inquiry. [..]

If the man spent a portion of his youth in Indonesian schools, if he feels close kinship to his Kenyan roots, we have a right to know what that means in terms of his worldview.

He could even leverage it to his advantage as to his insight and understanding of world issues.

But, let's be real, if someone were running for president in 1940, or 1944, and had close family ties to Germany or Japan, it would probably have been an issue. If someone running for president in 1960 had spent part of his childhood in the Soviet Union, it would be an issue. [..]

I hear they worship an awesome God in the madrassahs.

[..] swifboating involved a set of buddies and participants who repudiated claims of heroism. there is no swiftboating with the muslim schooling here. this term is so overused and will backfire at some point. [..]

[..] voters [..] like their presidents' religions bland. Nice, gentlemanly, country club Protestantism. The kind you bring out on Sunday and holidays, if you bring it out at all.

Any religion that has the odor of fervor-- Evangelical, Baptist, Mormon, Roman Catholic, and, yes, Muslim makes people nervous.

Jimmy Carter was mocked for his devout Baptist beliefs. George W. Bush is accused of being a religious zealot. Jack Kennedy's Catholicism was a potential issue, as had been Al Smith's, partly because of supposed fealty to an outside authority, the Pope.

So [..] this is nothing new in American politics. It's not reserved for Muslims.

Where do these people get the nerve from to pretend to be so stupid?

Nah, this isn't benign in the manner you suggest. These are intelligence and propaganda/marketing techniques with a pedigree.