Talking Points: Photograph Appearing on Drudge ReportThis morning, the Drudge Report claimed that the Clinton campaign was supposedly circulating a photo of Barack Obama wearing traditional Somali clothing. Below is Q&A on this issue and an excerpt from an interview that Obama supporter, Gov. Janet Napolitano, gave to CNN this afternoon.
Q: In the campaign’s official statement today Maggie Williams does not directly respond to whether the Clinton campaign circulated this picture. Do you know whether anyone in your camp circulated this picture
A: No. I was not aware of it, the campaign didn’t sanction it and did not know anything about it.
Q: Have you asked all of the campaign staff about this?
A: We have over 700 people on this campaign and I’m not in a position to know what each one of them may or may not have done.
Have you actually seen the email the campaign is supposedly circulating? If you do see it, let me know.
For now, all we know is that the Drudge Report mentions an e-mail, but you haven’t seen it and to date, it’s not clear whether this e-mail even exists.Q: Are you going to make any effort to question the staff about whether anybody actually sent out an e-mail like that?
A: I’m not in the position to ask 700 people to come in and answer questions about it. To put this as clearly and simply as I can: I was not aware of it, the campaign didn’t sanction it and did not know anything about it.
Transcript - CNN Situation Room
Gov. Janet Napolitano on BHO Native Garb Photo
2/25/08
WOLF BLITZER: Have you seen that photo circulating on the web now with Obama dressed in sort of Kenyan, Muslim garb that's been circulating? The Clinton campaign is not saying - there it is behind you if you want to take a look, you see it right there. What do you think of this development? Sort of, I guess the implication being to reinforce the notion that he is, at least on his father's side, there's some Muslim ancestry.
GOV. JANET NAPOLITANO: Oh, I think it's irrelevant to the issues of the campaign. I know there's some back and forth today; the Clinton campaign says they have nothing to do with it. I take them at their word. We need to move on. The people of the United States, the people out in Arizona aren't interested in a photo. What they're interested in is a president who will lead; who will help them deal with the economy, with health care, with foreign policy, and by the way with a new vision for the war in Iraq.
« New CNN Poll Of Texas: Obama Slim Lead | Main | Where's The Beef? » Clinton Surrogate Talking Points: The Photo25 Feb 2008 04:48 pm Comments (22)
Marc. I don't give a shit about Drudge or who sent the photo. Obama has withstood months of smears about his muslim father. The best thing is for everybody to read his first book. That way the Obama family will gain from the controversy from royalties. However, I am now fearful for Obama as he becomes the frontrunner. Pictures like this, as mild as they are, inflame hate. What happens when hate is inflamed? Bullets fly. Whomever is doing this should be careful, because if Hillary's campaign is sending this they should be prosecuted for hate crimes. Not because they are hating, but they should know that America can be dangerous. Her experience as First Lady should inform her actions. There is no justification for her to inflame this underbelly of violence. 
"Accuse" someone of being a Muslim? That's a pretty intolerant thing to say. What's wrong with being a Muslim? Ellen: The "hate crimes" remark was over the top. If Barack Obama and his campaign is that thin-skinned that a photo of him in an outfit can't be circulated without the racism charge being leveled, then he shouldn't be running for president. It's a tough job.
What's this pathetic entry of a blog???
yiannis, I agree it's pretty hard to decipher. I thought at first this was a fact sheet distributed by the Clinton campaign, but instead it appears to be cobbled together from various Wolfson remarks. Not sure if that's what the Clinton campaign sent out, or if it's Marc's doing.
Tim K: You're being as obtuse. In this context, "accused of being Muslim" in this context is rather obviously a shorthand for "accused of being a Manchurian Candidate" or simply "accused of lying about being a Muslim".
What the hell does Wolfie mean by "Kenyan Muslim" garb? He wasn't in Kenya and whats Muslim about it? I think Obama is missing a great opportunity to attack Drudge and the media for ignoring the big issues and focusing on made-up stories.
What the hell does Wolfie mean by "Kenyan Muslim" garb? He wasn't in Kenya and whats Muslim about it? I think Obama is missing a great opportunity to attack Drudge and the media for ignoring the big issues and focusing on made-up stories.
It's really not hard to ask the webmaster to check if anyone sent an email from within the campaign. And it's not hard to send one e-mail to all 700 saying "if you did this, you need to own up right now, before it does any more damage." Leadership, on day one.
I think Obama's Islamic schooling is an issue. Anyone with Islamic uprbringing should be asked about their faith. Islam --unlike Christianity, Hinuism, Judaism, or Buddhism -- is simply not tolerant of constitutions, the rule of law, or self-criticism. For these reasons, anyone who regards himself as a "true" Muslim frankly is not fit to be president. Obama should clearly repudiate -- not simply gloss over or refuse to talk about them -- these early Islamic connections.
David Pecker is CEO of American Media, publisher of the National Examiner (and the rest of the US tabloids). He donated $2500 to Rahm Emanuel's Our Common Values PAC. Rahm isn't connected to the Clinton campaign of course, but if I were Marc I'd give Rahm a call and ask just how well he knows David Pecker and the last time they had any communications of any kind. I'd also ask Maggie a few pointed questions.
No one ever knows anything in the Clinton campaign. How can Hillary manage the country when she can't even manage her own staff? Seriously--the finances, the staffers, the surrogates, her husband--no one is ever in control when Hillary is part of the equation. I don't know who to blame but certainly her judgement seems to be all wrong these days. I'm sorry Hillary but we're just not into you anymore! It's been good and it's been bad--there are a lot of dramatic memories, that's for sure. But wipe the tears from your eyes because we know things will work out for you "in the end." Once you find the humility and courage it takes to step aside you'll see that there is more to life than the Oval Office. We don't mean to hurt you but it just can't go on like this anymore.
Tim K: My 'hate crimes' thing is not about the Clinton campaign. I don't think they are haters. What I meant to say is that if any campaign is going to mail pictures of Obama that in any way is meant to protray 'Obama is a Muslim' thereby inflaming anti-muslimism in order to drum up votes or to give Republicans a few talking points, they should think about the unentended consequences of the level of violence in America. That is what scares me. Obama has dealt with this all of his life, so I'm not worried about that. What I am worried is the nut jobs out there who are threatened by Obama. I don't think this has any role in a political discourse. Let the scumbags do it. It should not be done by political parties, even if it does get a few votes here or there.
"I think Obama's Islamic schooling is an issue." --ProfNickD He didn't have any Islamic schooling. I know Bob Kerrey said he did, but Bob Kerrey has repeatedly shown he likes to run his mouth on page one and his apologies on page 14. Obama did live as a child in a country where actual Muslims live, which has secular public schools (ever hear of those?) but since they Muslims live here too, attending our secular public schools, I'm not sure what the vast Manchurian conspiracy you're seeing is. How would he possibly prove he isn't a "secret muslim"? By being a member of a Christian church? By never practicing Islam? What would you accept as vetting? Posts like this demonstrate exactly how silly Williams' "Golly, that picture we sent out of Obama isn't divisive at all" rings. Everything about the Clinton camp's management of this misfire, from its appearance through the nondenials and the excuses--which, yes, sound a lot like "we couldn't ever figure out who leaked Ms. Plame's name, so many people work here"--makes one fear for what they could do with a country, rather than a mere campaign.
Deborah said: "What would you accept as vetting?" Very simple: unambiguously and publicly rejecting the "truth" of Allah and the Quran and by denying Muhammed is Allah's Messenger. That would end all speculation because no Muslim would freely say these things -- it would mean a death sentence. Any doubt about Obama's religious tendencies after that would be unreasonable and could therefore be ignored.
"Accuse" someone of being a Muslim? That's a pretty intolerant thing to say. What's wrong with being a Muslim? Religion is part of a person's overall belief system that others may disapprove of, especially of those beliefs that are not personal and private but reach out into society and affect others lives. Many Islamic beliefs appear incompatable with Western culture, civilization, values, and our Constitution and laws. That is not "intolerant", Ellen. That is reality. Just as much as saying superior Yamoto race Shinto religion is not compatable, Mormon polygamy, Aztec human sacrifice...or a person's "personal beliefs" that naked young boys are irresistably sexually attractive. Or a Jews personal religious belief, if that belief is such that he can be put in high American office or a position of high trust because he places Israel as his highest loyalty. I will not vote for a Muslim that does not renounce violent Jihad for spreading the faith by the Sword, that does not swear they will accept and not challenge separation of religion and state. I will not accept any Muslim candidate that seeks Sharia and believes woman and infidels in general are 2nd class citizens. That is not intolerant, Ellen. It is the same as saying you find someone unacceptable for a School Board job because that person seeks to ban the teaching of evolution because of their religion. Nothing "wrong" with a person's belief systems, but still, beliefs that may have plenty that may make that person unacceptable in the eyes of others, thinking rationally and logically - to be a baby sitter or otherwise around kids, become a nuclear missile officer, a Governor, a cop, or a President. Religion is not an imperative obligating one to accept beliefs and actions they would find unacceptable in a secular person simply because they are wrapped in religious gauze.
"the Clinton campaign says they have nothing to do with it." That's not exactly what the Clinton camp said Govenour. They said they did not "sanction" it, which could mean a hell of alot. Plus they say they are not going to find out whether one of their staffers sent the email. Geez given the uproar you'd think they would try to tamp this down quick, unless of course they actually wanted the photo out there in the first place. Get real Maggie Williams is simply doing the bidding of a campaign that is in its last throes.
This is an uninformed comment: It APPEARS that Catholic priests think little boys are their own personal whores, but that's not what the Catholic church stands for on paper. What individuals do or say as representatives of their religions do not always reflect the religions themselves. Me, I'm an atheist. But I wish those of you who aren't would simply take the responsibility of studying Islam before making such ignorant and intolerate, fear-filled and fear-based accusations. America stands for DIVERSITY. Historically, Muslims are actually some of the most tolerant of religious people. Historically, Christians are some of the most intolerant of religious people. Religious people should be required to keep their opinions of other religions truthful. Anyone who claims that Muslims are intolerate is lying about Muslims. Try some respect and tolerance for others' beliefs. We're Americans. We embrace diversity. This crap about Muslims is just fear-mongering. And it's fear-mongering by the very people who supposedly have faith in a guy who commanded them to love their enemies and not be afraid of anything on Earth. These days, Christians appear to be too scared to love anyone but themselves. I guess they are afriad they might die and go to "heaven."
Jan and Ellen: You have no clue about Islam so please do us all a favor and STFU. I find Chris Ford a huge tool the vast majority of the time (albeit one who can express himself fairly effectively), but he's dead on when it comes to Islam. I've lived in a Muslim country and was immersed in Sharia law for an extended period of time. Somehow I'm guessing you came by your views on Islam by watching PBS. Chris actually got it right. Your PC bullshit citing Catholic Priests, etc, is just that: bullshit. Give it a rest.
Jose, re: "Your PC bullshit citing Catholic Priests, etc, is just that: bullshit." What part of it is bullshit, Jose? Your prejudice is astounding! Your personal experience with Muslims and my personal experience with Christians don't really count. My personal experience with Christians is that they want to write their own beliefs into our US Constitution. So, let's kill all Christians because most of them ignore Jesus's direct commands to them????? That's what you sound like to me, Jose, when you display your fear and intolerance of Muslims in general. Study what they teach. Don't listen what a bunch of snivelling cowards preach from their hate-filled and fear-filled pulpits each Sunday. If a Christian is preaching fear, a Christian is NOT preaching Christ!
Jan: Your post was so lame, so hilarious in it's ignorance and self-indulgence, that I'm not even going to respond. I have work to do and rebutting each of your ill informed non sequiturs would be way too time consuming. Here's one parting thought: I harbor no hatred of Islam as you so obviously do of Christianity. Although agnostic, I've observed both at close range and attest through experience that many tenets of Islam itself, including Sharia Law, are by Western standards barbaric, and, I believe, borderline evil. I challenge you to find comparable passages in the Bible, particularly the New Testament, upon which the majority of Christianity is based. You really should consider letting go of your obvious delusions and hatred. Whether this can be a conscious decision or not is debatable, I realize. Given the tenor and unevenness of your posts, it's entirely possible that you're simply unbalanced and therefore in need of medication. Good luck.
Jose, re: You're kidding, right???!!!???? Jose, if you're not kidding, you are what we call, in critical thinking terminology, a socio-centric wishful thinker. Jose, for us atheists, zillions of tenets of what is taught from the Bible are, by us atheists' standards, barbaric and borderline EVIL. Christians should learn to be CHRIST-ians, and just be thankful that the rest of us don't actually detest you for all the fear and death and hatred that you have brought into the world. You, Jose, bring a message of fear and hatred to this very blog. Christians were commanded by their leader and spiritual guide to bring only healing and comfort and love... to both friends and enemies. You, Jose, are, instead, bringing a message of judgement, hatred and fear of a supposed enemy. Judge not that Islam is barbaric and borderline evil. Humble yourself, instead, in front of the rest of us, for the atrocities committed throughout history -- including our own American history -- that were done in the name of Jesus Christ. You SHAME the teaching of Jesus, Jose. Yet you have instead encouraged us to fear our fellow human beings. Maybe you should listen to Jesus more, and Catholic priests less.
|
Subscribe to this blog by Email Twitter || On Facebook || QIK Live Channel  Recent Posts
Monthly Archives
|
| 
Copyright © 2008 by The Atlantic Monthly Group. All rights reserved.
Yes, Maggie, it's fine to see a WHITE woman in traditional garb, but when you have been accused of being a muslim and unpatriotic, I would have to say that you HAVE gone way below the belt... and you know it - you are the ones taking a play out of Karl Rove's playbook!
Posted by mhansen | February 25, 2008 5:05 PM