Fox Contributor Uses Artificial "Christmas Tree Tax" Outrage To Insinuate Obama Is Channeling "The Islamic World"
November 11, 2011 12:15 am ET by Jeremy Holden
Days late to the artificial war on Christmas trees, Fox News contributor Tammy Bruce is accusing President Obama of displaying "contempt for Christianity" by levying a tax on Christians that she says is rooted in Muslim tradition.
On November 6, the U.S. Department of Agriculture approved a plan initiated by tree farmers during the Bush administration to levy a fee on large tree farmers. The assessment was intended to fund a marketing campaign promoting fresh Christmas trees. Media conservatives quickly launched a false attack on the Obama administration, which subsequently announced that the industry-backed fee would be put on hold.
Bruce dismissed the undisputed fact that the fee was sought by tree growers, modeled on similar USDA initiatives including the "Got Milk?" and "Beef: It's What's for Dinner" campaigns. Pointing to the innocuous fact that the Obama administration has issued decrees honoring the Muslim holiday, Eid al-Adha, Bruce instead argued that the "checkoff" fee -- sought under a 1996 farm act -- is further evidence that Obama is "pandering to Muslims" while showing "contempt for Christianity":
Oh sure, the Fed is saying it was a marketing fee for the Christmas tree "industry," to supposedly improve the image of the apparently much hated and dreaded tree. The fact is it was a tax meant to fund a board appointed by a federal agency targeting one religion and one religion only -- Christianity.
There is a precedent for this -- in the Muslim world it's called the "Jizya" -- a tax levied on non-Muslim citizens in the Islamic world, allowing them to practice their religion while being "protected" by the Muslim state.In our case, it seems more like an atheistic federal government looking for tribute by those pesky Christians who dare to think there is a higher authority than the permanent political class.
Bruce's vitriolic screed is being promoted at Fox Nation as evidence of Obama's "War on Christianity."
Herman Cain's a Muslim?
Nah. Highly doubt it
Except for Godfather's pizza. It's the only pizza I've ever had that was so disgusting, I couldn't finish it. Didn't WANT to finish it.
I found out "why not".
AZ is filled with it, from MCd's drive tru, to cable TV tech support (lol)...
PLEASE learn from my hard lessons.... but don't let that diminish hope they use that stupidity to self select out of our society.
This extreme condescension ignores a simple fact: Sales of live Christmas trees are down significantly and the tree growers desired this checkoff fee for a marketing campaign. It isn't hatred or anything else like that, moron. It's that they're losing sales to artificial trees.
Let's leave the conspiracy theories to the crackpots, okay Bruce?
"Why do people buy artificial christmas trees?"
Christmas trees 'bad rap' is rightfully earned, but trees are inanimate objects incapable of intellect, no, their 'bad rap' needed some help, and got it from the same idiots yelling the loudest about this eh hem 'story'.
"Enough with the attacks on christmas already".... lol
rAmen
That's as dumb and stupid as anything that has come out of the Texas Board of Education curriculum deliberations or its Governor.
As for all of the shadow boxing that comes from Fox "News" Channel and its fellow travellers claiming that there is some sort of anti-Christian "war" against pagan traditions that were appropriated by the early Church to ease the cultural transition - traditions, by the way, of which these dolts have no understanding.
Any chance that knowledge, intellect and wit will ever make a comeback amongst the valued qualities for U.S. citizens?
Still the conservative media and lots of money is working against it.
They can be over come, at a large expense of populist energy.
Still too many people here refuse to become engaged, for many reasons.
1) Obama had little to do with initiative
-> This was all Obama's idea!
2) Initiative completely uncontroversial.
-> This is unprecedented!
3) Purpose is to strengthen America
-> This is an attack on America and [insert sacred rightwing cow ]
4) It says nothing about Obama's character or administration
-> Yet more evidence Obama is a [insert false Obama label]
Never any basis in reality and always guided by a false preconceived negative image of the President
....
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Agricultural Marketing Service 7 CFR Part 1214 Christmas Tree Promotion, Research, and Information Order
....
Of the 565 comments submitted, 398 were in favor of the proposal, 147 were in opposition, nine were duplicates, six were neither for or against, four requested an extension of the comment period, and one had no comment.
Over two to one for (plus 6 agnostics, 4 procastinators and 1 Zen mystic.) But C-list NeoCon babbler Bruce has info that the 398 ended their comments with, "Allah is my co-pilot". Plus all 398 comments were postmarked Teheran, "Death to Xmas ... and America".
By the way, Tammy, "Got phallic symbol?"
Now, repeat after me.
Christmas trees have NOTHING to do with Christianity.
This is why your little tirade is incredibly stupid.
I don't know how some of these people make it through the day.
Here's one history.
Christmas isn't celebrated at all in many independent churches of Christ, which is a very conservative denomination (it doesn't consider itself a denomination, though).
It's become, primarily, a commercial endeavor in this country.
And this was Obama doing something businesses wanted but the right wing was against...and summarily mocked.