Morgan repeated discredited Obama smear, with new claim of Edwards as source
On January 23, KSFO Morning Show hosts Melanie Morgan and Lee Rodgers repeated the accusation, first made by InsightMag.com, that "researchers connected to" Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) have said that Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) "spent at least four years in a so-called Madrassa, or Muslim seminary, in Indonesia," even though the story has been debunked by CNN, and the Clinton camp has denied any involvement. Nonetheless, Morgan and Rodgers repeated the allegation while adding a new, equally baseless accusation that the story came from the campaign of former Sen. John Edwards (D-NC).
Morgan claimed the new charge originated from Washington Whispers, the weblog of U.S. News & World Report, but Media Matters for America* found no such article on the weblog or in the magazine. Morgan concluded, "[Y]ou know it came from another Democrat because the Democrats are beginning to eat their own, as they are always wont to do during the primary process."
Earlier in the segment, Rodgers had reintroduced the claim that Obama "went to a Muslim school, a madrassa they call it ... those things are funded by Saudi Arabia," adding, "It's basically a school for terrorists." Morgan noted that there was "controversy" surrounding the InsightMag.com story, but that "Insight magazine is standing by its story." Morgan and Rodgers continued to forward the debunked charge, despite Morgan's apparent reference to a CNN report on January 22, in which correspondent John Vause visited "Barack Obama's elementary school in Jakarta." Vause added that he had "been to madrassas in Pakistan, and this school is nothing like that." (CNN did not report on the source of the smear.)
Rodgers also reiterated comments he made January 19 on the Morning Show, during which he suggested that Obama may be a "death target" because of the revelation that he was born the son of a Muslim. On the January 23 show, Rodgers said: "If your father is a Muslim, you're a Muslim, and as far as Islamic law is concerned, you are a Muslim forevermore. ... And Islamic law says: 'You try to get out, any Muslim has not only the right but the duty to kill you.' "
Toward the end of the segment, co-host Tom Benner, known as Officer Vic, said that in order "to balance the ticket," Obama should ask Sen. Robert Byrd (D-WV) to be his running mate. Officer Vic joked that Byrd would provide "balance" because he "has a world of experience. He's been there forever." Rodgers commented that Byrd is a former "Ku Klux Klansman." Amidst laughter, Officer Vic concluded: "What a great ticket that would be: Obama and Byrd."
From the January 23 edition of KSFO's Morning Show:
OFFICER VIC: Is anybody talking about his little Muslim education in Indonesia?
MORGAN: Yes, everybody is talking about it.
RODGERS: Yes.
OFFICER VIC: 'Cause, you see, I've just turned off entirely from Thursday. I just shut everything down --
RODGERS: Good move. Good move.
OFFICER VIC: -- and I just wondered if that had happened.
MORGAN: In fact, CNN --
RODGERS: He went to a Muslim school, a madrassa they call it, funded -- those things are funded by Saudia Arabia. It's basically a school for terrorists, now this particular one was in Indonesia. He was there for four years, I understand. I don't know what kind of indoctrination process went on there. He was quite young at the time, but he doesn't seem to be, so far, very eager to talk about it and, of course, his supporters say, "Well, it's either John Edwards or the Hildabeast, trying to undercut his campaign right at the beginning." But there's one thing, one fact, that does not change whatever went on during his days at the madrassa in Indonesia, there is one unalterable fact. It becomes -- I guess the relevant comparison is to Judaism: If you are born to a Jewish mother, you are a Jew.
OFFICER VIC: That's right.
RODGERS: But you can be -- you can convert out. If your father is a Muslim, you're a Muslim, and as far as Islamic law is concerned, you are a Muslim forevermore.
OFFICER VIC: And there's no getting out.
RODGERS: And Islamic law says: "You try to get out, any Muslim has not only the right but the duty to kill you."
OFFICER VIC: Hmm-mm.
MORGAN: A couple of --
RODGERS: How you get around that, I don't know but, anyway, that's reality -- and his father was a Muslim from Africa.
MORGAN: Couple of observations on this whole story as it's unfolded: Insight magazine, which is owned by The Washington Times, was the first to report that he went to this school, and that it was, in fact, a madrassa. There's some controversy over that. Insight magazine is standing by its story, and they also are standing by the aspect that they reported -- that the leak about this information about this madrassa that he allegedly attended -- well, it's not allegedly; he did attend that school --
RODGERS: Yeah.
MORGAN: -- but whether or not it was a madrassa seems to be in debate, but the information apparently came from Hillary Clinton's opposition research leaked to the media, and that has just set off a firestorm, with a lot of Democratic operatives and so forth. Now, Washington Whispers, which is U.S. Time -- or no, U.S. News & World Report --
RODGERS: U.S. News & World Report. Yeah. Paul Bedard.
MORGAN: And they're saying -- they're saying it actually came from the Edwards camp. It doesn't really matter much to me who's camp it came from, but you know it came from another Democrat because the Democrats are beginning to eat their own, as they are always wont to do during the primary process.
RODGERS: Course -- course if Hillary's people could have leaked this and arranged to make it look like Edwards, you'd be killing two stones with one bird.
MORGAN: Exactly. Now, there would be -- there would be some Machiavellian thinking going on there.
RODGERS: Hard to believe anybody named Clinton would be that underhanded, though.
MORGAN: No, it's just a reach. It's such a stretch for me.
OFFICER VIC: Speaking of bird, I heard one theory put forward. You know, there seems to be a level of no gravitas, as they say -- as bandied about a couple -- several years ago.
RODGERS: You've done a terrible thing. You have introduced the word gravitas --
OFFICER VIC: Yes.
RODGERS: -- into the presidential campaign.
OFFICER VIC: Well --
RODGERS: But, it had to happen sooner or later. Somebody was going to do it.
OFFICER VIC: Sure, with Mr. Obama, you know, he is a junior senator. What has he done? He's light but, he, boy -- he sure looks good. Somebody suggested, to balance the ticket, his vice presidential candidate should be Senator Robert Byrd, who -- who is --
RODGERS: Ah -- [inaudible] Ku Klux Klansman.
OFFICER VIC: Yeah -- has a world of experience. He's been there forever. Has --
RODGERS: Sure.
OFFICER VIC: What a great ticket that would be: Obama and Byrd.
RODGERS: Yeah, he knows his way around Washington.
MORGAN: Years of wisdom, yes.
RODGERS: That would cap a long and occasionally illustrious career.
OFFICER VIC: Yes.
RODGERS: At least if you're from West Virginia where they've paved over the state with federal money, it's been an illustrious -- that's great. I love it.
OFFICER VIC: Obama and Byrd.
* Lexis/Nexis database search: "Edwards w/20 madrassa!" in News (All) from previous week.
who are "they"?
are "they" Insight? The same "they" who said the rebuttal of their hit piece didn't reach the same standard of journalistic research as "they" and should therefore be discredited? That "they"?
Can Morgan put any more lipstick on that pie hole?
"They" talk a lot.
"T.H.E.Y."
The
Hearsay
Experts for
You.
Not without some sort of reinforcing webbing or lath, Snoopy.
I've got to get the name "Morgan" into my mental contacts folder.I don't recognize her name like "Limbaugh" or "Coulter",and I keep clicking on items where her mug comes up unexpectedly. Yikes, let me brace myself.
Oops, I think I promised to lay off the physical appearance comments.
Uncalled for but...when i was young i made a living shooting passport photos. (see? I'm an artist too!) One of the trix to making old women 'look not so old' was to have them apply more lipstick and the hit them with a huge flash. All you could really see was hair, lipstick and eyes. Great trick. Could work for Morgan; you know, instead of Botox.
Well, the right wing plan is now clear... try to create an angry divisiness in the Democratic Party. I have yet to hear one disparaging word among the Democratic presidential hopefuls and yet already the right wing media toadies are trying to stir dissension. Look at InsightMag attributing the bogus Osama at radical madrassa story to Hillary Clinton. Now it's attributed to John Edwards by Melanie Morgan. Then you have Bill O'Reilly predicting Obama's side will go after Hillary through George Soros. Not only do these "reports" attempt to divide, they are also self-created opportunities to spread bogus stories about the candidates... smear, if you will. Not only are these reports potentially divisive for the Democratic Party but they provide O'Reilly, Morgan, et als more continuing material for their shows. And it's all contrived... God, these people are despicable!
I totally agree. But now we know how to combat this with the thin skinned MelMor. We can all contact her advertisors, and complain about the show. Then she'll bitch about how we are trying to take away her freedom of speech. Then she'll do a special show on a Friday to answer any questions from callers on both sides of the isle (so long as thay are Republican'ts) etc. . .
What is really maddening is that people sit in a room and come up with these strategies which have NOTHING to do with advancing ideas or evolving this country. Just smearing the opponent. And they cash their checks for this fine work through Satan Savings and Loan (using their souls as collateral).
I can get really angry that they do this with an arrogance and without fear of any repercussions. None. It's so easy to be brave when you sit in a sound proof cube and talk into a microphone. Why...look at G.Gordon Liddy...She is like him minus the gun fetish...or he like her...minus the udders. Oh, she has more hair.
Well, the right wing plan is now clear... try to create an angry divisiness in the Democratic Party.
Hmmm...kind of like they claim al Qaeda instigated in Iraq by bombing mosques. I thought the right hadn't learned anything from Iraq. I guess I was wrong.
Divisive and distractionary both.
Think of what it is the "media" is not reporting on, when they're "reporting" on all this '08 nonsense (which People don't truly care about this early)... such as the measure that the Senate's Foreign Relations Committee voted on yesterday, to proclaim that the president's plan to increase troop in Iraq is contrary to the national interests of the Untited States.
Again, the full U.S. Senate is about to enter into full debate, on it's floor and as part of it's most serious business, on a measure that proclaims:
Sending more of the American People's Sons and Daughters to Iraq, and into harm's way, is not in the National Interests of the United States of America.
...which of course is in direct opposition to what the president proclaims.
Now, I do not mean so much to draw anyone's attention to that matter, as to point out that all this '08 foolishness (this early) is perhaps an attempt to draw as many people as possible away from that matter.
You see what I mean?
I'd add, that it serves the purpose of distractionary tactics, to be overly defensive and sensitive to what's being said by way of distraction. And of course, if that defensive or reactionary response should then cause the ones for whom the distraction is intended, to descend into any kind of argument or debate, then it serves also the purpose of dividing them too...
...it kills two birds with a single stone.
And that, rather than get defensive in response to such a tactic (which again, plays perfectly to the puposes of the authors of the tactic), it's best to not "go on defense" at all, and to "go on offense" instead... to attack instead of getting defensive and overly sensitive and reactionary...
To do what the U.S. Senate is doing, and make the president's scheme of lies and greed and death in Iraq the focus of the public discourse on National Policy in the U.S.
Which again, is the very thing you may be distracted from, by all this '08 nonsense... the very thing you might miss, and miss being a part of, while spending too much time perhaps, defending and reacting to foolish distractions... and in so doing, help serve the purposes of the authors of those distractions.
I have not the words to tell you, how little I care for all this foolish '08 talk, so early, when there are such great things underway this very minute, in the national dialogue on National Policy in the U.S.
Specifically, Iraq.
If you visit for example the website 'Huffingtonpost', you'll see splashed across their front page at this moment "White House Scrambling For Support..."
Which is both true (as they are greatly threatened by what the Senate is considering) and important. And that link at HuffPo leads to an AP item on Yahoo's dime.
And I know that MMFA's job is "reactionary" I guess, but truly, what a bummer it is at such a hot time in the public discourse on National Policy, to see MMFA's website so cluttered with '08 crap... and some of it about as nauseating as it gets, such as the item to which this comment is posted.
Perhaps the worthless "media" has found a way to neutralize MMFA's efforts on behalf of the American People... by prattling on worthlessly about crap, forcing MMFA to echo and repeat (and react to) it all.
Too bad. The public discourse on National Policy is about as important and intense as it can get right now... and it has nothing to do with '08, least of all some guy's ears or middle name or whatever.
Demo, I understand your beef, your grief. I agree that it is important not to lose sight of the current aperture which is finally open to reveal what webs of deceit the Bush administration have wrought upon US. The evidence of malfeasance is massive and the truth must be faced or we continue to risk sitting in the backseat of a reckless driver's vehicle. Thank goodness we are finally witnessing opposition in the Congress to an Executive branch gone wild with unaccountability. Huffington Post and other sources, CSPN, (I am a big fan of Olbermann's "Countdown", "Daily Show", "Colbert Report") keep a positive vision flowing that one might miss if one fell into the screech monkeys' traps. The 2008 speculation circus is like an annoying guest arriving way too early for the party. MMFA is a harried host, but they serve some tasty hor d'oeuvres.
Hi, I'm Morgan and I'l be your liar tonight. Today's special is 'Obama is a terrorist', with a side of 'where the heck is Indonesia', followed by a light creme' le creme' of 'Insight magazine is the bomb' and a tastefully done dessert, 'Obama needs the KKK for balance'....thank you for your patronage...
This is astonishing! Inisght, depsite being shown they are liars, still stand by their tripe and now Morgon and co. are taking it further to smear Edwards.
These people (Morgan,Hannity, Rush, Beck, and among others) claim to be fair and here they are: lying. Outright. With no regard for their audience. It's very disturbing and I wonder why they still manage to have a job.
Well, Mel has her job as a direct result of her hubby being the program director. A cushy deal to be sure.
Her previous gig according to a profile piece in the SF chronicle magazine a few months ago was being unemployed for a half dozen years and fighting a serious gambling addiction. Serious enough that cps had to be called when she repeatedly left her toddler to be watched by her teenage step-son while she drank and gambled. Said step-son struck the young lad and cps was called. One can look at her mug and pretty easily see her at the end of the bar with a whiskey sour and a chain smoking parrot laugh.
I am so enthused that my public airwaves is filled with a liar with no sense of conscience, fairness or a tiny shread of honesty.
Public policy can now achieve new hights of turpitude thanks to this knumbskull.
"[Y]ou know it came from another Democrat because the Democrats are beginning to eat their own, as they are always wont to do during the primary process."
Um...sweetie?
Does the name McCain mean anything to you?
The right wing, not Republican part of this party is off the deep end and I wonder, will it ever come back? MM will never run out of lies that these talking heads peddle as the truth. This coming election is not going to be about the big problems the country faces and the choices that are going to be made. It will be about crap like why did Hillary have Vince Foster killed?, Why did Barak Obama train to be a terrorist?, Why does Bill Richardson let Mexicans cross the border illegally?, Why did John Edwards give his wife breast cancer?, ya know the tough questions that need to be asked.
That must have been the only "Muslim school for terrorists" that admitted Christians and Buddhists.
As for Morgan, does anybody actually listen to her filth other than a handful of jobless losers in the Bay Area? Is she broadcast to jobless losers nationwide?
ABSURD & TRANSPARENT
Where am I? Are we really in such a sad state with our education system that people are going to BELIEVE this slime?
These nut cases are destroying any fading credibility the Republican Party has been clinging to. It's not just the War in Iraq elected Republicans need to be speaking out against with any integrity, intelligence , and conscious.
I would think some of this is even making Karl Rove blush and worry. If anyone is "eating their own" it is these yahoos.
cases
"the Democrats are beginning to eat their own, as they are always wont to do during the primary process."
Should Morgan ask McCain if this is only a Democratic trait? How about Tim Pawlenty in MN? It still worked out for him as he was able to become governor, but Karl Rove torpedoed his Senate plans because he wanted Norm Coleman to be Senator.
Do you mean "Mel-UM-nie" Morgan? Have you ever tried to listen to this woman for two or three minutes straight? She has to be the most inarticulate person appearing daily in a major radio market. She simply can not string two thoughts together without about fourteen "UM's."
Um ... yeah ... he was ssoooo not eager to talk about it that he brought it up in his first book. Idiots.
It's as if these people think there was some magical switch implanted into Obama's head that someone, somewhere, can just flip on and **poof** he becomes a terrorist.
I love the fact that a blogger named Spocko has been blasting e-mails to Morgan's advertisers to show them what they are supporting. Pure genius ...
This is how the Right can kill three birds with one stone....Create a smear against Obama, blame Clinton for it, then - ooops - it wasn't Clinton it was Edwards! They get away with it because they know few will bother to check the source of the smear, and suddenly you have people who don't pay close attention running around spreading all three lies as gospel.
("Oh, and did you hear that Rove said that Bush and Rice are having an affair? --- I'm sorry, that news came from McCain! - or was it Giuliani?)