Wash. Times quoted Indiana man saying Obama is "a Muslim" without noting the assertion is false
SUMMARY: A Washington Times article uncritically quoted an Indiana man saying of Sen. Barack Obama, "I can't stand him. ... He's a Muslim. He's not even pro-American as far as I'm concerned." By contrast, after quoting the same man in its own article, the Chicago Sun-Times wrote that "Obama has never been a Muslim, but bogus e-mails accuse him of being a Muslim who put his hand on a copy of the Quran to be sworn into the U.S. Senate and refusing to say the Pledge of Allegiance."
In a May 7 article, Washington Times reporter Stephen Dinan wrote that Sen. Barack Obama "continues to have trouble with voters' preconceived notions about him, including one man eating breakfast at an Indiana restaurant who waved him away when the candidate approached him." Dinan then uncritically quoted the man stating, "I can't stand him. ... He's a Muslim. He's not even pro-American as far as I'm concerned." By contrast, in a May 7 article, the Chicago Sun-Times wrote:
Though Obama outspent Clinton 2-to-1 in Indiana, there was just no reaching some people. At a restaurant outside Indianapolis Tuesday morning, one man waved Obama away when the senator approached him to shake his hand. The man told a reporter, "I can't stand him. He's a Muslim. He's not even pro-American as far as I'm concerned."
Obama has never been a Muslim, but bogus e-mails accuse him of being a Muslim who put his hand on a copy of the Quran to be sworn into the U.S. Senate and refusing to say the Pledge of Allegiance.
As Media Matters for America has repeatedly documented, Obama is, in fact, not a Muslim.
From Dinan's May 7 Washington Times article:
Mr. Obama continues to have trouble with voters' preconceived notions about him, including one man eating breakfast at an Indiana restaurant who waved him away when the candidate approached him.
"I can't stand him," the man told a reporter trailing Mr. Obama. "He's a Muslim. He's not even pro-American as far as I'm concerned."
Indiana's primary was also another test for the state's strict photo-identification requirement for voters, which was upheld by the Supreme Court last month.
The Associated Press said voting ran smoothly, though they found a situation in which about a dozen nuns from Saint Mary's Convent in South Bend were turned away because they didn't have valid identification and said they didn't want to fulfill the requirements for provisional ballots.
This is a serious mistake on the part of this rag... if Rev. Moon means for his newsletter to even pretend to objectivity and truth, then he'll issue a memo, that some one of his followers at this rag issue a correction.
I don't think he even pretends anymore.
I heard a woman calling c-span that spouted this lie. When corrected by the moderator that it is a historical fact that he is not a muslim, the woman (with a pronounced southern drawl, by the way), simply said that she would chose to remain believing he is a muslim.
America. Getting dumber by the day because our current administration FOSTERS fear and hatred as its policy.
"America. Getting dumber by the day because our current administration FOSTERS fear and hatred as its policy."
Have you ever seen the movie "Idiocracy?"
As time wears on, the more veracious this film becomes.
You are totally right about IDIOCRACY. I fear it may be banned in certain parts of the country very soon.
I rented Idiocracy shortly after it came out on video. Occasionally I'm watching the news, and am reminded of a part of the film that seemed wildly over-the-top at the time, and now I say to myself "eh, that's not too far off."
Is it happening that quickly? No, I think over all people are wising up,it's only when I listen to the TV and radio that I see the possibilty of the scenario in the movie coming around.
How embarrassing... If I was from Indiana I would cringe at hearing the stupidity of this man who thinks Obama is a Muslim. But, then...just call me an elitist, I guess.
It is further embarrassing that any reputable (?) newspaper would print this uncritically. Why not find a nutcase who believes Obama is from Mars and print his remarks, too? What's the point of this?
the point was that Obama had walked into a diner and this guy snubbed him, and a reporter asked him why and this is the reason he gave. That's why the story ran, though it shouldn't have been a story because people should know better than to believe he's a Muslim still.
What I find more fascinating, and quite scary at the same time, is the people my girlfriend work with. She's the only Obama supporter there, and every day she has to remind people that 1. Obama is not a Muslim 2. Obama really does love America and 3. she's a political science major, so she knows what she is talking about. But somehow, the next day, they're back to talking about how Obama's going to hand the country over to terrorists and convert us all to Islam.
Nerzog:
I think when they say "family value" they actually mean the opposite.
Mr. Obama continues to have trouble with voters' preconceived notions about him, including one man eating breakfast at an Indiana restaurant who waved him away when the candidate approached him.
"I can't stand him," the man told a reporter trailing Mr. Obama. "He's a Muslim. He's not even pro-American as far as I'm concerned."
The ever-consistent, ever-synchronous right-wing slime machine must be pleased to see a firsthand, grassroots result of their smear campaign against Obama.
Here we have a man who is so entrenched by their propaganda that he's completely unwilling to give Obama a single moment of his time. No chance for Obama himself to make any firsthand impression on him.
I'm sure it warms the hearts of right-wing slimers everywhere to know that their organized effort via e-mail, right-wing radio, cable-crap news and the Freeposhpere is bearing fruit.
And to see that fruit being put on display by the "liberal" media??? Oh man! What more could they ask for? They must geeking out big time!
Here we have a man who is so entrenched by their propaganda that he's completely unwilling to give Obama a single moment of his time. No chance for Obama himself to make any firsthand impression on him.
I'm sure it warms the hearts of right-wing slimers everywhere to know that their organized effort via e-mail, right-wing radio, cable-crap news and the Freeposhpere is bearing fruit.
Pete, I received that e-mail a dozen or more times as I'm sure quite a few other posters did. And as I've mentioned here before most came from friends & family who are Democrats. And among those Democrats ALL were Hillary supporters.
So before you make a blanket statement about where that e-mail came from & who exactly was behind it, maybe you better make sure you have your facts straight.
With the exception of right-wing radio & websites...the MSM & Cable have been very Obama friendly. Certainly none ever suggested Obama was a Muslim.
And once again the WITH Patrol is there to downplay the power, organization, and synchronization of the right-wing slime machine.
Anyone who propagates one of these right-wing-spawned smears becomes a member of the right-wing slime machine. Hillary become part of it the moment she played the slumlord card, and she's been getting hammered by lefty talkers and bloggers for such tactics ever since.
No one on cable crap news has ever so much as even implied that Obama is Muslim? You're sure about that?
Yet the more conservative posters are concerned about "Gramps" being used...
How about this one from Beck? Any outrage?
I can appreciate my more conservative posters wanting to push for more civility. It would sure carry a lot more water though if y'all would write these conservative fools who represent your party and tell them to do likewise.
God, even Newt is worried, people!
Boy, that was a big goof on my part. I've gotta stop looking at puters and start concentrating!
This was the site I meant to post!
While reading that I got sidetracked into this. It just shows us that the two of the greatest evils we face in this country are still Walmart and Bush.
P.S. All those people who on here who complain about Olberman might want to know that because of his continued vigilance the woman will be able to keep her settlement.
Somewhere right now Sean Hannity is reading those comments and thinking, "it is great that they finally interviewed a fan of my show!"
Somewhere right now Sean Hannity is reading those comments and thinking, "it is great that they finally interviewed a fan of my show!"
Here's hoping he actually thinks, "it is great that they finally interviewed the fan of my show!" :-)
This is pretty lame on behalf of the Washington Times. Why print some anecdotal remark made by some uninformed man in some restaurant? How does this inform the reader of anything substantive whatsoever? Ridiculous.
The Wa Times is clearly biased and this won't change any minds.
Oh, I don't know Snoop, making generalized comments about the mental capacity of an entire group of people who happen to share a political philosophy may seem to some to be a smidgeon elitist........just sayin'
;)
Well said! Of course you are right Snoop, (humbly written)
:)
Here's one badge I hadn't heard before. It comes from Paul Begala...Hillary's attack dog describing Obama's supporters:
-- Volvo drivin', NPR totebag totin' liberals --
His advice to Obama:
-- the key to the primary and the general election for Barack will now be white, working class voters...put the jam on the lower shelf where the little folk can reach it. --
Can the race get any funnier...yep...everyday.
Is America a great country or what??? A muslim running for President. How about that...If Sen. Obama can fool America into voting for him(without those stupid background checks by every outlet in the world) then this is the guy I want running my country. Imagine how he can fool the other countries around the world. He can tell them that his father was from Africa and mother from America and he is a Christian. That'll mess with thier minds.
That fellow in Indiana is probably a RITO (Republicans in Trailers Only). That is an important part of the Republan voting block.
RITO, that's a new one.
Glad to see that darn elitist label that is affixed to some liberals is a thing of the past........ ;)
In fact, only 16% of conservative Republicans believe Obama is a Muslim, while 54% believe he is a Christian. Among moderate Republicans even more believe he's a Christian (58%), according to a Pew poll conducted in March.
So no, the average Republican from the base does not think that way.
You must be so proud.
Oh, good! Only 16% of conservative Republicans believe an outright lie that is easily checked.
You must be so proud.
They must be among the 20-something percent that still think Dubya is doing a good job.
You need to look deeper to find the truth. Only 5% of liberals think he's a muslim. And the two highest % groups - conservative republicans and evangelical christians.
Surprise, surprise that those two groups are reflected as the LEAST INFORMED in this poll.
LOL...! How embarrassing! 16% of Republicans believe Obama is a Muslim? That's a substantial number...
BTW, refresh my recollection, exactly what percentage of Republican voters in 2004 believed that Saddam Hussein was behind 9/11? ;>)
Let's just rename it The Stupid and Proud Party. ;>)
In fact, only 16% of conservative Republicans believe Obama is a Muslim, while 54% believe he is a Christian.
So, one in six conservative Republicans believe an outright falsehood and almost two in six are ignorant on the issue. Barely over half know the facts.
Yeah, those conservative Republicans can be pretty proud of their grasp of facts.
The Wa Times is clearly biased and this won't change any minds.
Unfortunately, influential numbskulls like Limbaugh, Hannity, Levin, Savage, Ingraham, etc (and dozens of lesser-known third-string talkers on smaller stations) use the Moonie Times as a source, giving an air of credibility where no air of credibility is warranted.
Saw that. Check out crooks and liars, Chris Matthews actually slammed Limbaugh hard for perverting democracy. Bout time...
What Limbaugh was doing was encouraging people to lie.
The only way that a challenged voter can proceed to vote is to swear that he will either vote for mostly Democrats in the upcoming election or swear that he voted for mostly Democrats in the previous election. The people Rush was trying to convince to vote Democratic in the Indiana primary using the "Chaos" plan would have to lie if challenged to swear to those things, so he was telling people to lie.
That's wrong, and a distasteful subversion of our voting process.
Limbaugh is nothing more than a two bit punk who cowardly avoided serving his country in a time of war. That being said the Huff Post had an interesting story about his "operation". The quoted some of his followers who had e-mailed him and essentially said they were proud to serve him as good soldiers. This of course is after Rush portrayed himself as some kind of military commander who sent his troops into battle.
The only thing that rat fink is missing is the souped up military uniform and the mirrored sunglasses to complete his ego trip. We should call him Mommar Stalin Pinochet Limbaugh. Perhaps we could add a (the third) for theatrical effect. Yeah, I like that ...Mommar Stalin Pinochet Limbaugh III (the third). Of course his mindless minions (who I envision still collect G.I. Joe dolls) would refer to him as "big brother" or "dear leader". Someone tell me that he would not just love that kind of worship.
Breaking: Maureen Dowd caught red-handed quoting a man saying Obama is a Muslim, without noting his true religion. She should apply for a job in the Washington Times.
http://dailyhowler.com/dh050708.shtml
I'd love to see reporters confront morons like this and tell them just how stupid they really are.
Jeff Foxworthy tells people how stupid they are every Thursday. The program is called "Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?" Many people are not...
Limborg has inverted and now wants Obama to become the weakest possible Democratic challenger for Yohnny.
Joining him in a wish for blood and circuses in Denver is the ever nuanced Joe Scarborough. Joe sez,"I want the Stones Street Fighting Man played in the background while I monitor the streets with tear gas, the ghost of Abi Hoffman rising above the auditorium. Yea Baby. I want a fight on both sides."
Perhaps he meant "for" tear gas. In any case, to help him get closer to his wagnerian dream. With or without tear gas. A Spanish Norman, a recreation of the medievel knights charger. A proper and, probably strong enough mount. To further the mood a brace of salamie spears to use on the revolting masses.
The fool who waved Senator Obama away and called him a Muslim is tailor-made to the likes of the Republican Party. A stupid populace is a valuable force for their awful agenda. The same morons who thought Reagan was "cute" and Nixon "got rail-roaded".
I kid you not.
I heard a caller to one of the GOP radio shows today (I think it was Medved) calling in response to a Reverend who was advocating responsible reproduction and environmental practices being preached to Christians.
The woman caller ( sorry, but she had a Southern accent like Tupelo honey), first asserted that nothing in the Bible contradicted "be fruitful & multiply" (she was obviously unaware of changes in population over the last couple of millenia), and accused the preacher of just making stuff up.
Then she offered her competing theory (to actually keeping populations under control and cleaning up some of our mess); What if God's plan was to have the end times as soon as we "used up" the earth?
THese are the fringies who can swing elections.Remember that, when you're trying to do something good for the world and the rest of the people on it, there's somebody else trying to break the planet so they can go see Jesus sooner.
Another caller had his own (well, probably somebody else's) take-- Why are the most densely populated areas also the most "successful? To the callers credit,The Rev. was speechless for a few seconds, as if he was grasping for a way to answer stoopidity of this magnitude,
"What if God's plan was to have the end times as soon as we "used up" the earth?"
Now THAT"S a gambler!
Am I alone here in thinking that a large part of the lunacy that this Obama-snubber (and his ilk) possess is that they equate MUSLIM with EVIL. How is Islam any more evil/violent/bigoted than any other religion? Why even try to argue with these people who automatically dismiss a human being based on their religious-based prejudice? This Christian exclusivity has gained too much credence in Washington politics and is treated as if it is sanctioned by our Constitution, which it is assuredly not. I'm not electing a prophet to the White House. I'm electing a president.
As far as the media reporting this man's snub, I think that the only way the anecdote could be used legitimately would be an opinion piece. As long as the media continues to reinforce a politician's religion as news, it will influence politics on a grander scale and campaigns will play-up religion more for political expediency than true conviction. I would like to see us stop dipping into personal lives and focus on empirical facts. (But that wouldn't bring in the ratings and make those corporate investors happy now would it?)
(By the way, when someone asserts that reporting a politician's purported religion is significant because it indicates their thinking, you can do better at visiting their voting record, political stance, and actions. Not all Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, Atheits, etc think alike. So, who gives a flip what fairy-tale book they read? ...Oops, I just gave myself away.)