Obama's prayer breakfast comments follow years of right-wing media "question[ing]" his faith, citizenship
During his February 4 speech at the National Prayer Breakfast, President Obama stated, "you can question my policies, but don't question my faith, or, for that matter, my citizenship." For years, conservative media have asked such questions, often falsely claiming or suggesting that Obama is a Muslim, smearing him over his church attendance and his relationship with Rev. Jeremiah Wright, and advancing various versions of the discredited myth that Obama has not produced a valid birth certificate, is not a natural-born U.S. citizen, and is not eligible to be president.
Obama calls out those who "question" his faith and citizenship rather than his policies
During his National Prayer Breakfast speech, Obama discussed how the "erosion of civility in the public square sows division and distrust among our citizen." He stated that "Civility also requires relearning how to disagree without being disagreeable," adding: "I am the first to confess I am not always right. Michelle will testify to that. But surely you can question my policies without questioning my faith, or, for that matter, my citizenship":
OBAMA: At times, it seems like we're unable to listen to one another; to have at once a serious and civil debate. And this erosion of civility in the public square sows division and distrust among our citizens. It poisons the well of public opinion. It leaves each side little room to negotiate with the other. It makes politics an all-or-nothing sport, where one side is either always right or always wrong when, in reality, neither side has a monopoly on truth. And then we lose sight of the children without food and the men without shelter and the families without health care.
Empowered by faith, consistently, prayerfully, we need to find our way back to civility. That begins with stepping out of our comfort zones in an effort to bridge divisions. We see that in many conservative pastors who are helping lead the way to fix our broken immigration system. It's not what would be expected from them, and yet they recognize, in those immigrant families, the face of God. We see that in the evangelical leaders who are rallying their congregations to protect our planet. We see it in the increasing recognition among progressives that government can't solve all of our problems, and that talking about values like responsible fatherhood and healthy marriage are integral to any anti-poverty agenda. Stretching out of our dogmas, our prescribed roles along the political spectrum, that can help us regain a sense of civility.
Civility also requires relearning how to disagree without being disagreeable; understanding, as President [Kennedy] said, that "civility is not a sign of weakness." Now, I am the first to confess I am not always right. Michelle will testify to that. But surely you can question my policies without questioning my faith, or, for that matter, my citizenship.
Right-wing media frequently push falsehood that Obama may not be a citizen
Media Matters for America has documented numerous instances in which conservative media have advanced the falsehood that Obama was not born in the United States or claimed that he has failed to sufficiently prove his citizenship. In fact, Obama posted his birth certificate on the Obama campaign's Fight the Smears website; the Hawaii Department of Health has confirmed that the birth certificate posted online by the Obama campaign is "a valid Hawaii state birth certificate"; FactCheck.org reported that they had "seen, touched, examined and photographed the original birth certificate" and determined that it is authentic; and Obama's birth was announced in contemporaneous editions of two Hawaii newspapers.
Examples of right-wing media advancing citizenship conspiracy theories include:
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WND uses Palin's claim that Obama's birth certificate is "fair question" to sell birther swag
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Dobbs fill-in Marr is "not a birther," but would also "like to see" Obama's birth certificate
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Limbaugh remarks that "Hawaii actually morphed into Kenya one day in 1961"
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Dobbs still on birther bandwagon, says "no one" knows "the reality" of Obama's birth certificate
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Days after Pilgrim answered them, Dobbs claims Obama birth certificate "questions won't go away"
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Liddy hosts Jerome Corsi to promote Obama birth certificate conspiracy theories
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Fox Nation again posts birther story with picture of Obama in Somali clothes
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At top of radio show, CNN's Dobbs repeatedly says Obama needs to "produce a birth certificate"
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Quinn: Obama is "actually from Jakarta or Mombasa or somewhere - he's from Africa ... we don't know"
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Conservative media still promoting Obama birth certificate conspiracy theories
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Limbaugh: "God does not have a birth certificate. Neither does Obama."
Right-wing media attack Obama over his faith
Numerous right-wing media figures have repeatedly falsely claimed or suggested that Obama is a Muslim or attended a madrassa as a child:
Several conservative media figures have also criticized Obama for his church attendance:
- Hannity, conservative panelists find fault with Obama's daily devotionals
- Politico article on Obama's recent church attendance ignored Bush's sporadic attendance as president
- In smearing "disingenuous" Obama -- who "has not chosen a church yet" -- Fox & Friends repeatedly bear false witness
The conservative media - particularly Fox News' Sean Hannity - have frequently used Obama's relationship with Wright or his attendance at Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, where Wright previously was the pastor, to attack Obama:
- Hannity just can't "get over" his Rev. Wright obsession
- Hannity, Hume falsely claimed Obama's church "deleted," "purged" the Black Value System from its website
- On Hannity & Colmes, Rev. Peterson compared Obama's church to KKK
- Tucker Carlson on Obama's church: "[I]t's hard to call that Christianity"
However, those who continue these lines of attacks will not let up. They will just dig in their heels and turn it around and play the victim, whining that you should worry about governing and not pick on poor talk show hosts. They live for this kind of stuff for it just gives them more material, sadly.
But you are correct, perhaps some of your words will resonate to the public, the fair minded public. I hope so.
So yes, you're paranoid, and that is no implication. It appears to be a fact.
See Spot run. No promises or anything, but I will try and dumb down sentence structure just for you in the future.
Once again, I apologize.
I think the GOP has turned the ship and is full steam ahead for Nov mid terms. We'll see what the American electorate has to say then.
PS
It ain't look'n good for your side. I would "rest easy" if I were you though.
The nonsense that comes from the right, the personal attacks that have nothing to do with his actual behavior, the distortions and lies and omission of relevant fact, they all poison our national discourse. Smearing him based upon false stories about his citizenship or his faith is toxic to the debate we should be having on topics important to our nation. We waste too much time debunking these myths and fail to then address the very important issues.
And this IS the fault of those on the right. They don't want to discuss the issues and the potential solutions to our nation's problems, because they don't have solutions, because their previous attempts to solve problems failed, because they believe (wrongly) that government is the problem! They would rather do anything other than try to resolve issues our country is facing. They don't care about the fact that it not only saves them from having their shortcomings exposed, but it also harms our nation. If it's a good result for them, that's all they seem to care about!
That's why we have trolls who post to derail threads too. They don't want us to actually discuss the actual topic - they want to deter us because no good (for them) will come from us focusing in on the problem areas.
I often ask myself, why would someone who believes government is the problem want to make laws and/or live in a country in which they think that government is the problem and not be willing to offer workable solutions to the problem(s)?
I wonder who ONE of them is - we certainly know who the other one is. One is someone who hates that I pointed out that troll posts on this site that derail threads are similar to the very things that Obama objects to! It's clear I hit too close to the bone for some posters. Too bad, so sad. It's clear that Obama is really problematic for those on the right too, which is why they attack him so vociferously.
The Republicans who want to starve the beast realize that the only way to change any organization is from the inside. That's why they participate in an entity that they think is heading in the wrong direction - the only way to change that is to be inside and grab the steering wheel. They have been working to wound the government for decades. That's why they do stuff like pass the Medicare drug bill after misleading everyone about the cost, without ever making any plans to pay for it!
And you think that's significant?
No one else does. But it does show the powerful hold your personal animus towards me has on you!
I'm sorry, but being sensitive to criticism and insults (however untrue and ridiculous) and being defensive, are not personal virtues or political strengths, but are just the opposite.
And in our political leaders, they are even worse, they are distractions and play right into the plans of those who hurl personal and political insults in these type of matters, plans that intend to bedevil and distract and make the person defensive, even intimidate them.
Consider President Lincoln for a moment, and what must have been a level of hateful comments and personal and political insults that would make today's noise sound almost congenial, and what was a political mood that wasn't merely "uncivil" or impolite, it was murderous and led to war...
What quotes do we have of President Lincoln responding to insults or "incivility", to being defensive about the things said against him personally and against his policies, to being sensitive about criticism however ridiculous or crazy?
Is that our impression of President Lincoln, now or even back then, as a man who whined and complained about "incivility", and wasted his time responding to such noise, and was distracted from the all-important work of administering our government?
Of course not, the man was far more solid and substantial than that, and he was not distracted by such stuff, and he didn't take his eye off the ball or was intimidated from his job in the least, and is forever remembered by us and the world as perhaps our most effective and greatest President.
He knew, as I said, that being defensive and sensitive to criticism, and complaining about "incivility", are not personal virtues or political strengths, and are instead just the opposite and even worse.
Another thing to keep in mind... TV, radio and internet didn't exist in Lincoln's time. You have no idea whatsoever how Lincoln would have responded to a far-reaching, instantaneous, 24-hour-a-day smear machine that was determined to bring him down.
In regards to Bush, I think that he never really commented on the uncivility that surrounded him because, in all honesty, I don't think he was ever really aware of it. He lived in a bubble, even more so than most presidents. Think of the "town hall meetings" during the administration - full of Bush supporters. The questions planted in the White House by Jeff Gannon and the like and the basic muzzling of journalists like Helen Thomas who might ask "hard" questions. When did Bush really ever get out amoung the people? It was always control, always contrived.
I'm not so sure about that. Lincoln's Gettysburg Address was only TWO minutes long!
What did Bush do for 8 yrs when God told him to invade Iraq and Jesus is my favorite philosopher.
BTW Just look at Hannity and O'Reilly's own scandle ridden diocese, yet they both go on about Wright who is chump change compared to this.
http://www.j-bradford-delong.net/movable_type/2003_archives/000020.html