During an interview with Sen. Hillary Clinton on the March 5 edition of NBC's Today, co-host Meredith Vieira asked Clinton: “On 60 Minutes over the weekend, you were asked about Senator Obama and whether you believed he was a Muslim, and you said, and I'm quoting now, 'I take him on the basis of what he says. There isn't any reason to doubt that, as far as I know.' Why not just say simply, 'No'?”

In fact, Clinton's first three words in response to CBS correspondent Steve Kroft's question -- “You don't believe that Senator Obama is a Muslim?” -- were, “Of course not.” Additionally, when Kroft again asked, “You don't believe that he's a Muslim?” Clinton said: “No. No. Why would I?” Further, Clinton made clear at the end of the exchange with Kroft that she was likening the rumors about Obama's religion to false rumors about her: “Look, I have been the target of so many ridiculous rumors. I have a great deal of sympathy for anybody who gets, you know, smeared with the kind of rumors that go on all the time.”

Responding to Vieira's question on Today, Clinton said: “Well, I went on to say that I've been the subject of a lot of rumors that, you know, have been totally made up, and, you know, this is a scurrilous rumor and it should be, you know, obviously rejected out of hand. I don't know what more Senator Obama or his campaign or any of us can say. You know, it shouldn't be believed.”

From the March 2 edition of CBS' 60 Minutes:

KROFT: You don't believe that Senator Obama is a Muslim?

CLINTON: Of course not. I mean, that's -- you know, there is no basis for that. You know, I take him on the basis of what he says. And, you know, there isn't any reason to doubt that.

KROFT: And you said you'd take Senator Obama at his word that he's not a Muslim.

CLINTON: Right. Right.

KROFT: You don't believe that he's a Muslim --

CLINTON: No. No. Why would I? There's no --

KROFT: -- or implying, right?

CLINTON: No, there is nothing to base that on, as far as I know.

KROFT: It's just scurrilous --

CLINTON: Look, I have been the target of so many ridiculous rumors. I have a great deal of sympathy for anybody who gets, you know, smeared with the kind of rumors that go on all the time.

From the March 5 edition of NBC's Today:

VIEIRA: Let me ask you one last question before I let you go. On 60 Minutes over the weekend, you were asked about Senator Obama and whether you believed he was a Muslim, and you said, and I'm quoting now, “I take him on the basis of what he says. There isn't any reason to doubt that, as far as I know.” Why not just say simply, “No”?

CLINTON: Well, I went on to say that I've been the subject of a lot of rumors that, you know, have been totally made up, and, you know, this is a scurrilous rumor and it should be, you know, obviously rejected out of hand. I don't know what more Senator Obama or his campaign or any of us can say. You know, it shouldn't be believed.

VIEIRA: So, some in his campaign have said that you were feeding the stereotype. Was that your intention or were they --

CLINTON: Of course not. Of course not. You know, this campaign needs to be about what we're going to do for America and it needs to be about the differences between us on the issues that affect the people of this country.

VIEIRA: All right, Senator Hillary Clinton, thanks, and once again, congratulations.