Washington Times op-ed: "first Muslim president"

[babylonsister]

http://www.salon.com/politics/war_room/?last_story=/politics/war_room/2009/06/09/gaffney/

And we wonder why this is still a talking point with some r/w whacks...

Washington Times op-ed: "first Muslim president"

Sometimes, if you're making a careful, reasoned argument, you need to include a caveat or two. For example, "This is not to say, necessarily, that Mr. Obama actually is a Muslim." That's the kind of caution that makes Frank Gaffney's latest op-ed for the Washington Times into the restrained, thoughtful piece it is.

Yes, the Washington Times really did publish an op-ed titled "America's First Muslim president?" in which Gaffney writes:

During his White House years, William Jefferson Clinton -- someone Judge Sonia Sotomayor might call a "white male" -- was dubbed "America's first black president" by a black admirer. Applying the standard of identity politics and pandering to a special interest that earned Mr. Clinton that distinction, Barack Hussein Obama would have to be considered America's first Muslim president...

After his five months in office, and most especially after his just-concluded visit to Saudi Arabia and Egypt, however, a stunning conclusion seems increasingly plausible: The man now happy to have his Islamic-rooted middle name featured prominently has engaged in the most consequential bait-and-switch since Adolf Hitler duped Neville Chamberlain over Czechoslovakia at Munich...

With Mr. Obama's unbelievably ballyhooed address in Cairo Thursday to what he calls "the Muslim world" (hereafter known as "the Speech"), there is mounting evidence that the president not only identifies with Muslims, but actually may still be one himself.

It goes on like that; as Ben Smith says, it's "the Muslim attack... roaring back from the political fringe." And though Gaffney occasionally concedes that Obama might really be telling the truth about his religious beliefs, he also seems to say that doesn't really matter, writing, "In the final analysis, it may be beside the point whether Mr. Obama actually is a Muslim. In the Speech and elsewhere, he has aligned himself with adherents to what authoritative Islam calls Shariah -- notably, the dangerous global movement known as the Muslim Brotherhood -- to a degree that makes Mr. Clinton's fabled affinity for blacks pale by comparison."

[jaxx]

1. Good ol moonie times reving up the fear factor again.

The base is disintigrating, time to call them home to quake in their jackboots about muslims and hate and all that good stuff. If the nopers didn't have someone to hate and fear they would cease to exist. With President Obama they can still whine about a birth certificate and his college papers and his muslim background....all 4 years of it. Be prepared, the wingers are already on this one....again!

[phantom power]

2. Classic hit piece. Now "it's out there."

This is how easy it is to lie without lying. They can even admit it's not true, but it doesn't matter. And they know it. What matters is that the proles see "Obama" and "Muslim" in the same sentence, over and over again.

"1984" has been transformed from a warning into a user manual.

[PBS Poll-435]

3. Toni Morrison said that as a complement and a term of endearment

This asshole is insulting the President with a cheap FReeperish jab.




But then again, it is the Times. :eyes:

[Cha]

4. All the repukes ever do is attack attack attack..

they never have anything "thoughtful".

And, they certainly don't want World Peace..they only thrive on death and destructiion.

[babylonsister]

5. Thoughtful?! This guy sounds bonkers. And he's on

Hardball pretty often. I hope this will be the end of his appearances.

[Blue For You]

6. Sounds like Gaffney is speaking in tongues. A fundie?

[Sebastian Doyle]

8. More like neocon shitbag

PNAC signator who worked with Perle way back to the early 70's.

[WCGreen]

7. Why they are even considered a legitimate news source is

beyond me...

[Colobo]

9. They don't give it up, don't they?