Posted on 01/19/2007 7:52:42 PM PST by Torie
Obama 'was educated in madrassa'
Tim Reid and Tom Baldwin in Washington
# Senator hid time there, says article
# Clinton distances herself from claims
Barack Obama was given a rude awakening to the cut-throat world of presidential politics yesterday after being accused of hiding four years in which he was educated at a madrassa when a teenager.
The claim, made in the conservative Insight magazine, also revealed the Machiavellian scheming of political activists in a presidential race still nearly two years away.
It was aimed at tarnishing Mr Obama’s image in the week he announced himself as a White House contender. But the article also claimed that the madrassa allegations came from aides to Hillary Clinton, Mr Obama’s main opponent for the Democratic nomination.
This may be wishful thinking on behalf of Republicans. The Clinton camp is determined not to be accused of digging dirt on Mr Obama because they fear such tactics could backfire, given his popularity.
But the Insight allegations represent an exquisite double shot at the Democrats’ two leading White House contenders: it implies that Mr Obama, whose middle name is Hussein, is a closet Islamic extremist, and that Mrs Clinton is so rattled by his candidacy she is using underhand tactics to weaken him.
Mr Obama, who is expected to announce formally his candidacy on February 10, has never been subjected to the hardball tactics of the presidential arena — until yesterday. Last night an aide said that the campaign was working on a formal statement, but added that the claims were “not accurate”.
The online article begins: “Are the American people ready for an elected president who was educated in a madrassa as a young boy and has not been forthcoming about his Muslim heritage?” It continues: “This is the question Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton’s camp is asking about Senator Barack Obama.”
Mr Obama’s mother was a white woman from Kansas; his father, a black Kenyan Muslim. He states in his recent biography that he attended a predominately Muslim school when he lived in Jakarta as a teenager.
But the article claims: “In Indonesia, the young Obama was enrolled in a madrassa and was raised and educated as a Muslim.” It says that Mr Obama omitted to say in his memoir, or at any other time, that he attended the school for four years.
Mr Obama, who has spent his adult life in Chicago, calls himself a Christian and says that he believes in God. He attends a local church.
A source close to the Clinton campaign told The Times, a day before the Insight article was published, that they do not want to be seen as attacking Mr Obama or digging for dirt, but that they would be happy for another Democrat contender to criticise him.
Hillary has a lot of quirks that won't endear her to the average voter. She tends to talk down to people, and when she tries to come across as an average guy/gal it usually doesn't work.
Hillary always relied to Bill to "connect" with the average voter and never developed her own people skills very much.
The impression I get when I read "Obama to Run," "Obama to Run," "Obama to Run," "Hillary May Run, Too" isn't favorable to her hopes.
She must have been planning this for a long time, but it almost looks as though she's only getting in now to foil Obama, whose already taken away whatever support she'd have in Illinois as a native daughter.
LOL
Obama is a Muslim. He can say whatever he wants and go to church for good political stature, but the fact remains that in the Arab world and under Sharia or Islamic law, if one is born from a Muslim father then he/she is Muslim. So despite what Obama says about being a Christian, he remains a Muslim in the eyes of the Arabs.
Obama's stepfather is also a Muslim, though according to Obama's bio his father and stepfather were both non-practicing Muslims... hmmm how convenient.
There is an article posted on FR 2 years ago about Obama's lies. Take a look, it is very interesting.
Here is part of the article:
"I feel sad having to expose Barack Obama," says Martin, "but the man is a complete fraud. The truth is going to surprise, and disappoint, and outrage many people who were drawn to him. He has lied to the American people, and he has sought to misrepresent his own heritage."Obama's life story is vastly different from the one he portrays. My point: if he will lie about his mother and father, what else is he lying about? Can we expect 'bimbo eruptions?'
"Fiction: Obama stated in his Convention speech: 'My father ... grew up herding goats.' The 'goat herder' claim has been repeated endlessly. It is a lie.
Fact: Obama's grandfather, Hussein Onyango Obama was a prominent and wealthy farmer. His son, Obama's father, was a child of privilege, not privation. He was an outstanding student, not a herdsman."Fiction: Obama was given an 'African' name.
Fact: Obama is a Muslim who has concealed his religion. I am a strong supporter of the Muslim community, and I believe Muslims have been scapegoated. Obama has a great opportunity to be forthright. Instead, he has treated his Muslim heritage as a dark secret. His grandfather was named 'Hussein.' That is an Arabic-Muslim, not African, name. Hussein was a devout Muslim and named his son, Barack Senior, 'Baraka.' Baraka is an Arabic word meaning 'blessed.' Baraka comes out of the Koran and Arabic, not Africa.
If Obama lies about his heritage for political expedience, and while the war on terrorism is primarily a fight against Islamic extremists, how loyal would President Obama be to his own religious heritage?
It's intriguing that the Hillary gang is the one going after Obama in this way. They must take him very seriously. Hilly's gang has no fear and they play to win. I admit, those are a couple of qualities I'd like to see more in the GOP.
More than ever we need that badly.
"John Fund of WSJ when interviewed on KSFO this morning said folks shouldn't go down this road re: madrassa.."
WHY NOT?
I like it.
I think it's pretty apparent that Barack Hussein Obama is a Muslim who finds it politically expedient to pretend he is a Christian.
I think that is spelled C-h-r-i-s L-e-h-a-n-e.
Pretend we have to make a choice. Hillary or Obama?
I'll take Obama.
sw
As more and more comes out about Obama, my opinion only -- he disappears from the race.
Not Arkancide, he just drops out and lays low.
The bulk of politicians I suspect find organized religion, and pretending to hew to one, an annoyance. Perhaps that is a case with a very substantial minority of American men in general.
the devil you know (hillary), is better then the devil you don't know.
sw
Gonna be hard for him to justify this position if he gets the nomination.
I mean can you imagine him in a debate against a [hopefully] pro-life Rebublican having to defend his position of NOT wanting to treat babies who SURVIVED PARTIAL BIRTH ABORTION??? Tough sell.
If only the media actually covers it honestly and congress is trying to shut all of us up.
you're thinking of the other guy in MN.
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