Whoa! Not So Fast Linking Obama to Another Violent Thug
(The first was American. This one is African.)
NewsBusters’s Kerry Picket asks
When Will The MSM Report On Obama’s Support for Kenyan Tyrant Raila Odinga?
In 2006, US Senator Barack Obama went to Kenya (at the expense of the American taxpayer) and campaigned for Raila Odinga, a man running for the presidency of that country. Senator Obama apparently did so because he is a distant cousin of Odinga.
The NewsBusters post refers to an article in today’s Washington Times describing the terrible election violence in Kenya carried out by Odinga supporters. That article also reports that Raila Odinga signed a secret Memorandum of Understanding that he would bring Sharia law to Kenya if elected president. The article then goes on to describe in a disapproving tone the campaigning Senator Obama did for Odinga in 2006.
However, the terrible violence which followed Kenya’s elections began in December of 2007. And Odinga signed that odious memorandum in August of 2007. So these events took place after Obama had campaigned for Odinga.
In the interest of telling the whole story, we should note here that Mr. Raila Odinga was not a saint even prior to 2006, participating as he had in a violent coup attempt in 1982. Now, should Senator Obama have informed himself fully of his cousin’s history before campaigning for him? Probably. If any of us had been contacted by a cousin from the Old Country asking us to assist in his or her run for president, would we have stopped to do some research before flying off? A lot of us probably would not have.
But Obama’s failure to know of his cousin’s past is not the allegation levelled by NewsBusters, the Washington Times and others. From the same Washington Times article:
Mr. Obama’s judgment is seriously called into question when he backs an official with troubling ties to Muslim extremists and whose supporters practice ethnic cleansing and genocide.
What am I missing? Don’t we judge people on their actions? How could Senator Obama have judged Odinga or his character on the basis of actions he had not yet committed?
There is enough to criticize about Senator Obama’s candidacy and his own history, including but not limited to his deliberately choosing to associate with some shady Americans, without adding the charge that he failed to see into the future of an African cousin.
Dear red-baiting members of the Anchor Rising Paranoid UnAmerican Activities Committee:
I found these 2 comments on a blog recently. They refer to McCain’s only-released-on-the-internet Sleaze-bag video accusing B. Obama of “working with terrorist Ayers”…
please read… I like ’em:
Using McCain logic McCain helped fund Osama bin Laden by voting to give the Mujaheddin money during the Afghan War which helped bin Laden get his start (albeit indirectly but since we spinning McCain versions of facts I stand by this).
McCain is a sleaze of the worst sort. Because he knows he cannot defend his record and his lack of knowledge about economic policy he has resorted to lies, innuendo and smear campaigning. He really is McBush.
and:
That McCain ad is so sleazy it reeks. The economy is tanking, Afghanistan is a disaster, people are dying in Iraq….and McCain thinks it’s important to connect Obama with activities that occurred when he was eight years old.
Obama was on an education foundation with a professor of education, Ayers. I really don’t find that so scary.
McCain, on the other hand, was on the letterhead of the World Anti-Communist League, illegally funding contras in Nicaragua by buying weapons from….Iran. Excuse me, who was “palling around with terrorists”?
Further, twisted agonists, I note tonight that independent polling reported on ABC News shows voters overwhelming critical of McCain’s spurious ad hominem attacks.
Try again, Sen. McCain. Time’s awasting…
Stop right there, Ms. Chartier. You are passing on a big lie, and a race-hate-filled one at that. Crank up the anti-Muslim hate thought of your fellow extreme conservatives. Create an evil feeding frenzy on Shlock Radio. What a bald lie. Obama would never support African Muslim extremists. This a horrible lie and you should be ashamed– I am very disgusted that this very erudite blog has sunk to “News of the World” style journalism.
Be conservatives. Fight fair. Put the shivs away. It ain’t a gang fight– it is my future as well as yours. Bill Buckley must be spinning in his grave over your shameless tactics.
Really Monique, this is a new low for you. Are you completely ignorant of Kenyan politics? It’s been all over the international press for the last year. The terrible violence which wracked Kenya at election time, and thankfully has largely subsided, was tribal in nature between Kibaki’s Kikuyu and Odinga’s Luo. Religion had nothing to do with it. Stop parroting absurd claims from The Washington Times attempting to tie one of the most devout Christians who has ever sought the presidency to extremist Islam. You are really making a fool of yourself!
I would encourage all preceding commenters to read my post in its entirety, instead of every third word as you appear to have done. You will find that I was defending Senator Obama in this matter.
Monique and all you irrational Obama-haters. Lissen up! Everyone has faults. Mine apparently is reading this blog. You really SHOULD listen to what your candidate McCain says (or is he really your candidate? He seems too mavericky for you…). John McCain at the recent Minnesota Town Hall meeting implored the crowd: “Senator Obama is a decent family man. You should not be afraid of him as a President.” This after two or three days of crazy people calling Obama a terrorist and a Muslim calling for his death, by head amputation. Actually calling for his torture. Can we say “lynch mob mentality”, Ms. Chartier? We can and do. Created by right wing media lies. McCain, booed by his own supporters. Supporters terrified of the economy qand whipped to a frenzy by all the LIMBAUGHS crying “Muslim! Terrorist!” when they really were thinking: Uppity Nigger! Because that, Bless him & thank God, is what Christian, Harvard educated, liberal NOT socialist Barack Obama is. An uppity nigger who will make all you bloggers here look foolish by becoming a great President. The world economy is so bad neither candidate will be able to make all his promises come true, but I am certain Obama is the man to lead us. And John McCain had a truly honorable moment at that Minnesota rally when he refused to play Muslim-killer. Unfortunately he immediately told Palin and surrogates to keep whacking away at Obama’s good image. I have decided Palin’s true calling is not politics, but hockey color-commentary. No blacks to talk about there! Why do I bother challenging you? I don’t hope to convert you… merely CANNOT take your lies without saying what they are… and TRY to shame you. I also blog here because undecideds may read it and I may reach them.… Read more »
Defending? You came not to bury Caeser but to Praise him? Glory be, that’s a Shakespeare Moment. So I heard a lot of Obama crit talk there, but… to be fair to you, M.C…. I re-read your post carefully and I do see your point, but it was still quite a weak defense. But I did read your post wrong at first read. Sorry. My points in my answers still stand about the tenor of the McCain campaign of late. PS on another subject, not all RI Democrats are corrupt, just most of the leadership. I AGREE with all of you here at AR about Alves. He should be in jail. And a purge should happen at the top of the Dem party. However, corrtuption in RI is so endemic that I am convinced a number of Republicans are tainted as well. Plus, if the Republicans ever took control (like, in 50 years) they would get just as bad. I am a Dem but I have voted for several RI Republicans, and Republicans in other states. But NEVER for President. I remain open-minded for the future. BTW, I feel very well educated about corruption in local politics because I have been to school (lived) in Chicago 910 years), Boston (5 years) and New Haven CT (5 years). The most HONEST politician I ever knew- personally- in New Haven, was a guy named State Sen. Joe Lieberman in 1985-1990. I saw corrupt and honest pols who were Dems & Republicans in every place I’ve lived. In Tiverton, though, there are only 2 Democrats out of about 100+ I know who are a bit shady. The other 98+ are really good, nice people. So are the Republicans, save a few rotten apples, mostly rich lawyers. It’s weird because we are having such… Read more »
Not to worry Monique. With the exception of “observer” every comment to this post is from the same person, and as you point out, “observer” was a bit quick on the draw.
As for: “one of the most devout Christians who has ever sought the presidency.” Good grief! That’s quite a claim… although perhaps Reverend Wright would offer a defense.
Oh! Thanks, Justin.
Mostly, it was the stereotyping that was a little … hurtful.
Monique, please dry your crocodile tears. The Newsbuster piece makes false and inflammatory charges against Odinga. You then gallantly state that we shouldn’t blame Obama, because Odinga’s actions came after Obama’s association with him. Odinga is no muslim extremist. He represents all non-Kikuyu Kenyans and had the support of many in the west who have become concerned with the entrenchment and corruption of the Kikuyu elite. Obama’s limited involvement in Kenyan affairs has been to try and help quell the violence and find a peaceful political solution. There was plenty of tribal violence from all parties to go around, the Luo had no special role as aggressors. All these dynamics were reported on in the Economist, NY Times, BBC,etc.. That’s the shameful part of your post. The way it taps in to the Obama is a muslim/extremist smear. You don’t get any Brownie points by saying someone is no longer beating his wife when he was never a wifebeater to begin with.
Justin, as to Rev. Wright. What I know about him is that he is a great christian, but like all of us, far from perfect. His Afrocentric beliefs carry too far and he becomes guilty of the sin of racism, in my opinion. Also a little too much pride and egotism. Other than that, his church and pastoral work over decades has helped hundreds of people straighten up, fly right and get right with the Lord. This is what kept the Obama’s in the pews for 20 years, the fact that Trinity United was a successful uplifting congregation. I thought conservative christians like yourself prayed for that. I’d call him out in a second for his faults, but I’m not going to deny his lifetime of christian service.
What hypocrisy.
So if McCain was once at a meeting with someone whose father became a white supremacist, you would be defending him against the false and inflammatory ‘by association’ charges?
So do Jerry Falwell & Pat Robertson also get you ‘lifetime of Christian service’ award as Rev Wright does? Or do their beliefs disqualify them?
msteven
I have no idea what you’re talking about, but I’ll answer your questions.
I would definitely defend McCain, or anyone else, against charges of white supremacy if the proof of those charges were that he had once been at a meeting with someone whose father became a white supremacist.
As to Robertson, no opinion because I regard him as a pol and TV personality, not a preacher or pastor. Falwell is different. He was a small town pastor for years before becoming a TV evangelist and political figure and I would assume he did lots of counseling and helped lots of people struggling with all kinds of spiritual crises during that time, so I would say that he deserves credit for christian service. I personally wouldn’t choose either Wright or Falwell as my spiritual leader, but that doesn’t mean others are wrong to or that their service should be ignored because their politics make some people uncomfortable.
Observer,
Based on your unfair comment towards Monique and some of your previous comments, I challenged you here on your partisanism – and you passed.
“So if McCain was once at a meeting with someone whose father became a white supremacist, you would be defending him against the false and inflammatory ‘by association’ charges?”
Not sure about that. But if John McCain sat in a pew every week for the last twenty years listening to hate-filled, anti-America speeches, that would definitely be okay.