MyDD :: Muslim Smears - Clinton Taking Obama at His Word

Muslim Smears - Clinton Taking Obama at His Word

by campaignmonitor, Mon Mar 03, 2008 at 10:13:16 AM EST

From Politico:

A weird moment of TV, partially captured in the clip below. Clinton denies she thinks Obama's a Muslim, but her denial seems something other than ironclad, and the interviewer goes back at her on the question.

There are real danger zones for even hinting this stuff, even leaving yourself open to uncharitable interpretations, more with Obama than with any other politician I can think of. And expect a lot more of these moments if he's the nominee.

Here's the full "60 Minutes" exchange, in CBS's version:

"You don't believe that Senator Obama's a Muslim?" Kroft asked Sen. Clinton.

"Of course not. I mean, that, you know, there is no basis for that. I take him on the basis of what he says. And, you know, there isn't any reason to doubt that," she replied.

"You said you'd take Senator Obama at his word that he's not...a Muslim. You don't believe that he's...," Kroft said.

"No. No, there is nothing to base that on. As far as I know," she said.

"It's just scurrilous...?" Kroft inquired.

"Look, I have been the target of so many ridiculous rumors, that 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," Clinton said.

I don't know about you but this seems pretty shady to me.

Here's the video:

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Tags: Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Dirty Politics, Smears (all tags)

Permalink :: 15 Comments :: Post a Comment

Re: Muslim Smears - Clinton Taking Obama at His Wo (2.00 / 0)

It seems that Obama supporters are actively seeking to turn MyDD into a spinoff of the 'slash and burn Hillary' DailyKos. Well, spinoffs are lame, stick with the original. This issue is a great example of an MSM/Obama blogosphere manufactured story creating somethin' out of nothin'. It is also another blatant attempt to make religion/race an issue by painting Hillary as racist. it is not Hillary's job to defend Obama's religious preference or elaborate upon it. She goes on in the interview to note that she has been the target of a number of awful smears over her years in public life. Thus, she actually defends Obama by likening the 'non-factual and fabricated' lies brought against her to the 'Muslim' issue surrounding him.

by corunner26 on Mon Mar 03, 2008 at 10:33:04 AM EST

Re: Muslim Smears - Clinton Taking Obama at His Wo (1.00 / 0)

Did you read her quote? She seriously qualified her response to say that Obama is not a Muslim as far as she knows.

"There's something horrible and undefeatable about people who have no life except the worship of power. People who don't want the meeting to end."

by campaignmonitor on Mon Mar 03, 2008 at 10:37:52 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Muslim Smears - Clinton Taking Obama at His Wo (none / 0)

Shame on you.

by River103 on Mon Mar 03, 2008 at 10:50:53 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Muslim Smears - Clinton Taking Obama at His Wo (none / 0)

For what?

"There's something horrible and undefeatable about people who have no life except the worship of power. People who don't want the meeting to end."

by campaignmonitor on Mon Mar 03, 2008 at 10:57:59 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Muslim Smears - Clinton Taking Obama at His Wo (2.00 / 0)

I have to say...this is a pretty dumb diary. She didn't emphatically reject the smears enough? Wow...and you wonder why they call you guys a cult

by world dictator on Mon Mar 03, 2008 at 10:42:30 AM EST

Re: Muslim Smears - Clinton Taking Obama at His Wo (none / 0)

Uhh yeah I read her quote. What is amazing to me is that Obama supporters are doing their best to parse Hillary's words as best they can. She is basically stating that 'to her knowledge', Obama is not a Muslim. Now, how is this problematic? Does she have a lifelong relationship with Obama to unequivocally make a factual statement on his religious preference. Individual religious preference is private choice. Thus, we must infer one's religious preference by what that individual tells us their choice is. AGHHH!! The fact that we even have to discuss this issue is absolutely maddening. Why are we not talking about the fact that your candidate runs a campaign largely based on his rhetoric (absent of real experience) and the same campaign goes on to debunk some of its own rhetoric with a Canadian govt official. Subsequently, when called out on the issue, the campaign first denies the conversation took place. If Hillary's campaign had done this, she would already be up on a cross.

by corunner26 on Mon Mar 03, 2008 at 10:52:06 AM EST

Re: Muslim Smears - Clinton Taking Obama at His Wo (none / 0)

It is completely beyond me how anyone could read or listen to her comments and conclude that she's somehow saying he's Muslim. Good God, have we all taken leave of our senses?

by curryorama on Mon Mar 03, 2008 at 10:52:56 AM EST

Re: Muslim Smears - Clinton Taking Obama at His Wo (none / 0)

Is that what I said? No. Her comments imply that she left the possibility open. Nothing more.

"There's something horrible and undefeatable about people who have no life except the worship of power. People who don't want the meeting to end."

by campaignmonitor on Mon Mar 03, 2008 at 10:58:55 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Muslim Smears - Clinton Taking Obama at His Wo (none / 0)

With the constant non-stop distortions of not only Hillary's record but of her character perpetrated by the Obama campaign do you really think Hillary is going to come out in strong defense of Obama? I mean, you folks are supposed to be highly educated. Right?

Her last sentence is clarification enough for me. I actually watched the interview. And I understand exactly why she isn't rushing to Obama's defense. He sure as hell hasn't rushed to her defense when HIS campaign has smeared her over and over again, reciting right wing attacks and all that. And wasn't it Obama himself who gloated that the Republicans had a dump truck full of attacks to dump on Hillary? So if you Obama folks think you can have it both ways. Think again.

by Fleaflicker on Mon Mar 03, 2008 at 11:02:16 AM EST

Re: Muslim Smears - Clinton Taking Obama at His Wo (none / 0)

Well Obama supporters are certainly implying that is the case, just as they implied that Hillary was somehow racist after she had made a factual observation about Lyndon B Johnson turning MLK's vision into a political reality during the civil rights era.

by corunner26 on Mon Mar 03, 2008 at 11:02:54 AM EST

Re: Muslim Smears - Clinton Taking Obama at His Wo (2.00 / 1)

Hillary said about 10 different ways that she didn't believe Obama is a Muslim. She even compared it to the baseless smears the right wing has aimed at her. I am really disappointed by this string of ludicrous diaries which try to claim that somehow, she left the door open, in the midst of all those 10 denials.

"Another problem we have...is that in election years we behave somewhat as primitive peoples do at the time of the full moon." --Harry Truman

by Steve M on Mon Mar 03, 2008 at 11:10:50 AM EST

Just as absurd as TPM (none / 0)

Hillary saying she takes him at his word should be enough for anyone. I can't believe anyone would make anything out of it.

What's troubling is that Obama was born a Muslim and was a practicing Muslim at least until the age of 10. Both his birth father and stepfather were devout Muslims so Barry studied the Quran and attended prayers.

At some point, Barry Soetoro had no religion so was probably an atheist prior to converting to Christianity 20 years ago so he could marry Michelle. I'm not sure when he changed his name to his birth father's name. So many unanswered questions.

by Nobama on Mon Mar 03, 2008 at 11:21:07 AM EST

Re: Just as absurd as TPM (none / 0)

Whoops, forgot to add that what was troubling is that Obama says he was never a Muslim. How can that be if he was born a Muslim and his schools listed his religion as Islam?

by Nobama on Mon Mar 03, 2008 at 11:24:48 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Just as absurd as TPM (none / 0)

Sigh.

"There's something horrible and undefeatable about people who have no life except the worship of power. People who don't want the meeting to end."

by campaignmonitor on Mon Mar 03, 2008 at 12:14:59 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Muslim Smears - (none / 0)

*yawn*

Ah, more manufactured outrage? Imagine that.

If Hillary had screamed "No, you sleazy hatemonger!" and punched the guy in the mouth, it still wouldn't have been enough for you people. We would have seen diaries titled, "HILLARY EMPLOYS VIOLENCE IN RESPONSE TO MUSLIM QUESTION: CLEARLY TRYING TO SEND THE SUBLIMINAL MESSAGE THAT OBAMA IS DEFINITELY A MUSLIM AND THAT ALL MUSLIMS ARE VIOLENT EXTREMISTS."

Ludicrous... But let's just go ahead and "burn the witch", shall we?

by sricki on Mon Mar 03, 2008 at 12:55:34 PM EST

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