Obama’s Alleged Misuse of Church Resources could End Campaign

Grizzly Groundswell ^ | 4/7/08 | Winged Hussar 1683

[Winged Hussar]

In addition to widening revelations about racist and/or anti-Semitic hate speech not only from his pastor, his associates like Al Sharpton, and even bloggers at his official campaign Web site, there are very credible allegations that he misused the tax exempt resources of the United Church of Christ to promote his candidacy: a malicious and self-serving action that may put his own church’s tax-exempt status in jeopardy.

The story centers on "Obama’s General Synod speech prompts IRS to investigate UCC’s tax-exempt status," which is posted at the UCC’s own Web site. [http://www.ucc.org/news/obama-speech-in-2007-prompts-1.html]

The Internal Revenue Service has notified the United Church of Christ’s national offices in Cleveland, Ohio, that the IRS has opened an investigation into U.S. Sen. Barack Obama’s address at the UCC’s 2007 General Synod as the church engaging in “political activities.”

In the IRS letter dated Feb. 20, the IRS said it was initiating a church tax inquiry “because reasonable belief exists that the United Church of Christ has engaged in political activities that could jeopardize its tax-exempt status.”

The “political activities” in question involve Barack Obama’s “A Politics of Conscience,” which he delivered at the UCC’s 50th anniversary General Synod in Hartford, Conn., on June 23, 2007. The UCC says that Obama agreed beforehand that his speech would contain no campaign-related content, but a transcript of “A Politics of Conscience” shows extensive campaign-related content. Furthermore, the speech was apparently pre-written; in other words, Obama did not get carried away in the heat of the moment, forget himself, and talk about his Presidential ambitions. If the UCC’s statements are accurate, Obama chose in advance to break his word to his own church, violate its trust, and get it into trouble with the IRS.

[Winged Hussar]

Please circulate as widely as possible. This is the same kind of scandal--credible allegations of misuse of tax exempt money for political purposes--that [cat that ate the canary] brought down the anti-Second Amendment Million Mom March in 2000. [/cat that ate the canary]

The Million Mom March was, by the way, closely associated with Hillary Clinton and her friend Donna Dees Thomases.

God BLESS America, McCain 2008! (Bumper sticker idea: a picture of Obama and Jeremiah "!(@~(! America" Wright with the universally-understood red circle and line over them, which is synonymous with "God Bless America," followed by "McCain 2008").

[Alex Murphy]

Ping to read later

[Jeff Chandler]

Fuggeddaboutit. Black churches are exempt from the rules.

[2ndDivisionVet]

PLEASE WATCH OR READ THEN EMAIL THESE LINKS OUT **NOW** TO YOUR FAMILY, CO-WORKERS AND FRIENDS AHEAD OF THE PENNSYLVANIA AND PUERTO RICO PRIMARIES!!

Obama’s Pastor Celebrates 9/11 (explicit)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzhl-endvco

Obama’s Racially-Divisive Pastor

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUbUBTlmAiA

Obama Disrespecting U.S. Flag and Anthem

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8QCkgg5Kjo

The Audacity of Barack Obama

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwjnT4eJJvs

The Audacity of Barack Obama 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeC8BE-2T_k

Is Obama Wright? - Pastor Wright & Senator Obama

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72B3tUAqpo4

Obama’s Pastor - 9/11 Fault of Israel Association

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnI431s1r6s

Obama - Cult of Personality

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nP7lUGn7HWk&;;;;;;;

Name Obama’s Accomplishments if you can #1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGeu_4Ekx-o

Name Obama’s Accomplishments if you can #2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzFOOcEQtP0

Barack Obama: There Will Be Bamboozling

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YuB_W8o_UsU

The Two Things Senator Obama Accomplished

http://www.floppingaces.net/2008/02/27/obamas-empty-change-message/

The Jeremiah Wright Lifetime Achievement Award

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Prhnc2fxAzg

Obama — We Are Building A Religion

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xtNr5-up0U

The Obama File

http://www.freedomsenemies.com/_more/obama.htm

[martin_fierro]

Ditto that. Never happen.

[Winged Hussar]

Re: “Fuggeddaboutit. Black churches are exempt from the rules.”

Apparently not—and this is the ENTIRE UCC, not just the one that is run by Obama’s hate-spewing pastor.

Like I said, a similar scandal destroyed the Million Mom March, which had the backing of Hillary Clinton and numerous other left-wing Democrats (e.g. Barbara Mikulski, Jerrold Nadler, Nita Lowey, Carolyn McCarthy). I know quite a bit about that scandal and how it became public knowledge (evil grin) so this one should, if circulated widely enough, finish Obama.

Then Obama’s followers will sit out the election, and She Who Must Not Be Named will have to go back to New York. She might be happier running for Client 9’s position when it next comes up for election. She’s make a good NY Governor because the people there are used to astronomical taxes.

[kittymyrib]

Hillary has only begun to fight. She and her press minions are saving the really devastating stuff on Obama until right before the Dem convention. It will be hugh and series and will cause the super delegates to vote for her.

[MrB]

Fuggeddaboutit. Black churches are exempt from the rules.

Exactly my sentiment.

Any investigation of tax exemption violations at a black church will be characterized as racist and immediately discontinued.

[Winged Hussar]

Re: " Any investigation of tax exemption violations at a black church will be characterized as racist and immediately discontinued." The IRS is already investigating Obama's church. It is not a "Black" church, it is the ENTIRE UCC.

Furthermore, at this point we can just use the story to discredit Obama no matter how the investigation comes out.

[Miss Didi]

If this is being investigated now, it is the work of Clinton Inc. I thought this was old news, though. Do you really think this would end Barry's campaign? The Drive-Bys will not hear of it.

[Brilliant]

There is no way this is going to bring down Obama. First, they won’t finish their investigation until he’s well into his second term, and second, even if they find that he acted improperly, the remedy is that his church loses its tax exemption. So it’s not his problem anyway.

The only way I could see it becoming a problem for him is if the church made monetary contributions to his campaign, and even then, only because he’d have to give them back.

[Jeff Chandler]

Any investigation of tax exemption violations at a black church will be characterized as racist and immediately discontinued condemned.

[festus]

Except when they oppose Hillary then they become fair game apparentlly

Hillary is desperate .............

[Deut28]

I’ve always been in the dark about what constitutes crossing the line as far as political speech in a church. What specifically in Obama’s speech crossed that line? It seems that the rules are open for interpretation.

[Winged Hussar]

There is no way this is going to bring down Obama. First, they won’t finish their investigation until he’s well into his second term, and second, even if they find that he acted improperly, the remedy is that his church loses its tax exemption. So it’s not his problem anyway.

This kind of thinking is why our party loses elections it should win. It doesn't matter if they finish the investigation or lift the church's tax exemption. The IRS didn't even investigate the Million Mom March, but the MMM's reputation was destroyed totally and it had to liquidate a year later. What matters is whether we spread this story as widely as possible to demonstrate Obama's lack of character, thus costing him votes.

[Winged Hussar]

Re: “What specifically in Obama’s speech crossed that line?” I suspect it was his statements about what he will do if he becomes President. THAT is a campaign speech, and the rules explicitly forbid it.

[Republican Extremist]

Did Obama break the law, or did just the church?

[Winged Hussar]

Re: “Did Obama break the law, or did just the church?”

I am not a lawyer but, given the church’s statements, it seemed to have tried to comply with the IRS’s regulations while Obama knowingly and willfully (since he was told the rules and he agreed to them) violated them by giving a campaign-related speech.

[The Citizen Soldier]

This kind of thinking is why our party loses elections it should win.

Oh, and then there is the other reason why our party loses ...it nominates people like John McCain!

Even if we win, we lose. As Rush said today, and I heartily concur, "...in any event, we (conservatives) are screwed."

[Republican Extremist]

I’m reading the law, but not seeing it apply to the candidate. I know Gore was nailed with the Buddist Monk thing, but I want to know the specific statute for argument sake.