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.
Splendid idea, but Scotland is its own very unique place.
Agreed. What we have here is a wolf in sheep's clothing, nothing more/nothing less.
You're correct.
Real Christians will recognize the error in his "beliefs."
The rest of the country might be fooled into thinking he's a Christian. Guess that's what they are hoping and trying to accomplish.
That should be a resume enhancer with the Rats. They are cheering for the enemy anyway.
Pulling for a "war hero" was a gimmick to begin with. Everyone knows they hate the military, let alone Nam Vets.
Pray for W and Our Troops
That should be a resume enhancer with the Rats. They are cheering for the enemy anyway.
Pulling for a "war hero" was a gimmick to begin with. Everyone knows they hate the military, let alone Nam Vets.
Pray for W and Our Troops
Everytime I read these stories and hear people talk about how she loved to dig for dirt when Bill was running for office I see the movie Primary Colors and Emma Thompson as Hillary Clinton, she was a real she-devil in the movie "loosely" based on Clinton's run for President.
Obama was sworn in on a Koran? I knew the congressman from Michigan was, I hadn't heard about Obama.
She most certainly was. :)
That's better.
The congressman to whom you refer represents Minneapolis.
And the sad thing is how many people might be deceived into thinking he represents the Christian faith and teachings of the Bible.
People better read the Book (Bible) for themselves, so they won't be deceived.
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.
Please FReepmail me if you want on or off my ‘miscellaneous’ ping list.
If Hillary kills him, I wonder if she'll have those ears mounted...
BTW, Obama not only supports Partial Birth Abortion, he voted against a bill in Illinois to mandate medical care for babies surviving PBA's....
Thank you, I was vascilating between Minn or Mich being the correct state (off top of my head). Guess it's time for bed.
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