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Is Obama's Race a Factor in Howard's Attack?
The Nation | February 13, 2007 | John Nichols

Posted on 02/13/2007 11:06:11 AM PST by presidio9

The Nation -- Why would Australian Prime Minister Michael Howard separate out Barack Obama (news, bio, voting record) from all of the other contenders for the Democratic presidential nomination -- and from all the prominent Democratic and Republican critics of President Bush's dangerous foreign policies -- for attack as the favorite son of the terrorists?

Why would Howard, suggest that the Illinois senator's candidacy will "encourage those who wanted completely to destabilize and destroy Iraq, and create chaos and victory for the terrorists to hang on and hope for an Obama victory"?

What was Howard thinking when he claimed in an interview on Australian television that: "If I was running al Qaeda in Iraq, I would put a circle around March 2008, and pray, as many times as possible, for a victory not only for Obama, but also for the Democrats"?

Is Howard, arguably the truest believer in the Iraq War this side of Dick Cheney, so supportive of the Bush administration that he is ready to attack anyone who challenges the president? No, that's not the case. In fact, Howard has in recent days gone out of his way to tell Australians that he did not intend to "generically" criticize American Democrats; rather, he clarified, he was specifically attacking Obama. "I don't apologise for criticising Senator Obama's observation because I thought what he said was wrong," explained Howard.

But Howard, a savvy student of US politics, is unquestionably aware that many prominent Democrats -- including figures such as John Kerry, Ted Kennedy and Jimmy Carter, who are far better known in Australia than Obama -- have criticized both the war in Iraq, which Howard continues to support unquestioningly, and the general approach of the Bush Administration to the so-called "war on terror."

So why the full-force assault on Obama,


TOPICS: Australia/New Zealand; Editorial; Foreign Affairs; Politics/Elections; US: Illinois; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: barackobama; michaelhoward; playingtheracecard
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As is to be expected, the article goes on to say it's because he's black, and Howard has a racist. It has nothing to do with the fact that Ted Kennedy and Jimmy Carter are not in postion to be CIC, and Jon Carrey wasn't calling for withdrawl when he was.
1 posted on 02/13/2007 11:06:13 AM PST by presidio9
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To: presidio9

lol here we go...


2 posted on 02/13/2007 11:08:22 AM PST by miliantnutcase ("If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. If it stops moving, subsidize it." -ichabod1)
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To: presidio9

here we go..any and all criticism of obama will be met by the race card..don't like his positions?? you're a racist..won't vote for him in the primary?? you're a racist..don't want him as president?? you're a racist..


3 posted on 02/13/2007 11:08:33 AM PST by GeorgiaDawg32 (I'm a Patriot Guard Rider.....www.patriotguard.org for info..)
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To: presidio9

Playing the race card already even though Obama directly criticized the Australian govt. Stand by for this to be the SOP anytime anyone challenges anything he has to say.


4 posted on 02/13/2007 11:09:47 AM PST by saganite (Billions and billions and billions-------and that's just the NASA budget!)
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To: GeorgiaDawg32

5 posted on 02/13/2007 11:12:01 AM PST by miliantnutcase ("If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. If it stops moving, subsidize it." -ichabod1)
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To: presidio9
Is Obama's Race a Factor in Howard's Attack?

Simple Answer: NO!

6 posted on 02/13/2007 11:12:23 AM PST by Rummyfan (Iraq: it's not about Iraq anymore, it's about the USA!)
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To: presidio9

Maybe the fact that Obama is ethnically a Muslim? Why is he getting a 'pass' on that?


7 posted on 02/13/2007 11:12:24 AM PST by Spok
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To: GeorgiaDawg32

"don't want him as president?? you're a racist."

Even if I liked his politics I wouldn't vote for him because I'm an Islamaphobic.


8 posted on 02/13/2007 11:13:26 AM PST by babygene (Never look into the laser with your last good eye...)
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To: presidio9
Why would Australian Prime Minister Michael Howard separate out Barack Obama

Duh....could it be something Obama said perhaps?
9 posted on 02/13/2007 11:16:37 AM PST by P-40 (Al Qaeda was working in Iraq. They were just undocumented.)
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To: presidio9

I think we are in for this crap until after the election. Constant he's black, he's black, he's black. If that continues he sure won't make it. And that's fine by me.


10 posted on 02/13/2007 11:17:23 AM PST by Pit1
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To: GeorgiaDawg32; miliantnutcase; babygene

Just wondering: Is it ever ok for this man to criticize Condoleezza Rice?

11 posted on 02/13/2007 11:18:01 AM PST by presidio9 (There is something wonderful about a country that produces a brave and humble man like Wesley Autrey)
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To: All
I wrote to PM Howard, yesterday, and told him THANK YOU for being a World leader that "gets it" and for taking his stand with Obama.

It would be great if more of us wrote him with their thanks, too.

Australia is a fantastic ally and just like we would like to heare from others that they appreciate us...I'm sure PM Howard and other Australians would love to hear that we appreciate them!

IMHO that is ;-)

NordP

12 posted on 02/13/2007 11:18:41 AM PST by NordP (America Votes: So sad to find out the majority is self-centered, short-sighted, and impatient.)
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To: presidio9

All the Dems are giving versions of the same speech - defeatism and cowardice disguised as planning and vision. It just happened to be Obama's turn and Howard rightly opined on the words/policies of a man who might turn out to be Howard's peer on the world stage (God forbid).


13 posted on 02/13/2007 11:18:46 AM PST by relictele (If cowardice is your guiding principle then enslavement is your destiny.)
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To: presidio9

More "Language Twisties":
Truth becomes "Attack"
Concern becomes "Hate"
Dislike becomes "Bigot"
well... you get the point.


14 posted on 02/13/2007 11:18:57 AM PST by xcamel (Press to Test, Release to Detonate)
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To: All
Whoops - emotions got the best of my spelling...

heare = hear

15 posted on 02/13/2007 11:19:44 AM PST by NordP (America Votes: So sad to find out the majority is self-centered, short-sighted, and impatient.)
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To: presidio9

Race doesn't have a thing to do with what Howard said. The lack of backbone to fight terrorists is what Howard is concerned about.


16 posted on 02/13/2007 11:19:59 AM PST by MEGoody (Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.)
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To: presidio9

How could it be? I keep hearing from African-Americans that Obama isn't black.


17 posted on 02/13/2007 11:22:21 AM PST by My2Cents ("I support the right-ward most candidate who has a legitimate chance to win." -- W.F. Buckley)
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To: All
The outworn race card is the first refuge of the nincompoop.

Weak, Mr. Nichols. Go back to your cubicle and come up with some better feeeeeeeeeeeeelings.

18 posted on 02/13/2007 11:24:21 AM PST by WilliamofCarmichael (If modern America's Man on Horseback is out there, Get on the damn horse already!)
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To: presidio9
The Nation with Katrina vanden Heuvel = Pandagon and Amanda Marcotte without the 'F' words.

It is the same vile and hateful spew that's touched with liberal insanity.

19 posted on 02/13/2007 11:29:57 AM PST by nctexan
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To: My2Cents

he wasn't black before he was or is??

I'm confused..


20 posted on 02/13/2007 11:33:57 AM PST by GeorgiaDawg32 (I'm a Patriot Guard Rider.....www.patriotguard.org for info..)
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