Oppo Research in the Tradition of Einstein (Free Republic under fire)

The Washington Post has published an unintentionally amusing article this morning about one Danielle Allen, a "razor-sharp, 36-year-old political theorist" at Princeton's Institute for Advanced Studies. Allen, with doctorates from Cambridge and Harvard, won a $500,000 MacArthur Foundation genius grant a few years ago and now conducts studies at the Institute, where, according to the Post, "she works alongside groundbreaking physicists, mathematicians and social scientists. They don't have to teach, and they face no quotas on what they publish. Their only mandate is to work in the tradition of Einstein, wrestling with the most vexing problems in the universe."

And one of the most vexing problems in the universe, which Allen has decided to pursue in the tradition of Einstein, is the origin of a number of e-mails claiming that Barack Obama is a Muslim. Using the advanced research tools at her disposal, the razor-sharp Allen found…a couple of posters on the Free Republic website, plus a former political rival of Obama's who sends out zillions of e-mails to reporters every day.

The former political rival appears to have been completely open about the stuff he sent out, some of which was based on arguments similar to an op-ed that appeared in the pages of the New York Times. As for Free Republic, according to the Post, Allen "counted 23 freepers among those engaging in regular discussions about Obama's religion, and isolated a handful whom she began to suspect as having a role in the e-mail. Sifting through hundreds of postings, she began to piece together their identities."

Allen gave her information to the Post reporter, who used it to track down two allegedly offending freepers, one a 69-year-old retired grandfather in the suburbs of Boston and the other a 60-year-old schoolteacher in rural Washington state. Both said they had nothing to do with the emails. And that's about it.

But the article has a pretty clear subtext, and it is that the exchange of such information on the Internet should be controlled. "I started thinking, 'How does one stop it?'" Allen told the Post. "Citizens and political scientists must face the fact that the Internet has enabled a new form of political organization that is just as influential on local and national elections as unions and political action committees…This kind of misinformation campaign short-circuits judgment. It also aggressively disregards the fundamental principle of free societies that one be able to debate one's accusers."

Of course, we have laws that regulate the political activities of unions and political action committees. Is it going too far to guess that the scholar from the Institute for Advanced Studies might be searching for some way to do the same for Free Republic?

that’s quite a list:

Obama’s list of 60 Documented LIES ...and still growing

60 Obama claims he wants a vigorous and open debate on the issues: then goes out of his way to avoid it

59 Obama omits key details about a false rumor re video of Michelle’s “whitey” rant to justify breaking his public funding promise

58 Obama tries to deceive about why he voted “present” more than 100 times in the Illinois Senate; Chicago paper reveals the truth

57 Trying to claim patriotism Obama says his grandad signed up the day after Pearl Harbor; army records disagree

56 Claims race and party not important to how people vote as they put America first; 93% block vote disproves

55 On June 5, Obama stated that Israel must remain undivided; June 6 on CNN he reversed his position

54 To further his own agenda, Obama grossly overstates the number of potential African-American votes in MS, GA, SC

53 Promise of $2500 reduction in Healthcare premiums needs billions in Admin cost savings by 2012: not possible

52 Obama omits to mention his 3 week trip to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan until it slips out trying to out-do Clinton

51 Obama claims McCain wants to wage a lengthy war in Iraq: Video proves Obama’s lying

50 Obama claimed he never prayed in a mosque; his campaign had to retract that statement

49 Obama dishonestly used endorsements in ads to pump up his healthcare plan

48 Claims he never discussed politics with Pastor; rebutted by photo of Obama with team of lobbyists led by Wright

47 Obama, an expert at parsing words, claimed he wasn’t familiar with the word “Clintonian”; then changed his story

46 Despite reeking of cigarettes, Obama denied smoking to ABC; now admits smoking on MSNBC

45 Obama said he’d meet unconditionally with Leader of Iran: now claims he “didn’t have Ahmadinejad in mind”

44 Obama claims he is using public financing to avoid special interests: WSJ nails his switcheroo

43 Obama’s rhetoric claims more young black men in jail than college: BoJ Stats disprove

42 Claims he never said he was a proponent of single-payer universal healthcare; Video proves he did

41 Obama claims remarks to industrialists were greeted with silence, shows he can deliver tough message: video of ovation

40 Obamas claim you dont rip opponents & leave on roadside:he did to Alice Palmer

39 Obama denies saying Indiana could be tie-breaker: he did

38 Obama omits that Pastor Wright led divestiture campaign from Israel

37 Obama claims Church not controversial; he lied since 86

36 Lied about intention of taking US out of NAFTA

35 Obamas claim poverty growing up: both distort reality

34 Obama denies meeting Saddam’s Auchi; sworn Fed. witness places Obama at undisclosed party for Auchi at Rezkos

33 Obama lies about not attacking Clinton over her Bosnia lies

32 Obama claims he passed ethics reform; ABC News shows he lied
31 Obama says he’s consistently opposed NAFTA; in October
2007 he supported expansion to Peru

30 Obama claims he’s above dirty political tricks; Clinton proves he lies

29 Obama claims his “bitter” remarks were mangled; then repeats attacks on guns religion and angry people

28 Obama claims never said he wouldn’t wear US flag-pin; video shows he did

27 Obama says he did no favors for Rezko;untrue; he lobbied for him

26 Changes story repeatedly re Rezko’s help in buying mansion

25 Obama claims he never supported a ban on handguns; he has twice

24 Obama claims stays at UCC as Pastor acknowledged comments were inappropriate; Wright never made this statement

23 Campaign is beholden to “only the people” as unlike McCain/Clinton he does not take lobbyist /PAC money; LIES!

22 Claims campaign never called Canada to say Obama not truthful re wanting leave NAFTA; smoking gun memo proves lied

21 Mrs Obama admits she’s never been proud of America; Video disproves Sen. Obama’s later claim she was misquoted

20 Claimed would not run for President

19 Claims famous in Il. for not letting lobbyists even buy him lunch; took from teachers, trial lawyers, hospital admins

18 Claims his parents met at Selma civil rights march; Washington Post noted it occurred 4 yrs after Obama’s birth

17 BO claims courageously opposed war in 2002 during US Senate campaign; He did not announce his senate bid until 2003

16 Claims he passes tough Nuclear Law; NYT uncovers he took Nuclear Industry pay-off and watered down the bill

15 Claimed he didn’t know Rezko was corrupt when did a real estate deal with him; Chicago papers prove he lied

14 Claims does not accept money from Big Oil: Real Clear Politics proves he lied

13 Denies using his Hopefund PAC to influence endorsers; but the Washington Post reviewed the record and disagreed

12 Claims his State Chair is not a drug company lobbyist; Time magazine cries Bullshit

11 Lies about how much he received in campaign funds from Rezko; forced to significantly increase the amount twice

10 Claims he did not fill out the 1996 candidate questionaire; Politico proves he lied

9 Took credit for achievement of others in Chicago; resume puffing exposed by LA Times

8 Claims he kept no State Senate records; now he changes his story

7 Denies doubling wife’s salary was due to becoming US Senator; omits within months he earmarked $1 million for hospital

6 Denied meeting Saddam bagman Auchi; now admits he was at his dinner but does not remember talking to him

5 Denies using his church for politics: IRS disagree

4 Claims he was unaware of Pastor Wrights 911 comments: NYT proves he lied

3 Claims his father was a goat-herd; actually he was a man of privilige

2 Claims not an active muslim as child; Indonesian paper proves he lied

1 Claims father linked to Kennedys; Washington Post proves he lied

Probably scrubbed by now:
http://littlegreenfootballs.com/article/30492_At_the_Official_Barack_Obama_Blog_Site-_We_Are_All_Palestinians

At the Official Barack Obama Blog Site: We Are All Palestinians
Sat, Jun 28, 2008 at 9:12:04 am PDT

Today’s episode of the ongoing lunacy and anti-Americanism at the official Barack Obama blog site features a piece by Ulf Erlingsson, PhD, pleading for people to support convicted Islamic Jihad kingpin Sami Al-Arian: my.barackobama.com | Ulf Erlingsson’s Blog: We are all Palestinians.
http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/ulferlingsson/gGCJf9

We are all Palestinians
By Ulf Erlingsson, PhD - Apr 30th, 2008 at 9:24 am EDT
Comments | Mail to a Friend | Report Objectionable Content

When one people is oppressed, all of us are oppressed. What you do to any one of these you do to me, Jesus said. So we are all Palestinians. This is about a prisoner in America fighting for the Palestinians:

Tampa Bay Coalition for Justice and Peace
April 29, 2008

Dr. Al-Arian Suspends Hunger Strike After 8 Weeks

VIRGINIA — Yesterday, on the 57th day of his hunger strike, Dr. Sami
Al-Arian suspended his fast, at the urging of his family, friends and
supporters. Dr. Al-Arian, who has lost more than 40 pounds, began the
hunger strike on March 3 to protest continued harassment and abuse of
power by the Justice Department. Early last week, as his blood pressure
and blood sugar reached dangerously low levels, Dr. Al-Arian collapsed
and lost consciousness at his cell in Hampton Roads Regional Jail and
was then examined by a doctor. Dr. Al-Arian drank no water for the
first 18 days of his fast. During his hunger strike, he was moved to
five different facilities a half dozen times.

Dr. Al-Arian was supposed to have been released on April 7. Since
April 14, he has been in total segregation, and living under harsh
conditions. He is not allowed any visitors and is given only two phone
calls a month. Though officials at Hampton Roads Regional Jail told Dr.
Al-Arian his conditions would improve and he would be moved into the
general population as soon as he began eating again, this has proven to
be a lie. Dr. Al-Arian remains in segregation although he has been
cleared medically. Please see the Action Alert below to demand that he
be treated humanely.

“Today Dr. Sami Al-Arian is an internationally recognized political
prisoner in America Over the last two decades, his legendry struggle
for the independence of Palestine has included five years of
incarceration, which continues, and two extended hunger strikes for
sixty days and fifty-seven days, respectively,” said Dr. Agha Saeed,
chair of the American Muslim Taskforce on Civil Rights and Elections.
“Just as Dr. Martin Luther King and Malcolm X symbolized the struggle
for human rights in the fifties and sixties, Dr. Sami Al Arian has come
to symbolize the current struggle for human rights. I am one of those
who had beseeched him to end his hunger strike and I am personally
indebted to him for accepting our request.”

“Sami Al-Arian has put his own life on the line for human dignity,
freedom, justice and peace,” said Muhammad Salim Akhtar, chairman of
American Muslim Alliance Midwest Region. “His resilience at the cost of
his own physical and mental suffering has become a source of strength
for people of conscience and high morals to unite across borders.”

Also see:
my.barackobama.com | Ulf Erlingsson’s Blog: Jesus was Palestinian.
http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/ulferlingsson/gG5V9P

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