About the Washington Post Hit Piece on Free Republic Today

Saturday, June 28, 2008 | Kristinn

[kristinn]

The Washington Post published an article today in the Style section about researcher Danielle Allen's efforts to track down who is behind allegations that presumed Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Hussein Obama (Illinois) is a Muslim. Allen is an Obama supporter who works for the Institute for Advanced Study.

The article was written by Matthew Mosk. A curious choice for The Post considering Mosk's involvement in the nefarious MD4Bush scandal in which Mosk claimed to have been given access to a Free Republic poster's account to expose a Maryland GOP government appointee who was alleged to have commented on rumors that a Maryland Democratic mayor was an adulterer.

Mosk displayed the same talent for exposing Freepers' identities in today's article that he did in the MD4Bush scandal. However, the only person he exposed then was the Republican. The person (or persons) behind the MD4Bush screen name was not reported by Mosk.

The article Mosk wrote today purports to be about efforts to track down where the 'Obama is a Muslim' allegations began. However, it is actually a warning shot across the bow to opponents of Obama that they will be tracked down and exposed for speaking ill of the Obamessiah.

Mosk even makes sure to let Obamaniacs know who is behind Free Republic and where he can be found:

Of the file folders that are spread in neat rows across Allen's desk, only one is bulging. It holds printouts of the reams of conversations about Obama's religion appearing on Free Republic. Since its start in 1996 by Jim Robinson of Fresno, Calif....

The effort by The Post to protect Obama from rumors is in stark contrast to how they promoted potentially candidacy-damaging rumors eight-years ago.

When George W. Bush ran for president in 1999, The Washington Post led the way in rumor-mongering about whether he used cocaine in his youth. Bush refused to deny cocaine use saying that denying rumors just leads to having to deny more and more rumors. No one ever came forward with allegatons that they had first-hand knowledge of Bush using cocaine, but that didn't stop The Post and the mainstream media as painting Bush as a cokehead. No reporter ever asked Bill Clinton about cocaine use, even though several people known to Clinton claimed to have first-hand knowledge of Clinton using the drug while in public office.

While Mosk ignores The Post's own rumor-mongering, he leaves the impression of Free Republic as the rumor mill of the right. A fair reporter would have noted that Freepers exposed the fraudulent Texas Air National Guard documents that CBS News used in its attempt to derail President Bush's reelection bid in 2004. Buckhead, the Freeper who called foul on the documents, was tracked down by the Los Angeles Times even though he did not post his name on Free Republic.

Mosk's article closes with Allen complaining that the Internet has become as influential as unions and political action committees (PACs) in elections. Unstated is that the political activities of unions and PACs are heavily regulated by the federal government.

Allen seriously misunderstands the right to anonymous political speech--equating political speech with the right of a citizen to face his accuser when charged with a crime by the government:

..."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."

While Mosk and The Post are furiously protecting Obama from the Obama is a Muslim allegation, they steadfstly refuse to report on Obama's well-documented connection to the terrorist supporter and Osama bin Laden sympathizer, Jodie Evans, co-founder of the anti-American group Code Pink.

The Post article claims that the Internet's danger to politics is the ability to spread rumors anonymously. The real danger is the left's willingness to use the Internet to track down and destroy its perceived enemies. Allen and Mosk's teamwork exposing Freepers is one more example of that.

[Beckwith]

There is talk that his mother was an atheist.

In an interview with the New York Times, published on April 30th, Maya Soetoro-Ng, Obama’s younger half sister, told the Times, "My whole family was Muslim, and most of the people I knew were Muslim."  (Alternate link)

I assume Maya thinks of her mother, Anna, as a member of her family?

[taraytarah]

There is no record that Obama was ever baptized - - none, zero, nada, zilch!

According to the view of many, there is no record Obama was ever born.

[for-q-clinton]

This might be fun. Obama must be a muslim...home many big name Christians do you know with a middle name of Hussein?

Spread the word...Barack Hussein Obama is a muslim.

[for-q-clinton]

oops... home = how

[brityank]

..."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."

As long as I've been here, no one has ever been denied access to debate anything. However, the Left doesn't know how to debate, only how to mandate based on their own warped socialist perceptions. Danielle Allen and Matt Mosk can, and probably have, log in and join the discussions -- but then they'd have to prove their assertions that they don't have to on the pages of their fishwrap.

Thank you, Beckwith, Eva, Jim, and All for keeping the conversation real and expansive.

[Beckwith]

He said the Shahada recently - - and voluntarily.

On February 27th, 2007, Barack Hussein Obama said the Muslim call to prayer is "one of the prettiest sounds on Earth."

In an interview with Nicholas Kristof, published in The New York Times, Obama recited the Muslim call to prayer, the Adhan, "with a first-class [Arabic] accent."

The opening lines of the Adhan (Azaan) is the  Shahada:

"Allah is Supreme! Allah is Supreme!
Allah is Supreme! Allah is Supreme!
I witness that there is no god but Allah
I witness that there is no god but Allah
I witness that Muhammad is his prophet... "

According to Islamic scholars, reciting the Shahada, the Muslim declaration of faith, makes one a Muslim.  This simple yet profound statement expresses a Muslim's complete acceptance of, and total commitment to, the message of Islam.

Obama knows this from his Quranic studies -- and he knows the New York Times will publish this fact and it will be seen throughout the Islamic world.

Regardless of Obama's religion, what message is he sending the world's 1.2 billion Muslims?

I suppose it's easy for Obama to remember the Shahada for the 35 years since he left Indonesia -- and in 'first-class' Arabic -- especially since he believes the Muslim call to prayer is "one of the prettiest sounds on Earth."

The fact that Obama can recall the Shahada after 35 years and the fact that he believes that the daily call to prayer is "one of the prettiest sounds on Earth" say that those Muslim prayers run through his head often -- what does that make him?

Original New York Times source -- requires Log In.

The Obama File

[RetiredArmy]

When Obama and the rest of the Marxist Dimocrats control it all, you can bet that some sort of pay back will start almost immediately. First up, Fairness Doctrine. Then hitting on conservative Internet sites. Count on it. Bet on it. But they are going to attack. They will control the government and the media. With that power, they will seek to destroy everyone and everything that has said a word about them since Slick Willie got elected. Rush is a prime A-1 target. All conservative talk show folks will be attacked. Power of the IRS. Power of the FBI. Power of the CIA. Power of the Justice Department. Power of 250 something new liberal US Attorneys after Obama fires all Bush's US Attorneys, which of course you will hear no complaining about like when they fired the 9 or so here a short time ago. This will be their power to attack free people, your rights, liberty, property, bank accounts. It's coming folks. If you are naive enough to think it will not, well happy sailing.

[True Republican Patriot]

Because the TOOTER is a DEMORAT!; Cocaine use is then defined as Cool, even when a few Experts have stated Obie’s obscene Gaffes may be tied to Brain Disfunctions tied to Excessive Cocaine use. Thats a nice thought for a candidate aspiring to the highest office in the Land. In Obie’s case, hopefully Hildabeast will yet take him down and force him to run for the Office of Dogcatcher for the town of Unity in New Hampshire!

[True Republican Patriot]

Because the TOOTER is a DEMORAT!; Cocaine use is then defined as Cool, even when a few Experts have stated Obie’s obscene Gaffes may be tied to Brain Disfunctions tied to Excessive Cocaine use. Thats a nice thought for a candidate aspiring to the highest office in the Land. In Obie’s case, hopefully Hildabeast will yet take him down and force him to run for the Office of Dogcatcher for the town of Unity in New Hampshire!

[snippy_about_it]

A zillion emails? Wow.

I think we should start a rumor about Ms. Allen.

Ms. Allen thinks “zillion” is a serious journalistic figure. Who needs serious research nowadays when you can get printed regardless of your talent or lack thereof?

From Wikipedia:

“Imaginary words ending in the sound “-illion”, such as zillion,[2] jillion,[3] and gazillion,[4] are often used as fictitious names for an unspecified, large number by analogy to names of large numbers such as billion and trillion. Their size is dependent upon the context, but can typically be considered large enough to be unfathomable by the average human mind.

These terms are often used as hyperbole or for comic effect, or in loose, unconfined conversation to present an un-guessably large number. Since these are undefined, they have no mathematical validity and no accepted order, since none is necessarily larger or smaller than any of the others.”

[lainie]

According to some woman named meg, blogging at townhall.com, he converted to Christianity and became an apostate Muslim in 1992. No proof, though.

http://megs.blogtownhall.com/2008/06/16/new_info_on_obamas_citizenship.thtml

[vox_freedom]

The Washington Post suggested that Obama is a Muslim. Gee, I didn’t know that. I’ll have to look it up to verify.

[True Republican Patriot]

Ms. Allen, you cannot ever hold a candle to Albert Einstein and you never will be able to! You are a petty two bit looser studying Navel Lint to the ninth degree! Oh, has anyone pointed out that your Phuds are almost worth the cost of the paper they are printed on. What are you going to do Ms. Allen when we prove Obie is a coldblooded Liar and has been a Lifelong Devout Muslim intent on Change, just as Osama Bin Ladin is intent on the same change!

:-P

[padre35]

Ahh: "..A wise old owl sat in an oak, The more he saw, the less he spoke, The less he spoke, the more he heard, Why can't we be like that wise old bird?..." B. Franklin. A lesson Mr. Mosk should have taken to heart, the more he reports, the more the story, true or not, circulates, politicians are not held in high regard anyway, they are considered liars and opportunists, if the Obamao lies about Campaign Funding, why would the thought of him being a Muslim be outside of the realm of possibility? Mr. Mosk should take a lesson from that wise old owl...

[Para-Ord.45]

Tell the “scholars” at WaPo to debunk Daniel Pipes:

Confirmed: Barack Obama Practiced Islam

http://www.danielpipes.org/article/5354

Was Barack Obama a Muslim?

http://www.danielpipes.org/article/5286

.
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[RayChuang88]

They can’t protect Obama from rumor or scrutiny. He is running for President.

The MSM has to realize this. Why do you think the Obama campaign recently activated a special group designed specifically to fight back against "hit pieces"?

[Deetes]

Never back down !!!

[sam_paine]

Kristinn....If you end up on TV again, ask these idiots if they think the Federalist/AntiFederalist debate of THE FOUNDERS conformed to the "fundamental principle of free societies" to debate without anonymous psuedonyms.

---

Pseudonym	Author	Notes
A.B.	Francis Hopkinson	Federalist.[1]
Agrippa	James Winthrop[2]	Eighteen essays appeared under this name in the Massachusetts Gazette between November 23, 1787 and February 5, 1788.[3]
Alfredus	Samuel Tenney	Federalist.[4]
Americanus	John Stevens, Jr.[5]
Aristedes	Alexander Contee Hanson	Federalist.[6]
Aristocrotis	William Petrikin	Anti-Federalist.[7]
An Assemblyman	William Findley
Brutus	Robert Yates[8]	Anti-Federalist. After Marcus Junius Brutus.
Caesar	Alexander Hamilton?
Candidus	Benjamin Austin[9]
Cato	George Clinton[10]	Anti-Federalist.
Centinel	Samuel Bryan	Alternately, the author possibly was George Bryan.[11]
Cincinnatus	Arthur Lee	After Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus. Six essays addressed to James Wilson appeared under this name in the New York Journal beginning November 1, 1787.[12]
A Citizen of America	Noah Webster
A Citizen of New Haven	Roger Sherman
A Columbian Patriot	Mercy Warren[13]
A Countryman	Roger Sherman
A Country Federalist	James Kent
Crito	Stephen Hopkins
Examiner	Charles McKnight
Federal Farmer		Anti-Federalist. The Federal Farmer letters are frequently attributed to Richard Henry Lee, but modern scholarship has challenged Lee's authorship.[14]
Foreign Spectator	Nicholas Collin[15]
Genuine Information	Luther Martin
Harrington	Benjamin Rush
Helvidius Priscus	James Warren[16]
An Independent Freeholder	Alexander White
John DeWitt
A Landholder	Oliver Ellsworth	Thirteen essays, some of the most widely circulated commentary on the proposed Constitution, appeared under this name, with the first publication coming in the Hartford papers. The essays were certainly written by one of the Connecticut delegates to the Convention, and Ellsworth is the only likely possibility.[17]
Marcus	James Iredell
Margery	George Bryan
An Officer of the Late Continental Army	William Findley[18]
A Pennsylvania Farmer	John Dickinson
Philadelphiensis	Benjamin Workman
Philo-Publius	William Duer
Phocion	Alexander Hamilton
A Plain Dealer	Spencer Roane[19]
A Plebian	Melancton Smith
Publius	Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, John Jay	After Publius Valerius Publicola. Under this name the three men wrote the 85 Federalist Papers. Hamilton had already used the name in 1778.,
A Republican Federalist	James Warren[20]
Rough Hewer	Abraham Yates
Senex	Patrick Henry?	Published an article in the Virginia Independent Chronicle, August 15, 1787, which was reprinted in four states. James McClurg wrote that the author was "supposed by some to be Mr. H---y."[21]
The State Soldier	St. George Tucker
Sydney	Robert Yates[22]
Timoleon		After Timoleon of Corinth.
Tullius	George Turner?

[stevie_d_64]

I believe it wold be a serious mistake, and a poor judgement call on their part to go after Jim, or anyone on FR for that matter...

If I choose to think or say that Barack “Barry Hussien” Obama is a muslim, it will not be because I heard or saw it here on this website...

If they want to come after me because of what I think or say...

Well...Don’t let a little thing like fear and atmosphere stop ya...I just don’t believe they will ever be that unhappy again in those pursuits...

I just can’t believe this is the tone they wish to set for this election...

Like any of us will back down for fear of them...

Geesh, amatures...

[stevie_d_64]

“Bombs Away!”