The ugly spectre of right wing xenophobia once again raises its ugly head. It's unbelievably pathetic. You wonder why you're becoming politically irrelevant?

Funny, JFO, I was just wondering the same thing about you.

J.

Loathe though I am to admit it, I agree (in part) with JFO. We need to stay above stupid cheap-shots like that and instead hit up Barak on his absurd (where discernable) policies.

J

I'll be smiling in November as you ponder why the "independents, oops I mean right wingers, are left out in the cold.

Where are the embarrassing photos of Obama wearing a U.S. flag lapel pin?

/sarc

JFO, most people like you are easily manipulated and hence indoctrinated. Most of your side can't think for themselves.

It's no wonder you don't anyone want to ask Obama any questions on his positions

A hell of a lot can happen in eight months, JFO. I'm tempted to bookmark that comment of yours and remind you of it should things not turn out as you so bravely forecast.

J.

Be my guest you "independent" guy you. I'll buy you dinner if I'm wrong.

" We need to stay above stupid cheap-shots like that and instead hit up Barak on his absurd (where discernable) policies. "

What do you mean 'we', keemosabe? It was the Hillary Machine that started all this. Why don't you hold them responsible?

It's just the ugly spectre of left wing xenophobia once again raising its ugly head. It's unbelievably pathetic. They wonder why they're becoming politically irrelevant?

Jim,

Why do you see this whole 'fashion' thing as something that is problematic? Just wondering.

As if I'd ever eat anything you provided, JFO.

J.

You have my e-mail I assume, I'll buy you a gift certificate to the restaurant of your choice.

Hell who needs Obama pictures when you have slimy British-Iraqi billionaires lending millions of dollars to Barack Obama's fundraiser.

"The money transfer raises the question of whether funds from Nadhmi Auchi, one of Britain's wealthiest men, helped Mr Obama buy his mock Georgian mansion in Chicago."

That's a pretty funny statement Nessman. I assume you've forgotten all the play on Obama's name - exclusively from the right wing and frequently on this blog. Of course that wouldn't be right wing xenophobia would it?

It's fine if other people want to raise the question about what he's wearing, but personally i could care less. It's his policies and his ideas (or lack thereof) that i disagree with. I don't think this picture really says anything about the man, or shows anything damning, and personally i could care less if he dressed like a sperm (IE: John Kerry 2004). It might be good for a few laughs, but honestly it is utterly irrelevant.

Some people on the left (Jewish Democrats) might care he's playing muslim dress-up, but it is ultimately irrelevant.

Take the fool up on his offer J, and might I suggest Masa in NYC.

The price of one meal, dinner, drink and tip per person, $366.

JFO, I assume YOU have forgotten where the name play came from? Try Ted Kennedy? Mr. "Obama Osama" himself.

Your boy that you supported all through the 90's, Bill Clinton is also out there trying to take down the black guy. Lets not forget all the pieces from the left about 1 year ago asking "is Obama Black enough?"

Yeah, lets get back to that right-wing xenophobic, racist drivel. Don't forget that our nominee is trying to work with you imbeciles, even while you have a race-war in your primaries.

I see you're your usual dyspeptic nasty self Marc. It's nice to see you miserable.

JFO - "I see you're your usual dyspeptic nasty self Marc. It's nice to see you miserable."

Miserable?

Hardly, laughing my ass off you'd be such a fool to make an open ended no restrictions offer like that.

marc, McCain has lobbyist running his campaign yet you are shocked that someone that Obama knows got a loan from someone else.

The desperation of the right is in full display.

"politicians often don native garb..."

The problem that was Somali Garb in Kenya. Kenya is 1% Somali.

Somalia is 100% Muslim while Kenya is over 70% Christian, btw.

Well Marc, I can afford it and I'm not worried about losing.

Why is Obama ashamed of the picture? Isn't his father from there? Why cry smear? Why not take pride in the picture of him dressed as an Somali Elder??? Could it be because the outfit he is wearing, is the "Traditional Garb" of a people that take pride it dragging dead Soldiers through the streets??

The desperation of the right is in full display.

21. Posted by BarneyG2000

I honestly would like to know what it is you, barney, JFO, larkin, et al want to turn this country into.

The left loves to harp on supposed rights they've lost under Bush/Cheney (and have no proof of what *rights* they have actually lost), yet have no problem with an intrusive and expansive government programs people like Hillary or Barack would have in store for everyone.

So how much government do you guys really need?

Be my guest you "independent" guy you. I'll buy you dinner if I'm wrong.

I'll back Jay's side of this on the condition I can attend.

baghdad barney - "marc, McCain has lobbyist running his campaign yet you are shocked that someone that Obama knows got a loan from someone else."

Lets be precise shall we, he's an ex-lobbyist. (Not that you give a flying f fu*k at a rolling donut)

That aside, name me a single politician that isn't closely associated with at least one.

"Lets be precise shall we, he's an ex-lobbyist. (Not that you give a flying f fu*k at a rolling donut)" marc

Really marc? Let's roll the tape:
"Wayne Berman, national finance committee co-chairman and "senior adviser," according to a February 7 New York Times article. Berman is a lobbyist and the managing director of government relations at Ogilvy Government Relations. "

"Former Rep. Thomas Loeffler (R-TX), campaign co-chairman and national finance committee co-chairman. Loeffler is a lobbyist and founder of The Loeffler Group."
http://mediamatters.org/items/200802260009?f=h_latest

Who is "he" marc? Certainly not the two registered lobbyists I indicated above.

The problem that was Somali Garb in Kenya. Kenya is 1% Somali.

Somalia is 100% Muslim while Kenya is over 70% Christian, btw.

Why is that the problem? The article where the photo first appeared was about Obama's trip to Wajir, Kenya, where there was severe drought and famine at the time, to which we were providing support. Wajir, I'll note, is located in the North Eastern Province of Kenya, which is primarily Somali.

Hugh S

You'll have to pay your own way.

Hugh S

You'll have to pay your own way.

JFO
Was that not clear from my comment? What part did you not understand?

"It's no wonder you don't anyone want to ask Obama any questions on his positions."

On what? His headgear or lapel pins of choice? At least thats what matters as a S-E-R-I-O-U-S position to the

Soap.
Toothpaste.
Toilet paper.
Literacy.
Wingnut.

Some assembly required.

JFO says he can afford the dinner! So I guess the economy ain't doing so bad eh JFO? LOL. Oh yeah, JFO, were you ticked when Teddy Kennedy himself slipped and called Barack Osama???? Didn't think so. (another LOL) You lose.

Barack is history. This stuff is just trickling out slowly and it will bury him. Say hello to President McCain.

ryan a #10 ~ I see nothing "problematic" at all. Rather, I find it amusing. If the pictures are "normal" shots, then why all the fuss about them? The Obama campaign and supporters seemed to feel some egregious insult from the pictures being passed around - why?

The moral of the story is: if you don't want the pictures circulated on the internet, don't pose for them in the first place!

Seriously, if these folks are this thin-skinned, it's going to be an interesting year.

Seems like they're concentrating on 'style' over 'substance'. Hil and Obie are BOTH promising massive increases in government payouts - where's the money gonna come from?

Soaking the 'rich corporations' is all well and good - but THEY aren't gonna absorb the cost. Instead, it'll trickle down.

(Looks in wallet - finds dead moth.) Whoops - looks like Hil and Obie have already been here! Good luck to all you leftists - hope you're ready to take the hit also!

Jim,

Seriously, if these folks are this thin-skinned, it's going to be an interesting year.

Ya, I got you. The Obama reaction was a little strange. Why make a big deal out of nothing, why get offended? Seems to me that he would have been better off saying "So what?" about this.

Instead he played offended card, and it didn't really work out so well.

I agree with you. It is a little amusing. And I agree with you that if everyone is going to be this delicate, things are going to get a little crazy.

Gotta love this whole process.

No it wasn't.

What are the Obama supporters afraid of? If it's a real photo of Obama (rather than fake but true) then the American people have a right to see it. Anyone running for President gives up their right to hide their roots, their relatives, their friends, their past, their opinions, and their agenda.

If Obama wins in November I won't be feeling bad. It just means my plan to destroy the Democrats is working.

The notion that the photos of Obama as well as the frequent references to his middle name are used for any other reason than to create an impression that he is a Muslim or affiliated with Muslims or a Muslim "supporter" is either naive or disingenuous. It is a blatant attempt to associate him with a group from which the islamic terrorists come. It's just bullshit to say anything otherwise.

Why hide behind nonsense like you just posted Lorry? It's a load of crap and you know it.

Re: Mantis #28

Thanks. At least somebody actually checked it out instead of sticking with the polar opposite pat answers.

Although it did take some prompting ;)

Funny He did not "don" the native garb "American flag" in His own native country?

The piece of shit!

Why hide behind nonsense like you just posted Lorry? It's a load of crap and you know it.

I'm not the one trying to hide Obama's roots. If Obama doesn't like the light of day shining on him he should withdraw from the race. It's a load of crap to claim someone can run for President and not be fully scrutinized.

Obama says he's Christian and I accept that. However, Obama's father was Muslim and his mother's parents were Muslim. He spent some of his childhood in a Muslim nation and went to a public school where Islam was taught, as is common in Muslim nations. Regardless of Obama's religion today, his heritage is Muslim and the American people have a right to know all the details.

Why? Because according to Islamic jurisprudence a person born of Muslim parents that rejects Islam is called a "murtad fitri" (natural apostate). If Obama becomes President it would be in the interest of Islamic radicals to make the case that Obama is an apostate. All they need is evidence that Obama's parents were Muslim and Obama's own words that he's now a Christian. Once some influential clerics declare Obama an apostate, few Muslim nations will have any dealing with him including Saudi Arabia. In fact all five families of Islamic jurisprudence consider male apostates worthy of death.

Osama bin laden could ask for no greater gift than for his crusader enemies to elect an apostate as their leader. Electing Obama will allow Osama to do something has never been able to do, to rally support from mainstream Muslim nations and groups. The resulting disaster for the U.S. is why electing Obama would destroy the Democrats, and that's why I support Obama. It's the quickest way for Republicans to take back both houses of Congress and the Presidency.

Tht's sm sck sh** jst pstd Lrr. Bt n srprs frm rght wngr. Rcst, xnphbc nd jst pln sck.

JFO,

Nothing I wrote is Racist, xenophobic and just plain sick. Islamic jurisprudence is clear on people born to Muslim parents who then state they are no longer Muslim. You can hide your head in a hole and pretend it doesn't matter, but in case you haven't noticed we are at war with radical Islam.

The Democrats not only want to cut and run from Iraq, they also appear to want to destroy any credibility the U.S. has with mainstream Muslim nations. Yes, millions of brain dead liberals are going to vote for change without giving a thought to what that change is going to be.

Go ahead, make my day. Vote for Obama and watch Osama rally the Muslim world against an Apostate lead crusader nation. The Democrats will have to take full blame for the disaster that follows.

Mac Lorry-

You and I disagree on a few things here.

"Osama bin laden could ask for no greater gift than for his crusader enemies to elect an apostate as their leader."

Unless you are talking about OBL's twisted legacy, there is more suspect that he died in Dec of 2000, so you must be referring to his followers.

"The resulting disaster for the U.S. is why electing Obama would destroy the Democrats, and that's why I support Obama."

If you want to see unity in our Nation, you don't support the candidate you have the most disdain for. I still believe we need both parties. It's the corruption on both sides we can do without, and that's when people should rally together to make the U.S. strong again as one Nation. Process of elimination can often be a means to an end, but to suggest things that would only cause our unity to self-emplode is just a little over the top to me.

"It's the quickest way for Republicans to take back both houses of Congress and the Presidency."

Republicans and Democrats need to find a way to work together. It is a difficult task to find a happy medium here. Often times there are good intentions that sour with the influence of greed and hunger for power, but that doesn't mean the object of the game is to destroy. Obama will have plenty of time to shoot himself in the foot over the next several months without this becoming a political witch hunt.

I will support the candidate that I believe can help our country get back on track with sovereignty and pride in diversity. I will not vote for a candidate other than the one I believe will restore our Nation as a whole.

LaMedusa,

Unless you are talking about OBL's twisted legacy, there is more suspect that he died in Dec of 2000, so you must be referring to his followers.

OBL has released a number of tapes since 2000, which US intelligence says are authentic. Banking on OBL being dead is a big mistake.

If you want to see unity in our Nation, you don't support the candidate you have the most disdain for.

My goal for the nation is much less ambitious than unity. My goal is merely to return the nation to adult supervision as quickly as possible.

Republicans and Democrats need to find a way to work together. It is a difficult task to find a happy medium here. Often times there are good intentions that sour with the influence of greed and hunger for power, but that doesn't mean the object of the game is to destroy.

I agree, but unfortunately that's unlikely to happen anytime soon and it sure won't happen with this election regardless of the outcome. The Democrats burned the bridges in trying to discredit and oppose Bush at every turn for the last 4 years. The nation is fundamentally divided on so many issues that it's going to take some hard knocks to straighten this out.

I will support the candidate that I believe can help our country get back on track with sovereignty and pride in diversity.

Unfortunately there's no major candidate who shares those goals, nor are they really all that important. Our collective ass is on the line in Iraq, but the U.S. leaving was already decided by the 2006 election. Our only hope is that Bush is able to finish the job before Jan 9, 2009 and that the new President is not so stupid as to undo that hard won success. Our nation's energy supply, and thus, it's economy is being choked off by a few elite environmentalists who control the fundamentally corrupt IPCC. McCain, Obama and Hillary are either clueless or complicit in this global scam. The U.S. is the laughing stock of the world over the idiotic trade agreements we have made, not for economic benefit, but to foster democracy around the world. That's a luxury we can no longer afford. None of the candidates likely to be our next President have what it takes to solve such issues.

Mac Lorry,

First of all, allow me to correct myself on the date of his death. It was actually in Dec of 2001.

"OBL has released a number of tapes since 2000, which US intelligence says are authentic. Banking on OBL being dead is a big mistake."

No one has to bank on his existence to make the U.S. a more sovereign Nation. All we have to do is enforce border security and use more caution with foreign policy. True, easier said than done, but that is where the focus should be, not on the Loch Ness Monster of terrorism.

Tapes released with verified "authenticity" have been released, but not really proving that he is still alive. Those tapes were manufactured to perpetuate a corporate agenda. Take a good look at one of the most recent tapes and listen to what "OBL" is actually saying.

Then also consider a number of reports of his death and funeral:

Report: Bin Laden Already Dead

Israeli intelligence: Bin Laden is dead, heir has been chosen

Translation of Funeral Article in Egyptian Paper

And just because some of the sources are from another country or Israeli intelligence, doesn't mean they should just be written off as hearsay.

"The nation is fundamentally divided on so many issues that it's going to take some hard knocks to straighten this out."

True, but destroying the Democratic party should not be in the game plan. Our country is a Republic built on the Democratic ideal that all men are created equal. No goal is ever to lofty or high to remember these truths as a starting point.

"The U.S. is the laughing stock of the world over the idiotic trade agreements we have made, not for economic benefit, but to foster democracy around the world.

This is also true and even now we are paying dearly for it, but to believe the "children's table", so to speak, is only seated with Democrats is also a destructive fallacy.

"Unfortunately there's no major candidate who shares those goals, nor are they really all that important."

That's what "write-ins" are for...; ) (Kidding) No candidate is going to be perfect because of the special interest groups involved, but we have to start somewhere with the least case scenario. Just because my candidate may or may not be on the ballot, doesn't mean I can't vote for him. You vote for Obama if you like, but his lack of experience and executive ability in the White House seems like more of a detriment than a means to an end.

LaMedusa,

The OBL tapes released in 2003 and 2004 were highly scrutinized by the CIA as they contained current information that could not have been known earlier The CIA's analysis showed these tapes were genuine. Thus, it's known that OBL was alive as late as 2004. Any so-called evidence of OBL's death before than was either mistaken or intentionally planted. It's an old Muslim trick to lay low until your enemies declare you dead and then suddenly and dramatically appear again. Doing so creates a lot of support among your followers, and makes your enemies look foolish and weak. Bush knows this and won't declare OBL dead without positive proof even though he pays a large political price for not bringing OBL to justice.

Even if OBL is dead, there are many Islamic extremists who will exploit the U.S. electing an apostate as their President. The disdain Muslims have for apostates is not an extremist position, but rather the mainstream Islamic position. No ruler of any Muslim nation can have any dealings with President apostate without jeopardizing the support of their peers and followers. This is something the American people have a right to know before the election, but I doubt it will come up in the campaigns. If it were a Republican in that position you can bet the NYT would have the story on the front page for days.

Mac Lorry,

I could very well say the same about what is scrutinized and what is not. You and I will continue to disagree on what is and is not authentic.

"Even if OBL is dead, there are many Islamic extremists who will exploit the U.S. electing an apostate as their President."

We agree, but as I said before:

"No one has to bank on his (or the remaining terrorists) existence to make the U.S. a more sovereign Nation. All we have to do is enforce border security and use more caution with foreign policy."

So why elect a president just for a theoretic outcome and to destroy the Democratic party?

"No ruler of any Muslim nation can have any dealings with President apostate without jeopardizing the support of their peers and followers. This is something the American people have a right to know before the election, but I doubt it will come up in the campaigns."

Take heart, the election year is still young.

LaMedusa,

"No one has to bank on his (or the remaining terrorists) existence to make the U.S. a more sovereign Nation. All we have to do is enforce border security and use more caution with foreign policy."

I wish it were really that easy to protect ourselves from terrorists. Terrorists are not stupid people and any border security or cautions foreign policy is going to have flaws they can exploit. It's too late to disengage, we are already at war.

If we elect a apostate as President and if the radicals can get a mainstream Islamic cleric to declare Obama an apostate our so-called Muslim allies are likely to abandon us. Maybe they won't even sell us oil. Think about that.

Like I said before, none of this is going to be used against Obama in the election and I expect Obama will easily roll over McCain in the general election.

"I wish it were really that easy to protect ourselves from terrorists."

Never said it was easy, Mac Lorry. I said that's where the focus needs to be. Never said we should disengage, either, nor did I suggest it. Some terrorists are imbiciles but there are a lot of people in Border Security that are smarter than you give them credit for by suggesting that it's always in the terrorist's ballpark.

"Like I said before, none of this is going to be used against Obama in the election and I expect Obama will easily roll over McCain in the general election."

Even if that's true, it won't be because of my vote. You realize you're beginning to sound like a defeatist, don't you?