The Hillary Clinton Team must be like a glowing orb, the bright light that draws in the nitwit moths … Or maybe, like in ‘Time Bandits’, she’s “the most fabulous object in the world”.
She’s gotten Bob Johnson to smear Barack Obama on his admitted teenage drug use … She’s bringing in Terrell Owens to pick up the pace on the crying …
And today, Washington Post columnist Richard Cohen is seeking to join the team (hmmm, maybe this is Cohen’s audition), with a doozy;
Because Obama hasn’t spoken up, or perhaps launched a Bill O’Reilly-like crusade, against the magazine published by the church where he worships (published by the daughter of the minister, just to give you another degree, or two, of separation), for their endorsement of Louis Farrakhan, Obama isn’t fit to become President.
And, of course, Cohen does it with his “I’m not accusing Obama of anything … But …” chickenshit
It’s important to state right off that nothing in Obama’s record suggests he harbors anti-Semitic views or agrees with Wright when it comes to Farrakhan. Instead, as Obama’s top campaign aide, David Axelrod, points out, Obama often has said that he and his minister sometimes disagree. Farrakhan, Axelrod told me, is one of those instances.
Fine. But where I differ with Axelrod and, I assume, Obama is that praise for an anti-Semitic demagogue is not a minor difference or an intrachurch issue. The Obama camp takes the view that its candidate, now that he has been told about the award, is under no obligation to speak out on the Farrakhan matter. It was not Obama’s church that made the award but a magazine. This is a distinction without much of a difference. And given who the parishioner is, the obligation to speak out is all the greater. He could be the next American president. Where is his sense of outrage?
The Clinton Camp is, likely, a little upset, that Cohen didn’t dredge up the Al Qaeda Terrorist Childhood Education that was an early smear attempt on Obama, or speculate, if elected, Obama will take his oath using the Koran, but, give Cohen the credit for going for the reach, to place Obama standing next to Farrakhan (and, I’m a little surprise Cohen didn’t have the WaPo Graphics Dept. work-up a couple of life-size cardboard cutouts of the two standing together);
And yet Wright heaped praise on Farrakhan. According to Trumpet, he applauded his “depth of analysis when it comes to the racial ills of this nation.” He praised “his integrity and honesty.” He called him “an unforgettable force, a catalyst for change and a religious leader who is sincere about his faith and his purpose.” These are the words of a man who prayed with Obama just before the Illinois senator announced his run for the presidency. Will he pray with him just before his inaugural?
And, Cohen echoes, picks up the baton, on Hillary’s “voting present” hit job;
I don’t for a moment think that Obama shares Wright’s views on Farrakhan. But the rap on Obama is that he is a fog of a man. We know little about him, and, for all my admiration of him, I wonder about his mettle. The New York Times recently reported on Obama’s penchant while serving in the Illinois legislature for merely voting “present” when faced with some tough issues. Farrakhan, in a strictly political sense, may be a tough issue for him. This time, though, “present” will not do.
Wait a minute!
I must have all this wrong.
This must be Cohen’s way of celebrating Martin Luther King Day.
Being that Hillary still can’t stumble her way out her clumsy attempt to paint Obama as weak, via her invoking the legacy of Dr. King (she’s now claiming Obama is the one who distorted what she said), Cohen attempts to go at it in the other direction, to tying Obama to Farrakhan.
Richard, listen up … We’re going to tell you again … Are you listening? … Can you hear me now?
Pull your head out of your ass!
Or, actually, if all you’re going to do is smearing and hack jobs, maybe you should keep it tucked up there
Color By Numbers Cohen Links
Matthew Yglesias: How It’s Done
Creature: One pin prick at a time
The Carpetbagger Report: Confronting Obama with a ‘Farrakhan test’
Taylor Marsh: Richard Cohen Swiftboats Obama
Greg Sargent: Obama Responds To Richard Cohen Column About His Church And Farrakhan
Already, we have seen liberals bashing the heck out of a candidate for President because that candidate belongs to a racist church and didn’t do enough to object. I don’t see why this is off limits now.
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p>The non-denial denial quoted in the TPM link suggests to me that this is going to be a big issue, either now or in September. Better now.
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p>By non-denial, denial, I mean the quote: “I assume that TRumpet Magazine made its own decision to honor Farrakhan based on his efforts to rehabilitate ex-offenders…
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p>This assumption is wrong. The Trumpet Magazine site has been taken down, so I can no longer link, but praised Farrakhan’s “astounding and eye-opening analysis” of “the racial ills of the nation.” A print copy will no doubt surface eventually, and this issue will not go away soon.