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January 19, 2007

Two Birds with One Stone

Last week I received an email on the right-wing forwarding chain about the terrifying prospect that Barack Obama was a closet Muslim and implied that he was even intended to be a Manchurian candidate. Fortunately, Snopes has debunked the email very well. Unfortunately, the right wing isn't done with the story - and now they've even found a clever way to use it to make Hillary Clinton look bad.

Are the American people ready for an elected president who was educated in a Madrassa as a young boy and has not been forthcoming about his Muslim heritage?

This is the question Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton’s camp is asking about Sen. Barack Obama.

An investigation of Mr. Obama by political opponents within the Democratic Party has discovered that Mr. Obama was raised as a Muslim by his stepfather in Indonesia. Sources close to the background check, which has not yet been released, said Mr. Obama, 45, spent at least four years in a so-called Madrassa, or Muslim seminary, in Indonesia. …

Sources said the background check, conducted by researchers connected to Senator Clinton, disclosed details of Mr. Obama's Muslim past. The sources said the Clinton camp concluded the Illinois Democrat concealed his prior Muslim faith and education.

It's hard to believe that Hillary Clinton would dig up dirt on Barack Obama, give the scoop to the right wing media to break, and then claim to have discovered it herself. However, by claiming she was the origin of the research, the right wing can wash its own hands of the dirty politics and make Hillary out to be a bitch who so wants to be the first female President that she would do anything to stop us from having the first black President. Not that I would put it past her, but really, the right wing had this story first. It's been a wonderful addition to their "Osama – Obama" thing, and their "Barack HUSSEIN Obama" thing.

And it's a nothing story. Read the Snopes article and you'll see Obama hasn't hidden anything at all. In fact, he's been quite frank.

But that won't stop bloggers from accusing him of beingA Sleeper Cell of One.

Posted by Becky at January 19, 2007 01:25 PM