Kurt9:58PMMay 19th 2008

"Camp Obama's defense is to point at the other two candidates, claiming they have their own inner circle of jerks. Ok. The petulant child defense "but they did it too" faded with third grade."

You sound like Clinton. Typical cheap shot pandering to the choir.

So, even if the other two candidates have some terrible associations, Obama can't point that out when they accuse him of the same thing?

You are pathetic.

vlg10:22PMMay 19th 2008

This is scary:

From The Christian Science Monitor
By Shireen K. Burki Mon May 19, 2008

Stafford, Va. - Osama bin Laden must be chuckling in his safe house. After all, the 2008 campaign could very well give Al Qaeda the ultimate propaganda tool: President Barack Hussein Obama, Muslim apostate.
The fact that Senator Obama – the son of a Muslim father – insists he was never a Muslim before becoming Christian is irrelevant to bin Laden. In bin Laden's eyes, Obama is a murtad fitri, the worst type of apostate, because he was blessed by Allah to be born into the true faith of Islam.

There are two types of apostates according to sharia (Islamic law) and the Hadith (sayings of the prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him).

The first type is murtad milli, one who converted to Islam and later renounced the faith. The second, and most egregious, type is murtad fitri. It refers to a person born of a Muslim father who renounces his birthright. Two recent examples of the latter are Magdi Allam (a male Egyptian who converted to Catholicism in Italy) and Ayaan Hirsi Ali (Somali-born woman who's now an atheist). Both now face death threats.

According to Islamic jurisprudence, children of a Muslim father – even an apparently nonpracticing one, such as Obama's father, and irrespective of the mother's faith – are automatically Muslims. Most Muslims around the world agree: A child of a Muslim father is a Muslim. Period.

Should Obama become US commander in chief, there is a strong likelihood that Al Qaeda's media arm, As-Sahab, will exploit his background to argue that an apostate is leading the global war on terror (read: attacks against fellow Muslims). This perception would be leveraged to galvanize sympathizers into action.

Remember: Al Qaeda's ultimate goal is to restore the caliphate (the Islamic form of government that would preside over the community of believers) and expand Dar al Islam ("Abode of Islam"). Reaching it requires a long war against all – Muslim and non-Muslim – who don't share its extremist Wahhabi worldview.

Al Qaeda, though, has struggled recently to recruit volunteers for this jihad. While bin Laden retains significant support as someone willing to stand up for Muslim concerns, most Muslims abhor Al Qaeda's terrorist methods whose primary targets are innocent noncombatants.

But an apostate as head of the United States could change this equation. It would be a propaganda boost for Al Qaeda's mission. All one has to do is read Al Qaeda's public statements to recognize how frequently it makes baseless apostasy accusations against fellow Muslims who challenge its message or actions.

That's why Obama is bin Laden's dream candidate.
Once branded as an apostate, President Obama would face enormous difficulties in the foreign policy realm, especially in the fight against terrorism.
He's caught between a rock and a hard place. If he softens the US strategy against Al Qaeda and its ideologues, his apostasy might be an afterthought for Al Qaeda. But if he acts firmly in America's national interest to defeat the terrorist threat, he'd be vilified in an Al Qaeda propaganda campaign for reneging on his "true identity."

Furthermore, his administration would struggle to positively engage the Muslim world, where Islam isn't just a religion, it's the way of life. Conservative Muslim populations that are riddled with poverty and low literacy rates can be more readily swayed to join the cause against the "Great Satan" (the US) if their imams and mullahs shout that it is led by an apostate.
Diplomacy is highly personal. The leaders of America's Middle Eastern allies – such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Qatar – already feel besieged by jihadists and disgruntled citizens who see their governments as toadies of the West. The murtad card could intensify that pressure, so leaders of these countries might be compelled to distance themselves from Washington.

In short, an Obama presidency – which might be fine domestically – could have serious repercussions for US foreign interests at a time when it is especially vulnerable in a tight global oil market.

So far, Al Qaeda has been conspicuously quiet on Obama's candidacy. But that should not come as a surprise. Hoping Obama gets elected, they're probably waiting until he's taken the oath of office to begin branding him a traitor to the faith of his fathers.
Islamic terrorists know that the long road to success lies in stoking the "clash of civilizations." To reach their goal of restoring the Caliphate in a form that fits their worldview, they need massive numbers of Muslims to join their global jihad.

Bin Laden and his followers have already shown their willingness to exploit real or imagined religious schisms to expand their support base. So it's not hard to imagine bin Laden praying that Obama wins this November.

(Shireen K. Burki is an adjunct professor of political science at the University of Mary Washington, in Fredericksburg, Va. The daughter of a Muslim father and a Christian mother, she spent her childhood in Islamabad, Pakistan, where she studied Islam at school.)

Katherine10:24PMMay 19th 2008

Thank you for telling me more about Greg Craig. Nothing surprises me about Obama anymore. He's a villain.

And it doesn't surprise me that his followers have no problem with Greg Craig. They have no problems with Wright, Farrakhan, Hamas, Bill Ayers and Bernadine Dorhn, and Mona and Rashid Khalidi, Tony Rezko who was bankrolled by Nadhmi Auchi, and they have no problem with Raila Odinga or NAMLEF, and Abongo "Roy" Obama, and they don't have a problem with the PLO or Abunimah and the ISM, or the New Black Panther Party, and on and on.

Obama is bad news.

Katherine10:24PMMay 19th 2008

wait...Why does Obama have this guy on his team? A guy who defended the guy who tried to kill an American president? Reagan?

This is so twisted...a guy who defends murderers of Americans was hired by Obama?

Everyday it gets worse and everyday it is getting more and more...worrisome.

When is someone going to jump out and say: WAIT A SECOND HERE! We cannot have a guy who hates the USA be the leader of the USA!

kaflooey10:37PMMay 19th 2008

oy gevult, is this true??

kaflooey10:44PMMay 19th 2008

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/05/a-man-a-plan-an.html

here's the link to the story. some good blog posts there, too.

NO-OBAMBA11:29PMMay 19th 2008

THIS IS FOR THE PEOPLE WHO ARE VOTING FOR THIS CLOWN.

So what does Obama do when he has no plan? He makes up a snazzy title for the pamphlet he delivers to homes.

CHANGE OREGON CAN BELIEVE IN: “Barack Obama will reinvigorate the drinking water standards that have been weakened under the Bush administration and update them to address new threats. He will help communities by restoring better federal financing for water and wastewater treatment infrastructure, and he will continue his leadership in protecting national treasures like the Great Lakes from threats such as industrial pollution, water diversion, and invasive species. Obama will establish policies to help high-growth regions with the challenges of managing their water supplies.”

GREAT LAKES IN OREGON?

HE SAID HE’S VISITED 57 STATES? DO THEY INCLUDE FLORIDA AND MICHIGAN?

WHO IS THIS OBAMA?

WHAT COUNTRY IS HE RUNNING IN? CAN’T BE THE USA.

HILLARY OR McCAIN IN 2008!

mfernatt11:31PMMay 19th 2008

I think the candidate should receive all of the delegates from the states that they win. I also learned something interesting in that most of the states that Obama won are typical Republican's state in the General election and the one's that Hillary one were either Democractic or swing states. Some of those states in the west that he won were by just a couple of points. It makes me wonder if the so called Rev Wright story came out before if he would have won them. Everyone is saying that you are racist if you don't vote for Obama than fine I'm a racist, have and always supported Hillary Clinton, and wouldn't vote for him for dog catcher.

Jenn11:43PMMay 19th 2008

Whats the matter Greg, mad that Obama pretty much has this nomination locked up?! You're a nincompoop, better luck next time at trying to SWIFT BOAT OBAMA!

Go Obama/Hagel or Obama/Webb!!

Zack11:59PMMay 19th 2008

They can't find anything on Obama, now they're going around searching for dirt about anyone associated with him. next they gonna tell us that Obama's hairdresser is gay.

Carroll Johnson12:06AMMay 20th 2008

I hate to see these comments from Hillary supporters who are indeed stomping their feet because Hillary is not going to win. If you vote for McCain you can forget universal health care or just health care for your children. You can forget getting out of Iraq. McCain will keep us there forever and your husbands, children, boyfriends, etc. will die because of your choice. Barack's economic issues are almost identical to Hillary's if you just look at www.barackobama.com. Someone had to win and Barack is the one who will reach the pledged delegates tomorrow and with the super delegates he will surpass 2,025. If you don't vote or vote for McCain you are not true to the princilpes you believe in. It is time to come to the inevitable conclusion! Sorry.

jpgoodrow12:09AMMay 20th 2008

THE DEM RACE IS OVER ALL RIGHT... FOR Clinton AND Obama...

The media and Camp Obama swift boated Clinton out of the race and now her 17-million supporters plus Florida will return the favor for Obama.

MCCAIN '08
America Needs A President, Not An Arrogant Trainee

Carroll Johnson12:10AMMay 20th 2008

VIG, you are full of shit! You came up with this essay to try and scare American's. Barack is a true American with a wonderful wife and 2 young girls. He is a Christian and will be a proud symbol for the United States of America!!!

John12:12AMMay 20th 2008

Before you learn to blog you have to learn to spell.Another idiotic attempt to put up a sand pile to stop a Tidal wave.

kaflooey12:15AMMay 20th 2008

"If you don't vote or vote for McCain you are not true to the princilpes you believe in. It is time to come to the inevitable conclusion! Sorry."

Carroll Johnson,
Suppose by voting for Barack Obama you are not being true to your principles? The conclusion is not inevitable until all the votes have been counted. Sorry, sweetie.

John12:20AMMay 20th 2008

The same old histrionic republican losers time and again we need to see some blogs that are important not this phoney drivel.

Mike12:20AMMay 20th 2008

Lemme see, Hillary recalled being shot at by sniper fire, and would be quick to "obliterate" Iran. McCain would "bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb Iran," was knee-deep in the Keating 5 fiasco, and is up to his ears in lobbist-connections, and just SOOOOOOOO much else. And I have no doubt that Obama has his skeletons, too. Yes, we have three IMperfect candidates, and i think Obama has the temperament, judgement, intellect and heart to do us better than Hillary, and Hillary moreso than McCain. You want a hothead at the helm? Pick McCain. I like our country's chances best with Obama.

John12:23AMMay 20th 2008

kaflooey...no because anyone who names themselves after the sound of boogers beeing blown out of a nose needs medications.

kaflooey12:23AMMay 20th 2008

"John12:12AMMay 20th 2008

"Before you learn to blog you have to learn to spell.Another idiotic attempt to put up a sand pile to stop a Tidal wave."
`````````````````````````````````````````````````

I was the second runner up in the state regional spelling bee in 1970. Am I allowed to blog now? LOL

Carroll Johnson12:24AMMay 20th 2008

Hillary is showing her true colors. She says that states that have caucus's don' count. How do you feel states that Hillary says you don't count? Hillary first said that Michigan had no right to count their votes because they violated DNC rules. Hillary changed her mind when she was losing. Now they say it should be win all the delegates if you win a state. The Clinton's have been totally involved in all the rules for delegate counts. They never complained in the 2 elections that Bill won! The Clinton's are showing their true colors. The will do anything to win. They are not entitled to the presidency. Barack followed all the rules. Why doesn't Hillary pull in 72,000 people at a rally. If that does not show how popular Obama is! In national polls Obama leads by 14% now. The biggest lead ever. There can be only one winner. I am sorry Hillary supporters but Obama beat Hillary fare and square!