Cross-Posted at MyDD I understand Sen. Obama, periodically, when he is feeling down, launches attacks as a way of trying to boost his appeal. (parody of Obama) That can be the only explanation for Obama's emotional attack on Sen. Clinton today as detailed in CNN's Political Ticker and on MSNBC. Obama was described by CNN as "visibly agitated" with his "voice rising", as he responded to Sen. Clinton's retorts to his comments about people in small-town America as being "bitter" about their economic lot, and therefore clinging to religion and guns, as he said; "She knows better. Shame on her. Shame on her." Obama then decided to throw the kitchen sink at Clinton. In a feeble attempt to get back at Clinton and to demean her support of the Second Amendment right to gun ownership, he accused her of "talking like she's Annie Oakley...packing a six-shooter." Obama then went on to note that he has consistently spoken about his support of the Second Amendment ABC News Political Radar. In the interest of accuracy, however, I will note that Obama has stated that he "not in favor of concealed weapons" whereas both Clinton and McCain are opposed to out-lawing them. Pittsburgh Tribune-Review 4/2/08. It is noted by CNN that Obama supports a national law against carrying concealed weapons, with exceptions only for retired police and military personnel. Obama's emotional response and inaccurate attempt to make his position on the Second Amendment comparable to Sen. Clinton's, demonstrates that Obama and his campaign advisors are in a bit of a panic over his recent gaffe, and their fear that he will not be able to count on the vote of small-town America in the upcoming primaries. It also demonstrates that he is not used to the negative media response he is getting now, and doesn't know how to respond. It most certainly raises serious questions about Sen. Obama's electability in the general election should he be the nominee.

MYSTERY MAN OBAMA (deleted at mydd) by TexasDarlin, Wed Apr 09, 2008 at 04:55:32 PM EST Who Is Barack Obama? I keep coming across this question in one form or another. And I don’t think it’s throwing flames to ask. It’s our duty to dig deep, right? After all, he could be our country’s next president, leader of the free world. And, it’s imperative that we Democrats nominate the most electable candidate to do battle with war hero and patriot John McCain this November. So do we know Barack Obama? His life should be an open book, god knows Hillary’s is. Why are we afraid to do the research? Will we be called racist or un-Democratic or otherwise blasphemous if we ask provocative questions? When it comes to interviewing our presidential candidates, should any query be off limits? Is Barack Obama entitled to a private past? Where are Barack’s friends, ex-lovers, roommates, and colleagues? Shouldn’t we be hearing from them about now? Their stories and reports and yes, even gossip, about Barack’s personal and professional life — his jobs, hobbies, habits, religious practices, romances, philosophies, medical history, and personality traits — are surely relevant. I’ve seen very few interviews with such people. There was a NY Times story not long ago in which a couple of dozen friends and peers from Barack’s youth were surveyed about whether his actual drug use matched the well-known passages from his “memoir.” They said he smoked a little pot, that’s it. Did anyone else read that and ask: How else has Barack used his creative license? RED FLAG QUESTIONS about Barack’s past that have barely been touched by the media include: dual citizenship, drug use, ties to Kenya and family relations, socialist/Marxist mentors, liberal/left-wing philosophy, religious background, State Senate of Illinois record, friendships, etc. You can be sure that the Republicans are already salivating over the mysterious aspects of Barack’s life. We’d be irresponsible to assume that these questions will remain unasked if he is our nominee. Obviously each of these issues could comprise its own article, but here are just a few search results: Dual Citizenship? Many have speculated that Barack might have dual citizenship because his father was Kenyan and Barack lived in Indonesia:

Obama was born on August 4th, 1961 - before Kenya became an independent nation. However, when Kenya became independent two years later (its constitution) … provided: any person who, having been born outside Kenya, if his father becomes…a citizen of Kenya (the child also) becomes a citizen of Kenya.. (Thus) it’s quite possible that Obama acquired Kenyan Citizenship at birth. A brief review suggests that it’s possible, especially given that Obama’s step-father was an Indonesian government official, that Obama might have taken Indonesian nationality. Source.

(On a related note, many bloggers have questioned whether Barack’s birth certificate is available.) Security clearances and other applications: It’s not clear whether dual citizenship is disqualifying for the presidency. However, the State Department considers it a factor when granting security clearances for access to classified information. A past history of drug use is also relevant:

The (security) clearance process considers such factors as…violations of the law; drug or alcohol abuse…extensive travel…residence and/or employment overseas…dual citizenship…foreign contacts…family or relatives who are not citizens of the United States… Source.

( The Illinois Board of Admissions to the Bar also requires disclosure of past drug use and unlawful behavior. Did Obama provide complete answers on his Bar application?) Allegiance is also a State Department requirement:

If there is any doubt about unquestioned preference for and allegiance to the United States, unencumbered by any undue foreign influence, DS must…determine that individual ineligible for access. Decisions regarding eligibility for access to classified information take into account factors that could cause a conflict of interest and place a person in the position of having to choose between his or her commitment to the United States, including the commitment to protect classified information, and any other compelling loyalty. Source.

Kenyan loyalties:

Raila Odinga is Barack Obama’s cousin, and the man Obama backs for president in Kenya…even as Raila Odinga attempts to overthrow the current government of Kenya, and replace it with a terror-supporting dictatorship. In August 2006, Mr. Obama visited Kenya and spoke in support of Mr. Odinga’s candidacy at rallies in Nairobi. …Mr. Obama interrupted his (US) campaigning to have a telephone conversation with his African cousin about the constitutional crisis in Kenya. If (Obama) has been putting tribal or family considerations above America’s national interest by supporting Mr. Odinga’s anti-Western candidacy, it raises serious questions about his judgment. Whether Mr. Odinga has ordered his men to commit murder and arson is unclear. But his own background does not exactly suggest enthusiasm for democracy and the rule of law. Mr. Odinga’s father, Oginga Odinga, led the Communist opposition during the Cold War and Raila Odinga was educated in Communist East Germany. Mr. Odinga (has an) electoral pact with the National Muslim Leaders’ Forum — a hardline Islamist organization that represents Kenya’s Muslim minority. According to this document, dated August 29, 2007, Mr. Odinga promised the Muslim leaders that, if elected, he would establish Sharia courts…throughout the country. Source.

Barack’s father:

Obama’s life story is vastly different from the one he portrays…Obama stated in his Convention speech: ‘My father … grew up herding goats.’ The ‘goat herder’ claim has been repeated endlessly. Fact: Obama’s grandfather, Hussein Onyango Obama was a prominent and wealthy farmer. His son, Obama’s father, was a child of privilege, not privation. He was an outstanding student, not a herdsman. Source.

Socialist mentors: Starting with his father….

If there is a mystery at the heart of Barack Obama’s Dreams From My Father, one thing is not left a mystery, the fact that Barack Obama organized his life on the ideals given to him by his Kenyan father. Obama tells us, “All of my life, I carried a single image of my father, one that I .. tried to take as my own.” So we know that his father’s ideals were a driving force in his life, but the one thing that Obama does not give us are the contents of those ideals. ..A bit of research…reveals the answers about Barack Obama’s father and his father’s convictions which Obama withholds from his readers….(he was). a Harvard trained economist (who) attacked the economic proposals of pro-Western ‘third way” leader Tom Mboya from the socialist left, siding with communist-allied leader Oginga Odinga. Source.

Another Marxist mentor:

In his biography of Barack Obama, David Mendell writes about Obama’s life as a “secret smoker” and how he “went to great lengths to conceal the habit.” But what about Obama’s secret political life? It turns out that Obama’s childhood mentor, Frank Marshall Davis, was a communist. Through Davis, Obama had an admitted relationship with someone who was publicly identified as a member of the Communist Party USA (CPUSA)…Obama was in Hawaii from 1971-1979, where…he developed a close relationship, almost like a son, with Davis, listening to his “poetry” and getting advice on his career path. But Obama, in his book, Dreams From My Father, refers to him repeatedly as just “Frank.” The reason is apparent: Davis was a known communist who belonged to a party subservient to the Soviet Union. In fact, the 1951 report of the Commission on Subversive Activities to the Legislature of the Territory of Hawaii identified him as a CPUSA member…congressional committees…accused Davis of involvement in several communist-front organizations. … Davis “espoused freedom, radicalism, solidarity, labor unions, due process, peace, affirmative action, civil rights, Negro History week, and true Democracy to fight imperialism, colonialism, and white supremacy. He urged coalition politics.” Source.

And the radical associations continued…

It was in Chicago that Obama became a “community organizer” and came into contact with more far-left political forces, including the Democratic Socialists of America,…and two former members of the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), William Ayers and Carl Davidson. Blogger Steve Bartin, who has been following Obama’s career and involvement with the Chicago socialists, uncovered a fascinating video showing Obama campaigning for openly socialist Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont. Interestingly, Sanders, who won his seat in 2006, called Obama “one of the great leaders of the United States Senate,” even though Obama had only been in the body for about two years. In 2007, the National Journal said that Obama had established himself as “the most liberal Senator.” Source.

What were Barack’s religious influences before joining Rev. Wright at Trinity? This topic is treated as taboo; whenever the word “muslim” is used in the same sentence as “barack obama” accusations of flame-throwing are immediately made. But why are these questions off-limits, and will the GOP abide by such polite guidelines? The important question is NOT whether Obama has any muslim history. Rather, it’s whether he’s been truthful about his past. On the campaign trail in Kansas, Barack told 4 women in a coffee shop:

“My mother was a Christian from Kansas…I was raised by my mother. So, I’ve always been a Christian. The only connection I’ve had to Islam is that my grandfather on my father’s side came from that country. But I’ve never practiced Islam.” Source.

His website repeats it: “Obama Has Never Been A Muslim” Is Barack telling the truth about his religious background?

By most accounts, Barack’s mother was atheist and “Obama’s father…grandfather… stepfather…Sarah, who Obama calls grandmother…stepbrothers and stepsisters were (or are) Muslims.” Source. “She (Obama’s mother) touted herself as an atheist,”… said Maxine Box, who was Dunham’s best friend in high school. Source. Obama’s mother Anna is often reported as being an atheist. Her parents…shed their Methodist and Baptist upbringing and began attending, along with Anna, Sunday services at the East Shore Unitarian Church in nearby Bellevue. Source.

Barack says he’s “never practiced Islam” but others report differently:

Obama’s Indonesian schooling began when he was entered into the Roman Catholic, Franciscus Assisi Primary School on January 1, 1968….registered under the name Barry Soetoro…School documents listed (him) as an Indonesian citizen and his religion was listed as Islam… According to one of Obama’s teachers and the principal from 1971 through 1989, Barry actively took part in Islamic religious lessons…”I remembered that he had studied “mengaji” (recitation of the Quran).” Source.

Always been a Christian? State Senate Records:

“It appears that Obama never kept records of his time in the Illinois state legislature, or he discarded them….Either way, he clearly intended to leave no paper trail.” Source: “You know I’m not certain, Lynn,” Obama said. “I didn’t have the resources to ensure that all this sutff was archived in some way; it could have been thrown out. I haven’t been in the state senate now for some time. I’m not sure, Lynn. I don’t know.” Source. But, as a state senator, Obama evaded leadership on a host of critical community issues…according to many South Siders. “He’s been given a pass,” says Harold Lucas, the community organizer in Chicago. “His career has been such a meteoric rise that he has not had the time to set a record.” Source. Imagine the disappointment of having a Freedom of Information Act effort, only to find that no data exists to acquire….they no longer exist, and may never have at all. Source

Friends and Associates: The controversial list is seemingly endless. In addition to Barack’s cousin Odinga and Marxist mentor Frank Marshall Davis, both discussed above, there are others: Tony Rezko, the corrupt slum-lord and political fixer who helped Barack and Michelle buy their Chicago mansion; Rev. Jeremiah Wright, the long-time pastor and spiritual mentor who has hateful feelings about America and white people, praises Louis Farrakhan, and some say is a former muslim; William Ayres and Bernardine Dohrn, Weather Underground terrorists who befriended Barack in Chicago and helped raise funds for his early political career, and associated shady characters. Who else is friends with Barack? Shouldn’t the company one keeps be relevant when running for President? Final Note: The sole purpose of this diary is to highlight issues that will likely be red flags for Barack Obama in the general election, and to bring awareness to the voters about outstanding questions related to this potential United States President. Clearly, there is much more vetting to be done. Research for this diary was based on Google searches and other secondary resources. The author has not conducted any independent verification of the information contained herein for accuracy.

for being an honorable advocate for Hillary Clinton, and effectively pushing back against the open bias of MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell. His words speak for themselves.  

Kudos for being an honorable advocate for Hillary Clinton, and effectively pushing back against the open bias of MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell. His words speak for themselves.

March 19, 2008 I just read through Sen. Obama’s speech two times although I will confess, I did not listen to it. To preface the remainder of my remarks, I tried to read it without any political agenda, and although I am a supporter of Hillary Clinton, I believe I was able to give it a fair reading. I found that as I read it, I agreed with the sentiments he expressed, and indeed found them quite eloquent and powerful, until he got to the end of the following paragraph.

I have already condemned, in unequivocal terms, the statements of Reverend Wright that have caused such controversy. For some, nagging questions remain. Did I know him to be an occasionally fierce critic of American domestic and foreign policy? Of course. Did I ever hear him make remarks that could be considered controversial while I sat in church? Yes. Did I strongly disagree with many of his political views? Absolutely - just as I’m sure many of you have heard remarks from your pastors, priests, or rabbis with which you strongly disagreed.

Although I do not know the content of private discussions my rabbis may have ever had with their friends and family, I can say unequivocally that I have never heard any of my rabbis ever say anything that could be considered politically controversial regarding American Politics, and with which I strongly disagreed, because American Politics is not discussed in synagogue! I suppose that is because there are people of differing political beliefs that have belonged to the synagogues I have belonged to (even though for the most part, the members are fairly liberal, at least on social issues) and political beliefs are individually formed and decided upon. The sermons that I have heard tend to speak to the larger issues of our value systems and morality and the necessity to take responsibility for one’s actions and words. Although the values I have learned from my religion do not constitute my political identity, they have, together with my study of law, history, economics, political science etc… , and the fact that I live in this world with other people who do not all share my thoughts and beliefs or act the way I would, played a part in developing my political identity.I also can state that if I ever heard, or heard of, any public statements that came out of my Rabbi’s mouth in synagogue, that were any way in the nature of words that Rev. Wright said, and if that statement was not quickly denounced by the leadership and members of my synagogue, I would leave and find a new synagogue, regardless of whatever other wonderful things my Rabbi may have said or done in the past. It is not reasonable for individuals, not to mention political leaders, to sit by silently when hatred is freely and publicly expressed. The words used by Rev. Wright are at their essence, evidence of the hatred which is at the root of racism and are at odds with all concepts of equality. To remain in a community that allows the use of these words by its religious leaders to go unchecked, is in fact, tacit approval of those words, and thereby allows those words to slowly and insidiously poison people’s minds and beliefs. It is not insignificant to note that Rev. Wright’s statements were loudly and visibly supported by many in his congregation. This message of hatred which was taught by Rev. Wright, and learned by many of his congregants, cannot be simply redeemed by the claim, which I will presume to be valid, that Rev. Wright has over the years, also taught positive messages and has done good and positive work for his community. In light of this, it is fair to note that bad things can happen when good people do nothing. In the case of Sen. Obama, “doing nothing” includes being a member of that church knowing of all this going on, and continuing in his close relationship with Rev. Wright throughout these years. It is also problematic to me that the above statement by Sen. Obama seems to presume that all religious leaders make or can be expected to make statements similar or at least parallel to those made by Rev. Wright. This seems to be a major weakness in his understanding of the world outside of his own community. Sen. Obama, in his attempt to explain why he has continued in his relationship with his church and Rev. Wright describes the emotionally and spiritually compelling experiences he has had at Trinity and then states that

as imperfect as he may be, he has been like family to me. He strengthened my faith, officiated my wedding, and baptized my children. Not once in my conversations with him have I heard him talk about any ethnic group in derogatory terms, or treat whites with whom he interacted with anything but courtesy and respect. He contains within him the contradictions - the good and the bad - of the community that he has served diligently for so many years.

Obama concludes that this is sufficient justification to maintain his continued relationship with Rev. Wright and implicitly, with his church, notwithstanding Obama’s past awareness of Rev. public statements of hate and divisiveness, reducing their importance to mere “snippets” of Wright’s career, and asserting that they are being taken out of context. I understand the need to find a religious community that speaks to your spiritual, emotional and familial needs. I agree that Wright has both good and bad in him as does everyone, but (and this is a big but) I do not believe that what we have seen on video are only occasional rants, nor do I believe that they can be overlooked by anyone, least of all, a candidate for President of the United States. Although I can understand Sen. Obama’s desire to maintain his friendship, I cannot understand his continued support and membership in his church, because as I have learned through my own travels, you can find welcoming and loving communities in many places. The fact that Sen. Obama believes that these statements can and should be overlooked says a lot about Obama. What it says to me is that these are the lessons that live in his heart and have played a part in the forming of his political beliefs. The fact that he makes Wright comparable to his white grandmother who has “confessed her fear of black men who passed by her on the street, and who on more than one occasion has uttered racial or ethnic stereotypes that made me cringe” shows that he neither understands nor sees the difference between the two, and explains why his campaign keeps accusing Hillary Clinton of playing the race card. Furthermore, he fails to any way address the fact that the gender animus prevalent in this race and in American culture is a concern equally deserving of fairness and equality. Although this speech has beautiful words and thoughts in it, once you get past the surface, what this speech says to me that Sen. Obama does not really have an understanding of the issues and concerns of the larger American community, and demonstrates why he is not ready to be President.