Obama Responds To Richard Cohen Column About His Church And Farrakhan

[ProSense]

Obama Responds To Richard Cohen Column About His Church And Farrakhan

By Greg Sargent - January 15, 2008

I asked the Obama campaign if they were going to respond to today's highly questionable column by WaPo's Richard Cohen raising questions about the fact that his church and its minister launched Trumpet Newsmagazine, which hailed Lous Farrakhan as a great man.

Here's Obama's response, sent over by the campaign:

I decry racism and anti-Semitism in every form and strongly condemn the anti-Semitic statements made by Minister Farrakhan. I assume that Trumpet Magazine made its own decision to honor Farrakhan based on his efforts to rehabilitate ex-offenders, but it is not a decision with which I agree.

One point about Cohen's column. When he writes...

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.

...Cohen is of course raising questions in people's minds as to whether Obama does believes this stuff, which is exactly what the original smears are supposed to do. It's surprising that Cohen dragged his paper down to this level, particularly in light of the big controversy over WaPo's piece front-paging the Obama Muslim smears without declaring them false.

On second thought, maybe it isn't surprising at all.

link

[David Zephyr]

1. That won't be enough for Richard Cohen. He will keep spreading disinformation for the Clintons.

This won't be enough. It will never be enough.

What a piece of shit that Richard Cohen is. A racist piece of shit.

[H2O Man]

9. True.

I think every rational, logical, open-minded and sincere person will accept what Senator Obama says, no matter if they support him for president or not. But the people with a racist, hateful agenda will continue to try to stir the pot. What is funny is that they have far more in common with Louis X than they realize.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

10. I Am Confifent You Have Proof Linking TheTwo Or You Would Have Never Made The Allegation

~

[Cha]

11. That was the poster's opinion

from experiencing Richard Cohen and we'll see if his history continues in the same vein as this column from the wapo.

[papau]

18. Cohen has hated the Clintons - and indeed liberals - do you have link to his supporting Clinton or

liberals?

[Cha]

20. Don't try your fucking red herrings on me.

papau.

[papau]

30. links - his Dad was a good Dem - Richard is on ocassion - but with Hillary -not so much

I don't want to know how Bush failed her. I want to know how she failed her country.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/12/AR2007021201062.html
When, for instance, Gen. David Petraeus was slimed as "General Betray Us," Hillary Clinton looked the other way. This was the politics of personal expediency.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/17/AR2007091701394.html
She and Bill extol her experience, but that only ties her more to the status quo and, by proximity, to the problems of the day. When things are not working -- and, after all, things are not working -- Bill Clinton himself has shown that in presidential politics, change trumps experience any day.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/17/AR2007121701599.html
A New Wind in Iowa... Still, there is no doubt that the zeitgeist whispers the name Obama, that he electrified the crowd here with a strong, passionate speech and that it was impossible, if not historically irresponsible, to look at that platform -- three African Americans -- and at the immense and mostly white crowd and not feel that something big was happening. Obama's banner captured that: "Change we can believe in."It has taken 1,134 miles and 53 years, but just as it was with the newspaper that Jerry Schlicter held up, this was a change that did not require belief. You could see it.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/10/AR2007121001561.html
What She Ducked
After Petraeus Is Slimed, Spineless Silence
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/17/AR2007091701394.html
If you had to pick a winner in last weekend's Selma bake-off between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, it would have to be Obama. It is not just that he performed better than Hillary Clinton; it's that he had something very important to say to black America. It has to do, I think, with the extraordinary promise of his candidacy.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/05/AR2007030501188.html
The issue with Hillary Clinton is not whether she's smart or experienced but whether she has -- how do we say this? -- the character to be president. Behind her, after all, trails the lingering vapor of all those gates: Travel, File, Whitewater and other scandals to which she was a party only through marriage. In a hatless society, she is always wearing a question mark.
http://www.taylormarsh.com/archives_view.php?id=26242

[cali]

19. Obama handled this beautifully and he'll continue to

handle it beautifully. Cohen is beneath contempt, but this will not be relegated to him.

[sunonmars]

2. Its a legitimate question i think

A lot of people are perceived by the company they keep. It will raise eyebrows and he has to be able to explain it. Thats politics you have to explain everything. Your life is an open book and especially if you want to be President you must be prepared to be open to this line of questioning.

I'm not be bad about this but Obama will need to get answers ready about his past associations if he wins the nomination because it will come at him thick and fast and probably before.

[lapfog_1]

5. Yup, I, too, am responsible for the political correctness of

every person that I'm am related or that I have met, and the actions of any member of any group that I might have, at one time or another, belonged to.

:sarcasm:
( I wonder how many of us here would pass that test ).

Actually, there is a level of "guilt by association"... but I think it needs to be much more direct than the one talked about here. For example, if I had ever joined the KKK, even if I now say that they are a racist evil group, I should be suspect. OTOH, if my asshole brother in law belonged to the KKK, should that count against me? I don't think it should, especially if I publicly denounce that group (or a less "evil" group that simply issues a questionable statement praising someone who is not politically correct, as was the case here).

Anyway, to blame Obama for this, especially given his statements on Farrakan, is just silly.

[Cha]

13. "A legitimate question" from a hillary echoer..

how trite.

[wndycty]

3. I have a HUGE problem with this. . .

. . .Obama should have never ever been asked to respond to this smear piece. Just because Farakhan is Black, close to Obama minister and from Chicago is not reason for this issue to even be raised.

Will Hillary or Edwards ask about some of the associates of their associates?

[hughee99]

15. I'm not too familiar with Edwards "associates"

but I know it will not help Hillary's campaign if she personally has to account for any actions someone she has associated with in the past has made. I don't KNOW that Hillary's camp was behind this, but if this gains traction, it will hurt her in the long run. I have a problem with these tactics as well, on general principle, not just because they are directed at a specific candidate.

[creeksneakers2]

26. They run a guilt by association thread here against Hillary

at least once a week. One of the latest ones is some guy who hinted about Obama's drug use while introducing the Clintons. Nobody is perfect so if you examine everybody either candidate has contact with this kind of thing will come up all the time.

[David Zephyr]

16. Can you believe this racist shit?!

Once again, the Hillary campaign and her "columnists" can't help but keep pointing out that Barack is a black man.

I am so goddamned sick of this shit that I may find it very hard in the GE to support her. This sort of shit really pushes one into a box. I'm just about there.

[leftynyc]

25. Cohen hates the Clintons

Where to you come up with this shit tying this column to them???

[creeksneakers2]

28. Talking Points Memo linked this back to Newsmax.com

Sean Hannity talked about it today. Its even come up here on DU. Its a right wing hit on Obama that's been going on for months.

The Clintons have nothing to do with it. Hillary was the victim of the same thing when the Hillary haters said she was part of a conspiracy to turn America into a theocracy because of a prayer group she attends.

Guilt by association is a filthy tactic. Its used and believed by people who make up accusations with no evidence at all.

[TomClash]

4. Do all Catholics believe in church doctrine?

Of course not. What trash.

[indimuse]

6. The inevitable...

Obama need to clarify...RW is HUNGRY to attack on this subject.

[Proud2BAmurkin]

7. A stretch but what else can you expect from that rag eom

eom

[BenDavid]

8. This is one of the many reasons I will withhold support for

obama if he gets the nomination. Not so much as obama says he condemns any racism and anti-Semitic statements made by Minister Farrakhan but I would like for him to also condemn Jeremiah A. Wright,( his mentor in his book) who also has being anti-jew and anti Israel.

[cali]

22. Why should he condemn him?

Obama is not responsible for Wright, and I have never seen anything written or said by Wright that suggest that he's anti-semitic and Wright is under no obligation to support Israel.

[CyberPieHole]

12. Jeremiah Wright is also an anti~semite and Obama names him as his "mentor"...

Obama's past is too murky~~~we need to know if he agrees with Wright on issues pertaining to Israel.

[Cha]

14. Yeah, hillary is "murky"..I can

see in her face..right there.

[ClericJohnPreston]

17. You want to be at the top?

Then you better get used to REAL politics.

You think the Republican smear tactics won't be worse. Ha? This is just the appetizer.

So, I want my candidate to be able to FIGHT now, so I know he'll fight later.

[Cha]

21. What's that have to

do with shit? I just donated to Obama..thanks.

[cali]

23. Prove it. Post evidence of Wright's anti-semitism. n/t

[sniffa]

27. I thought Joe Lieberman was his mentor?

:shrug:

[ProSense]

29. LOL! n/t

[flpoljunkie]

24. It is simply stated, a column used to try and smear Obama with anti-semitism.

Shame on both Cohen and the Washington Post for publishing this blantant smear job!

[NastyRiffraff]

31. Amen.

Obama isn't my candidate, but he doesn't deserve Cohen's dishonest nastiness.

While I'm defending other candidates, I have to say there's no evidence...none at all...that Clinton is behind this. Cohen doesn't need anyone feeding him shit. It flows from him in a running stream all on its own.