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| 2006, Obama in Kenya |
Above, 2006, "Obama campaign hits Drudge report on circulated photo of senator dressed as Somali elder," image via Politico. Top image via Drudge
Above, 2/26/2008, screen shot of MSNBC video, "2008 MSNBC Democratic Debate (February 26, 2008 Cleveland, Ohio)," You Tube
Feb. 25, 2008, "Barack Obama tribal photo 'sent to Drudge Report by Hillary Clinton staff'," UK Telegraph, Alex Spillius, Washington
"Barack Obama has accused Hillary Clinton of using "shameful" smear tactics after a picture of him wearing tribal robes and headgear in a Muslim region of Kenya was circulated on the internet.
The photograph of the
Illinois senator, which was taken in 2006 during an official trip to
Wajir, a majority ethnic Somali area in Kenya, appeared on the front
page of the Drudge Report, where rival campaigns typically try to place
damaging material.
Mrs. Clinton's campaign team declined to deny that it had sent the photo to Drudge, whose report said the campaign was responsible for circulating the email.
The row came the day after the New York senator (Hillary) launched a stinging verbal attack on her young rival (Obama), who has overtaken her in the race for the Democratic nomination with a campaign that has stunned the former First Lady and the party establishment.
Mrs. Clinton's campaign team declined to deny that it had sent the photo to Drudge, whose report said the campaign was responsible for circulating the email.
The row came the day after the New York senator (Hillary) launched a stinging verbal attack on her young rival (Obama), who has overtaken her in the race for the Democratic nomination with a campaign that has stunned the former First Lady and the party establishment.
With potentially decisive primaries being held next week in Texas and Ohio, Mrs Clinton has decided to go on the offensive to rescue her candidacy.
"Wouldn't we be seeing this on the cover of every magazine if it were
HRC? [Hillary Rodham Clinton]" said an unnamed member of the Clinton
campaign in the email.
Mr Obama's campaign felt the photo was another attempt to tar their candidate by associating him with a faith that evokes powerful emotions in America following the September 11 attacks.
Mr Obama has faced claims that he attended a madrassa, or religious school, as a child when his family lived in Indonesia, but in fact he attended a public school.
The Illinois senator's Kenyan father, who left the family when he was two years old, was a non-practising Muslim. But his son began worshipping at the Trinity United Church in Chicago more than 20 years ago....
In December a Clinton volunteer stepped down after forwarding an email falsely stating that Mr Obama is a Muslim.
His campaign manager, David Plouffe, said: "On the very day that Senator Clinton is giving a speech about restoring respect for America in the world, her campaign has engaged in the most shameful, offensive fear-mongering we've seen from either party in this election".
Maggie Williams, Mrs Clinton's new campaign boss, argued that it was the Obama camp that was causing offence.
"If Barack Obama's campaign wants to suggest that a photo of him wearing traditional Somali clothing is divisive, they should be ashamed," she said.
"Hillary Clinton has worn the traditional clothing of countries she has visited and had those photos published widely.""
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Mr Obama's campaign felt the photo was another attempt to tar their candidate by associating him with a faith that evokes powerful emotions in America following the September 11 attacks.
Mr Obama has faced claims that he attended a madrassa, or religious school, as a child when his family lived in Indonesia, but in fact he attended a public school.
The Illinois senator's Kenyan father, who left the family when he was two years old, was a non-practising Muslim. But his son began worshipping at the Trinity United Church in Chicago more than 20 years ago....
In December a Clinton volunteer stepped down after forwarding an email falsely stating that Mr Obama is a Muslim.
His campaign manager, David Plouffe, said: "On the very day that Senator Clinton is giving a speech about restoring respect for America in the world, her campaign has engaged in the most shameful, offensive fear-mongering we've seen from either party in this election".
Maggie Williams, Mrs Clinton's new campaign boss, argued that it was the Obama camp that was causing offence.
"If Barack Obama's campaign wants to suggest that a photo of him wearing traditional Somali clothing is divisive, they should be ashamed," she said.
"Hillary Clinton has worn the traditional clothing of countries she has visited and had those photos published widely.""
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Politico:
Feb. 25, 2008, "Obama slams smear photo," Politico, Mike Allen
"Obama campaign manager David Plouffe accused the Clinton campaign Monday of "shameful offensive fear-mongering" by circulating a photo as an attempted smear.
Plouffe was reacting to a banner headline on the Drudge Report saying that aides to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) had e-mailed a photo calling attention to the African roots of Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.).
"The photo, taken in 2006, shows the Democrat front-runner dressed as a Somali Elder, during his visit to Wajir, a rural area in northeastern Kenya," the Drudge Report said. The photo created huge buzz in political circles and immediately became known as "the 'dressed' photo," reflecting the Drudge terminology.
Feb. 25, 2008, "Obama slams smear photo," Politico, Mike Allen
"Obama campaign manager David Plouffe accused the Clinton campaign Monday of "shameful offensive fear-mongering" by circulating a photo as an attempted smear.
Plouffe was reacting to a banner headline on the Drudge Report saying that aides to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) had e-mailed a photo calling attention to the African roots of Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.).
"The photo, taken in 2006, shows the Democrat front-runner dressed as a Somali Elder, during his visit to Wajir, a rural area in northeastern Kenya," the Drudge Report said. The photo created huge buzz in political circles and immediately became known as "the 'dressed' photo," reflecting the Drudge terminology.
Plouffe said in a statement: “On the very day that Senator Clinton is giving a speech about restoring respect for America in the world, her campaign has engaged in the most shameful, offensive fear-mongering we’ve seen from either party in this election. This is part of a disturbing pattern that led her county chairs to resign in Iowa, her campaign chairman to resign in New Hampshire, and it’s exactly the kind of divisive politics that turns away Americans of all parties and diminishes respect for America in the world," said Plouffe.
The Clinton campaign issued an official response to the growing tempest - but the statement from campaign manager Maggie Williams did not respond to the central question of whether staffers circulated the photo.
“Enough,” Williams said in the statement. “If Barack Obama's campaign wants to suggest that a photo of him wearing traditional Somali clothing is divisive, they should be ashamed. Hillary Clinton has worn the traditional clothing of countries she has visited and had those photos published widely.
“This is nothing more than an obvious and transparent attempt to distract from the serious issues confronting our country today and to attempt to create the very divisions they claim to decry. We will not be distracted.”"
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MSNBC:
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Hillary on Feb. 26, 2008 on MSNBC: "So far as I know, it did not" come from my campaign.
She adds that if she knew someone from her campaign had sent it, she'd
ask them to leave the campaign. Obama is asked his response, says he
takes Hillary at her word.
2/26/2008, "2008 MSNBC Democratic Debate (February 26, 2008 Cleveland, Ohio)," You Tube
2/26/2008, "2008 MSNBC Democratic Debate (February 26, 2008 Cleveland, Ohio)," You Tube
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