About the Nation of Islam and Obama
By SusanUnPC on February 27, 2008 at 9:19 AM in Nation of Islam
Barack Obama has hired many staffers who are, or were, members of the Nation of Islam. And some claim that he could not win his Chicago district without the blessings of the Lewis Farrakhan-run Nation of Islam. More about that below. First, Jeralyn of TalkLeft — who is covering the Antoin Rezko federal trial in Chicago starting next week — has this to say in “The Ohio Debate’s Farakhan Segment” about Obama’s waffling response last night on Farrakhan’s passionate endorsement of him:
While many think Hillary’s distinction between denouncing and rejecting was artificial, Don Frederick at the LA Times disagrees. I think he makes a good case that Obama was waffling. Hillary just called him on it.
Jeralyn quotes the debate exchange:
Russert: “Do you reject his support?”
Obama: “Well, Tim, I can’t say to somebody that he can’t say that he thinks I’m a good guy.”
Jeralyn then quotes Frederick:
True enough, but probably not the answer most Jewish Americans wanted to hear. As a result, Obama risked creating the perception for some that he might be somewhat reluctant to completely throw overboard a controversial leader who is not without some stroke within the black community (witness the 1995 Million Man March).
Clinton clearly saw it that way, and sought to put Obama on the spot. She interjected that, during her initial Senate run in 2000, she was endorsed by a splinter party in New York that “was under the control of people who were anti-Semitic, anti-Israel. And I made it very clear that I did not want their support. I rejected it. … And there’s a difference between denouncing and rejecting.”
Obama responded: “I have to say I don’t see a difference between denouncing and rejecting.”
He needs to check a dictionary on that.
Consider the source, but this is interesting nonetheless (as are the photos, which show a rather angry-looking Michelle Obama):
[A] former Obama insider says that Obama’s sudden aversion to NOI and Farrakhan is belied by the fact that Obama employed and continues to employ several Farrakhan acolytes in high positions on his Illinois and U.S. Senate campaign and office staffs. I have verified that this person–who agreed to talk on the condition of anonymity–held a key position in the Obama campaign. The insider was so close to Senator Obama that they frequently personally discussed and exchanged direct e-mail messages on campaign and policy matters. This person is not connected with the Clintons and is not a disgruntled employee. [...]
The insider says he frequently objected to Mr. Obama’s placement of Cynthia K. Miller, a member of the Nation of Islam, as the Treasurer of his U.S. Senate campaign. When I contacted Miller, now a Chicago real estate agent, to verify whether she was a member of the Nation of Islam and whether she shared Louis Farrakhan’s bigoted views about Jews, she responded, “None of your business! Where are you going with this?” She said her resignation as Obama’s treasurer had nothing to do with her Nation of Islam ties. Then, she hung up.
The Obama insider says he also objected to Obama’s involvement with Jennifer Mason, whom he says is also a member of the Nation of Islam. Mason is Obama’s Director of Constituent Services in his U.S. Senate office and is also in charge of selecting Obama’s Senate interns. She did not respond to repeated calls for comment.
But it’s not just that he employed these individuals in positions of power in his office, it’s that when the former associate raised objections, he says Mr. Obama’s position was that he saw nothing wrong with the Nation of Islam and didn’t think it was a problem. If true–and the fact that Ms. Mason still holds her prominent Obama Senate staff position bears that out–Obama’s condemnation of Farrakhan, this month, is phony.
But the insider says there is more to it than that. Obama’s Illinois State Senate district consisted of prime Nation of Islam territory, including Hyde Park, home to Farrakhan’s mansion. It is not possible, Illinois politicos say, to win that district without the blessing of the NOI leader. NOI members, including consultant Shakir Muhammad, held important roles in the Obama state senate campaign. …
Regardless of the veracity of all of this, it is a concern. If nothing else, you can bet your bottom dollar that the GOP will be all over this if Obama is the nominee. And those viral e-mails? Millions of them will be sent out.
Then there’s Obama’s “profiles in courage” problem: As Jeralyn of TalkLeft points out, “[I]t shouldn’t be overlooked that the question was whether he would reject Farakhan’s support and it took Hillary calling him out to get him to answer.
“It took Hillary.”
As always.


















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