Why don't they just call him the Manchurian Muslim?

It was about a year ago that I wrote this post saying why I didn't think Obama could win the Presidency. This, of course, was before his win in Iowa, which probably makes him the one to beat for the Democratic candidacy.

A few days ago, my mother forwarded to me the following email she had from her cousin, who she described as "as far right as you are left." I don't know if the email coming so soon after the Iowa caucus is coincidence or if it reflects a new urgency in the Republican smear machine.

Obama mentioned his church during his appearance with Oprah. It's the Trinity Church of Christ. I found this interesting. Obama's church: Please read and go to this church's website and read what is written there. It is very alarming... If you look at the first page of their website, you will learn that this congregation has a non-negotiable commitment to Africa. No where is AMERICA even mentioned. Notice too, what color you will need to be if you should want to join Obama's church... B-L-A-C-K!!!

Doesn't look like his choice of religion has improved much over his (former?) Muslim upbringing.

Are you aware that Obama's middle name is Mohammed? Strip away his nice looks, the big smile and smooth talk and what do you get? Certainly a racist, as plainly defined by the stated position of his church! And possibly a covert worshiper of the Muslim faith, even today. This guy desires to rule over America while his loyalty is totally vested in a Black Africa!

I've bolded the lies and distortions in the email. Obama is a member of the Trinity United Church of Christ, which describes itself as being committed to a 10-point vision. The point that this email makes reference to is #4, that it is a "congregation with a non-negotiable commitment to Africa." Nowhere does the church require you to be black to be a member. It seems clear from the rest of the website and the church pastor's Wikipedia entry that this is a church committed to valuing the African heritage of its congregants, rather than claiming racial superiority. Americans celebrating their background is hardly racist, as anyone that's marched in the New York City St. Patrick's Day Parade can tell you.

It's very clear that this email is pandering to the predjudices of its readers, in that it makes the insiduation that Obama is a Muslim no fewer than three times. It brings up a "Muslim upbringing", claims his middle name is "Mohammed," and claims he might just be a covert Muslim. All three of these things is a lie. Hell, his middle name is Hussein, not Mohammed, so the idiot writing this couldn't be bothered to even get his smears right.

Obama lived in Indonesia for a few years when he was very young. Yes, that's a predominantly Muslim nation, but that hardly counts as a Muslim upbringing. Whenever it's referenced by the right-wing, his education is always implied as being somehow "Muslim-focused," and his school is often referred to as a "madrassa." Oddly, they never refer to it as an "Asian education."

This piece is circulating all over the internet. A quick search shows it posted in the comments sections of many blogs. The mouthbreathers over at Free Republic posted it, as well as over at White Nationalist News.

Whoever wrote this is obviously trying to pander to blatant racists but also the unconcious racist feelings of many Americans. The thing that I find most frustrating is that the whole "Muslim upbringing" nonsense was debunked over a year ago. And yet here it is again.

If Obama does win the Democratic candidacy, I think things are going to get very ugly.