Obama Muslim Smears Fought In Union Mailer

WASHINGTON — The nation's largest labor organization mailed 600,000 fliers to swing union voters in four states Tuesday in an effort to help Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama correct some of the most persistent rumors about him.

The AFL-CIO wants union voters to know that the Illinois senator was born in the U.S., occasionally wears a flag pin, puts his hand over his heart during the Pledge of Allegiance and is not a Muslim. The flier shows him being sworn into the Senate with a family Bible and not the Quran, as rumored.

The fliers will begin showing up in mailboxes in Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin later this week.

Union voters usually are reliable Democratic supporters, and the AFL-CIO expects one in every four voters going to the polls on Nov. 4 to be from a union household. The AFL-CIO has 10.5 million members, and its leaders say getting the truth out about Obama can only help his campaign.

Obama's campaign has been fighting false rumors circulating on the Internet about his Islamic ties, partly because his middle name is Hussein, both his father and stepfather were Muslim and he spent part of his childhood in Indonesia, a largely Muslim country.

The campaign recently launched a Web site to debunk rumors about the candidate and his wife, Michelle.

"We felt it was important to set the record straight," AFL-CIO spokesman Steve Smith said.

The AFL-CIO endorsed Obama last month, freeing the organization and its 56 unions to spend some of its $200 million war chest on his campaign.

The labor organization has been campaigning against Republican nominee-in-waiting John McCain, but now will start promoting Obama's candidacy.

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On the Net:

AFL-CIO: http://www.aflcio.org

Comments

[max08]

Good use of union funds.

[londonrainbow]

BRAVO

more flyers please. At least 12 million more.....................

[AdV2k1]

The problem is the people who think he is a muslim WANT TO BELIEVE. Facts won't sway them. it's like Mulder from the x-files, he WANTS TO BELIEVE that aliens and ghosts are behind everything when many things are just something else.

it's hard if not impossible to change the minds of those who don't want to see the truth, and CHOOSE TO FIND WAY TO EXCUSE THERE RACISM. It's much easier to say 'he is a muslim who hates the flag' than to say " i hate black people ". And some people would rather WANT TO BELIEVE these rumors than see the man for who he is.

[nellie]

An excellent using of re-framing. A good lesson for everyone.

[blaising]

Go AFL-CIO!!

Bang 'em hard and often!!!

[navalvet]

My union was a strong supporter of Sen. Clinton because of her long term assistance and friendship, while Sen. Obama was a relative newcomer. After the primaries, the leadership realized that the membership was not too receptive to Sen. Obama's message, but that it was easier to get them to vote against McCain. For months, it has been campaigning against Sen. McCain. See:
http://www.aflcio.org/issues/politics/mccain.cfm?source=mccainrevealed

My union endorsed Sen. Obama but has found him distant. In spite of our membership of 600,000, he did not accept an invitation to speak at the national convention in his home town, but he did appear, briefly, by video.

Labor's leadership will support Sen. Obama but they cannot guarantee any votes from the rank and file. I still suspect that a majority of union members will support Sen. Obama, but he needs to work on his relationship with unions.

[alfo]

the union mailer is spot on, this is the proper response to the neoconservative hate smear/fear machine.these people are'nt americans thet are nazis get the facts google zeitgeist federal reseve you'll see them for the traitors they are.

[LatinaVoting4Obama]

another BRILLIANT strategy keeping TRUTH a top priority for those still getting to know Sen. Obama

kudos to the AFL-CIO Union

...and would i NOT be surprised if this was a group effort that involved Sen. Obama's top notch campaign team :-)

[SeanGardner]

absolutely brilliant...I agree with you.

It is was among working class voters that those "muslim rumors" stuck the most. But he has made significant inroads among working class voters since his bruising campaign with Hillary, and this AFL-CIO mailer will Obama even more.

[BigBen]

Lyndon Johnson once called his opponent queer. Somebody pointed out that it was not true.No matter he said. He will have to deny it won't he?So Obama has to deny that he is Muslim don't he? Keeps him on the defensive instead of spreading the good word.In politics that is the game.Like moving to the center to get elected.Rev. Wright said Obama was just another politician and we all howled at him for saying that. But it was the truth.Now that he is just another politician how does he convince us that he is not just another politician?Undecided vote is swelling .Where is Hillary and the real politicians now that he needs them?Where is Bill ? Watching the Fairy Tale unravel?

[arvay]

Yes, this is brilliant and great news. We should all write to the union to congratulate and support them.

[casey70]

I just sent the AFLCIO and message on their website; I think its very Well Done and I let them know. I'm going to let the Obama know how I feel as well--they should change their fight the smears sight to reflect this approach. Very well done!

[whizkid]

This is where all the money will go till 11/5.
Trying to keep him at sea level.

[MargaretO]

It's nice to see this. Very good brochure.

[whizkid]

The fact the AFL-CIO has to spend good money on an effort like this tells me one thing.
We picked the wrong candidate.

[Sabreen60]

Pathetic. Just can't let Hil go.

[ChiGuy]

They detest McCrackers. They would have been spending it on Hilarity had she been the nominee.

Tough luck.

[SCG]

Zzzzzzzzzzzz.

[LiberTLover]

She lost. Perhaps you should seek professional help if you can't get over it on your own.

[eden4barack08]

"We" ?

[Mscharizmaa]

The most impressive push back I've seen this entire cycle. Give the gal a raised who thought of this for the AFL-CIO.

[vernonbc]

"The labor organization has been campaigning against Republican nominee-in-waiting John McCain, but now will start promoting Obama's candidacy."

I love how Obama's philosophy is being spread far and wide, how anybody involved with him and his campaign follows his new kind of politics. The union was putting up negative ads about McCain until Obama and his campaign got involved after the endorsement. He never smears and lies about McCain and is always respectful of him. Yes, he often points out why he thinks McCain's policy is wrong, but he never makes it personal. Wouldn't it be a treat if both campaigns had high morals?

What annoys me is that this is never pointed out by the networks and pundits and columnists. Instead they say the campaignS are getting dirty. No. THEY are not getting dirty. McCain is getting dirty, and Obama deserves some credit for the quality of the campaign he's running.

[LiberTLover]

They don't want to mis out on being in the VIP section of McGaffesalot's plane or getting an invitation to his next barbeque.

[laylahb]

Much more effective than the "Fight the Smears" website. When it comes from the grassroots, whether a union, an association, a fraternal lodge or other group that a person belongs to, it's much more believable.