Texas GOP Targets Obama's Kenyan Half-Brother

ABC News:

In a web video, the Republican Party of Texas hits back Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., on the "housing" issue in a web video that attacks the Democrat because his half-brother George lives in a shack outside Nairobi, Kenya.

"Barack Obama has viciously attacked John McCain and his family for being successful and living the American dream," says the ad's narrator.

...

"...but ask yourself this: If Obama cares so much about your family why doesn't he doesn't take care of his own family first. Barack Obama lives in this house..." (image of Obama's house)

"...wants to live in this one..." (image of White House)

"...while his own brother lives in this one." (image of Obama's half brother George.)

Read the whole story: ABC News

Comments

[BoThomasReed]

Ugh, that makes me embarrassed to be a Texan.

Obama/Biden '08

[OlderBudWeiser]

Wonder how the birth family of McCains adopted daughter gets by in Bangladesh?

[firewmn]

good point..

[meleon]

VERY good point but I doubt Obama's camp will go after the story because that would just bring him down to McSnake's level. Let him keep slithering on his belly because soon Obama's heel is gonna come crashing down on his head.

[TLV]

Cindy McCain said Mother Theresa begged her to take the girl!

[eden4barack08]

Does the GOP really wanna go this route? Do they really wanna make this a class and distant family warfare? How desperately do they wanna lose?

[hunterjond]

John McCain -- Honor and Integrety -- You're kidding, right? This ad is just pathetic and dishonorable. It's painful to see how low John McCain is willing to stoop. Shame on you, Senator McCain!

[Dennim]

Exactly!

John McCain had one point in time where he showed honor; however, not before his 51/2 years as a POW, and certainly not since. We can applaud his refusal for early release, yet still scrutinize and question his personal and professional record before and since. IMO, except for his time as a POW, John McCain has not shown the level of honor and integity necessary especially in his personal life to become the next President of the United States.

Whenever McCain is asked a question, on almost any subject, he uses again, almost exclusively, anecdotal reminiscences of his POW experience. John McCain cannot go elsewhere in his personal or professional history for evidence of his qualifications or of his honor and integrity-- because the evidence does not exist.

Admiral James Stockdale was Ross Perot's running mate in 1992. Admiral Stockdale was the highest ranking POW (1965-73) in North Vietnam during the war; however, one did not witness this man making a mockery of his POW experience during the campaign whenever the questions became too difficult nor did he use that service as a backdrop to every ad produced on his behalf. He was, definitely, a man who embodied the true meaning of honor and integrity.

The GOP will go to any lengths to discredit Senator Obama because they do not have a strong candidate. Senator McCain is a one issue candidate - his time as a POW - and that's hardly enough!

[eden4barack08]

This is nothing like Cindy's family affairs. Obama's father, was an absent father, never took part in Obama's raising or contributed anything to his upbringing, and was a poor man himself. He died having nothing to leave for anyone of his children in Kenya, much less to the one abandoned child in the US raised solely by his mother's side. Why would Obama have to be responsible for all the children of a father he did not even know? It's even to his credit that he bothered to acknowledge their existence, going to visit and meeting them for the purpose of knowing his roots and settling in peace about his father's abandonment. Beyond that, not only does he NOT have any obligations, but I think would be insulting to those proud people, if Obama just felt like showering them with the money he himself earned thru hard work and education.
In Cindy's case, here's a father who left an empire worth millions to one daughter, deliberately leaving out the others, and here's Cindy going around saying she's an only child, having never had to work for a penny, a day in her life and denying any help to her own blood, not living oceans away, across the globe, but right here in the US, where all she'd have to do is hop on her private jet, as she does to get around Arizona, and drop a few thousands from her millions, to her left-out half sister.

[meleon]

Excellent. Not even the same story except for those who want it to be. If anything Cindy's is worse because of the smack in your face boldness of saying you are an only child when not only do you know you aren't, but it's a sibling you wiped from the books before the father of you both was not in the ground but a day. Cindy knew her father helped support financially her sister with what probably didn't add up to total more than $250,000.00. He didn't buy her a house, he simply supplied a downpayment where I'm certain that at least one or two of the homes Cindy and John share were inherited from dad.

The McSnakes are a hypocritical joke.

[ChiGuy]

Let them keep raising the issue.
I'm sure Cindy will be thrilled to have the sibling discussion.

“...yesterday came the news that there were not one but two unacknowledged siblings on the McCain side.”
http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2008/08/well_see_your_poor_brother_and.html

When Cindy McCain talks about growing up, she usually refers to herself as an "only child" - a phrase that ignores the existence of her half-sisters
http://www.azcentral.com/news/election/election08/articles/2008/08/19/20080819cindymccain0819-ON.html

[Mabila]

American standards of life are not uniform accross the world, please people!!

[Progress08]

Yeah and Captain flip-flop on immigration wants to talk housing??? Look at all the homeless in Phoenix and the immigrants living in "shanty towns" out of sight from McCains 6 condos.

[BlueOnBlue]

In 1932, we had nothing to fear but fear itself. In 2008 the Republican Party has become fear itself.

[adept2u]

Oh really, the Republicans are very materialistic. George Obama is proud to be a Kenyan and is content with his life. He hasnt been fed the poison we have that makes us not demand the things that are elemental all over the world. I wonder if its easier for him to get his blood pressure medication as my grandmother. Oh well. Can we now talk about Jim Hensley Cindy's dad? Felon, money laundering, merchant in human misery is also now a hero?

[OverIt]

I think it's ridiculous that the GOP is attacking him on this when there is so much dirt on Cindy McCain's greedy hording of her dad's estate at the expense of her own sister.

Does anybody have any idea how many (alleged) siblings and extended family Obama must have from his father's many wives AFTER the father had abandoned Obama and his mom? For a hint, look at the many offspring from the polygamists in the recent FLDS raid. Not even counting the fake relatives that will claim him now that he is famous. Barack has a gaggle of brothers and sisters all over the place. He has written about all of them that he knows of in his books.

These are children from an absentee father with no concept of monogamy and apparently of paternal responsibility. Barack suffered the consequences himself. Now that these siblings are adults I don't see why that should be an issue for Barack who was one of many children left behind by this man. And since many of Barack's Kenyan siblings have become quite accomplished despite the same disadvantages, I am more inclined to think that this man's current state is a lot more personal than social or political.

[OverIt]

CONTINUED (1)

To suggest Obama has an obligation to give financially to any impoverished yet able-bodied member of a branch of his family that he has virtually no connection to but for the accidental sharing of DNA is not very pragmatic or fair to him and his real family, the ones with whom he has a true emotional, sociological connection. Providing for his Kenyan relatives or any failing American relatives for that matter --- although he may be closer to them --- is simply not his responsibility.

Also, Obama was not even "rich" until quite recently and still isn't by McCain's standards actually. And he's been a little bit busy since the money has come in as well so we don't know if he has plans to help his extended family. So although I would expect him as president to perhaps take a special interest in providing aid to African nations and perhaps to help with some extra attention or infrastructure aid for his father's village, I think it's out of line for his supposed relatives or for us to expect some sort of Obama-welfare.

[OverIt]

CONTINUED (2)

I also think that this is very different from Cindy's half sister because unlike Barack and his siblings, Cindy did not share the legacy of abandonment with her "lost sister" and the extent of Barack's current wealth has not come AT THE EXPENSE of his brother.

While the sister was left behind and cut off from her family fortune, Cindy gladly profited from and kept what she should have known belonged at least partly to her sister as her sister's birthright as well. The fewer the heirs, the bigger the pie for Cindy. No wonder she pushed the narrative of her as only child. As an adult , aged 46, when her father died, Cindy had the opportunity if not the obligation to make sure that she could at least provide a decent share of her inheritance for her sister at small cost to her own hundreds of millions.

I don't think Barack has a corresponding obligation to his sisters and brothers as his fortune was not at their expense. He is not living on easy street on money that should have been shared with them but that he gladly kept. Any money that Barack has is from his and Michelle's hard work.

[MourningDude]

What a truly weird comment. You bring up Cindy's half-sister, who was left more money by her father than BHO's brother has seen or will see in his entire life. You try to draw a comparison between the FLDS and BHO's wandering father, which is off topic, absurd, and an insult to the FLDS.

I also think it's strange that you're attacking BHO's brother. Claiming his circumstances must be due to his own social, moral, or political failings. I thought only the evil rich looked down on poor people that way.

Early on there was a story about one of BHO's good friends from high school who had been in prison, and had asked BHO to help him get back on his feet. BHO refused, and ostracized him. At the time, the Barrybots all said it was because BHO didn't want to be an enabler. Well what's his excuse now? Why isn't he offering help to this brother of his? Do you think he's jumping to the same conclusions about this man that he did about his good friend?

For all the attacks on selfish Republicans, GWB and his VP routinely donated more money and a larger percentage of their incomes to charity than any of their myriad Democrat challengers. It reinforced the idea that Dems are more than happy to give away other people's money, but they're greedy and penurious with their own. This is a prime example where we can all see that's true for BHO.

[elizaW]

MourningDude,

Well put. Thank you. Finally some clarity.

[OverIt]

$10,000 to one child and $100,000,000 to another child sounds about right in your book?


The FLDS reference was only to illustrate the point that polygamous relationships often result in many offspring. That was the extent of the comparison.

Moral failings of the brother? I never made that point. I am not judging his moral character by his situation, that is the Republican tack. Just making the point that his reality is likely the result of his own choices/ actions than of his social or political environment as show by the material, educational achievements of his similarly-situated siblings.

[antiparanoid]

You could take many criminals off the streets by just jailing the Texas GOP.

[pjean]

They are sooooo stupid. 1. this is his half brother so they do not have the same mother, they just share a father. Next, if his brother likes living in his native country then leave him alone. Finally, not everyone is trying to move to the hustle and bustle of the USA. These people do not have to worry about stress and working 80 hours a week for little pay. The GOP is sad!!!!!!!!1

[KEESA]

i think this is gonna blow back on mccain because people or gonna look at it this way if there looking down on obama brother like that that shows people that how they looking down on the average person who is stuggling economicly.

[HC4BO]

Exactly ...

[EuroPreacher]

This just an attempt by the GOP to paint *O*b*a*m*a* as foreign by coming up with non-americans relatives and all that house crap story is just a cover up.The idea is:*O*b*a*m*a* is some kind of foreigner!

[PATina]

Okay... I'm w/ the GOP on this one. I donate to a charity that builds homes in Africa... and it only costs about $1,500 US to build a decent house in some parts. I'm not sure about Kenya ... but it can't be that much more. Sen O... I know you have your own family to raise... but you can't kick up $2000 to put your brother in a decent house???

[judyc]

Read this--
http://edition.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/08/22/bts.obama.brother/index.html

He doesn't want help.

[AguynamedWayne]

He lives in a wood hut shanty town. Whether he wants help or not isn't the question. He NEEDS help.

[EuroPreacher]

Depends what brother means...Obama's life is not as easy as yours might have been.It's not easy to go around the world and trying to make life easier for all of dad's sons/daughters...

[molsongrrrl]

I'm not sure why Obama should be required to "help" all the children his absent father may have had. Also ... why do we assume this man is unhappy or needs help? How do we know Obama didn't offer help and was turned down? We don't - this ad is insulting, which is pretty much par for the Rethugs.

[wanj]

Are you also with the GOP on Cindy's siblings that she doesn't acknowledge? The siblings that didn't get an inheritance?