"Tea Party" Leader Melts Down On CNN: Obama Is An "Indonesian Muslim Turned Welfare Thug" (VIDEO)

"Tea Party" leader Mark Williams appeared on a CNN panel on "Anderson Cooper 360" last night and promptly set to work discrediting himself and his movement. Williams denounced those carrying blatantly racist signs against President Obama during the tea parties as "no more part of the mainstream of America than the hippies who wear nipple clips and feather boas in San Francisco streets during so-called peace demonstrations."

Cooper had done his homework, however, and caught Williams blatantly misrepresenting himself: "What you're saying makes sense to me here when I'm hearing what you say but then I read on your blog, you say, you call the President an Indonesian Muslim turned welfare thug and a racist in chief."

Williams shrugs and responds, "Yeah, that's the way he's behaving." An incredulous Cooper asks Williams if he really believes Obama is an Indonesian Muslim and a welfare thug. The tea party leader digs the hole a little deeper: "He's certainly acting like it. Until he embraces the whole country what else can I conclude."

WATCH: (H/t Jon)

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Comments

[JTPurcell]

Musllims pray to the same God as i do. thus they are my brothers and sisters.

[granada]

ahem, i am a muslim and indonesian

[Cathy Haig]

My partner and I were going to go to the September 12 march in Washington until we realized it was sponsored by tea loving Republicans. So we abstained however if it wasn't for the extremists in America at the time of the American Revolution our President would be the Prime Minister of England instead of an elected official of the people.

It is a fact that Obama was raised by a Muslim step dad in Indonesia but to use this against the president is inane and although I do not know if he himself switched his faith to Muslim it does matter to me if my president is a MUSLIM. Today’s Muslim people are anything but kind and gentle and the teachings of the Koran are way different than the teachings of the MUSLIM religion in America and overseas.

I am disgusted with American politics and I will fight the right and the left's ideas with whom I do not agree. I feel that other Americans must stand up and fight on paper and verbally to maintain our rights and our constitution.

American’s marching with signs that call Obama a welfare thug part of our freedoms however wrong it seems. Obama needs to be more forceful - Bush pushed through all of his BAD IDEAS and that is why America is in the trouble it's in now. Obama must push aside the ideas of bi-partisanship and push his ideas to full and complete bills.

-----Bonju Patten

[jyychem]

On September 12, the headlines of a CNN article on the March stated: "Tea Party March Has Anger-No Dominant Leaders." It is interesting that Mark Williams, whose inflammatory comments are certainly inexcusable, is now being depicted by CNN as the "Tea Party Leader." This is typical of the MSM, and a continuation of their extreme bias demonstrated during the 2008 election which unquestionably helped to elect Obama . Mark Williams was the leader of the Tea Party Express, a bus which traveled around the country and ended their tour on 9-12, and only one of a MULTITUDE of "leaders" of the March. The first headline "No Dominant Leaders" was right-on; it is a true grassroots movement! I do not believe that Williams speaks for the vast majority of the marchers who came from all over the US to express their concern and extreme dissatisfaction at what is happening to our country. The March in DC was one of the most meaningful experiences of my life and I was proud to be a part of it.

[Ed and Deb Shapiro - Huffpost Blogger]

Mark williams SHAME on YOU

You are using obnoxious tactics to rally the ignorant minds of america to rally behind you.

Your karma has run over your dogma

and you might be surprised what you discover.

How in the world could you put such filth into peoples minds? You have lost your dignity (if you ever had any)

You have put yourself out there to let the whole world see what an true arse really looks like.

Does anyone agree?

Ed

[BulgyLamb]

Do you think Mark Williams reads the Huff? More importantly, how do you argue toward the goal of persuading when your opponent believes you are not arguing in good faith? If someone figures that out let your congressman know. Otherwise shame on.

[LadySkywalker]

To dismiss the Tea Party activists as wingnuts is a grave misreading of what's happening. Many Americans are concerned about the corporate influence in our government, and rightly so, starting with the billions bonanza taxpayers gave them with TARP. With progressives wanting to support the president, the field is wide open for the right to organize the anger of anxious Americans. Anderson Cooper did not "destroy" the Tea Party leader at all, he gave him a forum for his views. To say Cooper "destroyed" him is a complete misreading both of this interview, and of the Tea Party movement.

[oscar19]

People who are dangerous and delusional can still think Athlete's Foot is a bad thing, so what's your point ?

For Cooper to "destroy" Williams the Tea Party house would have to promote reality based ideas made up of stronger stuff than "Medicare is socialism", "Obama is a muslim" and "Obama is an illegal alien".

When you have someone that has posted on his web site "the President is an Indonesian Muslim turned welfare thug and a racist in chief" you've "destroyed" your own credibility without the help of any MSM interviewer.

[Ed and Deb Shapiro - Huffpost Blogger]

wrong!

[Cathy Haig]

I respectfully ask that when you write WRONG (LOL) you explain becasue just writing WRONG means YOU ARE WRONG.

--- BONJU PATTEN

[John Mainstream]

Joe Wilson has been added to the axis of evil.

[Benztown]

Too often what we call hate -- as if it were some deeply-rooted philosophy or strategy -- is simply ignorance, anxiety, paranoia, fear, and insecurity.

[norkas]

The interview was important for all to see and understand his underlying reasons for his tea parties.

I am always happy when the truth comes out when many here rightfully believe that race is a motivator for many at the tea parties.

When i are anyone else has allot of passion about a subject at some point you will here there true self about the subject and that is what happened here.

Barka Obama will never admit how big race plays a issue at these tea parties and i understand that because the right wing will attack him without mercy.

The truth came out and i hope many are pleased to see what they already new

[Krisgi]

Just two things to say:

1. Anyone who talks about "(America´s) Destiny" while keeping a straight face needs to get some professional help.
2. Cooper looks exactly like Dana Carvey except for the hair.

[Avigdor]

Those tea party folks must read the New York Times! In an interview with Nicholas Kristof in 2007, - http://select.nytimes.com/2007/03/06/opinion/06kristof.html?_r=3&oref=slogin&oref=slogin&oref=slogin - Obama described himself as having been a "Jakarta street kid," talked about "making faces during Koran study classes in his elementary school" and recited the Islamic call to prayer, which he called "one of the prettiest sounds on earth at sunset." And if George Stephanopoulous hadn't corrected him, he'd be on record as claiming "my Muslim faith."

Or maybe they depend on public records for their "smears." The elementary schools Barack Obama (then Barry Soetoro) attended in Indonesia list his religion as Islam and his citizenship as Indonesian.

[bdaved]

Well there you have it. It's in his permanent record. If his elementary school record says something, then that must be the last word on it. I'm glad you cleared that up.

[nylibgrrl]

"And if George Stephanopoulous hadn't corrected him, he'd be on record as claiming 'my Muslim faith.' "

This information is nonexistent at the link provided. It may be at the link within the page, but seeing that it goes back 2-1/2 years, I'm not wading through the archives.

Have you ever actually heard a muezzin chanting? It is a very beautiful sound. Note "beautiful sound" does not necessarily equate to "beautiful meaning in what's being said", though of course the anti-Obama crowd will certainly do so in this case.

[rmonroe]

I think the new strategy for dealing with these morons is to just laugh their ridiculous claims off. Normal people in their right minds are not who are behind people like this clown. Fringe idiots are. Nothing is funnier than this youtube video about the tea party:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUPMjC9mq5Y&hd=1

This says it all about the people who support this guys ridiculous claims about the President. And sure Obama says it isn't about race, but we all know it is mostly about race.

[mark12345]

Why in the F**K did they continue to talk with him. They should have abruptly excused (unplugged) him and continued dialog without him. Then denounced him in the strongest terms. They actually legitimized this, this. Carvel and Gurgan should have refused to remain in a forum with this thinly vailed racist thug, using racial ethnic and sexual slurs.Carvel said it himself, after this kkk guy owned this slur "there not much to negotiate" with him. They should have disconnected that hatemonger.

Reese Schonfeld nailed it !
“Giving an audience of millions to enraged extremists is too” great a gift to qualify as "freedom of speech."

[TazoWolf]

We "working stiffs" want health insurance. And I'm not a stiff, except maybe after a hard workout. I'm usually quite limber.

Our country pays 40% more per capita on healthcare, yet we're #37 world wide, and the vast majority of those above us offer PUBLIC OPTIONS or SINGLE PAYER plans!! Now, tell me there isn't something wrong with the system when people who are insured are denied their claims, when COBRA costs are beyond what people can before (and general premiums for that matter), when people get DROPPED from their insurance for no reason other than they got sick, and over 40+M people are UNINSURRED, with over 45K dying every year because they're NOT insured. Oh, and let's not forget the 60%+ of bankruptcies due to health care debt, including by those who ARE insured.

Here's an entertaining description of the issue:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVgOl3cETb4

Here are some references backing up my statements:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/06/05/bankruptcy.medical.bills/index.html?eref=rss_mostpopular
http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE58G6W520090917
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/18/in-health-care-number-of_n_291881.html
http://www.cdc.gov/Features/Uninsured/
http://www.photius.com/rankings/healthranks.html

[TazoWolf]

That's 40% more than the #1 ranked country in health care... France: http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/hea_spe_per_per-health-spending-per-person

[gretachurch]

one day we will all wake up and find there ia a god and all the pocket lining and robbing wewill not be able to take with us we would have denied the poor health care robbed the blacks of jobs put them in prison falsely accused. framed them because of the colour of their skins and , we as whites having collapsed the financial system of the world will still be saying white is right but it will be too late whacth baynor want to tell a lie and see how he bows his head and frowns is brow, conscience conscience conscience.

[Dunbar]

I find it incredible that these same people were so quiet during the Bush years. Suddenly, they think government is a problem?

It wasn't when Bush and Co. were lying and stealing from us everyday.

Who are these people? What idiots they are.

[FarOutFish]

Some of us vocally objected when Mr. Bush did things we disagreed with. While consistency is the Hobgoblin of small minds, I believe you must hold both party's to the same standard. I don't care about the Party, but the policy.

[Sketchartist]

"Some of us vocally objected when Mr. Bush did things we disagreed with"? Then you apparently agreed with his insanity most of the time.