McConnell: I Take Obama 'At His Word' That He's A Christian

With a growing portion of the populace convinced that President Obama is a Muslim, political observers and reporters have begun asking just how such information could be so widely disseminated. On Sunday, their ears perked a bit when Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) would only go so far as to take Obama "at this word" that he was a Christian.

"The president says he's a Christian. I take him at his word. I don't think that's in dispute," McConnell told Meet the Press host David Gregory. "I think the faith that most Americans are questioning is the President's faith in the government to generate jobs. We've had an 18-month effort here on the part of this administration to prime the pump, borrow money, spend money, hire new federal government employees, sending money down to states so they don't have to layoff state employees. People are saying: Where are the jobs? The president's faith in the government to stimulate the economy is what people are questioning."

Politico's Mike Allen gave the exchange top treatment in his daily Playbook email, under the header "SIREN -- OR SHOULD WE SAY "DOG WHISTLE"? NBC's Chuck Todd, via Twitter, offered his own take, noting that it was an "Odd way to phrase it."

That's perhaps an understatement. McConnell may have been trying to avoid engagement in a debate defined both by confusion and, under the surface, a bit of Islamophobia. But by constructing his response in such a peculiar way -- suggesting that the debate over Obama's religion was legitimate and that the president was arguing one side of it -- he not only invited the type of skeptical coverage he received Sunday morning but will further spur claims that the GOP doesn't mind having this image of Obama spread.

During the 2008 presidential campaign, then Sen. Hillary Clinton offered the same type of evasive response to the same type of Obama-is-a-Muslim rumors. For days, if not weeks, she was dogged with accusations that she wanted voters to be skeptical about Obama's faith.

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Comments

[StCyrlyMe2]

02:53 AM on 08/27/2010

Why is it that some people would rather believe known liars rather then the President? You don't have to like him to be civil

[JerryAguy]

10:01 AM on 08/25/2010

Didn't he attend Trinity Church in Chicago for 20 years? I don't know about when he was a child as it seems very few people know much about that time in his life. I don't see him attend Church very often so that may be why people are unsure about his beliefs.
He did slip in an interview and say he was a Muslim but that may have been a mistake as he did not have the promter with him.

[Bryanspkr]

05:38 AM on 08/25/2010

try2
The biggest economy has the biggest number of delusional people. Easily manipulated.
Go figure.
Remember the old saying "if you are so smart, how come you are not rich"?
Well reverse it. Though I think a good portion of the "manipulating class" know better.

[Bryanspkr]

05:22 AM on 08/25/2010

Then I concede that the world is round.

[urscrewedagain]

02:40 AM on 08/25/2010

Obama is a card carrying Muslim, remember when he bowed down to some oil dictator in the middle east who does not wear any deodorant. And When they show his original birth certificate then I believe he is the president. By the way his name is Barry Sortero

[cheo]

03:06 AM on 08/25/2010

Kdding, right? If not, that's too bad, cause then you would have everything in your post dead wrong.
BTW, Bush holding hands with Saudi family is OK with you? Bush didn't have to prove he was a Christian....why not? Both he and his father were/are very tight with the Saudi Royals, inluding the Bin Ladens. At the time the planes hit Bush the elder was breakfasting with them nearby.
Yet, Bush needed to prove nothing to you?

[Bryanspkr]

05:25 AM on 08/25/2010

Bush held hands. And kissed. Does that mean he was gay too?
And BTW, the world is round.

[cheo]

02:28 AM on 08/25/2010

Completely off topic. I HATE HuffPo's new beta version. I have been trying to find some way to reply to a response to one of my comments--using every method I can think of.
Every once in a while it works from the "comments activity" on the right hand side, but not always. And try to backtrack from my own comments page? Again works from time to time but mostly NOT.
When there are pages and pages of comments who has the time to scroll though them all to backtrack to the original comment? Yet that is often the only option. What a pain this is. HP--get your software together....Puh-leeeeze.

[Bryanspkr]

05:25 AM on 08/25/2010

agreed

[doctora chiripa]

12:52 AM on 08/25/2010

What a hypocrite, he's so transparent . This is what we have coming our way if we don't get out and vote. The whole lot of them deserve each other. They are inept on their better days and scary the rest of the time.

[cheo]

02:16 AM on 08/25/2010

precisely, doctora.

[Sophiedo]

12:01 AM on 08/25/2010

With the economy and so many other important issues, we are focused on the president's religion?Amazing. Is this part of the GOP do nothing but criticize policy. Name calling, and inuendos and distortions; wow, what a way to govern. I'd like for them to get to work now and do something for America.

[cheo]

02:30 AM on 08/25/2010

sorry, "hadn't been"

[bobtr900]

11:27 PM on 08/24/2010

McConnell, who ever listens to Old Stone Face. Who ever listens to Orange skin Boehner. And what about the screaming Bill O'Reilly or the weeping Beck or the winking lizard Palin. Without a doubt, a gang of destruction, no contributions to mankind just destruction due to their wars and their economics.

[MAB]

02:22 AM on 08/25/2010

Pay attention; TOO MANY listen to them all.

[applescruff]

11:22 PM on 08/24/2010

I take McConnell at his word that he isn't a transvestite. But boy do I have some revealing pictures he wouldn't want published.

[jamespatrick101]

10:33 PM on 08/24/2010

gotta say, i'm no fan (of McConnell's), but seriously? ... you take issue that he "would only go so far as to take Obama "at this word" that he was a Christian." how much further can McConnell go? i know people who go to church out of obligation, and if you ask a preacher or pastor, that's certainly not being Christian. people can say they're a christian and not actually be one. you can attend church and not be Christian. in other words, you can't prove you're a Christian. all you CAN do is take someone at their word. i don't see your point. do you have one?

[WFC]

12:28 AM on 08/25/2010

Someone on here with logic and sense for once. I have a guy arguing with me and all I've said is the same thing, If he says he is Christian than he must be. Mc Connell is damned if he does and damned if he doesn't. Some people on here amaze me, where is that tolerance libs are supposed to have ?

[cheo]

02:58 AM on 08/25/2010

um, "in" one speech

[cheo]

02:56 AM on 08/25/2010

You guys don't get it do you? Obama has been affirming his faith since the campaign. What other politician has had to do this--over and over?
There are birthers who refuse to acknowledge the validity of his well-publicized birth certificate or that he was born in Hawaii.
There are those (and the numbers of them are going UP in the polls) who believe he is a secret Muslim with a secret Muslim agenda.
And we have heard this so many times from the Right...".Well he SAYS he's a Christian so I take him at his word".on National TV but bring up doubts when in front of supporters.
Personally I would be fine with him being an Aetheist.
But you would have to be blind to not be aware of the doublespeak we are hearing from the Right, and McConnell's carefully chosen words with just enough "if" implied in them is part of the problem. Not because he is stupid enough to really doubt Obama; to the contrary, he knows there is political gain to be had by not bucking this anti-Muslim hysteria sweeping the country.
I DEFY you to give me the name of ONE, just one, Presidential candidate who has had to "prove" his faith like this. And don't say Kennedy because even Kennedy only had to say his decisions would not come from the Vatican on one speech, if memory serves. And Catholics were never as "scary" to the public as "Islam" is.

[cheo]

03:01 AM on 08/25/2010

amend that to one presidential candidate "in our lifetimes".....I don't know presidential history well enough to go back more than 50-60 yrs.

[jamespatrick101]

01:38 PM on 08/25/2010

McConnell didn't bring it up. Didn't question the President. Didn't make a point of it. Meet The Press did.

McConnell said he believed The President, "I don't think that's in dispute" and "I take the President at his word." Other misguided, closed-minded RNC members questioned this, no doubt. But it's as wrong to assume guilt on McConnell's behalf (because his association with imbeciles who believe it (i.e. Palin)), as if you faulted compassionate Dems who support the Muslim community center because their association with a few closed-minded Dems (i.e. Reid) who do not.

With faith, all you CAN do is take someone at their word. There aren't "facts" to prove. The only "proof" is how you live your life. One can only ASSUME when another says they're Christian, they live a Godly life. The ONLY option is to take them at their word.

McConnell can't prove he believes something (Obama is Christian) that can't be proven (faith) in the first place. You have to take him at his word. McConnell is willing to take Obama at his word, but you're unwilling to do the same for McConnell.

It shouldn't be an issue. I'm with you. Even if he was Muslim (and I don't believe he is), I could care less. I have problems with the people (i.e. Rush) who make these arguments. They're crap. They know it. That's why they do it. Those are the people who deserve your venom.

[Bill McKee]

10:33 PM on 08/24/2010

McChinless is a racist old white fossil. Needs to go off and rott

[Denier]

10:21 PM on 08/24/2010

I don't understand. Are we not to take the President at his word? Is he dishonest? What's the problem here?

[jamespatrick101]

10:36 PM on 08/24/2010

I don't think there was a point.

[cheo]

10:53 PM on 08/24/2010

of course there was. He wants to sound totally sane, but that phrase is code for "he SAYS he is, but IS he? Really???"

[ronjdomer]

10:48 PM on 08/24/2010

So you think Chinless was saying that Obama is a Christian? No. What he is really saying is something like this "I don't know if he is a Christian or not but he says that he is.". Well Chinless I don't know if you are a Martian or not but I am sure that if asked you would say that you aren't.".

[cheo]

10:54 PM on 08/24/2010

yeah, what you said....didn't read ahead enough to see you had already covered this....

[Denier]

12:19 PM on 08/25/2010

Wow, I've never met a psychic before. Nice to meet you.

[David H S]

08:49 PM on 08/24/2010

“Taking someone at his word" is the scoundrel's way of calling him a liar. Shame on McConnell, and yes, Hillary, for the same insinuation -- insidious in its intent if benign in implication. I think Al Franken should publicly recall his apology to McConnell and challenge him to state explicitly if he believes Obama is a Muslim, and why.

[RockyGibraltar]

08:35 PM on 08/24/2010

How white of him.