Powell: GOP Leaders Spreading Muslim Rumors

Somewhat lost in Colin Powell's endorsement of Barack Obama this morning on MTP were his comments on the rumors out there about Senator Obama, Islam and terrorism.

If I read the transcript correctly, (and I would love to hear all interpretations of his remarks) it seems to me that General Powell blamed officials of his own party for quietly encouraging, if not actually fomenting, lies about Obama being a Muslim (not that there is a single thing wrong with that, as Powell so beautifully explained), and his possible connections to terrorism.

Powell made three separate references to Republican Party operatives spreading these rumors and lies around (though many of us assumed they slithered out of the basest and most racist recesses of the Internet):

1) "I'm also troubled by, not what Senator McCain says, but what members of the party say. And it is permitted to be said such things as, "Well, you know that Mr. Obama is a Muslim."

2) "I have heard senior members of my own party drop the suggestion, "He's a Muslim and he might be associated with terrorists."

3) "John McCain is as nondiscriminatory as anyone I know. But I'm troubled about the fact that, within the party, we have these kinds of expressions."

Anyone who "drops the suggestion" that Obama "might be associated" with Islamic terrorists is spreading vicious, incendiary gossip. I hope that, one day, Colin Powell will be able to explain those intra-party comments, and who made them, in more detail.

Lies about Obama's faith, and insinuations that he means this country harm, are apparently not the sole purveyance of "low information" voters at high-anxiety Red zone rallies. They are equally promulgated, according to General Powell, from the highest echelons of the Republican party itself.

And that is sad news, to me. As Powell himself said: "We have got to stop polarizing ourselves in this way."

Comments

[BOin08]

Barrack only went to a Muslim school and had a Muslim father--that doesn't make him Muslim. Except in Muslim land.

[Gatogorra]

Thanks, David Kirby, for being heard on this. I'm enjoying some of the comments from non-Americans looking in on our tempest, like the one from "Lellie", saying "we are neither FOR you or AGAINST you, America, but WITH you. We love ya you know, but you are exasperating". It's about how I'm feeling towards some fellow Americans these days, those who get caught up in moldy stereotypes and rumor-mongering, Atwater-style politics rather than the desperate issues we're currently plagued with. I feel such an urge to distance myself from the mess, yet I know that, come November, the country is going to have to find a way to heal itself from the huge gap that's been pried between groups of people in this country. Because, this time, divided we really fall.

[jones48]

On Obama comment about if it wasn't for FOX News he would be up in polls.
If it wasn't for MSNBC CNN and the other liberal media, we would have vetted all these issues properly and we'd be voting for Hillary or McCain. STOP Hiding anything bad about Obama. Thank God for FOX, the only place where anyone has the guts to ask a question of the Great one.

[BarackMarley]

Now Powell is criticizing Michelle Bachmann for her comments on investigating Anti-American politicians
http://newsone.blackplanet.com/elections/powell-criticizes-bachmann-over-anti-america-comments/

Here's why the GOP pundits are racist for Racializing Powell's endorsement

[BarackMarley]

Here's how the GOP is trying to racialize Powell's endorsement
http://newsone.blackplanet.com/elections/gop-pundits-question-powells-integrity-on-race/

[SpeakFreely]

Don't get complacent!! McCain is gaining ground in polls and his supporters are starting to come out of the woodwork. Obama needs your help now more than ever!!! If we take victory for granted McCain and Palin will win. DON'T LET THAT HAPPEN!

Vote Early then go volunteer for Obama!

[realpolitic]

The sole province of Fox News is rumor and innuendo as well. And Fox is a place where many low information viewers gather to reinforce their paranoid world views.

[Z2221344]

Two points - 1st, the most important thing that Powell said was "so what if he is a Muslim". Rumors, whatever, it's childish. What I find more disgusting about the campaign's position is the seeming belief that being a Muslim is somehow detrimental. A racist, angry tactic. 2nd. I hate to break this to the Conservatives out there, but the United States IS a socialism nation. Not as socialist, as, say, certain northern Eurpean nations, but socialist nonetheless. And there's nothing wrong with that.

[larry278]

I was mistaken in thinking & saying that Gen Powell's endorsment of Obama wouldn't mean much this late in the game. Colin Powell's statements that 1 BHO wasn't a Muslim; & 2 that being an America Muslim was a non issue since Muslims have proven their patriotism. Muslims serve with distinction in our Armed Forces. Muslims are second to no one in their love for the USA & their many patriotic acts. Gen Powell has set the record straight as no one could have done. To question the patriotism of America's Muslims will now mark you as a bigot, thanks to Gen Powell.

[mymic1]

kudos to Colin Powell for in a very tactful way calling his party to the mat for their racist path.
his story of the fallen young ameican who happens to be a Muslim buried at Arlington should stand as a reminder that that field of honor has within it many more Muslim Americans who gave their life for this nation even when their countrymen spew hate.
Just as there are many African Americans who gave their lives during Vietnam when back home their brothers, sisters, mothers and fathers were beaten and clubbed while fighting for equal rights and voting rights.
Let's not forget the hero Japanese Americans, like Senator Daniel Inouye who fought courageously while their relatives where kept in interment camps here at home.
Despite the racism and hate we minorities still prove to be Americans first and foremost!
Now that's PATRIOTISM!

[indups]

Notice how Colin Powell answers the accusations from the McCain campaign people and some of the Republican Party people about Barack Obama being a Muslim:

Colin Powell divided the answer into two parts, distinguishing between the "correct answer" and the "really right answer":

" Well, the CORRECT ANSWER is he is not a Muslim. He's a Christian; has always been a Christian."

But the REALLY RIGHT ANSWER is, "What if he is? Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this country?" The answer's "No, that's not America."

What more can distinguish a true patriot from a bogus one? One projects a unified vision of his nation and the other a divisive path that separates peoples of color, religion, race of his country. McCain represents the latter.

[RichieB]

I think that Powell did not want to give his friend a total body slam. He was already hurting him enough by endorsing Obama, so he let him off the hook somewhat. But the way I view it, McCain bought into the same despicable Rovian politics that were used against him in the 2000 primaries. As the adds say, " I'm John McCain and I approved this message".

[BigHatBob]

The GOP will say anything. They are verbal terrorists.

[AtTheMoon]

Is Colin going to criticize his party for making Mitt's Mormonism an issue?

Is it wrong for little 7 year old Mormon girls to believe they can grow up to be president?

[reno1190]

HE WAS NOT JUST SPEAKING FOR MUSLIMS ,HE WAS SPEAKING FOR ALL, LOOK AT THE BIGGER PICTURE AFTER ALL THERE IS ONEDONT START PICKING AN CHOOSING THATS THE PROBLEM

[Alethia]

Correction: Sorry, the figure should be $250,000/year, not $150,000/year.

[Alethia]

I agree with General Powell that ..."So what if he (Obama) is a Muslim?"

McCain has started ragging on Obama about his comments about spreading wealth around and has accused him of advocating socialism.

I say, "So what if it is socialism?" So What!

If socialism means helping poor Americans who do not have healthcare insurance by holding their employers responsible (who make more than $150,000/year), then I am for socialism!

So what! I wish I were making $150,000/year.

[FirstShirt]

You make the conservatives case more eloquently than any political talking head. There are alot of you socialists and even some communists like Obama's mentor out there who believe the way to solve our social problems is through the government. The governmental control of the means of production.

What they fail to explain is how the government that has messed up our economy is supposed to now make everything right.

Fantasy of the worst sort.

If Obama wins and the lemmings vote in a supermajority in Congress the transfer of wealth will begin in earnest. Good news is after two year of taxation and saber rattling the republicans will be back.

[Sir681]

There is this irrational perspective that if the government performs social functions that are of benefit to the people then that is socialism and that will rapidly send us to the gates of hell. Well, according to my Oxfod dictionary, socialism is the political and econimic theory that resources, industries and transportation should be owned and managed by the state.

This, to mind mind, suggests that if we have any of the above categories owned and managed by the state, then we have some aspects of socialism operating in this country. So then, public transportation, social security and medicare are all socialist activities. Come to think of it, the military is owned and managed by the government, isn't it?

As for the transference of wealth, logically speaking, since the rich has gotten substantially richer in the last decade and the middle class and poor have seen an erosion in their economic circumstances, one could then argue that we have been having economic policies that are socialist for the rich. We have seen probably the largest redistribution of wealth from the middle class and poor to the rich that has ever occurred in the history of this country. That, you could say, has got us into this economic mess that we are in.

Maybe it is time to try something new that will be of benefit to people as a whole. Isn't that what a government is there to do, to serve the people?

[arvay]

Your ideas are a bit out of date. True, there are probably some creaky old Trotskyists out there who actually believe that the government needs to control the means of production.

It's an odd phrase to apply to the financial "industry" anyway, since they don't really produce anything. But that's what happens when you try to apply a 19th century concept like Marxism to the 21st century. Only the Biblical fundamentalists are more out of tune with reality.

No, what we're going to embark on is a form of regulated capitalism, with a national plan of some sort (like for developing green industries that will employ millions and generate incredible wealth) and provide health care, a national education system and other aspects of an advanced nation.

Don't think USSR or China, think France. But only similar to France, we don't need to look for a template, we need to think this through for our own society.

It's clear. It's empiricism. Reality has spoken. Cowboy capitalism has failed. It's produced its own collapse. The new direction is fairly clear, we just need to think creatively through the details.

[RS]

Awwwwwww, what's the matter FirstShirt? Are you DEATHLY AFRAID about PAYING YOUR FAIR SHARE of the tax burden? Are you blubbering about the fact that your huge eight year party is about to come crashing down like a house of cards?