nana_356

Looks like he is ashamed of his Muslim roots and trying to hide the fact that he is indeed a closet Muslim! HAHAH some change agent here, typical spin agent liberal politician. What a liar!

Two Muslim women at Barack Obama's rally in Detroit Monday were barred from sitting behind the podium by campaign volunteers seeking to prevent the women's headscarves from appearing in photographs or on television with the candidate.

The campaign has apologized to the women, all Obama supporters who said they felt betrayed by their treatment at the rally.

"This is of course not the policy of the campaign. It is offensive and counter to Obama's commitment to bring Americans together and simply not the kind of campaign we run," said Obama spokesman Bill Burton, who added that the volunteers were acting contrary to the campaign's policy. "We sincerely apologize for this behavior."

Building a human backdrop to a political candidate, a set of faces to appear on television and in photographs, is always a delicate exercise in demographics and political correctness. Advance staffers typically pick supporters out of a crowd to reflect the candidate's message.

When Obama won North Carolina amid questions about his ability to connect with white voters, for instance, he stood in front of a group of middle-aged white women waving small American flags. Across the aisle, a Hispanic New Hampshire Democrat, Roberto Fuentes, told Politico that he was recently asked, and declined, to contribute to the "diversity" of the crowd behind Senator John McCain at a Nashua event.

But for Obama, the old-fashioned image-making contrasts with his promise to transcend identity politics, and to embrace all elements of America. The incidents in Michigan, which has one of the largest Arab and Muslim populations in the country, also raise an aspect of his campaign that sometimes rubs Muslims the wrong way: The candidate has vigorously denied a false, viral rumor that he himself is Muslim. But the denials seem to some at times to imply that there something wrong with the faith, though Obama occasionally adds that he means no disrespect to Islam.

"I was coming to support him, and I felt like I was discriminated against by the very person who was supposed to be bringing this change, who I could really relate to," said Hebba Aref, a 25-year-old lawyer who lives in the Detroit suburb of Bloomfield Hills. "The message that I thought was delivered to us was that they do not want him associated with Muslims or Muslim supporters."

In Detroit Monday the two different Obama volunteers – in separate incidents– made it clear that headscarves wouldn't be in the picture. The volunteers gave different explanations for excluding the hijabs, one bluntly political and the other less clear.

In Aref's case, there was no ambiguity.

That incident began when the volunteer asked Aref's friend Ali Koussan and two other friends, Aref's brother Sharif and another young lawyer, Brandon Edward Miller, whether they would like to sit behind the stage. The three young men said they would, but mentioned they were with friends.

The men said the volunteer, a twenty-something African American woman in a green shirt, asked if their friends looked and were dressed like the young men, who were all light-skinned and wearing suits. Miller said yes, but mentioned that one of their friends was wearing a headscarf with her suit.

The volunteer "explained to me that because of the political climate and what's going on in the world and what's going on with Muslim Americans it's not good for her to be seen on TV or associated with Obama," said Koussan, who is a law student at Wayne State University.

Both Koussan and Miller said they specifically recalled the volunteer citing the "political climate" in telling them they couldn't sit behind Obama.

"I was like, 'You've got to be kidding me. Are you serious?'" Koussan recalled.

Shimaa Abdelfadeel's story was different. She'd waited on line outside the Joe Louis Arena for three hours in the sun, and was walking through the giant hall when a volunteer approached two of her non-Muslim friends, a few steps ahead of her, and asked if they'd like to sit in "special seating" behind the stage, said one friend, Brittany Marino, who like Abdelfadeel is a recent University of Michigan graduate who works for the university.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0608/11168.html

If they were allowed in the picture, would your point be any diffrent? You would still be trying to invoke islamophobia.

Well actually the statement of "a few" is not accurate. msnbc, cnn, and fox all concur with this

http://elections.foxnews.com/

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/...n-swing-states/

http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/storie...16/daily15.html

It seems like like every little detail is magnified!

woooooooooooohooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anywayz, I wont take it personally, your signature and topics makes it clear to see that you are still scorn and will most likely vote for mccain out of spite!! Great way to pick a president

You dont have to be so dam n rude illumine??

Just actual and factual reality, not some dream world liberal spin, just the way it is.

It should be "WHY DO AMERICAN WOMEN GAIN WEIGHT AFTER MARRIAGE?"

They are the world's worst to gain weight after they marry. Why do you think so many men on here went overseas to find foreign brides!

How about taking a non-antagonistic, moreover; a non-offensive position for a change?

I am cerious to know the stats of zqt3344, do you mind sharing???

so illumine who are you going to vote for?

You seem to strongly dislike and criticize obama even though he and hillary have many similarities. But you never say much about mccain, despite the fact that he has nothing in common with her.

Have you ever seen a topic title here in OT and automatically known who posted it without looking? Well, let's make a game of it.

Make up a fictional topic title and the next poster has to add the name of the member who is most likely to post it. They then make up a title of their own. And so play continues.

Emphasis on the word play, people. This is gentle ribbing of each other. Friendly jibes, if you will. Don't make me get in the moderators. Don't you do that, y'hear? I'll take my ball home. I don't care.

OK? All good? OK.

I'll start.

'Water shortage leads to algae disease, effecting fish & dolphins & stuff: A warning to Planet Earth!"

Amby (Am I right?)

"Bush has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize".

Gary

thats too easy!

The whole idea of adoption being haram in Islam is not tied to the act of adoption, but that adoption laws can go aganst the God given rights of the child. Just as Islam served to protect the rights of women, it also gave protection of the rights of children. One of these rights is that as a child, you have the right to know your parentage. American adoption laws for years ignored the right of the child over the right of the biological parent.

Well as far as I am concerned, I think the advantages of adoption far outweigh the negatives. Have you seen the swollen orphanages in Morocco and Algeria with kids brimming at the seams and 15 year old girls hooking because they dont have parents? Have you seen the tiny kids with no homes in the streets of casa sniffing glue and running all around un protected? Who is thinking about their rights? They need homes, not a permanent bed in an orphanage. All I know is my h usbands grandma took in all kinds of kids and raised and loved them. Again, I think its easier to wife kids under the rug.I strongly disagree with the prohibition on adoption

me too, I really agree with you on this wahrania.

Gary loves the attention. Why do you think he is naked in his pic?

Ive always wanted to say something about that but never wanted to be mean! May I add (with his wife on top)

This is a one that gary should have not posted!

Its only fair to post obama's response.

Obama ridicules McCain's plan to tap offshore oil

5 hours ago

WASHINGTON (AFP) — Democrat Barack Obama Tuesday accused White House rival John McCain of "posturing" as the Republican, tapping voters' anxiety about sky-high fuel prices, called for offshore oil drilling.

In a speech later in the Texas oil capital of Houston, the Arizona senator was to call for a 27-year-old moratorium on offshore exploration to be lifted -- reversing his own support for the ban when he ran for president in 2000.

McCain was again to push for a summer suspension of federal taxes on gasoline, to ease a little of the pain at the pump for voters already reeling from an epidemic of home foreclosures and job losses.

Obama, who has been hammering McCain and the Republicans on the economy, said his White House opponent's support of the moratorium in 2000 was "certainly laudable."

"But his decision to completely change his position and tell a group of Houston oil executives exactly what they wanted to hear today was the same Washington politics that has prevented us from achieving energy independence for decades," the Illinois senator said in a statement.

"Much like his gas tax gimmick that would leave consumers with pennies in savings, opening our coastlines to offshore drilling would take at least a decade to produce any oil at all, and the effect on gasoline prices would be negligible at best since America only has three percent of the world's oil.

"It's another example of short-term political posturing from Washington, not the long-term leadership we need to solve our dependence on oil."

Obama is pushing for a "windfall tax" on oil companies' record profits and for federal investment of 150 billion dollars over 10 years in renewable and green energies.

McCain backs market solutions but scents opportunity in portraying Obama as being out of touch with voters' pocketbook concerns.

"We have proven oil reserves of at least 21 billion barrels in the United States," he said in excerpts from his Houston speech.

"But a broad federal moratorium stands in the way of energy exploration and production. And I believe it is time for the federal government to lift these restrictions and to put our own reserves to use," McCain said.

"People are hurting -- small farmers, truckers and taxi drivers unable to cover their costs, small-business owners struggling to meet payroll, the cost of living rising and the value of paychecks falling."

The 1981 moratorium prevents states from allowing oil companies to conduct offshore drilling and exploration. Virtually the entire Atlantic and Pacific coastlines are protected, along with sections of the Gulf of Mexico.

McCain said environmental controls were strong enough to permit safe offshore exploration, although the Republican governors of Florida and California -- both McCain supporters -- dispute this.

But at the same time, McCain opposes drilling in "pristine" areas such as Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, putting him at odds with many in his party.

With global crude prices in sight of 140 dollars a barrel, US gasoline prices now average more than four dollars a gallon. While still low by European standards, that is a rise of one dollar in just 12 months.

In a new Washington Post-ABC News poll Tuesday, nearly 80 percent said soaring pump prices were causing them financial hardship, which the Post said was the highest figure in surveys this decade.

The poll gave Obama a narrow lead of 48 percent to 42 percent over McCain among all voters. The two fared evenly among independent voters but Obama had a 16-point lead as the best candidate for the faltering economy.

The candidates were virtually tied on which was more trusted to handle Iraq, which Obama intends to visit before the November election. McCain, however, had the edge in international affairs and terrorism.

McCain lobbied anew to suspend the 18.4 cent federal tax on gasoline and 24.4 cent diesel tax until Labor Day on September 1.

"Even in tough times for our economy, when folks are struggling to pay for gas and groceries, tax relief just isn't change he can believe in," McCain said, turning Obama's mantra of change against the Democrat.

Sounds like another gimmick to me! Its only because his numbers are down when it comes to the economy!

enough said m4e!

OH GOD

yeah and its 41, so i think that allows a whole lot of people out there to go ahead and sign up if they haven't allready

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/20...-army-age_x.htm

i still find that very idea hilarious, that to support it one should be in the military. oh i'm sure someone will jump on me for supporting it and not being active duty military now.

You know many people who support this war that arn't in the militiary, many do have valid reasons, for example, medical reasons, a person can be a single parent and cant leave their child. There are many reasons that can make a person not join. But if a person believes in this war, is able to qualify, and stands in a place in life where he/she can be in the militiary, then why not?

You can still state your opinion, many of us wont bash you like Others.

i don't see anyone bashing me yet

You suck big danggling diseased donkey balls

Yah, and brazil smels like a$$

yeah and its 41, so i think that allows a whole lot of people out there to go ahead and sign up if they haven't allready

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/20...-army-age_x.htm

i still find that very idea hilarious, that to support it one should be in the military. oh i'm sure someone will jump on me for supporting it and not being active duty military now.

You know many people who support this war that arn't in the militiary, many do have valid reasons, for example, medical reasons, a person can be a single parent and cant leave their child. There are many reasons that can make a person not join. But if a person believes in this war, is able to qualify, and stands in a place in life where he/she can be in the militiary, then why not?

You can still state your opinion, many of us wont bash you like Others.

i don't see anyone bashing me yet

awwwww! do you feel left out

I dont appreciate you calling people that are dear to me "disgruntled". You have stepped completely out of line to do so!

Disgruntled isn't an insult. Live with it.

You are a very disrespectful man Mr. Gary! You have no respect for our troops!

My bolded part, is why do you always have to be rude? he cant have an opinion? he can post 50 youtube stories of soilders, that doesnt mean hes being a disservice to the men and women serving.

You see what I said while totally ignoring the remark that prompted it. Your one sidedness is showing. No matter, I think everyone else sees what happened. Disgruntled isn't an insult, it's a description of a state of mind.

as i stated before: Dismissing the soldiers as being disgruntled, rather than recognizing why they are so upset, I believe is being disrespectful. They have a great reason to be upset. This war was neither honest nor can it be justified. But you have never showed any compassion for that Gary

yeah and its 41, so i think that allows a whole lot of people out there to go ahead and sign up if they haven't allready

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/20...-army-age_x.htm

i still find that very idea hilarious, that to support it one should be in the military. oh i'm sure someone will jump on me for supporting it and not being active duty military now.

You know many people who support this war that arn't in the militiary, many do have valid reasons, for example, medical reasons, a person can be a single parent and cant leave their child. There are many reasons that can make a person not join. But if a person believes in this war, is able to qualify, and stands in a place in life where he/she can be in the militiary, then why not?

You can still state your opinion, many of us wont bash you like Others.

I just wanted to say BOTH my parents are VETS, and they both agree this is a war that we shouldnt have gone into.

I also want to add my mom is an RN at the VA hospital, and prolly speaks to more returning troops from iraq than anyone here, and can say that 9 out of 10 of them threaten to kill themselves before having to return to the war. And everyone of them blames Bush.

So no, 3 videos dont prove a thing, but a hospital full of soilders with missing arms, legs, hearing, sight, and other internal injuries saying the same thing, means a lot to me.

Thank you for posting this. My husband being from the Middle East was at first upset with all of the soldiers for what is done to all of the innocent people there. I can't remember the name of the movie, but it pretty much spelled out what happens to these good people after the war, and now he understands much more about the sincerity of the soldiers, that this goes far beyond them. I have read story after story in the news of post traumatic syndrome.

Most of these soldiers are never the same after they come back. If the war was honest and justified I agree, they signed up for it. The problem is when they are lead to believe they are going to war for a noble cause and it turns out to be based on lies. Saying that it needed to be done, and lying was justifiable is a load of #######.

You are absolutly right. And i dont agree with this war, and i hear it all the time "how can you come from a military family and not be for the war"....the same way you (not pointing fingers just giving example) can be for the war and claim to have morals.

I agree with my dad who served in Vietnam, the first Iraq war, and trained troops for this war before he retired...this war was based on lies and arrogance, and the only one who shouldve gone to fight stayed here and played golf! (oh and i dont buy the BS about not playing to show remorse)

My mom has no words on this alot of the times, she spends all her time caring for soilders who will never live again a normal life therefore all she can do is shake her head and cry.

I also want to mention, do not call out disrespect if you give the lease respect on this forum Gary, and regardless of wheather he is a prison guard or not, if it werent for cops and prison guards, you wouldnt be sleeping so soundly in your comfy lil home.

Um, if you read back you will see that I was the one being called disrespectful because I support the war. In Nana's opinion anyone that supports the war is disrespecting the troops. I strongly disagree with that idea. She/he also said that saying the soldiers in the film were disgruntled was also disrespectful. Saying someone is disgruntled is not disrespectful but only describing their emotional state. You need to aim that finger in a different direction.

I was the one being called disrespectful because I support the war

You were being called disrespectful to want the troops to be in a war that was based on lies, and you wont recognize those lies.

In Nana's opinion anyone that supports the war is disrespecting the troops.

Show me where that was stated??

She/he also said that saying the soldiers in the film were disgruntled was also disrespectful.

Dismissing the soldiers as being disgruntled, rather than recognizing why they are so upset, I believe is being disrespectful. They have a great reason to be upset. This war was neither honest nor can it be justified. But you have never showed any compassion for that Gary

Being an egyptian woman, I LOVE the US. Their are the bad points just like any where else in the world. But no country is perfect. I love the US and all the opportunitys this country offers.

plus I need to eat something and have coffee so it'll stimulate my body for my morning stinky dump, cuz it's better than do it at work, with all the farting going on.

I just wanted to say BOTH my parents are VETS, and they both agree this is a war that we shouldnt have gone into.

I also want to add my mom is an RN at the VA hospital, and prolly speaks to more returning troops from iraq than anyone here, and can say that 9 out of 10 of them threaten to kill themselves before having to return to the war. And everyone of them blames Bush.

So no, 3 videos dont prove a thing, but a hospital full of soilders with missing arms, legs, hearing, sight, and other internal injuries saying the same thing, means a lot to me.

Thank you for posting this. My husband being from the Middle East was at first upset with all of the soldiers for what is done to all of the innocent people there. I can't remember the name of the movie, but it pretty much spelled out what happens to these good people after the war, and now he understands much more about the sincerity of the soldiers, that this goes far beyond them. I have read story after story in the news of post traumatic syndrome.

Most of these soldiers are never the same after they come back. If the war was honest and justified I agree, they signed up for it. The problem is when they are lead to believe they are going to war for a noble cause and it turns out to be based on lies. Saying that it needed to be done, and lying was justifiable is a load of #######.