Monthly Archive

Per a request from Sen. Murphy… here goes a tome about local races. (What happened to your own blog Matt?) The northwest suburbs have a few primary races, most notably in the 56th and 66th (I live in the 66th).

The Dem side of the 56th House district over in Schaumburg pits incumbent Rep. Paul Froehlich (who switched from R to D last summer) against Dem attorney and involved community member John Moynihan. This is Rep. Froehlich’s first primary as a Dem and it’s natural that he’d attract a primary opponent from amongst the long-standing (if historically minority party) Dem base in the area. Quite the soap opera there given the flipped party and traditionally Dem-leaning orgs (ie, Personal PAC) pitted ultimately against the Dem Speaker/State Chair.

The other local contested primary is a Republican affair between long-time Elk Grove Village Trustee Christine Prochno and Arlington Heights party activist Laura Bartell. These two candidates in the 66th State Representative district have been very actively campaigning for the nomination to run against Vietnam Veteran and independent Dem Mark Walker. (State Rep. Carolyn Krause announced her retirement last year so this is an open seat.)

Read the rest of this entry »

While it’s understandable that the Clinton campaign would be jumping on any little tidbit of Rezko flotsam they can scare up, it’s much less clear why conservatives would play along. As point of fact, Illinois Review wrote up a “new” series on Rezko rehashing a bunch of old info from a conservative partisan perspective. Curiously, in the second post of that series (about Rezko’s political donations) Fran Eaton begins:

Tony Rezko aimed his campaign dollars where he would get the most return on his investments, there’s no doubt.

Perhaps she didn’t realize Mr. Rezko put quite a large investment in her conservative hero, Pres. George Bush.

Mr. Rezko donated $7000 directly to Bush and also helped co-chair a $3.5 million Bush-Cheney04 fundraiser in 2003. Sun-Times columnist Michael Sneed called it simply a “megamillion” fundraiser which, at $3.5 mil, it certainly is. Her S-T colleague Lynn Sweet notes that co-chairs for that event were responsible for bundling at least $100,000 in donations to Pres. Bush. In addition to that largesse in support of Bush, Rezko of course also was quite generous to a variety of other Republican pols over the years.

I wonder if Ms. Eaton knows what sort of “return” Rezko was trying to get on his mega Bush “investment.”

Head on over to brand spankin’ new blog Cluestick 4 Bambi to keep up with John “academic professional” Bambenek’s hypocritical idiocy. In the latest Bambi drama, we learn that he is releasing his inner crotchety self with a “Get off my lawn you varmints” for the digital age, going after adults who play video games:

Bambenek Wants to Your Censor Video Games Too…

Yeah, good luck with that one Mr. No Fun.

Remember those good ol’ days before the Internets when these kooks kept to themselves under their rocks? Now, with the advent of the World Wide Web the gaggles of radical right-wingers who’ve found each other think they’re in the mainstream just because they’ve found the few other uber-cons who plugged their computers into the phone jack.

At least it makes for high comedy (when these hyperpartisans aren’t busy ruining our great nation that is).

Not sure I’ll have time to get to those “local races” that folks are requesting since Feb 5th is fast approaching — quite the busy boy — but I’ll certainly try to get to the 66th which features the only state lege contested primary in the area (Prochno v Bartell).

Here’s a topic: Compare and contrast the Skywalkers and Lipinskis…

ArchPundit did some research into Princely Heir Congressman Dan Lipinski’s most recent fundraising and expenditures and finds, to borrow his phrase, “Lipinski’s Friends and Family Plan Continues“. Seems to be a good racket for that crew… unfortunately enough for the residents of the 3rd.

Keep in mind Rep. Lipinski is the same fellow the Tribune recently endorsed despite their wavering and unease over his “record” and “ties” to his lobbyist dad (who got him the seat in Congress). Oh, and despite the fact Rep. Lipinski couldn’t be bothered to show up to the editorial board meeting.

Apparently, getting facts wrong (like claiming he’s in his first term?!) and whining about bloggers (hey, that’s me!) is more important to the Trib than endorsing a candidate like Mark Pera who actually represents the district they are seeking to represent rather than being the face of what’s left of a decaying Machine.

Two Illinois poliblog institutions, The Capitol Fax Blog (by political journalist Rich Miller) and ArchPundit (by political blogger Larry Handlin), are producing primers for the American people and the self-proclaimed media of record (not that the “national” media feels a need to be bothered with actual details when there’s a good soap opera to splash some ink on).

For those interested in learning just what Sen. Barack Obama’s not-very-much-of-a-relationship with Chicago developer Tony Rezko is, read up…

CapFax’s In defense of the locals reviews the Illinois political media’s coverage of Sen. Obama and attempts by the Tribune, Sun-Times, etc. to find skeletons in his closet over the years. Of note: the Chicago Tribune discovered two instances of what might be of interest to those hoping to turn Tony Rezko into Obama’s Marc Rich or Norman Hsu.

First, the Trib uncovered the property purchase in which the Obama family bought a home and Mr. Rezko’s wife bought an adjoining piece of property from the same seller on the same day. Sen. Obama has apologized for this event and acknowledged how, from the outside looking in, it appears unseemly even though everything was done legally and legitimately.

Second, the Trib also found that Sen. Obama’s staff gave an internship to a kid whose father was connected to Rezko and who had donated money to Obama’s previous campaigns. Ummm… ok.

Mr. Miller also writes that the Trib explained the research they did to investigate the connections between the law firm Sen. Obama used to work for and Rezko. Would that more media would bother to actually “work” a story as the Chicago papers have with regards to any sort of ties between Obama and Rezko (and most, if not all, of those ties seem to be perfectly legit based on that rather exhaustive research).

In his post, Mr. Miller also notes that an oppo-research consultant from one of Sen. Obama’s US Senate primary opponents, Mike Henry, was hired by the Clinton campaign and that since his hiring Clinton’s attacks have mirrored the earlier attacks from that 2004 primary opponent. Go figure.

UPDATE: Rich Miller has posted a follow-up today in “Present votes and Rezko“.

ArchPundit also currently has a series of five eight “Rezko primers” up on his blog (don’t know if he’ll add more so check his site for the latest UPDATE: Arch did add a few more and has a summary/linky post on all eight in “The Rezko Primer“). His posts’ titles are rather self-explanatory:

• Rezko Primer I: Job Offer and Friendship Begins
• Rezko Primer II: Political Donations
• Rezko Primer III. Legal work on projects Rezko was involved
• Rezko Primer IV. Letters of Support for projects Rezko was involved
• Rezko Primer V. Intern-son of Rezko ally/Obama donor
• New: VI. House Purchase
• New: VII. Land Strip Purchase from Rezko
• New: VIII. Landscaping and Property Maintenance Arrangement

Don’t get me wrong. Rezko is going to court after having been accused of some pretty serious white collar crimes. If convicted he ought to pay his debt to society.

But guilt by association witch hunts are damn weak — just ask the Clintons their thoughts on Kenneth Starr and his investigation of the, ahem, Whitewater Land Deal… — even if the national media is willing to lazily regurgitate an opponent’s spin on their front pages and TV news crawlers.

If some sort of quid pro quo had ever surfaced there’d be something to talk about but as it stands there’s really no there “there” between Rezko and Obama. No one has ever found any instance of Obama doing anything as a legislator that would have illegally (or even unethically) benefited Rezko. (That said, journalist Miller correctly notes that something about Obama may yet surface during Rezko’s trial but given the boxes of files the Illinois media has analyzed it seems unlikely.)

(c/p Daily Kos)

UPDATE 2: DKos diarist and Obama biograper John K Wilson has written “The Real Story of Rezko and Obama: 10 Myths Debunked“… (He even clarifies the debunked attacks surrounding the “house deal” noting that Obama’s bid for his home was the higher of two bids, even though his winning bid was below the seller’s asking price. Usually, that’s called a good deal.)

…Those without their partisan blinders on will be willing to read through the nearly 1000 lies told by the conservative Bush Administration in the lead-up to the Iraq War and evaluate them for what they are. Even the abbreviated versions are damning — Pres. Bush himself came in as the liar-in-chief, having expressed the most falsehoods (259).

At the Center for Public Integrity’s “The War Card: Orchestrated Deception on the Path to War” readers can review a database of the whoppers told to the American people and when they were disseminated. (The Fund for Independence in Journalism also helped produce this database of deceit.)

Meteor Blades has more. Shame on the “Fourth Estate” for buying this bill of sale lock, stock and barrel.

“…the real ‘plantation’…”

Seriously, Chris Hitchens?

Seriously?! And the Wall Street Journal published this ignorant dreck?!

What does “the real ‘plantation’” have to do with the fact that people are attacking Obama’s church simply because it’s a historically black church?

What does “the real ‘plantation’” have to do with modern day inequities in Paris, Texas?

What does “the real ‘plantation’” have to do with Bill O’Reilly being surprised that black folks don’t order iced tea with a side of m’fer… let alone that “they” act “civilized”?

What does “the real ‘plantation’” have to do with more black men being in prison than in college?

What does “the real ‘plantation’” have to do with the Crescent City’s Ninth Ward?

…Here’s a song for Hitchens. His name could just as easily swap right in there, too.

On Friday “Team America blog” had a half-cocked, twisted context post about The Swamp’s earlier comments on the DCCC’s “Red to Blue” program. For those who are unfamiliar, “Team America” began as a constant critic on a Democratic activist’s blog (the well-reasoned and well-written Ellen of the Tenth blog) and eventually branched off into fiction blog writing of their own.

In Friday’s case, instead of taking the 30 seconds to learn what the R2B program actually was and how it worked, TA appeared simply to be salivating at the chance to throw a punch at their chosen nemesis, Dem candidate Dan Seals.

Sadly, the dubious “facts” over at TA continue with another completely erroneous post lambasting Sen. Dick Durbin’s recent endorsement of Dan Seals.

In this latest post, TA writes:

This endorsement was no shock, considering that Durbin backed Seals last election (we note, though, that Seals did not face a contested primary last time) [...] (emphasis added)

I think Mr. Seals’ 2006 Dem Primary opponent Zane Smith would be disappointed to learn he’s magically vanished into thin air at some point in the past 48 months…

If the staunchly Republican “Team America” blog is getting such basic, easily verified facts completely wrong, what other kind of fried baloney sandwiches are they trying to pass off on denizens of the Tenth?

(Who’s got dibs on how long it’ll take TA to correct this latest bout of misinformation? At least TA was honest enough to correct their earlier misstep unlike some other partisan conservatives — cough, Fran Eaton, cough, John Bambenek, sniffle, cough — we know and love who just can’t admit how wrong they are.)

Notorious 10th District blowhard “Team America” has a post up claiming “DCCC’s “Red to Blue” Program Passes Over 10th District” saying…

“The Swamp” reports that the 10th District is NOT one of the first 10 house districts that will be the target of the DCCC’s “Red to Blue” blitzkrieg. Of the first 10, nine are Republican districts.

Umm, no. The Swamp didn’t report the 10th was NOT one of the districts; they simply reported what the first ten districts were:

Of the 10 districts targeted, Seven are held by Republicans who plan to retire at the end of the current term; two were held by Republicans who already have left Washington, and one was left vacant by the death last month of Democratic Rep. Julia Carson.

And gee, the “Red to Blue” program is designed to help Democrats (blue) win districts currently held by Republicans (red) so it makes a wee bit of sense that 9 of the 10 districts are held by “red” incumbents (and the last district had its Democratic Representative pass away).

As DCCC head Rep. Chris Van Hollen noted in announcing the current version of R2B, this is the First Round (implying there will be more R2B groups in the future) and this particular batch is focused on open seats.Illinois 10th is not an open seat (unless TA knows something no one else does). For that matter, neither is Illinois 6th which TA also mentions as being “passed over.”
Team America ought to try thinking before posting… or at least try learning what the heck he/she/it is talking about. It’s a lot easier to keep your foot out of your mouth that way, TA.

UPDATED: Team America thanks me for keeping them honest by pointing out the error of their ways.

The honesty is appreciated Team America.

The “Unity 08” effort has been a round for some time now (a few years) and is ostensibly dedicated to increasing bipartisanship in Washington, having been founded by a mix of Republican and Democratic “centrist” politicians. This month they announced they were suspending their activities due to lack of funding. Curiously, the Unity 08 ’suspension of activities’ happened in very close proximity to the recent well-publicized meeting of centrists to discuss bipartisanship. Many who realized the partisanship in and of itself is not the problem in Washington (the lack of rational debate is, in and out of DC) had routinely panned their efforts as so much pointless and navel-gazing spin.

It’s unclear to me how direct an offshoot this is, but two of the Unity founders — Repub Doug Bailey and Dem Gerry Rafshoon — have left Unity 08 and are now doing something called the “Draft Bloomberg Committee” headquartered in Washington, DC itself. Their committee sent me some spam email yesterday, asking for virtual signatures and publicity for their “Draft” effort.

No offense, but get over yourselves guys. The problem with “centrism” is that the “center” is a fleeting concept. As Republican conservative activists push and yell and generally act on their conservative concepts and ideas, they drag the “center” to the right. Same would be happening in the reverse if Democrats actually had any sort of group equivalent to Movement Conservatism (they don’t, so the “center” has been left to float rightward over the past two decades or so).

Who knows if this “Draft Bloomberg” effort will amount to anything. He was reported to have been conducting national polling to determine whether or not (and if so, how) to make an independent bid for the White House, but has also declared he will wait to see who the two parties’ nominees are. With the discombobulation on the GOP side, who knows when that will even happen.

Perhaps more importantly, know one has really explained “why” Mayor Bloomberg in the first place… He runs a business. He’s a mayor. He used to be a Dem and then abandoned that party to run as a Republican for mayor, to succeed term-limited Rudy Giuliani.

This makes him presidential material? That record is barely better than current candidate Giuliani himself — a candidate who has racked up an impressive number of bottom-of-the-pack finishes to date. And Mayor Bloomberg’s own denizens don’t want him to run for president.

What are his thoughts on how to advance our country, tackle our problems, and defend against our enemies?

Shorter Fran Eaton: Barack Obama attends a historically black church. This church’s pastor has some daughters who run a magazine. That magazine published by the daughters of the pastor of the church that Sen. Obama attends gives out awards to those who have helped the downtrodden — historically black communities across the country and black peoples around the world. Last year, one of those awards was given to Louis Farrakhan because of his and his organizations’ dedication to rehabilitating and improving the plight of ex-convicts.

Therefore, Sen. Obama is evil. Oh, and don’t forget that he goes to a “black” church.

The logic is… impeccable (not).

(And did she ever mention Sen. Obama attends a “black” church? And Farrakhan has made anti-Semitic remarks? Might’ve skipped that last one. Remember: Obama, Farrakhan. See how easy that is to figure out? Obama… Farrakhan… … … Black…)

–

In the recent past, Ms. Eaton has whined that she’s simply expressing her opinion that Sen. Obama is “hypocritical” when it comes to his church. That’s a far cry from her first few acid-tongued posts declaring that Sen. Obama’s Christian church was “racist” and “black supremacists” and “black separatists” simply because they devote much of their Christian charity and compassion to those in the black community who may be in need.

Recall that Ms. Eaton is editor of a conservative blog site which proudly promoted the notion that Chinese people eat babies; complete with sweet-n-sour sauce.

Regardless of whether she’s being soft or acidic in her myopia, myopia it is. The entirety of her premise that Sen. Obama’s Christian church is somehow “bad” and that he is somehow “hypocritical” is based on her own ignorance of the history African American Christianity in this country and her own misreadings of Trinity United Church of Christ’s tenets related to liberation, compassion, charity and community. (Oh, and her disdain for people who dislike her hero, George W. Bush, crossed with a deeply partisan loathing for Sen. Obama himself — to be expected from a former campaigner for Alan Keyes for Senate, Illinois edition.) The intertwined network of conservative partisan media has helped her efforts at promoting this ignorant misinterpretation of basic information. (This wouldn’t be the first time Ms. Eaton proved to be ignorant and apparently willfuly misinformed, nor the second, nor the third, nor the… you get the idea.)

Now that her original, anti-Christian premises have been thoroughly and repeatedly refuted … she’s taken to regurgitating the latest limp lament from conservative partisans that Sen. Obama is evil because he is someone who “associates with someone who associates with someone who associates with someone who likes Farrakhan…“

It’s Six Degrees of Louis Farrakhan, and the cons are running with it.

Burt Prelutsky of Pajamas Media tried to spin this tangential, guilt-by-association meme a few days ago and local anti-Obama con John Ruberry spit that same baloney back up shortly thereafter. In a much more widely read forum, Richard “Unity, Schmunity” Cohen decided a day later to follow suit by playing the Six Degrees game in the Washington Post. (Keep in mind that, although Republican, Sec. Cohen worked in Bill Clinton’s Administration and is now part of the hypothetical “Unity ‘08″ effort which may culminate in a presidential campaign by NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg — more on that in a bit post is here. Either or both of those tidbits may explain his desire to suckerpunch Obama as he did.)

Are these people all really so arrogant as to think that if they simply say something often enough that people will buy it, even if it has no actual import because the connections are so weak?

Sen. Obama attends the church, but that’s the extent of the connection…

The magazine is published by the church’s pastor’s daughters, yes, but Sen. Obama does not work for the publication.

The magazine gives out the annual award, yes, but Sen. Obama does not decide who should be nominated for the award nor decide who it should ultimately be given to.

He didn’t even hand out the award and wasn’t even in the same room (maybe not even in the same city) when it was given out.

Heck, even darling of the right Sen. Joe Lieberman (who left the Democratic Party and has recently gone about endorsing Republican candidates) would somehow be “more” guilty then Sen. Obama in this hackneyed guilt-by-assocation game since Sen. Lieberman told us he had respect for Farrakhan and would like to meet and talk with him during the 2000 presidential race.

Maybe the con-partisans thought, by laying this groundwork now, they could peel Jewish support away from the Dems if Sen. Obama should earn the nomination. If so, that effort may have been abjectly futile as this week many Jewish national leaders came out strongly against the vicious, racist, bigoted smears being spread about Sen. Obama, his upbringing and his faith.

But, for whatever reason (narrow-minded partisanship, dislike for his values, disagreement with his record, or even, sadly, perhaps some latent sense of racism) it is clear that these partisan conservatives loathe the very idea of Senator Obama as President Obama. Based on these people’s pure, unadulterated hate for him they’re willing to play the fool, writing and publicizing utter nonsense, to try and tarnish him somehow.

Using their exact same logic, each of these people is guilty of the same sorts of “bad” associations.

Take Ms. Eaton for example…

Ms. Eaton worked for Alan Keyes’ Senate run as an out-of-state carpetbagger. Alan Keyes is a staunch conservative who hates gay people, even going so far as to very publicly tongue-lash and ostracize his own gay daughter.

Before her career as a partisan, Ms. Eaton also went to college at Missouri Baptist University.

Like Alan Keyes, there’s another conservative fellow out there named Rev. Fred Phelps who despises gay people. Plus, Mr. Phelps leads Westboro Baptist Church in Kansas, the state next to Missouri (where Ms. Eaton went to a Baptist college). In fact, Mr. Phelps is so adamantly against gay people that he has led his congregation to protest military funerals because those soldiers defend America and there are gay people living in America.

Therefore, obviously, Ms. Eaton hates gay people and would protest at military funerals to prove it, no matter what she says. (Given the similarities between her and Mr. Phelps, one can easily ignore what she says since she’s clearly in the wrong anyway.)

Of course, the above is purely for demonstration purposes only. I take Ms. Eaton at her word when she says she rejects the Phelps-brand of rabid and vile hate. I also don’t think she’s racist — at least not outwardly so. But, from the pattern of her writing on this and other topics, she is clearly vacuous and ill-informed with little ambition to actually learn anything new, especially if it may counter her narrow, partisan view of the world. But, using Ms. Eaton’s own brand of cracker jack logic and guilt-by-association, it’s really very easy (and very silly) to prove just how “__insert_synonym_for_’bad’_here__” she really is.

….What’s next? TIME Magazine conservative columnists and CNN conservative guests discussing whether or not Sen. Obama picked his nose in kindergarten and how that clearly demonstrates he hates kittens and puppies?

Well, maybe that thought is too ridiculous, eh? Just remember: Obama, Farrakhan. All you need to do is say the two names. C’mon: Obama, Farrakhan.

Obama…

Farrakhan…

…

…

Black…

PS: Yes, Sen. Obama has repudiated Farrakhan’s past spiteful remarks.

Check out Timmy Baldermann’s issues page.  Who wrote that?  Seriously, I think a 6th grader could have done a better job.

 Timmeh’s issues, copied and pasted verbatim.  My commentary in italics.

Immigration

America is a nation of immigrants. I support people who follow the law and become American citizens legally. However, I do not support giving amnesty or driver’s licenses to people who broke our nation’s laws.
Timmy - Driver’s licenses?  Do you realize that you are running for federal office?  Did you buy Immigration Talking Points for Dummies? 

Taxes

I believe the only way we can fund our priorities and pay down the national debt is by keeping taxes low and fostering economic growth. The American people should be allowed to keep more of what they earn, which is why the tax cuts must be made permanent.

Tim, Tim, Tim.  Once again, I take back that mean comment about Immigration Talking Points for Dummies.  You clearly invested in Republican Talking Points for Kids!!!  Now with MORE STICKERS!!!  So, you propose funding our priorities and paying down the national debt by sticking with a tax cut for the top 1% that caused the deficit to spike?  Maybe you want to get us out of Iraq.  I’ve heard we can save a lot of money if we got out of there…

Health Care

I believe health care considerations should be focused on treating someone’s illness now rather than waiting until the illness has progressed before spending money for treatment.

I also believe America needs a more uniform system that would standardize data and electronic medical records. This type of system would provide a better overall picture to medical professionals of what is working and what is not.

Finally, I strongly favor associations being given the power to develop health plans across state lines. This gives small businesses a chance to compete for discounts that larger organizations receive.

This is, believe it or not, Timmy’s most clearly thought out, most original description of his platform.  Form associations across state lines to get a discount for business.  Treat an illness now, not later.  So, how is someone without insurance going to get that treatment now?   Are you proposing Universal Health Care?  Answer - see the small business proposal.

Iraq

Serving as a police chief in a city close to Chicago-which has been on many terrorists’ hit lists-has given me significant insight as to what needs to be done to protect the American people. We cannot turn Iraq over to terrorists so they can plot future attacks against the United States. The surge is working and the terrorists are losing support. I believe the problem in Iraq is political in nature. The Sunnis, Shiite and the Kurds must feel included with a stake in the future of Iraq.

OMG!!!!  Chicago Ridge is so totally on Osama Bin Laden’s hit list!!!  And the Iraqi’s totally planned all those terror attacks around the world!!!  The surge is totally working!!! Just keep paying everybody off so they can build up their ammo stocks for the civil war!!!  The Sunni, the Shi’ia, and the Kurds need to get along?!  Amazing insight, chief!!

Education

My experience as president of the New Lenox School Board gives me great insight as our nation is about to rewrite the No Child Left Behind law. Before the No Child Left Behind act, federal education policy focused on access to education, now the focus has shifted to accountability. There are however, flaws that I believe must be addressed before the law is reauthorized.

And those flaws are…?  Care to fill the rest of us in?  Or is that double secret information?

And that’s all folks.  There are 5 issues pending in the 11th Congressional District.  And none of them include your standard GOP talking points on Guns, Gays, and Abortion.  No mention of Peotone.  No mention of crime (and this guy is supposed to be a cop). 

Man, corrupt and incompetent.  It’s no wonder Jerry Weller handpicked him.

Oh dear… I’ll have more on this race shortly. (I keep saying that, but the primary’s coming up so I should probably finish up my thoughts on this race soon, eh?)

Basics are that State Rep. Carolyn Krause is retiring from the 66th State House district covering all or part of Elk Grove, Arlington Heights, Mt. Prospect, etc. This office is the western counterpart to freshman State Sen. Dan Kotowski’s 33rd State Senate district.

Running for this open seat on the Dem side we have Vietnam Veteran and business executive Mark Walker, a great guy and a friend of mine (that’d be a disclosure, btw).

On the Repub side we have Elk Grove Trustee Chris Prochno versus Arlington Hts resident Laura Bartell.

Turns out that Ms. Bartell is alleging Ms. Prochno is turning to “negative campaign tactics” in the weeks ahead of their primary, which if true is unfortunate given that these communities are all rather close to each other and, in the main, neighborly:

Dear Supporters,

The Bartell campaign has received word that Christine Prochno has engaged in negative campaign tactics including anonymous negative phone calls.

Laura Bartell and her campaign absolutely reject Prochno’s smear attempts. Laura has decided to run her campaign on the principles Prochno apparently finds abhorrent: honesty and competency. We believe that the voters of the 66th district are more interested in a campaign that offers property tax relief, better schools, ethics and immigration reform than a campaign who can only offer mysterious calls promising to divide the Republican coalition in our area.

For more information on Laura and her campaign, please visit [the Bartell site]

A propos of nothing, the previous one-day record for overall visits to this blog had been 390 visitors; set last summer.

Yesterday, 382 folks enjoyed a single post on the comedic stylings of John Bambenek, filer of completely inane frivolous legal threats based solely on his myopic misreading of laws. That one post, at 382 reads (plus however many unrecorded views), nearly totalled the entirety of the previous one day record. (The overall site visits yesterday totalled 772 on the strength of a link from Kagro X, obliterating that old record.)

Call it the Bambi Effect: Mr. Bambenek’s moronic misinterpretation of the law and regulatory boards’ legal decisions is so spectacularly stupid that his idiocy was actually able to not just spike traffic to this blog, but blow the previous record out of the water.

Congrats on that dubious distinction, Bambi.

Now back to our regularly scheduled debunking of conservative lunacy.

Boo hoo.

Illinois Review editor Fran Eaton is rather upset that her bud John Bambenek is again being pilloried as a fool for his incredibly dense lack of reasoning when it comes to the application of electoral law. For some reason her dour mood has led her to pull a completely idiotic Potemkin argument out of her cracker jack box of irrational rants by suggesting that the American folks over at Daily Kos must be overly violent due to … video games.

What?!

Read the rest of this entry »

The other day I noted that conservative MarathonPundit John Ruberry had gotten in on the cons’ run of anti-Christian smears, tarring Sen. Obama’s faith and congregation as conservative blog editor Fran Eaton had also done so many times before. Mr. Ruberry was so smitten with this line of attack that he copied his original source, Pajamas Mafia writer Burt Prelutsky, wholesale by peddling the kindergarten epithet that Sen. Obama’s church is somehow “creepy” simply for engaging in Christian charity and witnessing their faith as they know it.

As folks who appreciate honesty are compelled to do in the wake of this onslaught of slime to explain the history of the African American Christian experience in this land of liberty a plethora of factual information has been made available online. Given that this context is there, ready to be explored and all set to quickly and effortlessly debunk the conservatives’ smears, it is abundantly clear that conservative partisans are choosing to ignore the truth in favor of deliberate misinformation about Sen. Obama’s Christianity, the tenets of Trinity United Church of Christ, and the UCC denomination itself.

So the question is why would conservatives even attempt this 2008 version of swiftboating, in which they use lies and half-baked malarkey to declare that Sen. Obama’s faith is in some way “controversial,” to put it very politely. (Swiftboating is generally regarded as the act of lying about an opponents’ perceived strong suit in order to denigrate and diminish the strength of that issue.)

A few possibilities present themselves…

Read the rest of this entry »

Just in case you were wondering, “academic professional” John Bambenek apparently still hasn’t learned how to read, let alone comprehend basic concepts…

I’m wondering how long it’s going to take the Illinois Civil Justice League to notice that the conservative Mr. Bambenek really enjoys promoting frivolous lawsuits and other odds and ends. (But I’m not holding my breath.)

UPDATE: Kagro X offers several reasons why Mr. Bambenek is spectacularly stupid … and a few choice words for the regurgitating media who would bother to offer him a platform to publicize such stupidity as if it were somehow newsworthy.

In yet another case of “m-fer” cons trying to infopimp outright lies that are easily debunked, notorious Aussie conservative and m-fing bigwig Rupert Murdoch hopes to help Sen. Hillary Clinton’s quest for the Democratic nomination with some bullpuckey about Sen. Barack Obama’s victory speech after the recently held Iowa caucuses. As if lying about Sen. Obama’s upbringing and his Christian faith weren’t enough, now they need to lie about something as simple as musical selections at rallies?

A bald-faced lie from Mr. Murdoch’s New York Post “Gossip” page (maybe “gossip” has something to do with it being a complete lie… still):

January 14, 2008 — PRESIDENTIAL hopeful Barack Obama claims to run a clean campaign, but someone in his camp took a swipe at Hillary Clinton through the candidate’s theme song. [U2 and Stevie Wonder are controversial?]

As Obama and his wife, Michelle, strolled triumphantly into his victory party in Des Moines, Iowa, on Jan. 3, Jay-Z’s “99 Problems” was blaring. In it, Jay raps, “I got 99 problems, but a bitch ain’t one.” [Umm, didn't happen liar.]

Some listeners took it as a not-so-sly reference to Hillary. [What "listeners"? The song wasn't played.]

“We didn’t know he used that,” a shocked Clinton spokesperson said. [Because he didn't. Shocking, I know.]

Unfortunately for Mr. Murdoch (and the unnamed Clinton staffer who plays along), not only were people there but TV cameras were also filming and the Boston Globe already noted the playlist (no rapper in sight):

At the rally when Obama was more than a half-hour late, Thompson, an Austin, Texas, native, had the responsibility to keep the crowd happy and anticipating. To help do that, he mixed in oldies with some newer choices by Natasha Bedingfield and India.aire, keeping the message close to Obama’s themes of hope and possibility.

Here are the songs on the Obama playlist on Saturday:

1. Marvin Gaye, “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”

1. John Parr, “St. Elmo’s Fire (Man in Motion)”

1. Tina Turner, “The Best”

1. The Doobie Brothers, “Takin’ It To The Streets”

1. Earth, Wind & Fire, “Shining Star”

1. O’Jays, “Give The People What They Want”

1. Sam and Dave, “Hold On I’m Coming”

1. Kool & the Gang, “Celebration”

1. Natasha Bedingfield, “Unwritten”

1. The Isley Brothers, “Shout”

1. The Temptations, “Get Ready”

1. India.aire, “There’s Hope”

1. McFadden and Whitehead, “Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now”

1. Staples Singers, “I’ll Take You There”

1. Orleans, “Still The One”

1. Sly and the Family Stone, “Everyday People”

1. The Doobie Bros., “Long Train Running”

1. Stevie Wonder, “Sir Duke”

1. John Fogarty, “Centerfield”

Also noted: Obama took the stage to U2’s “City of Blinding Lights,” and he departed to Stevie Wonder’s “Signed, Sealed, Delivered.”

Sounds like a decent, uplifting playlist suitable for any political gathering (left or right).

The author of the Post’s craptacular “Page Six” is Richard Johnson. Feel free to let him know he’s a moron at richard.johnson@nypost.com — be polite if you like. You might also wish to include Gossip Editor Steve Cuozzo at scuozzo@nypost.com and perhaps write a letter to the editor via letters@nypost.com — or just call (212) 930-8000.

Why do these “m-fers” continue to promote blatant lies as if honest folks can’t just go online and tell the truth?! How stupid do m-fer conservatives think Americans are?

What’s next? Will conservatives claim they heard Sen. Obama cussing while ordering iced tea, m-fer?

(For those who don’t get the joke and are wont to complain, the multiple “m-fer” references are to conservative pundit Bill O’Reilly’s racist “observations” about black folks eating dinner in a restaurant.)

(h/t Geekesque)

Internal polling came out over the weekend from the Seals campaign, so while I would normally say, take it with a grain of salt, this is pretty astounding - 58-10.  This poll was conducted after Jay Footlik went on the air, and his numbers moved by 4 percentage points from the last internal Seals poll (58-6).  Still a lot of undecideds, and Seals isn’t bolstering his numbers, but at 58-10, Seals doesn’t seem to have a lot to worry about.

 So, Jay, why are you running again?  Besides that strange sense of entitlement that seems to come from being in D.C.?   And, just in case you needed more reason to dislike Jay Footlik, apparently he is a regular on FoxNews:

“Footlik also provides frequent commentary on the Fox News Network.”

 That’s from Jay’s own bio at the Jewish National Fund.  And, is Jay misrepresenting his position with the Kerry campaign?  He likes to say that he was a “Senior Advisor on Middle East and Jewish Affairs,” but, other sources say that he was nothing more than a “liason to the American Jewish Community” (not exactly foreign policy, there).  What did you do for the Kerry campaign, Jay?

Anyway, that’s enough harping on poor Jay Footlik.  In other Dan Seals news, the Pioneer Press  endorsed Dan today.

In Mark Pera news, Pera canvassers are widely noting that no other campaigns seem to be active on the ground.  Yoda, at PSB, notes that she knocked on the door of a machine Precinct Captain, who didn’t seem to be in the best of physical condition, causing her to wonder if anyone is taking care of his precinct.  She also noted a distinct lack of campaign signs for anyone but Pera.  And this is after the Pera campaign started wading into machine strongholds, like the 11th ward.   She also noted a great deal of potential for vote fraud in the district, with lots of people registered at addresses that they no longer live at (including, yes, the deceased).

Frank Palmer, at DailyKos, noted similar results from his precinct work.  Little in the way of visibility from those outside of the Pera campaign. 

 Finally, Rich Miller notes more immaturity from the Aaron Strangelove campaign.  Apparently, though Mr. Strangelove is a pretty bright kid (academically speaking), he’s not above fluffing his resume to try to make it sound more impressive.  Here’s some advice for Mr. Strangelove.  If you graduate from High School early (except for phys ed), and graduate from college in 3 years, that is quite impressive.  You don’t need to lie and say you did the college thing in 2 years.  Plus, your ad doesn’t state that you graduated from BRADLEY.  Some may assume that you graduated with an Associates Degree from ICC, not a bachelor’s degree from Bradley. 

Academically, Mr. Strangelove may be a bright boy, but he lacks people and political skills in a big way.  He had good enough political skills to win offices at a young age, but it looks like he should have spent more time in Springfield learning to play with the big dogs.

 Note - I’ve decided to stop calling him Aaron Schock.  Aaron Strangelove just fits better. 

Note 2 - A special request to the Clinton campaign - please cease with the surrogate racist attacks on Senator Obama.  At this point, I will vote for Dennis Kucinich before I cast a ballot for Clinton.  The more racist you go, the harder it will be to vote for you in the fall, should you win the nomination.  Racist doesn’t look good on you, Hillary.

Get your rubber duckies.

For some time now I’ve been butting heads with Bruno Behrend and other self-described “global warming deniers” on a variety of issues. (Given that these folks choose to find sand and promptly place their heads in it instead of acknowleding, oh, say… reality… you’d expect they would butt heads when it comes to having facts pointed out to them.)

One of the particular points that always seemed to get Mr. Behrend’s goat was the fact that ice in Antarctica was breaking away and melting off. He (and his denieralist buddies) would always claim ice was growing in Antarctica. (Oddly, he rarely cited actual statistics or studies. In an exception, he did mention some 2005 reports about ice thickening.)

Technically, if you remove all context, we were both right. Ice was melting at a variety of Antarctic sites. Mr. Behrend liked to point out it was melting “at the fringes” (well, the “fringes” of Antarctica would be the warmer edges, lapped by waves from the southern oceans). Simultaneously, additional “energy” in the atmosphere (energy generated by what now?!) was leading to more moisture arriving in Antarctic weather fronts — thus more snow at the bottom of the world.

Turns out the ice melt I keep bringing up (and Mr. Behrend keeps ignoring) is happening faster than expected and is outpacing any additional “ice thickening”. Of course, the more ice that melts from the poles (either top or bottom) the higher the sea levels rise world wide and the more liquid and atmospheric moisture available for generating severe weather systems.

Oops. Too bad for ostriches like Mr. Behrend facts are sticky things.

I wrote about another fib-filled “Obama’s a Muslim” chain email a few days ago. Conservative partisans appear bound and determined to make a drinking game out of these schlocky, moronic, pack-o-lies emails about Sen. Obama.

Take one swig for every con lie about Sen. Obama and you’ll be drunk by the fourth poorly-written sentence

Here’s another one — and this, friends, is the fallacy-based email which got the head of the entire United Church of Christ denomination to debunk it. Again I shall provide snarky retorts shining the bright light of truth [in brackets] for your drinking game enjoyment.

Make sure you designate a sober driver now…

–

FW: OBAMA’S CHURCH

Parts of this are true & can be documented on Truth or Fiction. ["Parts" of this are true...? More like almost none of this bullcrap is true. So why forward it?]

Obama’s middle name is not Mohammed it is Hussein. [Well, ok, his middle name actually is "Hussein". Parents are funny like that. Now that he's running as a Democrat for president, conservative ne'er-do-wells are left to ponder calling him "BO" which is funny in a Beavis and Butthead kinda way ... or calling him "Barack Hussein Obama" which is clearly pandering in a We Have Everything to Fear Including Middle Names Themselves ... The possibilities are endless, and pointless. Think of all the guys out there during WWII whose middle names, or even first names, were "Adolf". I bet that stunk.]

The following paragraphs are obviously slanted [oh really? I couldn't tell] - BUT - you do need to visit this church’s web site - EXTREMELY INTERESTNG! [Well, they do try to have a lively Sunday service for the folks who come to worship.]

OBAMA’S CHURCH

Obama mentioned his church during his appearance with Oprah. It’s the Trinity Church of Christ [try "Trinity United Church of Christ" -- a full-fledged congregation in good standing within the United Church of Christ denomination].

I found this interesting. Obama’s church: http://www.tucc.org/about.htm [Why, I bet that link is included to try and trick white people into thinking this church is an evil cult of black "separatist supremacist mojo maniacs", or something.]

Please read and go to this church’ s website and read what is written there. It is very alarming. [Yep, I was right about thinking this might be a ruse to trick people into thinking this normal, albeit African-American, church is an evil cult of mojo maniacs, or something. There's really nothing "alarming" about Trinity, if one cares to learn about the history of black churches and their good deeds in our fine country.]

Barack Obama is a member of this church and is running for President of the U. S. [You mean this isn't about Lichtenstein?]

If you look at the first page of their website, you will learn that this congregation has a non-negotiable commitment to Africa. [Let's see... Christians contribute offerings as an effort to help those less fortunate. The African continent is full of people suffering from poverty, disease, famine and war. Seems only natural that good Christians would indeed have a non-negotiable commitment to helping the destitute. ...Wait. This just in... Barack Obama might be ... wha? "Black"? You mean he's ... "black"?! And he's running for president?! Mercy me. What's this country coming to?!]

No where is AMERICA even mentioned. [...Except by the conservative partisans who lie about this church demanding quotas and affirmative action.] Notice too, what color you will need to be if you should want to join Obama’s church… B-L-A-C-K!!! [Wow! Somebody forgot to tell all the white people that attend services at this church. Oops. Or maybe this is another one of the not-true parts in this email described as "parts of this are true".]

Doesn’t look like his choice of religion has improved much over his (former?) Muslim upbringing. [OK, now we're all just confused. The other MUST READ Obama email said he still was Muslim, even though actual facts differ with that lie. Can't these anonymous email liars get their lies straight?!]

Are you aware that Obama’s middle name is Mohammed? [No. Because it's not, even though apparently conservative radio hosts wish it would be.]

Strip away his nice looks, the big smile and smooth talk and what do you get? [I dunno... A US Senator from Illinois?]

Certainly a racist [Darn, I was wrong again. Here I thought for sure he was a US Senator from Illinois], as plainly defined by the stated position of his church! [Wait, I read that webpage about the church just like this email asked me to. All I saw was a historically African-American church, as committed to its heritage, its community and its congregants as any fine church would be. There was that part about a "commitment" to Africa and African Americans... but then again even Missouri Synod Lutherans are committed to Europe. Go figure.]

And possibly a covert worshiper of the Muslim faith, even today. [I heard he actually worshipped the surf and sand. Hang Ten, Baby! What baseless rumors have you heard? Does he really secretly worship cheeseburgers?] This guy desires to rule over America while his loyalty is totally vested in a Black Africa! [Oh dear, my white friends, now they've gone and done it. We can't have "the blacks" taking over, now can we? It'd be mayhem, eh? Say, I thought kings and emperors "ruled" over their countries. Isn't a president supposed to "lead"?]

I cannot believe this has not been all over the TV and newspapers. [Well... it is complete and utter BS... Though by now if you've been drinking along half the bottle's probably gone, so at least it's turned into fun BS.]

This is why it is so important to pass this message along to all of our family & friends. [Is this anonymous email promoting drunken stupors?!] To think that Obama has even the slightest chance in the run for the presidency, is really scary. [Might be scary for racist jerks, but not for most rational and honest Americans.]

Click on the link below: This is the web page for the church Barack Obama belongs to:

www.tucc.org/about.htm [Dude, we already went through this... Wouldn't it be funny if Trinity United Church of Christ changed that webpage around to show a picture of Jesus helping the poor? Wait, then the cons would just squeal that that's too "Afro-centric" a picture or something equally inane.]

–

UPDATE: Newsweek debunks the baloney

Now white conservatives are yelping that Christians are “creepy”? Blech.

MarathonPundit John Ruberry gets in on the conservatives’ streak of anti-Christian smears by quoting heavily from a short-sighted Pajamas Mafia rant by Burt Prelutsky and then diving further off the deep end with his own riff opposing Sen. Obama’s Christian church (Trinity United Church of Christ) and twisting the church’s tenets into an anti-Christian meme only a partisan con could dream up.

The only thing “creepy” and “race-based” here is the conservatives’ clearly deliberate misinformation campaign against this Christian church, one of its congregants (Sen. Obama) and its pastor. (Given how much accurate information about Trinity United Church of Christ is now available online as honest Americans explain the church and its tenets to ignorant conservative partisans over and over one can only presume that any such continued misinformation campaign — such as with Mr. Ruberry’s post — is, in fact, deliberate.)

As part of his screed about black Christians Mr. Ruberry, not known for being the sharpest crayon in the box, also quoted from a sermon by Trinity’s pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, in which the good reverend concluded his sermon with a four-letter word. Mr. Ruberry apparently thinks that Rev. Wright’s cussing is, well, naughty.

So?

Not so surprisingly, after I pointed out that Mr. Prelutsky’s myopic retching was unfounded in light of the facts and actual context and that everything in the sermon by Rev. Wright (which Mr. Ruberry questioned) was accurate and true, Mr. Ruberry’s only remaining defense for his complaints was that this church’s magazine gave an award to Louis Farrakhan.

Again… So?

Mr. Farrakhan has received other awards from other organizations. This particular award was given in honor of Mr. Farrakhan’s work at improving the lot of peoples in Africa. For all his many, many faults, one cannot deny that Mr. Farrakhan has actually done work to improve the plight of folks in Africa.

Had Mr. Ruberry perhaps dedicated a portion of his life’s work to the same endeavor he too might’ve earned the award. There’s still time for him since he’s a relatively young guy.

Then again, what on earth does this oddball tangent have to do with Barack Obama? As I noted for Mr. Ruberry, Sen. Obama had nothing to do with giving out this award. Nothing.

It would be as if people went around blaming John Ruberry for the many sad cases of priest sex abuse rocking the Catholic Church in America. He did tell us in this post that he was baptized Catholic, after all. He obviously had nothing to do with it, but he was baptized Catholic and this is an issue in the Catholic Church so, if someone was prone to dishonest smear campaigns, it’s ripe for the plucking, nay?

Wait a sec. Mr. Ruberry has made it clear he despises Sen. Obama through his years of blogposts. Oh, silly me. Clearly, Mr. Ruberry must be infected with Blame Obama syndrome (obviously an evolved form of Blame Clinton syndrome, which seems to have infected many a conservative for well over a decade and a half now).

That explains why Mr. Ruberry would, in the same post no less, both criticize Sen. Obama for “disinviting” Rev. Wright from speaking on stage during his campaign kick-off last year and demand that Sen. Obama distance himself from Rev. Wright. Mighty convenient being able to set up a little Catch-22 for partisan gain, isn’t it?

It also helps Mr. Ruberry and his fellow conservatives avoid having to debate the real issues affecting our country, seeing as how it has been conservative slash-and-burn policies which got our great nation into the “wrong track” state it finds itself nowadays. Imagine that.

Ya know what? It was cloudy and chilly today. Obviously that too was a result of the fact that Sen. Obama’s church held services this Sunday. Obviously.

–

UPDATE: Mr. Ruberry has chosen to defend his indefensible anti-Christian rhetoric with this here reply.

Note my response in kind:

Wow, John. Open your mouth and prove my points…

First, I didn’t attack you. I attacked your lack of reason and rationality. If you consider that to be one and the same then so be it. I notice you decided not to link to the evidence I provided regarding my claim that you’re not known for being the sharpest crayon.

Second, I already answered your hollow complaint (mirroring Mr. Prelutsky’s) wondering why Mitt Romney’s Mormon faith is “fair game” while you seem to think Barack Obama is not being held to the same standard.

…There’s that “sharpest crayon” thing again, so I’ll try to simplify it for you.

It is the social conservatives (aka, Evangelical conservatives, Religious Right, etc.) which are questioning Gov. Romney’s faith. Those same folks (you know of Fran Eaton, don’t you?) are doing the same with Sen. Obama.

These folks are, unfortunately enough, twisting information about both men and both faiths. At least with Gov. Romney, Ms. Eaton had the decency to admit the Evangelicals’ infopimping was misleading and erroneous. Unfortunately for those of us interested in honesty, she has yet to do that with regards to her incessant misinformation campaign regarding the Christians at Trinity UCC.

You yourself chose to continue that disinformation campaign with your own anti-Christian screed opposing charity and compassion simply because black people would be the recipients of such Christian generosity. So be it: your choice.

Third, I’m glad you at least grasped my point that even though you were baptized Catholic you have nothing to do with the pedophilia scandal. Too bad you missed the point that even though Sen. Obama attends Trinity United Church of Christ he has nothing to do with Louis Farrakhan. Mr. Farrakhan, a Muslim, is himself not even a member of that church since he doesn’t share the same faith as Sen. Obama, a Christian. Another point you apparently fail to grasp.

Fourth, clearly you’re duplicitous yourself. I know you are, but what am I? So there. Just kidding… sorta.

My point was that you were condemning Sen. Obama for both somehow not distancing himself from Rev. Wright and then for actually distancing himself from the Reverend. You can’t have it both ways (even if you do try to move the goalposts after the fact and change your story ever so slightly). Either you don’t want him to distance himself from the Reverend or you do.

Finally, if you wish to compare yourself to a “White Nationalist Rock” teen girl band be my guest. I gave you the benefit of the doubt — wasn’t going to go there, and certainly nowhere near as far as you did with your soliloquy — but apparently I offered too much benefit and not enough doubt about your motives. (For the record, note the date of this linked post and then skip to the 13th paragraph — I know as well as you who/what “Prussian Blue” is).

But since you apparently wish to accept that crown, maybe you can learn to dance like those two home-schooled twins were taught to do by their mother… that is before your next post pooh-poohing black, Christian Americans apparently just because they’re, well, black and Christian.

–

UPDATE 2: Newsweek debunks the baloney

Based on the completely off-topic posts being left at the entry about the conservative partisans’ lies regarding Sen. Obama’s faith and his Christian church it seems some folks want a little playground to romp around in… Have at it, y’all.

I don’t take kindly to partisan attacks, least of all partisan attacks on people’s faith (or even their atheism should that be their choice in our free society). I’ve written a number of times about crass, hypocritical smears coming from the ill-informed editor of the conservative blog Illinois Review, Fran Eaton, a long-time and well-documented Obama hater and former Alan Keyes campaigner.

Ms. Eaton is hardly alone in her partisan, anti-Christian zeal.

As Ms. Eaton’s quest to tar and feather Sen. Obama’s fellow Christians at his home congregation, Trinity United Church of Christ, has progressed and, indeed, mushroomed in recent days I’ve been compelled to respond multiple times (here and here) in the past week. Earlier posts criticizing Ms. Eaton’s anti-Christian screeds have also appeared here, here, here, here, and even here. (She’s been at it a while and seems quite proud of the fact she’s been able to pull the wool over so many reporters’ and interviewers’ eyes. Go figure.)

Ms. Eaton, unfortunately for us honest Americans, is far from the only partisan conservative to have engaged in this bizarrely anti-Christian, twisted malice against Sen. Obama’s faith and church. There have been TV and radio segments by conservative talking heads; countless deceptive postings at conservative blogs and websites; “mainstream” reports questioning Trinity United Church of Christ in legacy media such as CNN, the Chicago Tribune and USA Today; and, increasingly, chain emails peddling lie after lie about Sen. Obama’s faith circulated nationwide.

Now, as these attacks have grown ever wider and ever more false and deceptive (a pattern having all the appearances of being deliberate and well-calibrated), the general minister and president of Sen. Obama’s very denomination, the United Church of Christ, has spoken out against the smear campaign.

According to an article on the UCC’s own website, the Rev. John H. Thomas (General Minister and President of the United Church of Christ) denounced the cons’ fallacies as “absurd, mean-spirited and politically motivated.”

Here is more from that 1/11/08 article by J. Bennett Guess on UCC.org:

Thomas denounces smear campaign against UCC’s largest congregation

Written by J. Bennett Guess
January 11, 2008
A ramped-up smear campaign against the UCC’s largest congregation and U.S. Sen. Barack Obama’s home church — Trinity UCC in Chicago — has raised the ire of the Rev. John H. Thomas, the UCC’s general minister and president, who called the e-mail-driven claims “absurd, mean-spirited and politically motivated.”

“Our national offices in Cleveland, as well as other settings of the UCC, have been forwarded countless e-mails that obviously derive from a similar source,” Thomas said. “They contain misleading statements obviously meant to undermine the integrity of one of our most vibrant, mission-driven congregations.”

Thomas said, while it’s not his intent to come to the aid of Obama or any presidential candidate, he does feel it’s imperative that “absurd, mean-spirited and politically-motivated attacks against one of our UCC churches be challenged forthrightly.”

Obama, who is seeking the Democratic nomination for president, has been a member of Trinity UCC for 20 years.

Since Obama won the Iowa caucuses on Jan. 3, a flurry of e-mail messages with identical language and sentiment began circulating across the internet, claiming that Trinity UCC was a “racist” congregation because of its long-stated church motto: “Unashamedly Black, Unapologetically Christian.”

“Trinity UCC is rooted in and proud of its Afrocentric heritage,” Thomas said. “This is no different than the hundreds of UCC churches from the German Evangelical and Reformed stream that continue to own and celebrate their German heritage, insisting on annual sausage and sauerkraut dinners and singing Stille Nacht on Christmas Eve. Recognizing and celebrating our distinctive racial-ethnic heritages, cultures, languages and customs are what make us unique as a united and uniting denomination.”

While Trinity UCC is predominately African American, it does include and welcome non-Black members. The Rev. Jane Fisler-Hoffman, Illinois Conference Minister, who is white, has been a member of the congregation for years.

“Trinity is a destination church for many members of the UCC, a multi-racial, multi-cultural denomination that is largely Caucasian,” Thomas pointed out. “When in Chicago, many UCC members flock to Trinity to share in and learn from its vibrant ministries, dynamic worship and justice-minded membership. Contrary to the claims made in these hateful emails, UCC members know Trinity to be one of the most welcoming, hospitable and generous congregations in our denomination.” [...]

While the circulating emails are written to appear as if they are coming from a groundswell of persons, with different names and email addresses, each uses nearly identical language, makes similar claims and even manages to make the same mistakes. For example, each makes introductory reference to “Trinity Church of Christ” instead of “Trinity United Church of Christ.”

“It’s clear that someone is using the internet to give the appearance of widespread concern and, thus, to hopefully create traction for this absurd story,” Thomas said.

About the UCC

Formed by name in 1957 by the union of the Congregational Christian Churches in America and the [German] Evangelical and Reformed Church, the UCC’s roots in American history are deep. Eleven signers of the Declaration of Independence were from UCC traditions, and a full 10 percent of present-day UCC congregations were formed prior to 1776.

Many UCC churches trace their founding to the early 1600s, when the Pilgrims and Puritans first came to America. These Congregationalists, as they became known, sought religious independence from persecuting political authorities in Europe. They believed firmly in local church autonomy, covenantal church life, personal piety and the priesthood of all believers.

Today, the UCC holds firmly to these early religious tenets. Often recognized for its historical and contemporary social justice commitments, its present-day approach to worship, however, might be considered traditional by most standards. [...]

Known for arriving early on social justice issues, the church’s history includes being the first to practice democracy in church governance (1630), the first to ordain an African-American pastor (1785), the first to ordain a woman (1853), the first to ordain an openly gay man (1972), and the first to support same-gender marriage equality (2005).

In 1773, Old South UCC in Boston helped inspire the Boston Tea Party and, in 1777, Old Zion Reformed UCC in Allentown, Pa., hid the Liberty Bell from occupying British forces.

Hundreds of schools including Harvard, Yale, Dartmouth, Howard, Fisk, Wellesley, Smith and Oberlin owe their beginnings to the UCC. The UCC’s publishing company, The Pilgrim Press, is the oldest publisher of books in North America. [...]

The article also describes the history of Chicago’s Trinity United Church of Christ, growing from beginnings in the 1960s with about 80+ families when the Rev. Jeremiah Wright (another target of the conserv-o-partisans acid-tongued vitriol) to the current congregation size of about 8000 Christians.

It also mentions that, coincidentally, there are 5 Republican and 5 Democratic members of Congress who are also UCC congregants (as well as a smattering of Governors and other officials, past and present). Among the Republicans is another member of Illinois’ Congressional delegation (beside Sen. Obama): US Congressman Mark Kirk of Illinois’ 10th district in the north and northwest Chicago suburbs.

As I noted in an earlier comment on another post, I find the hypocritical, misinformed and blatantly partisan attacks on Sen. Obama’s fellow Christians in the congregation of Trinity United Church of Christ, as well as the larger UCC denomination itself, to be utterly repugnant, intolerant and unAmerican.

As I have repeatedly disclosed I do support Sen. Obama’s run for President of the United States. But regardless of that, this Missouri Synod born, baptised, raised and confirmed Lutheran is standing right there with UCC congregants as partisan conservatives — many of whom claim to be Christian themselves — attempt this modern day stoning to belittle, demean and ostracize another denomination’s Christian faith. Welcome to the Republicans’ Bizarro-world definition of “values voters” where up is down, good is bad … and, apparently, saying “black” (as the tenets of the Trinity congregation do) is not white, but it is bad.

Next up for the conservatives’ fallacy-based attack machine? White people (after folks grow weary of their hypocritical anti-Christian venom).

(c/p at Prairie State Blue and Daily Kos)

–

UPDATE: Newsweek debunks the baloney

UPDATE: Hey kids, there’s more than one of these hilarious, lie-filled chain emails floating around. Conservative partisans must be bored and have some time on their hands to make all this stuff up… Why don’t they want to talk about how they plan to solve the many problems conservative policy has created in the past 8 or so years instead of writing easily debunked baloney?

Now back to your regularly schedule snark.

–

A Daily Kos diarist sent this after receiving it himself. He replied with a detailed point-by-point rebuttal.

I’ll simply say that if you were to head to the Snopes.com Obama entry about all the conservatives’ lies about Sen. Obama being infopimped in chain emails (like the one below) and even spread through websites, blogs, newspapers, radio and TV …. well, that Snopes.com entry about Sen. Obama debunks Every. Single. One. of the conservatives’ lies found below.

(Again, why do conservatives tell people they can look something up to “verify” when they know full well if they do look it up the truth debunks their lies?!? Dick Cheney did this in one of the 2004 debates — he told us we could “look it up” and when we did, we found out he had lied. Duh.)

Warning! The following conservative chain mail is absolute bullshit (and I couldn’t resist being snarky in response):

Subject: Who is Barack Obama?/PLEASE READ!!!!

Who is Barack Obama?

Very interesting and something that should be considered in your choice.

If you do not ever forward anything else, please forward this to all your contacts…this is very scary to think of what lies ahead of us here in our own United States…better heed this and pray about it and share it.

We checked this out on ‘