The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #101088   Message #2245508
Posted By: Azizi
26-Jan-08 - 01:46 PM
Thread Name: BS: Popular Views on Obama
Subject: RE: BS: Popular Views on Obama
Here's an excerpt from Media Matter that includes Senator Barack Obama's statement regarding Trumpet Magazine's award to the African American Muslim minister {and former calyspo singer} Louis Farrakhan:

"Ignoring Obama's statement on Trumpet award, Hannity suggested that Obama "associated" himself with Farrakhan

"During the January 17 edition of Fox News' Hannity and Colmes, co-host Sean Hannity discussed an award given to Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan by Trumpet Newsmagazine -- a publication founded by Chicago's Trinity United Church of Christ, of which Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) is a parishioner. Hannity asked, "Now, if any Republican associated themselves with a anti-Semite racist, and if you replaced the word black with white and went to that type of church, wouldn't that be a huge deal in this campaign?" But in suggesting that Obama "associated" himself with Farrakhan, Hannity did not note that Obama issued a statement "condemn[ing]" Farrakhan's "anti-Semitic statements" and saying of the Trumpet award: "[I]t is not a decision with which I agree."

In his January 15 Washington Post column, Richard Cohen wrote: "Every year, [Trumpet] makes awards in various categories. Last year, it gave the Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr. Trumpeter Award to a man it said 'truly epitomized greatness.' That man is Louis Farrakhan." A report posted that same day on washingtonpost.com's The Trail blog provided a statement from Obama criticizing Farrakhan and disagreeing with the magazine's decision to give him the award:

[T]his afternoon, the Obama campaign responded with an unequivocal statement on it from the candidate himself.

"I decry racism and anti-Semitism in every form and strongly condemn the anti-Semitic statements made by Minister Farrakhan," Obama said in the statement. "I assume that Trumpet Magazine made its own decision to honor Farrakhan based on his efforts to rehabilitate ex-offenders, but it is not a decision with which I agree."

Also discussing Obama's church on January 17, Hannity stated that "Barack Obama's pastor ... talks about the Black Value System. Why not the Christian value system?" But as Media Matters documented, Trinity United Church of Christ refers to itself as "Unashamedly Black and Unapologetically Christian," [emphasis added], while the "Black Value System" encourages parishioners to be "soldiers for Black freedom and the dignity of all humankind."

http://mediamatters.org/items/200801180006