…or so the ScaryRightWing Crosswalk would have you believe:
Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) criticized Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean Wednesday night for using “religion to divide.”
Obama told reporters gathered at the Rock the Vote awards dinner at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C., that Dean needs to tone down his rhetoric. Dean said on Monday that the Republican Party was “pretty much a white, Christian party.”
“As somebody who is a Christian myself, I don’t like it when people use religion to divide, whether that is Republican or Democrat,” Obama said. “I think in terms of his role as party spokesman, [Dean] probably needs to be a little more careful and I suspect that is a message he is going to be getting from a number of us,” Obama explained.
Anybody want to bet Obama comes back to clarify his statement and use the clarification to take a shot at the partisan hacks who write this kind of crap?
Anybody want to challenge him to do just that?
[Update]: Slightly OT, but oh well: the Rude Pundit has his own take on Dean. Warning: as Atrios says, the RP does live up to his name.
a number of us is, “Don’t give aid and comfort to the enemy!”
How, exactly, does Dean’s characterization of the Republican Party as “white” and “Christian” constitute “using religion to divide”?
You should know better, Senator O.
Fondly,
A member of the Barack Brigade
I’m not sure Obama was even aiming his comments at Dean. He could have been speaking generally.
I’m going off to look it up right now.
Isn’t that interesting. The story only shows up on Town Hall, NewsMax, etc., the usual rabble-rousers.
Somehow I always trust reporters to quote accurately. I hope this one was made up.
I just checked again: Google news is only reporting Washington Times and other right-wing news orgs. Nothing from the “mainstream” press yet…
This is how the right-wing smear machine works. Misquotes start in small, very conservative publications, then they are quoted by an op-ed columnist in a larger one (like the Washington Post). These things spread and spread until they are “facts”. I mean, look at what they did to Al Gore in the 2000 campaign. Daily Howler follows this kind of thing all the time. We gotta stop these things when they are just germinating.
The quotation is not general, but pertinent to Dean. I couldn’t find it elsewhere, though. Let us know whether you get a reply.
It probably ignores the 11% of African-Americans (18% according to the Joint Center) who voted for Mr. Bush. Not to mention the multiple others who like the President’s faith-based approach, which is finally giving African-American churches (among others) a chance to compete for federal dollars that would otherwise go to mainstream (and usually white run, e.g., Phoenix House) treatment programs.
Are Latinos white? About 1/3 voted for Mr. Bush. An increasing number are identifying with the Republican party.
Mr. Dean has PLENTY of other reasons to attack the Republican party, without the distraction of foot-in-mouth disease that he is starting to show.
Finally, do you think that ANY Republicans actually work for their income?
Stop drinking the Dean kool-aid. He’s no longer representing himself in a hunt for votes. He’s representing the Democratic Party. What he’s saying is NOT pretty. Please don’t try to justify it.
Dear Sen. Obama:
Seeing this piece on the conservative evangelical site Crosswalk, I am fairly confident that your words have been distorted into an attack on Gov. Dean.
I would like to respectfully challenge you to clarify your statement, and to call these people out on their lies.
Thanks so much!
Here’s mine:
Perhaps your words criticizing Howard Dean for using “religion to divide” us were taken out of context?
Dean was correct, but you know that. There is ample evidence, even from the high military brass or the ongoing anti-Semitism at the Air Force Academy, that the Republicans are using religion — THEIR religion, as they want us to understand Christianity — to divide this country.
It’s difficult to like a truth-teller. Turn your guns on the Republicans. It’s the right thing to do. And if Keyes runs again, Senator, it’s the SAFE thing to do!
Like that!
http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2005/06/09/dean_isnt_the_problem/
Excerpt:
“If Democrats want to get outraged, why not get outraged over daily efforts by the Republican National Committee to marginalize Democratic opposition? The RNC dubbed Democrats ”the Party of No.” The RNC is constantly spewing out press releases accusing Democrats of ”hypocritical and obstructionist” comments and ”baseless attacks.” When liberal Democrats stand up to conservatives in Congress, they are derided as ”the Michael Moore branch of the Democratic Party.”
“Yesterday the RNC put out a ”Democrat Leaders’ Report Card” which gave the Democrats an ”F” in communication skills, civics, and unity and an ”A” in obstruction. It is hard to argue with the assessment, and that — not Howard Dean — is the Democrats’ problem.”
civics? What do they mean by that?
What quote is Obama referring to? I don’t remember Dean making a big deal about the Republicans being “Christian” – though I do vaguely remember him making a big deal about them being fundamentalist, I could be mistaken. Also, do we have any confirmation of Obama’s statement from a non-right-wing source? IE, any confirmation at all that the right wing isn’t simply Making Shit Up again?
I am shocked that you could think that Republicans make shit up. 🙂
Seriously, Obama needs to issue a statement ASAP that either explains what he says or disavows it. Yikes. We don’t think he’s running for president already, do we? I mean, he’s been in the Senate now for what, 5 months?
Senator Obama,
I have greatly respected you ever since I heard your speech at the 2004 DNC convention. I have supported you since in all my personal and online dealings. I appreciate having your progressive voice in DC.
Unfortunately, I was very dissappointed to hear of your comments Wednesday night regarding Howard Dean.
For one, I think you should spend more time criticizing the corrupt GOP, rather than taking pot shots at the chairman of your own party.
Second, I believe that it is the Republican Party which has used religion to divide our nation – by claiming that only Christians are true patriots, claiming that those who want to maintain separation of church and state are godless hedonists, and that democrats want to ban the bible. These are only a few examples, and I’m sure you can find many more.
By making these derogatory statements about Dr. Dean, you play into the GOP and the media’s desire to distract the public from the real problems in our country and Iraq.
Thank you for taking to the time to read these remarks, and please consider making an apology to Dr. Dean.
-Mike Bell
Dear Senator Obama,
I saw this quote from you tonight:
“As somebody who is a Christian myself, I don’t like it when people use religion to divide, whether that is Republican or Democrat,” Obama said. “I think in terms of his role as party spokesman, [Dean] probably needs to be a little more careful and I suspect that is a message he is going to be getting from a number of us,” Obama explained.”
I don’t like it when people use religion to divide either — especially when people use religion to try to divide Democrats. Whatever your criticisms of Gov/Dr/Chairman Dean, I would very much appreciate you keeping them out of the media. This is a time when Democrats need to be united, and not taking shots at each other.
Perhaps the next time you’re asked to comment on something another Democrat has said, you could instead point out the myriad problems that the Republicans and the media are not addressing, instead choosing to blow another meaningless comment by a Democrat out of all proportion.
Sincerely, etc. etc.
Hmmm. I’m one of his constituents, but when I went to send him a comment, the page was down due to “technical difficulties.” Could it be our honorable senator has gotten an earful, electronically speaking?
I myself don’t care a bit for this statement about the Republicans being the party of white Christians, or whatever he said. And it’s not that I don’t like whites or Christians, since I’m one of each.
You start throwing racial and religious terms around and you’re going to be in trouble. Just turn the statement around in terms of any other racial label and any other religious label, put it in the mouth of a Republican, and imagine what we liberals would say in response.
Obviously there are ways to defend what Dean says, we don’t have the full context (I don’t, that is), and there are ways to criticize every Dean critic (context seems to be iffy here as well). But how about next time Dean has some phrase in mind that depends on racial and religious labeling that he take it to his friends and get some counsel. Till then, don’t do it.
I followed Dean in 2003 and early 2004 and heard him say several times that he didn’t like how others brought up things that divide us. ‘When they bring up God we’re going to bring up education,’ or words to that effect, that’s a characterization not a quote.
I hate to see any kind of echo chamber support for someone. He might have a real brain, have a clever plan after all to send the Republicans down the tube. Or maybe he doesn’t. But I’m always going to know what I want to hear out of a progressive leader, and this ain’t it.
Dear Senator Obama,
Thank you for your recent criticisms of DNC Chair Howard Dean. His comments were hurtful and divisive. They also needlessly changed the focus from all that’s gone wrong during the Bush Presidency, to a focus on racism within the Democratic Party. Mr. Dean has done a masterful job in alienating potential voters in the 2006 campaign and, if his comments are allowed to stand, will ensure continued support for programs and policies that serve only to hurt working Americans.
I, along with millions of other Americans, am truly comforted by your willingness to speak out.
Again, thanks for all of your work to support progressive policies in America.
Best,
[my nam]
IF this quote by Obama has not been taken out of context, then I’d have to agree with what I perceive it to say.
IF the Democratic party wants to win back some of the moderates that slid over to the Republicans, then insulting them and tarring everyone with a broad brush doesn’t seem to be the way to do that.
But that’s just me.
I agree with Pastor Dan that Mr. Obama may want to clarify his statement so that all perceptions get cleared up.