WARNING: "That liberal Jewett girl" is about to go off.
Don't read on if that scares you.

I recently received this video in an email from a friend I dearly love but with whom I do not typically see eye to eye with politically.

I don't know who I will ultimately vote for. But I am really offended by what has been going on throughout this election and especially with regard to email smears about Obama. Many of the points in that video are SIMPLY untrue. And hate-driven.

It begins by attempting to scare people because he has "3 Islamic names" and shows a clip twice of Edward Kennedy calling him Osama bin Laden (which Rush Limbaugh also likes to do). Seriously? And making the point right off the bat that he is the child of a black man and a white woman, clearly attempting to deepen the racial divide that is so deep in this country. How is that ok?

Anyway, a few fact checks:

Obama attended a muslim school: He went to public school for 2 years in Indonesia, which is indeed a Muslim country and the schools undoubtedly reflect the dominant religion of the country. But the point of this "fact" is usually to convince people that Obama is some kind of a closet Muslim, which is just inaccurate.

John Edwards talking about his voting record - not only does it not include the context of the statement, but what did Obama say in response? They conveniently did not include anything actually said by Obama.

Che Guevara flag hanging in "Houston Obama headquarters." "This is a volunteer office that is not in any way controlled by the Obama campaign. We were disappointed to see this picture because it is both offensive to many Cuban-Americans -- and Americans of all backgrounds -- and because it does not reflect Senator Obama's views. Barack Obama has been very clear in putting forward a Cuba policy that is based on one principle: freedom for the Cuban people." -- Obama Campaign, February 12, 2008

Obama refusing to wear the American flag as a pin. "I'm less concerned about what you are wearing on your lapel than what's in your heart,' he said under a county fairgrounds pavilion here, a giant American flag draped behind him. 'You show your patriotism by how you treat your fellow Americans, especially those ones who served.' He suggested that some politicians who wear such pins act in disingenuous ways. 'After a while, you know, you start noticing people wearing a lapel pin, but not acting very patriotic, not voting to provide veterans with the resources that they need,' he said." [Chicago Tribune, 10/5/07]

Refuses to place his hand over his heart during the Star Spangled Banner. Obama said, "My grandfather taught me how to say the Pledge of Allegiance when I was 2...During the Pledge of Allegiance you put your hand over your heart. During the national anthem you sing." [AP, 11/7/07]

Michelle Obama not proud of her country. Taken so out of context. And I am frankly tired of the insistent idea that we all must be unquestioningly allegiant to a country instead of our values.

And uh oh.....gun control and welfare. Clearly un-American.

Obama will meet with hostile foreign leaders. Obama says, "If we continue to set preconditions for discussions that are hostile to us, I think that's what loses the PR battle worldwide because it implies the United States is the superior power and other states have to give in to our demands before we even deign to meet with them. And that reinforces the sense of the arrogance of U.S. power around the world, which is a source of great damage -- and makes us less safe." [Washington Post, 8/15/07]

The Rev. Wright business has been addressed incessantly in the media. Obama has denounced the majority of what Wright teaches. Not only that, but the national Republican party and John McCain have BOTH said that the ads putting Obama and that video clip side by side are an unfair comparison and asked that they be pulled off the air. In that clip they cut Obama off before he finishes responding that HE DOES repudiate the remarks. I completely agree that the majority of what Wright says is so off base it's not even funny. The greater question here is whether Obama is accountable for this man's words.

Did you notice how many minutes were devoted to Rev. Wright and Black Liberation Theology - which Obama does not subscribe to?

McCain briefly underwent the same criticisms after he was endorsed by John Hagee, famously criticized for calling Catholocism "the great whore."

Thought: As a popular Christian leader (although I really don't understand HOW), Pat Robertson is thought by many unbelievers to be the voice of Christians in our country. This is unfortunate. Since I claim to be a Christian, as he does, do his many hate-filled and un-Christian remarks automatically reflect on me?

To me, this video totally illustrates what is WRONG and why things need to change.

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