Hillary surrogate says Obama is "from" somalia?!?

[mckeown1128]

Stephanie Tubbs Jones, a Clinton surrogate, says on MSNBC, "I have no shame, or no problem, with people looking at Barack Obama in his native clothing -- in the clothing of his country."

This, er, overstates the Clinton campaign line that there was no smear involved because there's nothing wrong with the photo. Though if you want to be generous, you could say she meant his ancestral, rather than native, country. (If you're really splitting hairs, it was apparently more Somali than Kenyan clothing.)

But in any case, it's another incident where -- judging from early blog and email reaction -- the dynamic of offense and outrage has, so far, very much favored Obama. I'm not sure that will work with a less liberal general election audience, but even the GOP leadership seems to think it's likely to.

http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0208/Not_quite_the_talking_point.html#comments

Why is Hillay sending people out to say that Obama is from another country? And why can't they distinguish the differnece between (they're implied)Kenya and Somalia(where the clothes were from)? How insulting to the people of those two countries. The Clinton camp should just drop this line of talk.

[CreekDog]

1. Incredible isn't it?

:banghead:

[rodeodance]

2. oh my--this is bout the 5th or 6th one today--get a grip!!

[mckeown1128]

9. Hey you and I should just ignore eachother...since we both...

obviously don't like eachother.

[rodeodance]

38. I am not into hiding members just because I disagree.

[papau]

3. Obama surragates get Tonight show to show Hillary as Wisard of Oz Witch

[Avalux]

4. It was a rather bizarre moment; I heard her say it. No one called her on it either.

I would like to believe that Tubbs-Jones made an innocent mistake, but to say something like that (and she said it twice) - I don't think it was.

[mckeown1128]

6. I am 50-50 on whether it was a mistake....

either way they need to drop the whole issue.

[Windy]

15. dirty gutter politics. Shame on Stephanie Tubbs Jones. Anything to win apparently.

These people sicken. Its becoming very doubtful that HIllary will get my vote in November! I think I may just have to sit this election out.

[Avalux]

33. Windy -

she will not be the nominee, so you won't have to worry about voting for her in November. ;-)

[rodeodance]

40. Obama will do anything to win.

[dcindian]

47. You really need to get a grip on reality

You are way out of line haunting every post on this subject. The senator made a mistake admit it and get on with it none of your little whining post will change what she said.

[rodeodance]

48. I have already said she made a mistake, But the demeaning comments on

all these theads are uncalled for. plain as that.

maybe I can only give pause to few before they post demeaning comments.
In any case I certainly do not need your lecture.


You are way out of line haunting every post on this subject. The senator made a mistake admit it and get on with it none of your little whining post will change what she said.

[rodeodance]

41. T-Jones is a good Democrat

[Whisp]

5. I thought Jones was kinda cool...

what's up with her?

[Tatiana]

7. She is surprisingly uninformed about a lot of things. Embarrassingly so. n/t

[burythehatchet]

12. Let's be clear, she is an idiot. n/t

[Debi]

8. How can he run for President if he's from Somalia?

:shrug:

[dmallind]

11. Well that's not really a good angle

After all isn't McCain from Panama? If Obama were the child of US citizens (which was true in at least his mother's case - no idea frankly if his dad ever changed citizenship but moot anyway) he can be born wherever it may be and still be eligible. It only matters whether he was born a US citizen or not (which he would have been whether that was in hawaii, Kenya or Somalia or Pennsylvania Avenue).

I suspect this is simply a case of an honest mistake. It's not like everybody researches everything befor eventuring an opinion, and frankly there wouldn't be anything wrong with wearing national garb on an official visit whether it was his native country, one close to it as was the case or a completely different one like Bush in the Harry Potter robes.

[Debi]

32. Just an honest mistake

and it was just a photograph -

It's not like there are emails being spammed all over the internet about Obama being a Muslim terrorist that, along with the photograph, would drum up a little fear mongering.

Obama was born in America, Tubbs-Jones and the Clinton campaign knows this.

Nothing like muddying the waters, though.

Just an honest mistake. Really.

[rodeodance]

39. yeah lots of Obamafolks are asking that. They should do some reading before asking silly questions.

[City Lights]

10. She's either truly dumb, or just plays the role on behalf of Hillary

while the camera is rolling. Neither scenario becomes her.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

13. She was never asked to give a detailed list of Hillary's accomplishments.

Matthew's anti-Obama prejudice, I guess.

Fair is fair.

[elixir]

14. Technically, ancestral clothing would be more accurate. Let's start screaming "RACE!"

[ProSense]

18. Technically, he not from Somalia so technically she's full of it! n/t

[oasis]

16. Obama never should have been in the damn picture in the first place. His

judgement again comes into question.

[Emit]

19. Why not?

Because he is 'from' Somalia? :sarcasm:

Care to elaborate? :eyes:

[oasis]

46. He wouldn't have to resort to fake outrage after the photo was widely distributed.

That's why.

[oviedodem]

21. Your an idiot. I guess Hil should not have worn a head wrap when

she went to the middle east.

[oasis]

44. "Your an idiot"??. Mr. Genius, try writing "You are" or "you're" the next time you

attempt to insult someone else's intelligence. :rofl:

[City Lights]

23. Whatever...

[Sanctified]

24. Yeah we need a President who will piss on the Customs of our Worldly Neighbors.

Seriously we need to teach the rest of the world to dress like us, our elected officials should never go to another country and show respect and appreciation to their customs and culture. :sarcasm:

[oasis]

45. It's come back to bite him in the ass. (eom)

[SoxFan]

25. Judgement call?

[City Lights]

36. Mind if I snag that beauty for my file? eom

[Occam Bandage]

34. So Obama should totally violate custom and *not* dress up in the clothing of cultures

he visits?

[Forkboy]

35. Do tell?

[ContinentalOp]

17. Maybe she meant the khakis

:shrug:

[mckeown1128]

22. lol....

:rofl:

[Sanctified]

20. LOL, OMG, "Native Clothing", LOL...

Seriously the only way that could have been funnier is if she would have said that was his weekend relax around the house clothing.

[Hieronymus]

26. The Hillary campaign has derailed .. what a bunch of nuts.

[cooolandrew]

27. Let's not give this another thought Barack supporterts, they are making fools of themselves now at

now at HRC hq.

[better tomorrow]

28. Obama in a Hula skirt????

his "native" country....his "native" state....

Gee, does that mean that because my grandparents came from Czechosolvakia that I have to eat pierogies instead of pizza?

[HeraldSquare212]

29. Someone noted there is a large Somali population in a big city in Ohio

and that they haven't assimilated much and there's a lot of resentment, etc. toward them. I think it was Columbus, but I can't remember, and I think it was Ambinder who said it. Anyway - the point was, was she trying to use current local stereotypes to hurt Obama, instead of national fears re: terrorists, muslims, etc.

[invictus]

30. The Clintons are slimy, racist, corrupt political hacks ...

I think it is safe to say that the Clintons are finished in Democratic politics. They might as well become Republicans like Lieberman. Even if Hilary managed to somehow, by hook or crook, win the nomination, her actions have lost whatever goodwill she and her husband had and most Democrats, including myself, will not support her.

[better tomorrow]

31. you forgot incompetent

to run campaigns, too.....

[denem]

37. Somalia is a swear word in Columbus Ohio

There is considerable resentment in Columbus about resettlement of Somalian refugees here. It's a RW talking point. 240 came off the plane without even being checked for HIV, or so says my republican wife. I've been hearing about this for some years. It's a micro trend that left major waves in this locale. IMO the Clinton campaign knows exactly what they are doing.

[geardaddy]

43. We have a large Somali population

here in the Twin Cities (maybe the largest) and there is some of that stupid resentment here, but I think the Somalis have integrated quite well here while maintaining their customs.

[SKKY]

42. You know, I was more leary over his ties to Cheney...

...I've been to Somalia, met several Somali nationals. There are some good people over there. Good Cheneys? I haven't met one.