Obama camp claims smear over turban photograph

There are certain left wing websites, which I like, that are trying to make out that Barack Obama is overplaying his hand by objecting to pictures of him like the one on the left being released to the press. They point out that American presidents often appear wearing the clothing of the nations which they are visiting and that Obama is greatly overreacting to the release of this photo.

I think this argument is nonsense on it's face. When American presidents appear wearing the clothing of the nation that they are visiting, no-one starts to question the religion of the president.

And yet, there has been a huge play by Obama's opponents to suggest that Obama is actually a Muslim, - at a time when America is engaging in a war of terror against Muslim extremists - with people pointing out that his middle name is Hussein, and asking you to make the appropriate connections.

Obama's camp have come out screaming foul play and are laying the blame squarely at the door of the Hillary campaign.

Barack Obama's campaign team accused Hillary Clinton's beleaguered staff yesterday of mounting a dirty tricks operation by circulating a picture of him in African dress, feeding into false claims on US websites that he is a Muslim.

David Plouffe, Obama's campaign manager, described it as "the most shameful, offensive fear-mongering we've seen from either party in this election". Obama has spent much of the campaign emphasising he is a Christian not a Muslim and did not study at a madrasa.

Aides for Clinton, who is fighting a last-ditch battle to keep her hopes of the White House alive, initially tried to brush off the furore, but later denied having anything to do with the distribution of the picture.

"I just want to make it very clear that we were not aware of it, the campaign didn't sanction it and don't know anything about it," Clinton spokesman Howard Wolfson told reporters. "None of us have seen the email in question."

I have no idea whether or not the Hillary camp was behind the picture, nor do I have any reason to especially believe Drudge when he claims it was emailed to him by the Hillary camp with the quote: "Wouldn't we be seeing this on the cover of every magazine if it were [Clinton]?"

After all, it is well within Drudge's remit to attempt to split the Democrats, however, what concerned me was the attempt by Taylor Marsh and others to write off the Obama camps protests as an overreaction.

For the truth is that we wouldn't be seeing that photo "on the front of every magazine" if it were Clinton for the very simple fact that Hillary Clinton doesn't have brown skin.

The underlying message behind the release of the photograph is the same message behind the constant reminders that his middle name is Hussein. It is that he is not one of us. He is different. And we are asked that this should make us suspicious.

This is pure unadulterated racism.

I am simply astonished that some on the left can claim that the Obama camp are "overreacting" when they object to a tactic as seedy as this one.

The Clinton camp have already recently indicated that they were ready to campaign in a much more negative way, so it's understandable that the Obama camp are suspicious.

Plouffe described circulation of the picture as part of "a disturbing pattern". "It's exactly the kind of divisive politics that turns away Americans of all parties," he said. His comments suggest that the cordial relationship that existed between Obama and Clinton in last Thursday's televised debate in Texas was unlikely to carry into tonight's debate in Cleveland, Ohio.

The Obama team wheeled out Scott Gration, a retired air force general and Obama supporter, who was with the senator in Kenya, to explain the picture. He said: "Senator Obama was given an outfit and as the guest that he was, the great guest, he took this outfit and they encouraged him to try some of it on. It was a thing we all do."

Hillary's team then tried to spin against Obama:

Maggie Williams, campaign manager for Clinton, played down the significance of the picture.

"If Barack Obama's campaign wants to suggest that a photo of him wearing traditional Somali clothing is divisive, they should be ashamed," she said. "Hillary Clinton has worn the traditional clothing of countries she has visited and had those photos published widely."

I feel Maggie Williams is being especially dishonest here, implying that the shame of this episode should lie on Obama's shoulders, for daring to offend Somali's by objecting to being seen in their clothing.

That is not the point. The implication, as Williams must know, is that Obama is a Muslim. And that implication is being made simply because of the color of Obama's skin.

This is a shameful episode, but it's shameful because many intelligent people are pretending that they don't see the racist undertones behind the pictures release.

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Tags: Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, US election 2008, democratic nomination, Somali dress, turban, dirty tricks