The Man Behind the Whispers About Obama

[bigtree]

October 12, 2008

The most persistent falsehood about Senator Barack Obama’s background first hit in 2004 just two weeks after the Democratic convention speech that arguably set him on the path to his presidential candidacy: “Obama is a Muslim who has concealed his religion.”

That statement was contained in a press release and it spun a complex tale about the alleged ancestry of Mr. Obama, who is Christian.

The press release was picked up by the conservative FreeRepublic.com Web site and spread virally and steadily as others elaborated on its claims over the years in e-mail messages, Web sites and, ultimately, books. It continues to be an engine that drives other false rumors about Mr. Obama’s background to this day, with one finding national, public voice on Friday, when a woman told Senator John McCain at a town-hall-style meeting, “I have read about him,” and “he’s an Arab.” Mr. McCain corrected her.

Until this month, the man who is widely credited with starting the cyber-whisper campaign that still dogs Mr. Obama was a secondary character in news reports, with deep explorations of his background largely confined to liberal blogs where he is a bête noir.

But an appearance in a documentary-style program on the Fox News Channel watched by three million people last week thrust the man, Andy Martin, and his past into the foreground. The Fox program allowed Mr. Martin to assert falsely and without challenge that Mr. Obama had once trained to overthrow the government.

An examination of legal documents and election filings, and interviews with those from Mr. Martin’s past, revealed a man with a history of scintillating if not always factual claims, who has left a trail of animosity – including anti-Jewish comments -- among political leaders, lawyers and judges in three states over the course of more than 30 years . . .


read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/13/us/politics/13martin.html?ref=politics&pagewanted=print

[sandyd921]

1. Says a lot:

"his admission to the Illinois state bar was blocked in the 1970s after a psychiatric finding of “moderately severe character defect manifested by well-documented ideation with a paranoid flavor and a grandiose character.”

[Miss Chybil]

2. Viral! nt

[understandinglife]

8. DIGG IT!!

http://digg.com/politics/NYTimes_The_Person_Responsible_for_Slandering_Obama

[GoodSpud]

9. Dugg but needs help n/t

[dooner]

3. “He’s crazy as a run-over dog."

Wow.

“Well, that’s just a bookend for me,” said Tom Slade, a former chairman of the Florida Republican Party who says the party spent hundreds of thousands of dollars defending against lawsuits Mr. Martin brought for Mr. Slade’s refusal to support his bid for state office. “He’s crazy as a run-over dog. But he’s fearless.”

[rebel with a cause]

4. This guy is an infection of the human race

that needs a good shot of penicillin. :shrug:

Edited to add that we in Illinois are sick of him and have learned to ignore him.

[raysr]

5. Don't these f-in idiots

know that if any of that shit was true the FBI would've found out when they ran his clearance. Morans for sure!!

[mzmolly]

6. K and R.

:kick:

[ColbertWatcher]

7. BULLSHIT!

I have maintained that Wikiality.com, the Truthiness Encyclopedia started every rumor about Obama since day one!

Every rumor about Obama started online at Wikaility.com as a joke and was spread by foolish freepers who become confused by satire.

This New York Times story is more proof that the liberals control the media and lie about the truthiness!

[leveymg]

10. A lot more about Mr. Martin and his Freeper helpers here:

http://www.the-peoples-forum.com/cgi-bin/readart.cgi?ArtNum=1836

[Beacool]

11. Bigtree, where have you been?????

I was thinking about you recently. I miss the wonderful, positive threads that you used to post about Hillary.

How are you?

:hi:

[bigtree]

13. in the middle of the flowing river

. . . doing wonderfully, thank you.

I see Sen. Clinton was campaigning yesterday beside Joe Biden in support of our next president. :hi:


(AP Photo/Jimmy May)

[Beacool]

14. You took some time to regroup?

I don't blame you. Yeah, Hillary is doing great, but my heart aches when I see what a wonderful president she would be. I'm just hoping that the primary didn't sour her and that she decides to run again in the future.

Nice seeing you again!!!

:hug:

[Justpat]

12. This man is a stone nut.

And he is responsible for all the other ignorant crazies in our society making life and death
decisions based on the paranoia and general lunacy of this guy.