General who traveled with Obama to Africa in response to new Clinton smear attempt...

On a campaign conference call with reporters, Ret. Gen. Scott Gration, who traveled to Africa with Obama, said the photo showed that “he did what any great leader should do — he accepted the gift, accepted the hospitality, accepted that token of friendship."

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/

and will misconstrue the meaning in the photo. My son who is a college graduate said that the talk over lunch at work was centered on the fact that Obama was Muslim. Go figure...how would people ever get that idea?

and why is everyone (including Obama's campaign) buying into DRUDGE's framing of the story?

Imagine you send me a pic of Hillary Clinton in her pajamas. She's wearing curlers in her hair and looks like hell, she's even kicking the cat out of her way!

I respond to your e-mail --"Wow. The Times would love to get a hold of THAT picture!"

I have now 'circulated' a bad pic of Hillary Clinton.

Who the hell knows what happened? How did a Drudge Reporter get a Clinton staffer e-mail?

What was wrong with the Clinton staffer's response to the e-mail?

What IS a Clinton 'staffer'?

And I doubt that you need this to be explained. Very disingenuous.

Here is a link to a conservative blog that contains a photo of the page from the February 4th 2008 National Enquirer smear story about Barack Obama that contained the picture of him in traditional African garb:

http://sweetness-light.com/archive/obama-wore-muslim-ge...

The story was titled:

"Obama's Shocking Al Qaeda Link"

Here are the circulation figures that the National Enquirer releases about their rag:

"Place a classified ad in the National Enquirer. This weekly tabloid has excellent circulation at 2,760,000. Ad is placed in the classified area of the magazine under the appropriate category. Certain restrictions apply, and ads must meet the approval requirements of the National Enquirer. Circulation: 2,760,000."

http://www.nationwideadvertising.com/naten.html

Do you think an internal Clinton staff email discussing the photo just broke this news to American voters?

I like that he did that, it's an indication what a a good thoughtful diplomat he is. That photo is something to be proud of, and we should do everything possible to put it in its correct context.

I wonder if anyone would make a fuss if GWB appeared in Arab robes and ghutra (white cloth over head w/ black headband). Hmm ... come to think of it, they probably won't notice, given how he's practically an adopted member of the Saudi royal family.

Proposed Obama stemwinder conclusion:

'...and, finally, my friends, can an American with a name like Obama, who spent his early childhood in a Muslim country, and in Hawaii, an American with black...or should I say, brown skin...the son of an interracial marriage...a man who urges racial tolerance...a man who symbolizes racial tolerance...aspire to be President of the United States, win an election for President of the United States, and become President of the United States? I ask you. (crowd roar) The answer is: YES, WE CAN!"

Finale: "Let's end the politics of division! Let's end the politics of hatred, at home and abroad! Let's open a new era of hope for all, a new era of American technical know-how, intelligence and creativity! A new era of world peace! A new era in which America becomes what it should be, what its people aspire to, the land of hope and democratic change. Can we do this? YES, WE CAN!" (crowd roar goes off the charts, is joined by people in the street, by people in their cars on the freeways and byways, and in households across the nation, and shoots like a lightning bolt around the planet, electrifying the world...)

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Hey, maybe I should try a new career as speech-writer! It's pretty good, don't ya think? And I hereby declare "fair use" rules for the above. You want it, Barack? It's yours.

The general says BO was merely doing what any great leader would do. That means the disputed photo is showing Obama as a great leader.

How can circulating a photo that shows your opponent as a great leader be a smear attempt?