CNN: January 21, 2008
Obama: Rumors on my religion are 'crazy'
COLUMBIA, South Caroline (AP) – With the next Democratic primary deep in the Bible Belt, Barack Obama is stepping up his effort to correct the misconception that he's a Muslim.
Obama used a kickoff rally in South Carolina to try to set the record straight after an accusation widely circulated on the Internet. The Illinois senator says he's been to the same Christian church for almost 20 years. He says an e-mail suggesting he's hiding his Islamic roots is "silly" and "crazy."
Obama's middle name is Hussein and his father and stepfather were Muslim. He spent part of his childhood in largely Muslim Indonesia but attended secular and Catholic schools, not a radical madrassa.
The Obama campaign has pushed back on the issue all year but is putting more focus on it now that the campaign has shifted into southern states where religion is so important to many voters.
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/01/21/obama-rumors-on-my-religion-are-crazy/