Editorial from the
Washington Times - Hard on the heels of the Ground Zero Mosque controversy, significant numbers of Americans think President
Obama is a Muslim. The uncomfortable fact for the
White House is the more the American people get to know
Mr. Obama, the more they think he is a follower of Islam. Rumors of
Mr. Obama's purported Muslim identity spread in January of 2007 and were tied to
Hillary Rodham Clinton operatives, who denied responsibility. The Obama camp responded that "
Barack Obama is not and has never been a Muslim.
Obama never prayed in a mosque. He has never been a Muslim, was not raised a Muslim and is a committed Christian... But in a February 2008 interview with
the New York Times,
Mr. Obama said the Adhan, the Muslim call to prayer, is "one of the prettiest sounds on Earth at sunset." He then recited it, "with a first-class [Arabic] accent." The opening of the Adhan contains the Shahada, the Muslim profession of faith, proclaiming, "There is no god but God and Muhammad is the prophet of God." Stating this before two Muslims is the traditional requirement for joining the Islamic faith. Adding fuel to the fire is
Mr. Obama's family heritage: born of a Muslim father and raised by a Muslim stepfather. Under Shariah law, having a Muslim father makes one a Muslim, though this custom has no legal standing in the United States. In a September 2008 interview with ABC's George Stephanopoulos,
Mr. Obama said, "John McCain has not discussed my Muslim faith," a commen
t which
Mr. Obama's partisans say was taken out of context. Suspicions were raised by
Obama presidential policies, such as taking a harder line on Israel, ordering that radical Islamic terrorists be referred to only as "violent extremists" and engaging in an unprecedented and obsequious outreach to Muslim countries.
Mr. Obama's bowing to King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, in April 2009, didn't help matters much. These and other reasons are why perceptions that
Mr. Obama is Muslim keep growing.
Read more
Washington Times Editorial: The first presumed Muslim president
From the Huffington Post - by Saul Friedman - I have not yet celebrated the Diamond Jubilee -- the 75th anniversary -- last week of the adoption of Social Security. That's because I suspect President Obama may consider agreeing to a cut in benefits for future retirees, by raising the retirement age, which would be disastrous for them and for his presidency. Once he was against it, but now, as you'll see, we cannot be sure. In his White House proclamation, Obama recalled that in the midst of the Great Depression, 'the Social Security Act brought hope to some of our most vulnerable citizens, giving elderly Americans income security and bringing us closer to President Roosevelt's vision of a nation free from want or fear."He added, "My administration is committed to strengthening...and protecting Social Security as a reliable income source for seniors, workers who develop disabilities and dependents...Let us ensure we continue to preserve this program's original purpose in the 21st century." He didn't say how, but presidential proclamations are usually empty of substance. And as the Associated Press pointed out in reporting on the president's speech, "most Republicans, in fact, are wary of touching that idea because Social Security is virtually sacrosanct to voters, particularly seniors." Indeed, the most prominent Republican favoring privatization of Social Security and Medicare, Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, has gotten little support from his Republican colleagues.What was missing from Obama's address was a single proposal to solve Social Security's long term shortfall, which the program's trustees estimate will come in 2037, when the program's $2.6 trillion trust fund, which is held in treasury bonds, may run out. According to the trustees, a one percent raise each in the payroll taxes split between employee and employer enacted now, would end the problem. Even now, the trust fund is continuing to grow with interest payments of more than $100 billion a year. Read more
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