Farrakhan: Don't Abandon Obama Over Remark

Nation Of Islam Leader Tells Supporters Not To Be Dissuaded By Senator's Reaction

(AP)  Nation of Islam Minister Louis Farrakhan said Thursday that any of his backers who also support presidential candidate Barack Obama shouldn't be dissuaded by the senator's denunciation of Farrakhan during a Democratic debate.

His statement comes after Obama was asked during Tuesday's televised debate with Democratic presidential rival Hillary Rodham Clintonabout Farrakhan's support for the Obama campaign. Obama said he denounces Farrakhan's anti-Semitic remarks and rejects his support.

Farrakhan sent an unsolicited statement Thursday to The Associated Press that he said was meant to respond to "outrage expressed by many" over Obama's comments.

"Those who have been supporting Sen. Barack Obama should not allow what was said during the Feb. 26 presidential debate to lessen their support for his campaign. This is simply mischief making intended to hurt Mr. Obama politically."

Farrakhan later clarified that by "mischief making" he was referring to the questions posed by debate moderator Tim Russert, host of NBC's "Meet the Press."

The issue arose Sunday, when Farrakhan praised Obama before a large Nation of Islam gathering, even comparing him to the religion's founder, Fard Muhammad, who also had a white mother and black father.

"A black man with a white mother became a savior to us," Farrakhan said Sunday. "A black man with a white mother could turn out to be one who can lift America from her fall."

The Obama campaign moved quickly to distance itself from Farrakhan. Just hours after the address, the campaign said, "Senator Obama has been clear in his objections to Minister Farrakhan's past pronouncements and has not solicited the minister's support."

Farrakhan has drawn widespread attention in the past for making anti-Semitic remarks, including calling Judaism a "gutter religion." In recent years, officials with the Nation of Islam have said they favor unity and tolerance among religions, and Farrakhan now often quotes the texts of other religions in his speeches.

During Tuesday's debate, Russert pressed Obama about whether he accepts Farrakhan's support. The senator responded that while both he and Farrakhan live in Chicago, that's where their ties end.

"I have been very clear in my denunciation of Minister Farrakhan's anti-Semitic comments. I think that they are unacceptable and reprehensible," Obama said. "I did not solicit this support."

Following an exchange with Clinton, he then added: "There's no formal offer of help from Minister Farrakhan that would involve me rejecting it. But if the word 'reject' Senator Clinton feels is stronger than the word 'denounce,' then I'm happy to concede the point, and I would reject and denounce."

[pilgrimsway-2009]

You know what I think?
I think there is 8 or 9 different post names as the same person saying both sides.
Thats what I think!

[eddynewhope]

Yeah - and you all are better than the bigot Farrakhan because you can respond to his bigotry with your own bigotry? You are just like him except without the success part. LOL. Ya''ll are just ticked off that Hillary is getting humiliated and embarrassing herself.

[croft777]

You might be a Farrakhan supporter if:

You ride to work on a camel, because its cheap on gas.

You use a hand to wipe your azz, and its not your own.

Your lifetime hero is, Obama Bin Ladin, oops, Osama Bin Ladin.

You think God is a man by the name of Louis Farrakhan.

You see lights in the sky and you think its the wheel shaped space ship comming to rescue you from the white man and jews.

Your pet is a turtle because unlike a dog it can''''t lick its behind.

[candide777]

a skill set you recently acquired from the clinic? LOL
Posted by Infidel_US at 01:53 PM : Feb 29, 2008

You got me, dude, that was totally funny, really. No, no, I''m being serious. I''ve never laughed so hard.

[twocanpete]

When Juan McCain throws Bill Cuningham under the bus it sounds like two tomcats in a gunnysack. When Obama throws Louie under the bus Louie just asks if he caused any tire damage to the bus. Now that%u2019s party unity! http://twocanpete.blogspot.com/

[infidel_us]

Candide777,

Probably not as far as you can take a johnson down your throat. Have you always been an intellectually bankrupt imbecile or is it a skill set you recently acquired from the clinic? LOL

[candide777]

GWB''s SAT scoes were higher than your Lurch buddy John F-ing Kerry, and I believe his GPA was higher, as well. Posted by Infidel_US at 01:59 PM : Feb 28, 2008

That''s wonderful! How much farther can you get your tongue up there? I bet if you try, you can get it still farther up there. Pathetic brown-noser!

[infidel_us]

Candide777,

Hey cupcake, how many Faux-bama rallies have you fainted at??? LOL

[infidel_us]

LOL - this "bedwetting liberal" will kick your stupid cowardly conservative butt anytime, anywhere! Posted by Candide777 at 01:11 PM : Feb 29, 2008

Take a hike, candyarse. You sound like a man who speaks from experience. I''ll bet you and Clinton could write a book on draft dodging and cheating.

[candide777]

What a bedwetting liberal. GWB''s SAT scoes were higher than your Lurch buddy John F-ing Kerry, and I believe his GPA was higher, as well.
Don''t balame us because you''re too stupid to understand Buckley. Stick to ''Peanuts'' and ''Family Circle'' and you''ll do alright.
Posted by Infidel_US at 01:59 PM : Feb 28, 2008

LOL - this "bedwetting liberal" will kick your stupid cowardly conservative butt anytime, anywhere! Conservatives are afraid of a level playing field no matter what the issue because they know they''d lose their shirts if they ever had to compete fairly. What a bunch of weak and pathetic cry babies you conservatives are. The only way I can fathom that GWB got higher scores on his SAT is if he had someone take the test for him, and we all know that conduct like that would not at all be beneath a lying cheat of a draft-dodging president. If he legitimately got high scores on the SAT, then he must have burned up every last working brain cell with cocaine because this man is not fit to mind the store for a few minutes, much less the country for eight years. We''ll be paying for his collasal mistakes for decades. GWB is the perfect example of how conservative policies necessarily breed incompetence by passing wealth and privilege on to the mentally handicapped. Without daddy, GWB would be flippin'' burgers at McDonalds where we''d at least be protected from his staggering incompetence.