Obama says, and I quote, "my Muslim faith"

Israel Insider:

In one of the most astonishing gaffes in American political history, in a national televised interview with ABC's George Stephanopoulus, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Hussein Obama referred to "my muslim faith," confirming what researchers and political opponents have been claiming.

While Stephanopoulus several seconds later tried to correct him, saying "Christian faith," it was too late. The damage was done. Obama clearly did not mean his Christian faith, since he was admitting that "John McCain has not talked about my Muslim faith." The term "Christian faith" would not make sense in that context.

Transcript:

STEPHANOPOULOS: You mention your Christian faith. Yesterday you took off after the Republicans for suggesting you have Muslim connections. Just a few minutes ago, Rick Davis, John McCain's campaign manager, said they've never done that. This is a false and cynical attempt to play victim. OBAMA: You know what? I mean, these guys love to throw a rock and hide their hand. The...

STEPHANOPOULOS: The McCain campaign has never suggested you have Muslim connections.

OBAMA: No, no, no. But the -- I don't think that when you look at what is being promulgated on Fox News, let's say, and Republican commentators who are closely allied to these folks--

STEPHANOPOULOS: But John McCain said that's wrong.

OBAMA: Now, well, look. Listen. You and I both know that the minute that Governor Palin was forced to talk about her daughter, I immediately said that's off limits. And--

STEPHANOPOULOS: But John McCain said the same thing about questioning your faith.

OBAMA: And what was the first thing the McCain?s campaign went out and did? They said, look, these liberal blogs that support Obama are out there attacking Governor Palin.

Let's not play games. What I was suggesting -- you're absolutely right that John McCain has not talked about my Muslim faith. And you're absolutely right that that has not come--

STEPHANOPOULOS: Christian faith.

OBAMA: -- my Christian faith. Well, what I'm saying is that he hasn't suggested--

STEPHANOPOULOS: Has connections, right.

OBAMA: -- that I'm a Muslim. And I think that his campaign's upper echelons have not, either.

What I think is fair to say is that, coming out of the Republican camp, there have been efforts to suggest that perhaps I'm not who I say I am when it comes to my faith -- something which I find deeply offensive, and that has been going on for a pretty long time.

Israel Insider opinion:

What is "fair to say", in fact, is that an off-balance Obama, in an unguarded moment, said three words that undid all of the carefully crafted efforts by his campaign to conceal his muslim family, his muslim childhood, and his adult muslim connections.

Because if Obama were not a Muslim, he could not possibly have said "My Muslim Faith" and indeed, "my Christian faith" would make no sense in that context. He might have said "accusations that I am a muslim" or "claims that I have muslim connections"

Even Obama's attempt at recovery -- "what I'm saying is that he hasn't suggested ... that I'm a Muslim" is in no way equivalent to, or a substitute for, "John McCain has not talked about my Muslim faith."

Common sense dictates: Obama could never have said "my muslim faith" -- using the first person possessive -- unless it was an integral part of his identity.

It confirms, at the very least, the accusations, and not just from Republicans -- that "perhaps I'm not who [sic] I say I am when it comes to my faith." Yes, it would seem to be a concealment that has "been going on for a pretty long time, indeed, most of a lifetime of hiding three tell-tale words that could not have been spoken by anyone but a believer: "my Muslim faith."

What do I think? I think it's too bad that Stephanopoulous "corrected" him. And it's too bad that no one in the media will ask him about his recitation of the Islamic call to prayer to Nicholas Kristof of the New York Times in March 2007.

It's too bad this "gaffe" will just go under the bus with Wright, Ayers, Rezko and the rest. It's already being touted as "The Right's NEXT BIG SMEAR." You simply quote Obama word for word, and the Left is up in arms because you've smeared him.

What I have a hard time absorbing is the fact that George Allen says "macaca" once, and he's GONE, but Obama can say anything, do anything, run for president with no record of accomplishment, be obviously associated with terrorists -both foreign and domestic- and the Democrats continue to adulate him.

He is being sued in Federal Court in Philadelphia about the legality of his name and nationality, and the fascist American press doesn't even mention it? C'mon.

Dhimmedia will fix this "gaffe" for him too. He's untouchable. If Jeremiah Wright screaming "G.. damn America!" didn't end his political career, nothing will.

UPDATE

HotAir sez No, Obama didn’t “admit” to being a Muslim on ABC

Comments

[Martin Blankenship]

As a teacher, I plan on voting for Nader, because both of the other idiots want to fund private schools with taxpayer dollars. Still, we live in a country that practices freedom of religion. So, I think this is really a commentary on how conflicted Obama is about his own faith. If he had come out and said, "I am Muslim" from the start, I would have felt better about him, simply because he was proud of that fact, not ashamed of it. If someone is going to vote for a candidate solely because they share the same religion, they have every right to do so. But drill him for his waffling, not the fact that he is a Muslim. You should be busy trying to convert Muslims to whatever your religion might be rather than bash them.