Obama Fights the Smears

The Obama campaign is hitting back, hard. The right-wing pundits have come up with some wild ones, and Obama for America is addressing them systematically.

The accusation that Michelle Obama used racially offensive language, specifically the term "whitey," and was caught doing so on a videotape is at the top of the list. According to Fight the Smears, this allegation made by Rush Limbaugh, "Proven GOP Sleazemeister Roger Stone...." and various blogosphere characters, is false in its entirety. Fight the Smears provides a June 2^nd video of Stone speaking with Fox's Sean Hannity, where he admits that he has not actually seen the video, or even received proof that such a thing exists.

Stone tells Hannity: "I have not yet spoken to anyone who has eyeballed the video....," admitting the possibility that it could be a hoax, and of course mentioning the now-defunct Clinton campaign as the most likely source, citing high level Clinton campaign functionaries as his sources. Hannity counters that he has been "Contacted repeatedly by by a couple of...high level people in a couple of campaigns, one that you just mentioned, and the rumor is that I have the tape."

Fight the Smears states unequivocally that "No such tape exists. Michelle Obama has not spoken from the pulpit at Trinity and has not used that word."

Other allegations addressed by Obama for America include Obama's alleged Muslim upbringing and loyalties, racially offensive passages in his autobiography, and rumors that he refuses to say the pledge of allegiance.