This is the latest clumsy, ill-conceived, and partisan attack that The Curmudgeon has resorted to in his increasingly ridiculous anti-Obama frenzy. How do I mean? Allow me, please.
The connection that Groothuis tries to smear Obama with is this, straight from Palin's ass(mouth), as reported by ABC News:
It seems that there is yet another radical professor from the neighborhood who spent a lot of time with Barack Obama going back several years. This is important because his associate, Rashid Khalidi, he in addition to being a political ally of Barack Obama, he's a former spokesperson for the Palestinian Liberation Organization.
Groothuis then reprises the news through a completely one-sided article by F*cks News and characterizes Obama's relationship with Khalidi a "love-fest for a PLO, anti-Jewish sympathizer."
Enough crap. Now that I have taken you through the Palin BS, F*cks News, red-eyed and drooling Curmudgeon's side of the story, let's go to the facts.
Khalidi is actually a well-respected Palestinian scholar with an impressive pedigree:
an American scholar of Palestinian heritage, born in New York and educated at Yale and Oxford, who now teaches at Columbia University. He directed the Middle East Center at the University of Chicago for some time, and he and his family came to know the Obamas at that time.
Read Juan Cole's complete assessment of McCain's hypocrisy on Informed Comment, Cole's enlightening website on issues from the Middle-East.
Not only is Khalidi a respected scholar. It gets better (for us, worse for McCain and his Curmudgeonly shill):
The attacks from McCain and Palin came as a relationship between Khalidi and the Republican presidential nominee was revealed. The International Republican Institute, an organization McCain has chaired since 1993, provided funds to the Center for Palestine Research and Studies, an organziation co-founded by Khalidi, during the 1990s -- including $448,873 in 1998 for the organization to conduct surveys of the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
The above quote is from today's Jewish Telegraph, but ABC News reported the connection yesterday.
Perhaps, at this point, you would like to ask Groothuis how can he be so pedestrian in his attacks, as to accuse Obama of a relationship with an "anti-Jewish" sympathizer whom his own candidate's group has funded--24 hours after IRI's contributions were exposed. Sorry, you can't: The Curmudgeon disabled replies to his post. Why? Because a deceitful and partisan disinformation machine does not allow facts to be used for rebuttals. Not any more. He used to, a while ago, before he went off the deep end on his anti-Obama crusade.
In conclusion: Groothuis is the type of person that feeds himself and others on the worst memes and voices the conservative movement has to offer. My advice? He should stick to teaching philosophy, and leave the political smear to those who have the time and the ability to do background research, lest he should end up looking like this idiot on CNN:
But, alas, perhaps it's too late.
3 comments:
Sirfab,
I am a friend of Doug's from our high school days. I recently discovered his blog and have been following it with considerable interest. I have also looked back through some of the archived material and have seen that you have frequently challenged and questioned some of Doug's thoughts and positions. I have been impressed by your well reasoned discussions and determination to pursue truth. While not devoid of emotion your positions and arguements have been remarkably civil, even in response to less well reasoned or civil responses to your own comments. Evidently Doug has seen that his polemic rhetoric is less potentially persuasive if he allows comments that might refute the vision he wishes to promote and has disabled comments. I suspect that Doug is primarily preaching to the choir so dissident voices may primarily be falling on deaf ears. In any event I want to commend you as you persist with your "Grothuis Watch".
It is somewhat disheartening to see someone with Doug's intelligence being unable or unwilling to reason rationally. This has been well evidenced in his refusal to acknowledge the difference between natural science with it's scientific theories and philosophy with it's metaphysical speculations as demonstrated in his stand, seemingly fanatical, on Intelligent Design. While I, as a self described agnostic, can appreciate the philosophy of intelligent design as worthy of consideration, contemplation and discussion, I cannot abide (and the Dude generally abides) the consideration that it should be included as scientific theory in science education. You have spoken with great clarity and reason in the past on this matter. For that I would like to commend you. I hope you keep up the good work. To encourage you to continue to politely and intelligently persist with "Grothuis Watch" I would like to offer this excerpt from the New Testament:
"Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will. 2 Timothy 2:22-26 TNIV"
I know that you profess atheism and I do not claim christianity, still you may take some comfort in this biblical advise to continue your "gentle instruction".
I would probably be posting something akin to this at Doug's blog had he continued to maintain an openess to discusion. I think his propaganda page is better revealed for what it is by Doug shutting down comments. Perhaps his audience may come to question the rationallity of the reasoner...
Sirfab,
I am a friend of Doug's from our high school days. I recently discovered his blog and have been following it with considerable interest. I have also looked back through some of the archived material and have seen that you have frequently challenged and questioned some of Doug's thoughts and positions. I have been impressed by your well reasoned discussions and determination to pursue truth. While not devoid of emotion your positions and arguements have been remarkably civil, even in response to less well reasoned or civil responses to your own comments. Evidently Doug has seen that his polemic rhetoric is less potentially persuasive if he allows comments that might refute the vision he wishes to promote and has disabled comments. I suspect that Doug is primarily preaching to the choir so dissident voices may primarily be falling on deaf ears. In any event I want to commend you as you persist with your "Grothuis Watch".
It is somewhat disheartening to see someone with Doug's intelligence being unable or unwilling to reason rationally. This has been well evidenced in his refusal to acknowledge the difference between natural science with it's scientific theories and philosophy with it's metaphysical speculations as demonstrated in his stand, seemingly fanatical, on Intelligent Design. While I, as a self described agnostic, can appreciate the philosophy of intelligent design as worthy of consideration, contemplation and discussion, I cannot abide (and the Dude generally abides) the consideration that it should be included as scientific theory in science education. You have spoken with great clarity and reason in the past on this matter. For that I would like to commend you. I hope you keep up the good work. To encourage you to continue to politely and intelligently persist with "Grothuis Watch" I would like to offer this excerpt from the New Testament:
"Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will. 2 Timothy 2:22-26 TNIV"
I know that you profess atheism and I do not claim christianity, still you may take some comfort in this biblical advise to continue your "gentle instruction".
I would probably be posting something akin to this at Doug's blog had he continued to maintain an openess to discusion. I think his propaganda page is better revealed for what it is by Doug shutting down comments. Perhaps his audience may come to question the rationallity of the reasoner...
Thank you Steve, I am humbled by your vote of confidence.
I don't mean to bash Doug Groothuis, and I would rather continue the discussion on his blog, but he has chosen to shut it down on too many posts. Ironically, it is Rush Limbaugh of all people who has a popularized a phrase for liberals that fits very well what Groothuis has been doing so often lately: "drive-by's."
Best,
Fab
Post a Comment