Fri
Jun 13 2008
11:26 am
Obama connected
By: R. Neal

From WhitesCreek Steve over at TennViews, Tennessee Democratic Party Executive Committee member Fred Hobbs says Obama "...may be terrorist connected for all I can tell. It sounds kind of like he may be."

Wow. With friends like that... Maybe the other Hobbs could use an assistant over at the TNGOP.

UPDATE: By way of ACK, the TNDP rejects and renounces the remarks:

“The Tennessee Democratic Party is united behind our party’s nominee, Senator Barack Obama. Mr. [Fred] Hobbs is obviously misinformed, and his statement highlights the perpetual efforts of the Republican Party, especially here in Tennessee, to turn internet smears and highly offensive gossip into their party’s message against Senator Barack Obama as we head into the General Election. Instead of debating the issues, the Tennessee Republican Party continues to rely upon slanderous and salacious tall tales. They are borrowing from the playbook first written by Richard Nixon and employed in the race against Congressman Harold Ford Jr. Tennesseans of every political persuasion are tired of these tactics.”

That was quick.

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Stick Thrower's picture

Interesting

Submitted by Stick Thrower on Fri, 2008/06/13 - 11:57am.

The TNDP response conflates Fred's nonsense with the TNGOP's smear machine. Was that intentional, or do they not realize Fred Hobbs is (or claims to be) a Democrat?

R. Neal's picture

I think what they are saying

Submitted by R. Neal on Fri, 2008/06/13 - 11:59am.

I think what they are saying is that he's a "victim" of the TNGOP propaganda. I thought it was a rather gymnastic contortion. I give it an 8.5

tin cup's picture

Let me get this straight........

Submitted by tin cup on Fri, 2008/06/13 - 1:41pm.

I'm not a member of the Democratic Party so please bear with me. Mr. Fred Hobbs, a state Democratic Party Executive Committee member, makes a totally ridiculous statement about presidential candidate Obama possibly being linked to terrorism. In response, Mr. Gray Sasser, Tennessee Democratic Party Chairman, blasts Republican tactics (and throws in Richard Nixon for good measure) for putting this totally ridiculous thought in Mr. Hobbs' head. Mr. Hobbs isn't in any way ACCOUNTABLE for making the statement?

Hmmmmmmmmmm. I don't know. I've been told that I'm not subtle, smart or sophisticated enough to be a member of the Democratic Party. I guess it's true............

Actually, it's quite apparent. Part of the Obama strategy is to lay these "rumors" and ridiculous statements out there so they can shoot them down and blame others.

WhitesCreek's picture

Actually, now that I hear

Submitted by WhitesCreek on Fri, 2008/06/13 - 1:48pm.

Actually, now that I hear that Beecher was misquoted, I want to hear from Mr. Hobbs, although it would take a near total fabrication by the reporter to infer a distortion of that magnitude.

fletch's picture

If Hobbs did make this

Submitted by fletch on Fri, 2008/06/13 - 2:05pm.

If Hobbs did make this statement, surely there has to be some sort of punishment besides condemnation. He should be kicked out of the Party, not just removed from the Committee. He accused the nominee of being a terrorist treasonous murderer (if he said it).

cooperhawk's picture

Gotcha!

Submitted by cooperhawk on Fri, 2008/06/13 - 2:39pm.

It's all part of "Operation Chaos". Republicans are not just voting in Democrat primaries, they have infiltrated the Tennessee Democrat Party Executive Committee. Don't be surprised to see signs of this in other states soon.

WhitesCreek's picture

Now that this has made every blog in the whole Nation...

Submitted by WhitesCreek on Fri, 2008/06/13 - 6:22pm.

Fred Hobbs is apparently issuing a retraction in tomorrow's Nashville City paper. Some one hand him his sword.

Beecher Frasier sticks by his claim that he was misquoted by the Nashville City paper:

"No one in their right mind, including me, believes Senator Obama has ties to terrorism. It is truly ridiculous for anyone to try to make hay out of these comments."

gonzone's picture

Holy Joe

Submitted by gonzone on Mon, 2008/06/16 - 11:29am.

Fred Hobbs obviously gets his information from Joe Lieberman. The "Republican Lite" DLC corporate whores needs to just go away and quit pretending to be Dems.

"When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro."
Hunter S. Thompson

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