Last week the Obama camp and its media allies pressured Mitt Romney into publicly repudiating a plan submitted to a super PAC, that proposed spending millions on an advertising campaign that would tie President Obama to his pastor/mentor of 20 years, racial demagogue Jeremiah Wright. Today, Bill Maher, a famous supporter of Obama’s and a donor of $1 million to a pro-Obama super PAC, tweeted this out:
Why even listen to #MittRomney on foreign policy? His entire [foreign policy] experience is 2 yrs trying to brow-beat Frenchmen into joining his cult[.]
In response, two media outlets are pressuring the Obama campaign to follow its own rules and repudiate their own big super PAC backer.
[I]t comes at a time when the Obama campaign is trying to assert moral superiority on the subject of political attacks on religion. After it was revealed last week that some Republicans were planning to resurface Obama’s old minister, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, as a campaign issue, David Axelrod called for civility. Declaring Mormonism “off-limits” to the Democrat’s campaign, he called on Romney to follow their lead. …
The Obama campaign did not respond to an e-mail from BuzzFeed asking whether they would repudiate Maher’s remarks.
But Maher gave a hefty $1 million to Priorities USA Action, the super PAC backing Obama, and that connection has caused the president’s campaign some consternation.
Republicans pressured Obama earlier this year to reject Maher’s support given his offensive jokes about women. During that dust-up, Axelrod canceled a planned appearance on Maher’s show.
The Obama campaign did not immediately return an email seeking comment.
What we’re seeing here isn’t some sudden fit of integrity from these two outlets (and any others who might climb aboard).
What they want is religion completely off the table. Comments like this from a prominent Obama supporter only hurt Obama; and a serious, well-funded media campaign vetting Obama’s relationship with Rev. Wright also only hurts Obama.
It’s still about protecting Obama, but that doesn’t mean a circular firing squad involving Obama and Maher isn’t a beautiful thing to watch.
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