This is the rest of the story regarding that photo that's being circulated

[Hope And Change]

US Senator visits flood displaced town of Dire dawa


Djibouti (HAN) September 1, 2006 - Sen. Barack Obama, visited a sprawling tent camp in eastern Ethiopia on Thursday for people displaced by devastating floods earlier this month, saying the U.S. military will continue to help the region.

U.S. Navy personnel began relief operations two weeks ago in the eastern town of Dire Dawa, where the first flash floods ripped through the town on Aug. 6. In eastern, southern and northeastern Ethiopia, flooding caused by the heavy rains has killed more than 600 people and displaced tens of thousands of people, according to U.N. officials.

"The next order of business is to make sure these families are taken care of," said Obama, who is on a five-country tour of Africa. "But this shows what kind of role the U.S. military can play."

U.S. naval engineers, who are part of the anti-terror Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa based in neighboring Djibouti, set up 60 enormous canvas tents that are housing 2,700 people. The tents are furnished with straw mats and basic necessities.

Sanitation facilities were built with the help of the Ethiopian Red Cross. Already, 150 people have died of waterborne diseases and 12,000 have been infected, according to relief organizations.

"This is a wonderful thing that the U.S. military has done," said Mohammed Noor, who is living in the tent city. "We lost everything by the waters that washed away our home." Dire Dawa is 310 miles east of Addis Ababa. LES NEUHAUS.

http://www.geeskaafrika.com/ethiopia_31aug06.htm">Link

[GreenPartyVoter]

1. You know, I just don't get the big deal about this picture. Politicians do

this sort of thing all the time when they travel abroad, don't they?

[L1A1Rocker]

2. Yes they do

this really should be a non-issue.

[Whisp]

5. true, but the pre-amble of that 'muslim' stuff running around email-land

puts quite a different light of intent on it.

It's meant to jog the 'terrorist' image - the islamofascistsuicidebomberAlQaeda911 synapses are still very near the surface in many minds and the Fear Factor has been quite successful in the past in this regard, so this certainly would be worth a shot to a desperate campaign.

[milkyway]

7. Yes, but in the eyes of some people other politicians just look like one of "us" wearing the clothes

of "them"; But Barack looks like he actually is one of "them." Again, in the eyes of some people, the kind who think there might actually be something to this "Obama is a Muslim plant" kind of garbage. Bush just looks like a goof when he's wearing foreign garb; Obama looks authentic (his complexion gives him away).

[rock]

3. Strange that bush* played dress-up all the time

and I didn't hear a single peep. (OK maybe on DU we laughed at him.)

[DearAbby]

9. We Peep'ed

[Cirque du So-What]

12. I ragged on him some

[yellerpup]

4. Nice find.

It's good to have the story in context, rather than just the caption. The insinuation that accompanied the publication of this photo was obviously BS from the git and should have been a complete non-starter.

Edit to read NON-starter.

[Mezzo]

8. yep. Are the accusers here going to apologize?

It couldn't be any more obvious.

[cali]

10. nope. I haven't said it comes from Clinton's campaign and I haven't

decided it didn't. Wolfson's non-denial denial is not completely persuasive. And I don't like the way they've handled this, whether it came from a staffer or not.

[Mezzo]

15. how should they have handled something they didn't do?

and not denying something does not an accomplice make, lest you forget anybody denying the Larry Sinclair affair. (escapade).

[yellerpup]

11. Nobody apologizes for a hit.

I don't know the original source, but an apology is owed. Still, I am glad that Obama isn't sucking around whining for an apology (like a repig would do) and I am happy that he rejects the role of victim. Nothing is going to stick to him. He remains above the slime, a rare and treasured attribute for a politician.

[Baconfoot]

13. If he were really above the slime he wouldn't be pouncing on Clinton for something not tied to her.

There's no evidence that this came from the Clinton campaign and they have denied it.

Above the fray indeed.

[yellerpup]

14. Is Obama pouncing on Hillary?

I heard her denying placing it herself, but mentioning that someone in her campaign might have forwarded it to Drudge without her knowledge. I have not heard him accuse her, so perhaps I missed something. Just because people feel strongly about a candidate or an issue does not excuse bad behavior. That goes for both sides. Indeed.

[crispini]

6. Nice.

:thumbsup: