Barack Odhimmi--a "Feeler" Not a Healer

President Barack Obama thinks Americans think he's Muslim because of his birth certificate (and not because of his curiosly oikophobic actions), and, of even greater concern, he does not--I repeat--does not have a clue (not that that's news in the strictest sense). This bizarre report comes from the Hindustan Times, of all places:

US President Barack Obama says he's not concerned about rumours about his birthplace or faith blaming an online campaign of misinformation by his conservative enemies for perpetuating the myth that he's a Muslim. There's "a network of misinformation that in a new media era can get churned out there.

"If I spend all my time chasing after that, then I wouldn't get much done," he said when asked why so many people were uncertain about something so fundamental as his faith. "I can't spend all my time with my birth certificate plastered on my forehead."

"The facts are the facts. We went through some of this during the campaign - there is a mechanism, a network of misinformation that in a new media era can get churned out there constantly," said a visibly annoyed Obama, referring to "birthers," who keep questioning either the existence or the validity of his Hawaiian birth certificate.

"I will always put my money on the American people, and I'm not going to be worried too much about what rumours are floating around there."

A stunning 18 per cent of Americans still identify Obama as Muslim, according to a Pew poll released earlier this month. Only a third identified Obama as Christian and 43 percent said they didn't know his faith.

Obama also doubled down on his support for a mosque and community centre planned for a site two blocks north of Ground Zero site of the Sep 11, 2001 terror attack in New York - and denied reports that he tried to back away from supporting the controversial project.

"I didn't walk it back it all," he said. "I was very specific with my team... The core value and principle that every American is treated the same doesn't change... At (a White House Ramadan celebration), I had Muslim Americans who had been in uniform fighting in Iraq... How can you say to them that their religious faith is less worthy of respect?... That's something that I feel very strongly about."

He added, "I respect the feelings on the other side."

How can you say to them that their religious faith is less worthy of respect? Here's how: "Thank you for wearing the uniform of the American military. Your religious affiliation--or lack thereof--while you wear it is a private matter and does not concern me. Unless, that is, you are more interested in waging jihad to further Allah's law--a la Fort Hood's Major Dr. Malik Nadal Hasan--than you are in pledging allegiance to the flag of the U.S. of A."

As for respecting "the feelings" on the other side--what a bizarre thing for a commander in chief in the midst of battle in a far-off Muslim land to say. Does he really think Muslims are going to be bowled over by his "respect" for their "feelings"? Or do such sentiments peg him as a lightweight, a squish, a pushover, and will they likely have the undesireable effect of making "the other side" feel more empowered?

It's not about your "birth certificate," Barry. It's the horrifying spectacle of seeing the leader of the free world demeaning--diminishing--himself and us by continually bending over backwards to accommodate the (heaven help us!) "feelings" of "the other side."