Mayor: Obama Purposely Blocked "Peanuts"

[shemp]

Says "Muslim" President's TV Speech on Afghan War Was Scheduled to Block "Charlie Brown Christmas" Cartoon (http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/12/05/politics/main5901552.shtml?tag=stack)

A small town mayor is under fire for what he wrote about the President online.

Mayor Russell Wiseman of Arlington called President Obama a Muslim on his Facebook page, attacked Obama's supporters, and said the president's primetime address on Tuesday about the U.S. military's strategy in Afghanistan was a deliberate effort to block the airing of the cartoon "A Charlie Brown Christmas."

According to the newspaper, the mayor's first posting read, "Ok, so, this is total crap, we sit the kids down to watch 'The Charlie Brown Christmas Special' and our muslim president is there, what a load.....try to convince me that wasn't done on purpose. Ask the man if he believes that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and he will give you a 10 minute disertation (sic) about it....w...hen the answer should simply be 'yes'...."

In another posting Wiseman attacked the President, his supporters and Muslims, by saying "...you obama people need to move to a muslim country...oh wait, that's America....pitiful."

Oh good grief!

[FreshHat]

The mayor's surname is doubly ironic, given his stunning display of ignorance, and that whole Three Maji thing.

Personally, I'm more inclined to believe the "Big Eastern Syndicate" CT.

[Eyeron]

Oh gosh. While I'm no Obama fan myself, this is just being all hyper over a non issue. What is it about the President that turns people into hype sensitive reactionaries when in most other people they'd more than likely to just let it it go. I guess we all make God in our own image.

Even at that I'd still say a President's speech is more important than a cartoon.

[Darth Rotor]

Says "Muslim" President's TV Speech on Afghan War Was Scheduled to Block "Charlie Brown Christmas" Cartoon (http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/12/05/politics/main5901552.shtml?tag=stack)


Oh good grief!
Not even good grief: this is bad grief, silly grief, fertheloveofallthatischeeseburgersgetafreakinclue grief.
Mayor Russell Wiseman of Arlington {Tennessee} called President Obama a Muslim on his Facebook page, attacked Obama's supporters, and said the president's primetime address on Tuesday about the U.S. military's strategy in Afghanistan was a deliberate effort to block the airing of the cartoon "A Charlie Brown Christmas."
If the mayor were eight years old, that might be a rational response. Otherwise ...
The Commercial Appeal reported Wiseman's comments, posted on his Facebook page, which included the claim that the president is Muslim.

Mr. Obama is Christian.
That was Arlington, Tennessee, folks, not Arlington, Virginia, nor Arlington Texas. Just to set the record straight.

DR

[dasmiller]

What is it about the President that turns people into hype sensitive reactionaries when in most other people they'd more than likely to just let it it go.

I'm not sure there's necessarily anything about the President that does that. I've seen people become apoplectic about lawnmowers, where a newspaper landed, barking dogs (that may have been me) and all manner of trivia. I even I know of a guy pulling a gun on someone over a parking space dispute. It's just that the ordinary overreactions don't make the news.

I'm going to guess that this mayor is not someone who's calm and reasonable on every other topic.

[kuroyume0161]

Shhhh... I hate to tell the mayor this startling news:

Newsflash: TV shows and movies are available for personal viewing anytime on such cutting edge new technologies as VHS, DVD, iTunes.

Talk about 'pitiful'...

[John Jones]

Not even good grief: this is bad grief, silly grief, fertheloveofallthatischeeseburgersgetafreakinclue grief.

If the mayor were eight years old, that might be a rational response. Otherwise ...

That was Arlington, Tennessee, folks, not Arlington, Virginia, nor Arlington Texas. Just to set the record straight.

DR


Which is a small suburb of Memphis, TN. I didn't even know Arlington had a mayor, and my mailing address (meaning the nearest post office to my house) is in Arlington, TN.

The Mayor's job in Arlington, TN is probably a part-time job anyway.

Nothing to see here.

[Sledge]

Oh gosh. While I'm no Obama fan myself, this is just being all hyper over a non issue. What is it about the President that turns people into hype sensitive reactionaries when in most other people they'd more than likely to just let it it go.
Racism.

[Snixtor]

I used to get riled when I'd turn on the TV for my afternoon cartoons and a cricket match was on instead. I was 8 years old...

Now I get riled by statements like this:
"Ask the man if he believes that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and he will give you a 10 minute disertation (sic) about it....w...hen the answer should simply be 'yes'...."

[WildCat]

Sheesh, it wasn't the Heidi game (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heidi_Game) for FSM's sake.

[Eyeron]

Actually as an adult I tend to get a little frustrated when they interrupt Saturday morning cartoons for sports crap. After all, if children are truly the most important thing then children's shows should not be interrupted. But the almighty dollar is far more important than children, and therefore overrides any consideration for children.

[commandlinegamer]

I'm at a loss why this still happens. Don't you like have 500 channels? I could understand it, if like Britain you only had 5. (It was even worse in the '70s when we only had 3, and Multi-Coloured Swap Shop would be often curtailed so Grandstand could start early. Wasn't 5 hours of sport enough?)

[WildCat]

Maybe on a mayor's salary he can't afford the $4 to rent it, or just wait for another of the 10,000 showings of it this time of year.

[slingblade]

I'm at a loss why this still happens. Don't you like have 500 channels? I could understand it, if like Britain you only had 5. (It was even worse in the '70s when we only had 3, and Multi-Coloured Swap Shop would be often curtailed so Grandstand could start early. Wasn't 5 hours of sport enough?)

Yes, but the programming isn't shared across them equally. Certain broadcasters or their affiliates/owners/corporations/etc. own certain programming. If CBS owns Charlie Brown Christmas, another broadcaster would have to buy the rights. If it's a huge money-maker in terms of sponsorship, the owner might be reluctant to sell the rights, or let another station run the show. And the name-recognition of the thing plays into it. Everyone knows CBS (or whomever) runs that show, and it ties in to other programming, attracts viewers from other stations, etc.

It's not all that simple, really. :)

[Skeptic Ginger]

The town of Arlington Tennessee (http://www.townofarlington.org/) only has ~9700 residents. It doesn't surprise me there is one small town in the US with a small brained mayor.

[kuroyume0161]

The town of Arlington Tennessee (http://www.townofarlington.org/) only has ~9700 residents. It doesn't surprise me there is one small town in the US with a small brained mayor.

The town of Kiowa has only 618 residents. It is the seat of Elbert County, Colorado government and even has a pizza place. :) People seem to be rather amiable and intelligent enough.

[Skeptic Ginger]

The town of Kiowa has only 618 residents. It is the seat of Elbert County, Colorado government and even has a pizza place. :) People seem to be rather amiable and intelligent enough.Did I say anything about ALL small towns having small brained mayors?

No. I did not.

Thank you.

[shadron]

The town of Kiowa has only 618 residents. It is the seat of Elbert County, Colorado government and even has a pizza place. :) People seem to be rather amiable and intelligent enough.

Man, you ought to see Boyero.

[Puppycow]

Jesus wept. Must be the latest attack in The War on Christmas.

[marksman]

You're a Political Football, Charlie Brown!


Aauuuuuuugh!

[tyr_13]

Now I get riled by statements like this:
"Ask the man if he believes that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and he will give you a 10 minute disertation (sic) about it....w...hen the answer should simply be 'yes'...."

[tv gameshow host]
Ohh, I'm sorry Mayor, the correct answer was 'no'. 'No'. Next question, how hard can you hit your wife when she over cooks the roast? [/tv gameshow host]

[kuroyume0161]

Did I say anything about ALL small towns having small brained mayors?

No. I did not.

Thank you.

Just saying that size doesn't always matter (in relationship to mayoral a-holiness). ;)

[GreyICE]

Small town mayor without clue, news at 11.

Who cares. He's an idiot, and it's between him and his voters. This should never have gotten national attention.

[Dr Adequate]

Small town mayor without clue, news at 11.

Who cares. He's an idiot, and it's between him and his voters. This should never have gotten national attention. But ... it's funny.

[dudalb]

The Mayor needs to get advice from a Mental Health Professional, like this:

http://www.jokelibrary.net/education/after_m/psych-supp-peanuts2.html

[Safe-Keeper]

According to the newspaper, the mayor's first posting read, "Ok, so, this is total crap, we sit the kids down to watch 'The Charlie Brown Christmas Special' and our muslim president is there, what a load.....try to convince me that wasn't done on purpose.Obama has now admitted that the speech was indeed made deliberately. He had hoped to convince people he didn't know the cameras were rolling and that everyone was watching Charlie Brown. but now the clever Arlington mayor has seen through the ruse. Now we only need to find a name for this horrifying scandal.

What about Charliegate?

Ask the man if he believes that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and he will give you a 10 minute disertation (sic) about it....w...hen the answer should simply be 'yes'...." He's a politician, not a minister.

In another posting Wiseman attacked the President, his supporters and Muslims, by saying "...you obama people need to move to a muslim country...oh wait, that's America....pitiful." Oh, yeah, the persecution complex again. I suppose that's what happens when you have to be a Christian to hold office and the majority of the populace is Christian.

Area voter Jeff Shackelford told CBS Affiliate WREG that the President of the United States had "more important things to be thinking about instead of trying to block Charlie Brown on TV."

On the "Support Russell Wiseman" page, a Facebook user wrote, "Russel is human and needs to vent. That was his personal site and it is nobody elses business but his and his friends. He did not post on the City website, it is his right as an American!" I must have missed the statement by, well, anyone, that Russel did not have the right to post what he did.

[ve2vfd]

You know, the scary thing is when I read the thread title, I was SURE this was going to be a tongue in cheek posting of a funny article from "The Onion"... imagine my surprise when I realized it's a real news story...

I'd really worry if the people spending my tax money reasoned like that mayor... wow.

Pat

[Checkmite]

My father is also dead convinced, and swears no one can sway him otherwise, that Obama is "secretly" a Muslim "pretending" to be Christian.

Does Islam even permit its followers to profess allegiance to another religion while secretly remaining faithful?

[a3sigma]

Sarah Palin started out as a small town mayor. You never know...

[Whiplash]

Racism.


Since this charge is getting under my skin, and I don't think it's true of everyone, I'll just go ahead and state my own unprovable attack on the left.

It's all the result of the horrid way the left treated Bush. You reap what you sow. It's a direct result of the horrible treatment he received over the 8 years of his presidency.

I'm guessing no one is going to like that response however.

But I do think there is a kernel of truth there. I just think that it's gone back and forth too much. I'd say the left justifies what it did based on how the right treated Clinton. And they justify that by the way the left treated Bush the elder, and Reagan. And the left justify that by the way the right treated Carter. And so on, and so on. Continually ramping up more and more with each new president. I find it a tad scary and worrying. But apparently no one else does.

[kuroyume0161]

It's all the result of the horrid way the left treated Bush. You reap what you sow. It's a direct result of the horrible treatment he received over the 8 years of his presidency.

I'm guessing no one is going to like that response however.

Because it is untrue. ;)

Bush received the particular treatment mainly because he deserved it. A couple of good moments in his presidency but otherwise (need I list them?).

Let's not forget that President Clinton was ACTUALLY impeached by (a majority Republican, right, conservative) Congress for having a blowjob. I mean, you really don't have a splinter to hold onto in a sea of b.s..

[quixotecoyote]

Because it is untrue. ;)

Bush received the particular treatment mainly because he deserved it. A couple of good moments in his presidency but otherwise (need I list them?).

Let's not forget that President Clinton was ACTUALLY impeached by (a majority Republican, right, conservative) Congress for having a blowjob. I mean, you really don't have a splinter to hold onto in a sea of b.s..

Well, technically for lying about getting a blowjob, but still ridiculous compared to what Bush was up to. I would have loved an excuse to him under the same legal requirements Clinton was under and then asked him about things that really mattered.

[ThatSoundAgain]

Since this charge is getting under my skin, and I don't think it's true of everyone, I'll just go ahead and state my own unprovable attack on the left.

It's all the result of the horrid way the left treated Bush. You reap what you sow. It's a direct result of the horrible treatment he received over the 8 years of his presidency.

I'm guessing no one is going to like that response however.

But I do think there is a kernel of truth there. I just think that it's gone back and forth too much. I'd say the left justifies what it did based on how the right treated Clinton. And they justify that by the way the left treated Bush the elder, and Reagan. And the left justify that by the way the right treated Carter. And so on, and so on. Continually ramping up more and more with each new president. I find it a tad scary and worrying. But apparently no one else does.

I was about to get all riled about this, until I got to your final paragraph. Yes, I agree that that's the trend. The shift from traditional media to the one we're using now isn't helping. Everything is getting more shrill.

That said, while your current president looks more agreeable from this armchair, and W. really wasn't my cup of anything, I still pride myself with having been able to sort the conspiratorial lunacy from the legitimate criticism leveled against his administration. I.e. I don't think he's a lizard in disguise, but am convinced that he's done tremendous harm in some areas.

I may overestimate my own sorting abilities, but the point remains: A lot of what was said about Bush was founded in legitimate criticisms of his policies. Just like it will be the case with Obama once he's had the same amount of time to cock things up.

[John Jones]

Because it is untrue. ;)

Bush received the particular treatment mainly because he deserved it. A couple of good moments in his presidency but otherwise (need I list them?).

Let's not forget that President Clinton was ACTUALLY impeached by (a majority Republican, right, conservative) Congress for having a blowjob. I mean, you really don't have a splinter to hold onto in a sea of b.s..

Untrue, and unfair. Clinton was impeached for lying about it. He was disbarred in his home state for the same reason. The House of representatives impeached him. A majority Republican (right, conservative) US Senate declined to remove him from office.

[kuroyume0161]

Untrue, and unfair. Clinton was impeached for lying about it. He was disbarred in his home state for the same reason. The House of representatives impeached him. A majority Republican (right, conservative) US Senate declined to remove him from office.

You know what I meant. Bush never lied (or did anything underhanded, behind our backs, or such I take it)?

1. WMD
....

Should I?

[kuroyume0161]

Well, technically for lying about getting a blowjob, but still ridiculous compared to what Bush was up to. I would have loved an excuse to him under the same legal requirements Clinton was under and then asked him about things that really mattered.

Agreed. It was just something, anything, that could be used for the purpose. Unfortunately, Mr. Clinton and his libido cooperated. ;)

[Alan]

Does Islam even permit its followers to profess allegiance to another religion while secretly remaining faithful?
Professing belief in a religion other than Islam whilst actually believing in Islam is called 'taqiyya'. It is allowed within certain situations.
http://www.al-islam.org/Encyclopedia/chapter6b/1.html
http://www.slate.com/id/2194721/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taqiyya

[Rogue1stclass]

You know what I meant. Bush never lied (or did anything underhanded, behind our backs, or such I take it)?

1. WMD
....

Should I?

For Bush to have lied about WMDs it would mean that he would have had to know that Iraq didn't have them and said it did anyway.

Do you honestly believe this to be the case?

[ThatSoundAgain]

You think?

Wouldn't it be enough that he said he knew for certain Iraq had WMD's if he didn't?

[kuroyume0161]

For Bush to have lied about WMDs it would mean that he would have had to know that Iraq didn't have them and said it did anyway.

Do you honestly believe this to be the case?

YES!

When this malarkey started, I yelled and screamed that it was all b.s.. I wrote my representatives asking that they not make this war official based upon the reasons submitted. If even I can figure it out, how could Bush as President of the US not?

Reasons: The evidence was vague at best. The probability that Iraq had the wherewithall to accumulate the necessary experts and materials and accomplish construction of such weapons after the Gulf War was lower than Bush lying. There were no independent correlations that Al Quaeda had any affiliation with Hussein or had camps in eastern Iraq. Much of Iraq was under close UN/NATO/US scrutiny since the Gulf War over ten years earlier. There were also substantial 'No-fly' zones patrolled regularly by USAF armed jets. There were restrictions on import and export.

Come on. Fool me once, I'ma fool. Fool me again, well, uh... (Okay, one could use lack of intelligence as a defense but I still don't buy it). ;)

[kittynh]

how many times will the "Charlie Brown Christmas" be on tv before Xmas?

I'm a big Peanuts fan...but even I know by now, the tree is a dud at first.

[John Jones]

You know what I meant. Bush never lied (or did anything underhanded, behind our backs, or such I take it)?

1. WMD
....

Should I?

I know what you said. What you meant is out of my control. I'm not gonna defend Bush, but Clinton was impeached and disbarred for perjury.

[kuroyume0161]

I know what you said. What you meant is out of my control. I'm not gonna defend Bush, but Clinton was impeached and disbarred for perjury.

Under the most ridiculous of circumstances though. And Bush wasn't, for the most reasonable. I agree that he was caught out lying under oath. He should have just admitted the faux pas and been done with it. Politicians.

My point is clear. Clinton's actions did not endanger lives or liberties. Bush's endangered everything. Fake wars (killing many tens of thousands), laws breaking church-state separation, laws abridging rights of citizens and combatants, torture, disgusting campaign tactics. I'm still hoping for some sort of international criminal court to take this up - but we couldn't even get an impeachment against Bush to see the light of day. It will take decades to repair the damage to our economy, democracy, face. Clinton was just a politician at least. :)

[John Jones]

Under the most ridiculous of circumstances though. And Bush wasn't, for the most reasonable. I agree that he was caught out lying under oath. He should have just admitted the faux pas and been done with it. Politicians.

My point is clear. Clinton's actions did not endanger lives or liberties. Bush's endangered everything. Fake wars (killing many tens of thousands), laws breaking church-state separation, laws abridging rights of citizens and combatants, torture, disgusting campaign tactics. I'm still hoping for some sort of international criminal court to take this up - but we couldn't even get an impeachment against Bush to see the light of day. It will take decades to repair the damage to our economy, democracy, face. Clinton was just a politician at least. :)

Your point is a straw man. Set it on fire if you like.

I'm new here, so I don't want to participate in a derail.

Cheers!

[quixotecoyote]

Your point is a straw man. Set it on fire if you like. ]

Cheers!

Where, exactly, in that post did s/he misrepresent an argument you or someone else was making?

Do you know what a "straw man" is?

[kuroyume0161]

Your point is a straw man. Set it on fire if you like. ]

Cheers!

What? You get the list. He did 'some' good things (as I admitted) but still. Read the list.

WMD in Iraq (lie)
War in Iraq
Change of focus from Afghanistan allows Bin Laden and cohorts to escape (which has led to strengthening of Al Quaeda and Taliban)
PATRIOT Act
Faith-Based initiative (incl. school vouchers)
Refusal to sign Kyoto Protocol
Denial of global warming (softened later)
Suppression of science data
Banning of stem cell research
"Mission Complete" (that qualifies for unending ridicule)
Gitmo
Abu Ghraib
waterboarding
Hurricane Katrina (that one is enough to have him shot in front of a firing squad in my book)
The worst financial crisis since the Great Depression of 1929!
"No Child Left Behind"
US Attorney dismissal (almost certainly partisan)
NSA surveillance without FISA approval (RULED unconstitutional!)
...

I don't need any more kindling to light my effigy on fire. :D

[John Jones]

Where, exactly, in that post did s/he misrepresent an argument you or someone else was making?

Do you know what a "straw man" is?

Yes. I know what a Straw Man argument is.

[John Jones]

What? You get the list. He did 'some' good things (as I admitted) but still. Read the list.

WMD in Iraq (lie)
War in Iraq
Change of focus from Afghanistan allows Bin Laden and cohorts to escape (which has led to strengthening of Al Quaeda and Taliban)
PATRIOT Act
Faith-Based initiative (incl. school vouchers)
Refusal to sign Kyoto Protocol
Denial of global warming (softened later)
Suppression of science data
Banning of stem cell research
"Mission Complete" (that qualifies for unending ridicule)
Gitmo
Abu Ghraib
waterboarding
Hurricane Katrina (that one is enough to have him shot in front of a firing squad in my book)
The worst financial crisis since the Great Depression of 1929!
"No Child Left Behind"
US Attorney dismissal (almost certainly partisan)
NSA surveillance without FISA approval (RULED unconstitutional!)
...

I don't need any more kindling to light my effigy on fire. :D

Was someone on this thread defending Bush' policies?

[quixotecoyote]

Yes. I know what a Straw Man argument is.

And yet you don't point out where kuroyume0161 actually made that fallacious argument when challenged on your accusation.

This moves you from ignorant to dishonest.

Personally, I'd prefer to admit to ignorance than display dishonesty.

[kuroyume0161]

And yet you don't point out where kuroyume0161 actually made that fallacious argument when challenged on your accusation.

This moves you from ignorant to dishonest.

Personally, I'd prefer to admit to ignorance than display dishonesty.

Yes, I answered this post by whiplash (note that the part that was added later isn't included because it was added later!):

Since this charge is getting under my skin, and I don't think it's true of everyone, I'll just go ahead and state my own unprovable attack on the left.

It's all the result of the horrid way the left treated Bush. You reap what you sow. It's a direct result of the horrible treatment he received over the 8 years of his presidency.

I'm guessing no one is going to like that response however.As I started in my replies, Bush deserved the treatment. And I just made a partial list of why. Do you disclaim any of these? And I hear a bit of 'not a citizen of the USA' in your accent so you haven't had to live under such stupidity may I assume. I'm still suffering in many ways from the Bush administration.

[John Jones]

And yet you don't point out where kuroyume0161 actually made that fallacious argument when challenged on your accusation.

This moves you from ignorant to dishonest.

Personally, I'd prefer to admit to ignorance than display dishonesty.

See post #48.

I never defended GW Bush's policies on anything. I would appreciate you not implying that I'm a liar.

[John Jones]

And yet you don't point out where kuroyume0161 actually made that fallacious argument when challenged on your accusation.\

I just noticed the word ACCUSATION. What accusation are you referring to?

I think you have me confused with someone else, sir.

[quixotecoyote]

\

I just noticed the word ACCUSATION. What accusation are you referring to?

I think you have me confused with someone else, sir.

You accused him of making a strawman argument. This is quite plainly evident in the thread history. Why are you trying to deny it?

See post #48.

I never defended GW Bush's policies on anything. I would appreciate you not implying that I'm a liar. Post 48 was made AFTER your accusation (eta: and clearly linked to whiplash's post before your most recent reply) so you cannot possibly have been referring to it.

[Pinkymcfatfat]

Perhaps a small collection could be taken up to get this man a one-at-a-time gift subscription to Netflix?

[kuroyume0161]

I think that there is misunderstanding going on here so I'll give John Jones the benefit of the doubt and say that I'm sorry we're arguing over a diversion which really isn't constructive to the topic. I wasn't trying to build a nice straw man but just replying to a post to which I felt compelled to reply. I'd rather that this doesn't get personal in any way so I concede my strawman to your accusations. :D

On topic: Netflix is a good idea. :)

[Dr Adequate]

Since this charge is getting under my skin, and I don't think it's true of everyone ... Do you not think that in this case there's a grain of truth in the accusation? If Obama was a white guy called John Smith and he went around saying stuff like:

I am a Christian, and I am a devout Christian. I believe in the redemptive death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I believe that that faith gives me a path to be cleansed of sin and have eternal life. --- Barack Obama John Smith

--- then how far do you think the "secret Muslim" meme would have got?

I'll just go ahead and state my own unprovable attack on the left.

It's all the result of the horrid way the left treated Bush. You reap what you sow. It's a direct result of the horrible treatment he received over the 8 years of his presidency. Ooh, horrible. People had the temerity to criticize him for the things he actually said and did! Like invading Iraq.

But in Obama's case, they criticize him for the fantasies they have about him. And this is qualitatively different.

(OK, to be accurate, there were the people who criticized Bush for his membership in the NWO and his determination to herd them into FEMA death camps, but as they say exactly the same thing about Obama, and said exactly the same thing about Clinton, they're not so much partisan as mad in the head.)