Obama Truth Squad-Truth!

Obama Using Law Enforcement Officials For Truth Squad To Stop False Ads-Truth!

Summary of eRumor:

An eRumor stating that Senator Barak Obama, in an effort to stop the negative ads against him, has recruited people in law enforcement in Missouri to “to target anyone who lies or runs a misleading television ad during the presidential campaign.”  
 

The Truth:

 

KMOV-TV reported this story and posted on its web site September 29, 2008.  It said that a group of Obama supporters consisting of two prosecution attorneys and a county sheriff had assembled in St. Louis to intercept Obama rumors and debunk them.  There had been numerous rumors during the 2008 presidential campaign season such as that Senator Obama was a Muslim and had associations with known terrorists such as Bill Ayers.  KMOV-TV said that the group was prepared to stop attacks on their presidential candidate.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch also reported on September 30, 2008 the formation of the Obama Truth Squad and this was a topic of conversation on the Rush Limbaugh radio show as wells as programs on the Fox News Channel.

According to the Post-Dispatch, St. Louis Circuit Attorney Jennifer Joyce, St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Bob McCulloch, and Jefferson County Sheriff Glenn Boyer have joined forces to form the “Obama truth squad.” Joyce and McCulloch stated, “The truth squad’s plan is to identify false attacks and respond immediately with truthful information.” The St. Louis Post-Dispatch article also stated that these people were all Democrats.
 

It is not uncommon for a campaign to use spokespersons to debunk false claims against the candidate. Senator McCain has used the services of supporters, mostly military and former prisoners of war, although South Carolina House Speaker Bobby Harrell and Henry McMaster, the Attorney General for that state, are listed in his own truth squad to assist in setting the record straight.

Missouri Governor Matt Blunt, issued a statement that accused Obama of “police state tactics” which would “intimidate people and kill free debate.” In a telephone interview with Fox News he voiced his concerns about prosecutors and sheriffs responding to false claims against Obama and taking aggressive action. In his statement, Governor Blunt told Obama, “Enlisting Missouri law enforcement to intimidate people and kill free debate is reminiscent of the Sedition Acts – not a free society.”

When asked about intimidating effect on voters, a deputy communications director for the Obama campaign told Fox news that Blunt was mischaracterizing this.

According to a news article posted by the Star Tribune of Minneapolis – St. Paul, Minnesota on August 22, 2008, Bill Ayers was part of a group that claimed responsibility for bombings at the Pentagon and U.S. Capitol in the 1960’s.   Ayers surrendered to authorities in 1980 and owing to misconduct claims against the prosecution his charges were dropped.   Obama stated that he “deplored” Ayers’ actions in the 1960s and that “by the time I met him, he is a professor of education at the University of Illinois.”  

Critics of the Obama-Ayers relationship said that Obama has had close association with, and the support of, a militant who has never really repented of Pentagon and U.S. Capitol bombings and has actually been quoted in the New York Times on September 11, 2001 as saying that ”I don’t regret setting bombs,” and  ”I feel we didn’t do enough.”  Ayers went on to become one of Obama’s most important supporters and the first fund-raiser for Obama’s campaign for the Illinois senate was set up by Ayers.

Obama objects to the criticism saying that his association with Ayers was long after his young militant days.  Ayers and Obama served together for the non profit education reform organization, Chicago Annenberg Challenge.

Click for KMOV article

Click for Governor Matt Blunt’s statement

CLICK HERE for a list of other related stories about Barack Obama

updated 09/30/08