First Jesse Jackson, and now Farrakhan....Obama's team are trying to extracate themselves from the two black men who keep messing up Obama's carefully groomed persona. They keep letting the cat out of the bag. See here.

Oct 17, 2008 5:40 pm US/Central
Farrakhan Says 'New Beginning' For Nation of Islam
CHICAGO (AP) ― The Nation of Islam, a secretive movement generally closed to outsiders, has planned a rare open-to-the public event at its Chicago-based headquarters in what the Minister Louis Farrakhan deemed a "new beginning" for the group.

"We have restored Mosque Maryam completely, and we will dedicate it to the universal message of Islam, and the universal aspect of the teachings of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad," Farrakhan said in an invitation letter. "It represents for the Nation of Islam, a new beginning."

Experts say opening the mosque's doors to the public is a calculated move.

"It is a very conscious effort to open the mosque up to the community and to rededicate the community to learning about Islam," said Aminah McCloud, a professor of Islamic studies at DePaul University. "Previously, the Nation has been open to people coming to visit it, but its members don't generally go anywhere else ... now there is a concerted effort."

While the Nation has espoused black nationalism and self-reliance since it was founded in the 1930s, in recent years members have reached out to other groups. For instance, the Nation has a Latino liaison and has become involved in immigrant rights rallies and marches. Also, the Minister Ishmael Muhammad, a top assisting minister at the mosque and widely thought to be a potential successor to Farrakhan, has talked about unity between all people, at times speaking in Spanish.

He's also played down some of the group's more controversial beliefs. The Nation of Islam has taught that whites are descended from the devil and that blacks are the chosen people of Allah.

Those values "can help reduce violence and anti-social behavior ... and have universal significance and will benefit those willing to listen," according to a statement from the Nation.

Farrakhan's Sunday speech will mark his second major public address this year and is among several smaller community and religious events he has attended.

In February, Farrakhan appeared at an annual Saviours' Day event in Chicago and called Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama the "hope of the entire world" that the U.S. will change for the better. The Obama campaign quickly denounced Farrakhan's support, because of past comments about Jews that many have called offensive.

Farrakhan has made a bad choice in coming out for the GOP in that way. Poor strategy. You will notice that Barack is not being obsequious to him, right?

However we do have religious right leaders that was against McCain in the beginning to only support McCain at a later date. Now that shows a lot of integrity, huh.

Obama can't help the bad elements that support him anymore than McCain can help the bad elements that support him. If you think the smear/hate campaign you are participating is going to hurt, you have another thing coming, Missy!

Democrats are the author of smear and hate, of which you are extremely active yourself. You're funny, TQ. Really.

If you were honest. you would say it comes from both sides. But now as McCain is desperately losing thats all he has left in his trick bag, and it isn't pretty. It is also very bad for the country.