Obama Publicized His Own 'Secret' Prayer at Wailing Wall

[bigsixfive 336]

Potemkin Prayer

By JAMES TARANTO

July 29, 2008

The other day Barack Obama was visiting Israel's capital, and he stopped at the Western Wall to partake of a Jewish tradition: He deposited a written prayer into one of the wall's cracks.

This set off a bit of a kerfuffle, as the Israeli newspaper Maariv published the prayer, purportedly filched by a seminary student. IsraelInsider.com has the text:

Lord--

Protect my family and me.

Forgive me my sins, and help me guard against pride and despair.

Give me the wisdom to do what is right and just.

And make me an instrument of your will.

Haaretz reports that "Jerusalem lawyer Shahar Alon asked Attorney General Menachem Mazuz yesterday to order a police investigation into the removal and publication of Obama's note":

"By making the note public," Alon wrote to Mazuz, "Maariv violated the law protecting holy sites, several clauses in the penal code and also infringed upon the basic rights of a person's honor and freedom."

Alon also initiated a boycott of the newspaper. . . .

Maariv's response: "Obama's note was published in Maariv and other international publications following his authorization to make the content of the note public. Obama submitted a copy of the note to media outlets when he left his hotel in Jerusalem. Moreover, since he is not Jewish, there is no violation of privacy as there would be for a Jewish person who places a note in the wall."

Thus, as IsraelInsider puts it, "what initially seemed to be a journalistic scoop of dubious moral propriety now seems to be a case of an Israeli paper being played by the Barack Obama campaign." Obama's so-called prayer was at best an open letter to God--a sentiment intended for public, not divine, consumption.

...

If Obama is insincere about his religious faith, that does not speak well of his character. Then again, it is reassuring in a way, given that wacko church he belonged to for 20 years.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121735360482693881.html

[Tiger Al 0]

Lord--

Protect my family and me.

Forgive me my sins, and help me guard against pride and despair.

Give me the wisdom to do what is right and just.

And make me an instrument of your will.

That sounds like a good prayer. I'm glad he shared it with everyone.

[Justin5 20]

Yeah, I'm not a religious person, but it seems very well said. Thanks Obama.

[bigsixfive 336]

Thanks, Obama, for a perfect example of blasphemy.

[TitanTiger 20,708]

Lord--

Protect my family and me.

Forgive me my sins, and help me guard against pride and despair.

Give me the wisdom to do what is right and just.

And make me an instrument of your will.

That sounds like a good prayer. I'm glad he shared it with everyone.

I have no problem with him sharing it either, but staying silent made it look as if he never intended it to become public, thus coming off as more humble and heartfelt. When you find out he wrote it fully intending it to be made public but not disclosing that little nugget when all this blew up last week, it comes off as more politically calculating.

Thanks, Obama, for a perfect example of blasphemy.

How is this blasphemy?

[bigsixfive 336]

He's using God and religion for political gain. That's blatant disrespect and irreverence towards God.

[Tiger Al 0]

Lord--

Protect my family and me.

Forgive me my sins, and help me guard against pride and despair.

Give me the wisdom to do what is right and just.

And make me an instrument of your will.

That sounds like a good prayer. I'm glad he shared it with everyone.

I have no problem with him sharing it either, but staying silent made it look as if he never intended it to become public, thus coming off as more humble and heartfelt. When you find out he wrote it fully intending it to be made public but not disclosing that little nugget when all this blew up last week, it comes off as more politically calculating.

Well, all we have is the Wall Street Journal's perspective on this. We don't know that he wrote it fully intending it to be made public. The original paper has retracted their claim that Obama pre-approved it. The campaign has denied it. And there is a video that shows a man going to the wall after Obama leaves and searching through the notes and then walking away with one in his hand.

LINK to the video.

[Tiger Al 0]

He's using God and religion for political gain. That's blatant disrespect and irreverence towards God.

Is that true for any politician who speaks of God or religion, or, just Obama?

[Justin5 20]

He's using God and religion for political gain. That's blatant disrespect and irreverence towards God.

Is that true for any politician who speaks of God or religion, or, just Obama?

Wouldn't Obama be using Allah for political gain?

/new yorker'd'

[tiger88 934]

He does nothing without political gain in mind. He is possibly more of a politician than slimy bill clinton.

[Justin5 20]

He does nothing without political gain in mind. He is possibly more of a politician than slimy bill clinton.

Seeing how well things went under Clinton, I'll take that as a positive.

[tiger88 934]

He does nothing without political gain in mind. He is possibly more of a politician than slimy bill clinton.

Seeing how well things went under Clinton, I'll take that as a positive.

Yeah, he turned the cheek basically everytime terrorists tried something and left the door open for 9-11 with his weakness. Saved money on the budget and left our asses swinging in the wind safety wise.

Liberals LOVE weakness. They equate it with goodness.

[Tiger Al 0]

He does nothing without political gain in mind. He is possibly more of a politician than slimy bill clinton.

Seeing how well things went under Clinton, I'll take that as a positive.

Ahhh, the good ol' slimy days! Do you realize our national nightmare that is George W. Bush will be over in six months?!?

[bigsixfive 336]

He's using God and religion for political gain. That's blatant disrespect and irreverence towards God.

Is that true for any politician who speaks of God or religion, or, just Obama?

Politicians speaking of God or religion isn't the problem. He used them for political gain.

And yes. I'm so narrow minded that the only person it holds true for is Obama.

[Tiger Al 0]

He's using God and religion for political gain. That's blatant disrespect and irreverence towards God.

Is that true for any politician who speaks of God or religion, or, just Obama?

Politicians speaking of God or religion isn't the problem. He used them for political gain.

So you have to be repulsed by Bush's blatant use of "God" when he said "God" told him to invade Iraq. I'm also sure you must see using the Ten Commandments as "political gain."

And, if what you say is true, what does he gain? According to you guys, we hate God and religion. We've launched an attack on Christmas and seek to remove God from the lives of everyone. If true, in Obama's zeal to gain five evangelical votes doesn't he lose millions more? There seems to be a huge disconnect in your reasoning.

And yes. I'm so narrow minded that the only person it holds true for is Obama.

OK. Thanks for your candor.

[Auburn85 434]

He does nothing without political gain in mind. He is possibly more of a politician than slimy bill clinton.

Seeing how well things went under Clinton, I'll take that as a positive.

Ahhh, the good ol' slimy days! Do you realize our national nightmare that is George W. Bush will be over in six months?!?

hey, if mccain wins, it's a 3rd bush term!

[Tiger Al 0]

He does nothing without political gain in mind. He is possibly more of a politician than slimy bill clinton.

Seeing how well things went under Clinton, I'll take that as a positive.

Ahhh, the good ol' slimy days! Do you realize our national nightmare that is George W. Bush will be over in six months?!?

hey, if mccain wins, it's a 3rd bush term!

Your honesty is duly noted!

[arnaldoabru 11]

He does nothing without political gain in mind. He is possibly more of a politician than slimy bill clinton.

Seeing how well things went under Clinton, I'll take that as a positive.

Yeah, he turned the cheek basically everytime terrorists tried something and left the door open for 9-11 with his weakness. Saved money on the budget and left our asses swinging in the wind safety wise.

Liberals LOVE weakness. They equate it with goodness.

Priot to 9/11 do you know what was the deadlist attack on Americans by foreign terrorist?

The Beruit Marine Barrack bombing.

Do you know who was President?

Ronald Reagan

Do you know what he did?

CUT AND RAN

[autigeremt 6,970]

He does nothing without political gain in mind. He is possibly more of a politician than slimy bill clinton.

Seeing how well things went under Clinton, I'll take that as a positive.

Yeah, he turned the cheek basically everytime terrorists tried something and left the door open for 9-11 with his weakness. Saved money on the budget and left our asses swinging in the wind safety wise.

Liberals LOVE weakness. They equate it with goodness.

Priot to 9/11 do you know what was the deadlist attack on Americans by foreign terrorist?

The Beruit Marine Barrack bombing.

Do you know who was President?

Ronald Reagan

Do you know what he did?

CUT AND RAN

Big difference here.....IT HAPPENED IN LEBANON! Not the streets of N.Y. City, or Washington D.C.

That's a very, very weak attempt to lay blame on the "other" party. If that's the case, what excuse do you have for Carter and the 444 days of Iranian hostage housing?

This thread is heading south in a heartbeat. The prayer Obama left should have been a personal message for only Obama and God to share. If Obama made it avail, then shame on him. If the reporters made light of it, then shame on them. Either way, it makes no difference. Obama has proven time and time again that he's the typical politician.

[tiger88 934]

He does nothing without political gain in mind. He is possibly more of a politician than slimy bill clinton.

Seeing how well things went under Clinton, I'll take that as a positive.

Yeah, he turned the cheek basically everytime terrorists tried something and left the door open for 9-11 with his weakness. Saved money on the budget and left our asses swinging in the wind safety wise.

Liberals LOVE weakness. They equate it with goodness.

Priot to 9/11 do you know what was the deadlist attack on Americans by foreign terrorist?

The Beruit Marine Barrack bombing.

Do you know who was President?

Ronald Reagan

Do you know what he did?

CUT AND RAN

You are such a complete joke on this board. Reagan cut and ran?

Yeah, all he did was back the big red machine down into a corner. The man could only do so much in his terms. I will guarantee you this, had he inherited the scenario in clintons terms he would have done more than lob a few harmless missiles into the dessert.

[TitanTiger 20,708]

He's using God and religion for political gain. That's blatant disrespect and irreverence towards God.

Is that true for any politician who speaks of God or religion, or, just Obama?

Politicians speaking of God or religion isn't the problem. He used them for political gain.

And yes. I'm so narrow minded that the only person it holds true for is Obama.

Then God help us all. Practically every leader we've had has been a blasphemer at one time or another. And yes, I'm so cynical that I believe the vast, vast majority of presidents and politicians have done this.

[TexasTiger 13,559]

He does nothing without political gain in mind. He is possibly more of a politician than slimy bill clinton.

Seeing how well things went under Clinton, I'll take that as a positive.

Yeah, he turned the cheek basically everytime terrorists tried something and left the door open for 9-11 with his weakness. Saved money on the budget and left our asses swinging in the wind safety wise.

Liberals LOVE weakness. They equate it with goodness.

Priot to 9/11 do you know what was the deadlist attack on Americans by foreign terrorist?

The Beruit Marine Barrack bombing.

Do you know who was President?

Ronald Reagan

Do you know what he did?

CUT AND RAN

You are such a complete joke on this board. Reagan cut and ran?

Yes, Reagan cut and ran AND negotiated with terrorists. He also granted amnesty to illegal aliens. And raised taxes after he cut them. Educate yourself.

American peacekeeping forces in Beirut, a part of a multinational force (MNF) during the Lebanese Civil War who had been earlier deployed by Reagan, were attacked on October 23, 1983. The Beirut barracks bombing resulted in the deaths of 241 American servicemen by suicide bombers. Reagan called the attack "despicable", pledged to keep a military force in Lebanon, and planned to target the Sheik Abdullah barracks in Baalbek, Lebanon, training ground for Hezbollah fighters,[109][110] but the mission was later aborted. On February 7, 1984, President Reagan ordered the Marines to begin withdrawal from Lebanon

In 1986, Reagan signed the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA). The act made it illegal to knowingly hire or recruit illegal immigrants, required employers to attest to their employees' immigration status, and granted amnesty to approximately 3 million illegal immigrants who entered the United States prior to January 1, 1982 and had lived in the country continuously. Critics of the act claim that its laws subjecting employers to sanctions were without teeth and that it failed to stem illegal immigration

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reagan

A few months ago I told the American people I did not trade arms for hostages. My heart and my best intentions still tell me that's true, but the facts and the evidence tell me it is not. As the Tower board reported, what began as a strategic opening to Iran deteriorated, in its implementation, into trading arms for hostages

http://www.reagan.utexas.edu/archives/spee...987/030487h.htm

The enduring myth of Reagan is a testament to the self-imposed ignorance of most Republicans.

[tiger88 934]

He does nothing without political gain in mind. He is possibly more of a politician than slimy bill clinton.

Seeing how well things went under Clinton, I'll take that as a positive.

Yeah, he turned the cheek basically everytime terrorists tried something and left the door open for 9-11 with his weakness. Saved money on the budget and left our asses swinging in the wind safety wise.

Liberals LOVE weakness. They equate it with goodness.

Priot to 9/11 do you know what was the deadlist attack on Americans by foreign terrorist?

The Beruit Marine Barrack bombing.

Do you know who was President?

Ronald Reagan

Do you know what he did?

CUT AND RAN

You are such a complete joke on this board. Reagan cut and ran?

Yes, Reagan cut and ran AND negotiated with terrorists. He also granted amnesty to illegal aliens. And raised taxes after he cut them. Educate yourself.

Like I said, he couldn't fight every battle. He had much bigger fish to fry like the russians whom he backed into a corner when a lot of people were terrified he was going to start wwIII. He made some mistakes here and there and will go down as one of the greatest presidents this century.

By the time he dies many democrats learned from their mistakes and sang his praises as well. Apparently you didn't learn anything. No big surprise there mr. frothing at the mouth liberal.

[TexasTiger 13,559]

He's using God and religion for political gain. That's blatant disrespect and irreverence towards God.

Is that true for any politician who speaks of God or religion, or, just Obama?

Politicians speaking of God or religion isn't the problem. He used them for political gain.

And yes. I'm so narrow minded that the only person it holds true for is Obama.

Where would Republicans be without their lies?

http://blogs.tnr.com/tnr/blogs/the_plank/a...vindicated.aspx

[TexasTiger 13,559]

He does nothing without political gain in mind. He is possibly more of a politician than slimy bill clinton.

Seeing how well things went under Clinton, I'll take that as a positive.

Yeah, he turned the cheek basically everytime terrorists tried something and left the door open for 9-11 with his weakness. Saved money on the budget and left our asses swinging in the wind safety wise.

Liberals LOVE weakness. They equate it with goodness.

Priot to 9/11 do you know what was the deadlist attack on Americans by foreign terrorist?

The Beruit Marine Barrack bombing.

Do you know who was President?

Ronald Reagan

Do you know what he did?

CUT AND RAN

You are such a complete joke on this board. Reagan cut and ran?

Yes, Reagan cut and ran AND negotiated with terrorists. He also granted amnesty to illegal aliens. And raised taxes after he cut them. Educate yourself.

Like I said, he couldn't fight every battle. He had much bigger fish to fry like the russians whom he backed into a corner when a lot of people were terrified he was going to start wwIII.

So you admit he cut and ran, negotiated with terrorists, and encouraged illegal aliens to come to the USA?