Santorum links (Bob) Casey to wrong al-Jazeerah

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/news/15160670.htm

Picture the TV commercial, a deep voice delivering this ominous message, in a slow, deliberate cadence: "Even al-Jazeera endorsed Democrat Bobby Casey Jr. Whose side is he on, anyway?"

It's hard not to think that was partly why Republican blogs and aides to U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum (R., Pa.) sounded giddy last week as they passed around a commentary from a Web site, www.Al-Jazeerah.info.

"Don't ask Santorum to 'apologize,' folks. Vote Democratic," stated the commentary, which denounced the senator's July 20 speech describing the United States as fighting a war on Islamic fascism, not terror.

Santorum referenced it himself Thursday on Fox's O'Reilly Factor.

But there was one little wrinkle.

The Web site was not related to the Arabic TV network based in the Middle East - spelled al-Jazeera, no h.

[marmar]

1. Not only is he a crackpot wacko...

He's a dumbass. :dunce:

[JPZenger]

12. Best Part - its a US religious tolerance organization

Quote from the above Phila Inquirer article:

"The goal of al-Jazeerah, according to its Web site, is to "promote cross-cultural understanding between people all over the world." It's based in Dalton, Ga., not Qatar."

[Oreo]

2. I just emailed him on congress.org

So the freepers can see that their beloved Santorum is an incompetent liar

[sabra]

3. next he'll use quotes from WH.com

:-)

[fryguy]

9. or The Onion - n/t

[IronLionZion]

4. Santorum is going down with his web of corruption

nothing can save him. But that won't stop him from slandering Casey and trying his best to bring as much negativity as possible into the race.

Expect wire transfers to the Cayman Islands. Santorum is going to lose this election and either get a lobbying job or retire early. I wish he would go to prison, but that's a bit too optimistic.

[napi21]

5. It's funny & stupid, but how many people in PA won't know there's

a difference?

I'm not slamming Pensylvanians, I grew up there, and lived in Pgh for 45 years. All I mean is that we here on DU are not the "average persons". We spot things like this and poit it out to each other. Most people wouldn't recognize the correct spelling of as-jazeera if they were on a GAME SHOW!

[Ramsey]

7. Classic GOP smear

It was certainly intentionally done. It doesn't matter that it's the wrong Al-Jazeera, it's the association that originally gets into the public mindset that matters. Far fewer people will see a news story talking about how this is bogus. And Casey gets smeared for something that never existed. Expect to see a lot of this tactic, as the Repukes are desperate. Our candidates must answer these lies swiftly and definitively.

[napi21]

8. Oh I agree! I hope to hear Casey make a joke out of the Pubs

being so stupid, they even mis-spelled their LIE!

[rodeodance]

10. another Dan P. potatoeeeeee.

[Kelvin Mace]

6. Adolph Hitler endorses Rick Santorum

Oops, I meant "Adolph Hitner. But, since there is no difference, no harm done.

[Jim Lane]

11. Corrected link to the "other" al-Jazeerah

It's here: http://www.aljazeerah.info/ (the link in the OP included an incorrect hyphen).

This site seems to have some useful information, and of course a perspective missing from the MSM, but also some real rubbish. My eye was caught by the headline on one article: "Zionist Control Of America Virtually Complete".

Santorum's flub is amusing, but the actual site is probably one that Casey doesn't want to be too closely tied to, either. Of course, the underlying silliness is that all major candidates collect some support from people they'd just as soon keep at a distance.

[samsingh]

13. another demonstration of repug intellience (lack there of)

[Canuck55]

14. Make a point to stomp this out now...

I know because it's 'Santorum in Hail Mary' mode it can be comically dimissed, but they'll still get their money's worth.

You could start an 'al-Qaeda'06.org' blog and post all kinds of endorsements, and although it would be debunked right off it would resonate in the soundbite crowd and do the damage before the 'corrections' were noticed. Drudge and the rest would trumpet it some random Tuesday afternoon and it would become CW for the sunday morning talking heads. It's their S.O.P. right now, throw something so outrageous out there, let it simmer for a week, and then casually mention it when it counts.

[darkism]

15. They act like there's a PROBLEM with al-Jazeera the TV network.

I'd rather watch that than Fox, that's for damn sure.

[JPZenger]

16. They Must be Evil, Otherwise Why Did We Try to Kill Them?

If that network wasn't evil, then why did the US try to kill them in an attack on their TV station in Iraq?

[Onlooker]

17. Mysterious as to who owns Al-Jazeerah.info

A search in betterwhois.com shows the site is owned by "domains by proxy," which is clearly a way of concealing who the actual owner is. Seems like there ought to be an investigation. This appears to be an example of dirty politics. At any rate, someone should demand that Santorum calls on the owner of the site to come forward.

[muriel_volestrangler]

18. Embarrassingly, philly.com gave the incorrect URL

"http://al-jazerrah.info" goes to a "this page is parked free" (ie awaiting someone to buy it)
"http://aljazeerah.info" goes to the page that endorsed Santorum's opponent - it proudly says

"Founded & Edited By Dr. Hassan A. El-Najjar Since January 24, 2002"

He teaches at an American university, and is the registrant that 'whois' gives you.

See how easy it is to get names and URLs slightly wrong?

[krkaufman]

19. How childish... "Bobby Casey, Junior"?

The ad emphasizing the "Jr" and using "Bobby" just seems childish. Santorum's so pitiful.