Fight The Smears

The Obama campaign's launching a new rapid-response website designed to truthsquad all those (Larry Johnson-generated) Internet rumors about the Obama family. It's called FightThe Smears.com. The site represents a shift in tactics for Chicago. In the past, the campaign refused to talk about the "smears" because they didn't want to give them credibility. Now they've surrendered to the reality that silence often perpetuates the rumors. By consigning the smears to a website, the Obama campaign gives itself a nifty way to respond to these things. When asked, Obama can simply say, "Check the website" and move on.

Smears/truths addressed so far include the Michelle Obama/hatey whitey rumor, the Barack's a Muslim rumor, and the Barack-won't-say-the-pledge of allegiance rumor.