Drudge Report Story: CLINTON STAFFERS CIRCULATE 'DRESSED' OBAMAThe following story appeared on the Drudge Report on February 25, 2008

The following story appeared on the Drudge Report on February 25, 2008:

CLINTON STAFFERS CIRCULATE 'DRESSED' OBAMA

Mon Feb 25 2008 06:51:00 ET

With a week to go until the Texas and Ohio primaries, stressed Clinton staffers circulated a photo over the weekend of a "dressed" BarackObama. The photo, taken in 2006, shows the Democrat frontrunner fitted as aSomali Elder, during his visit to Wajir, a rural area in northeasternKenya.

The senator was on a five-country tour of Africa. "Wouldn't we be seeing this on the cover of every magazine if it wereHRC?" questioned one campaign staffer, in an email obtained by the DRUDGE REPORT. In December, the campaign asked one of its volunteer county coordinatorsin Iowa to step down after the person forwarded an e-mail falselystating that Barack Obama is a Muslim.

Obama campaign manager David Plouffe quickly accused the Clinton campaign Monday of 'shameful offensive fear-mongering' for circulatingthe snap. Clinton campaign manager Maggie Williams responds: "If Barack Obama'scampaign wants to suggest that a photo of him wearing traditional Somaliclothing is divisive, they should be ashamed."

Developing...

EDITOR'S NOTE: Other leaders have worn local costumes:
http://www.drudgereport.com/flashoa.htm

Obama Robe/Turban Photo Backstory Plus.....

• On Monday, February 25th, the Drudge Report reported that "Clinton staffers" were circulating the following photo of Barack Obama:

• Lynn Sweet of the Chicago Sun Times was a part of the 2006 Kenya trip. She reports today that, "The picture was taken Aug. 27, 2006, midpoint of Obama's Kenyan Aug. 24-30 visit. The AP picture shows Obama wearing a turban and some garb over his sport shirt and khakis. The AP caption said Obama was "dressed as a Somali elder by Sheikh
  Mahmed Hassan."


• On Aug. 27, Obama made a sidetrip to the Wajir region of Kenya. He left Nairobi's Serena Hotel in the morning and boarded a military C-130 transport with a staffer, retired Air Force Gen. Scott Gration, an adviser, and military security personnel. He returned in the afternoon, where he toured Kibera, the notorious slum. The press traveling with Obama in Kenya -- I was one of the reporters -- did not go with him on the Wajir leg, told there were too many logistical challenges.
  
  Gration was with Obama in Wajir. "I was along on that picture," Gration said. They were seeing a "community mobilization" in Wajir and during the course of this, Obama was given an outfit, and "as a great guest," he tried it on. Obama did "what any leader should do . . . accept the gift, accept the hospitality," said Gration."


• In a BBC story today, "Yusuf Garaad Omar head of the BBC's Somali Service explains the meaning of the robes. These are the normal clothes that nomadic people wear. The head turban is especially used by elderly people as a suggestion of respect. It is something that has no meaning whatsoever in Somalia culture. If you see someone dressed like that in
  Somalia, you think it is a nomadic person - that is all."
  
  
  
  Obama Robe/Turban Photo Backstory Plus.....
  
  Sources:
  
  http://www.suntimes.com/news/sweet/812719,CST-NWS-sweet26.article
  http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7265115.stm