Clinton Iowa County Campaign Chair Forwarded Obama Hate Mail

In December the Clinton campaign confirmed that a county chair in their Iowa campaign operation had passed along the now well-known right-wing smear email alleging various falsehoods about Obama's education and religion. I won't repeat them here because I have no interest in assisting the right-wing echo chamber, but you can read the full story at TPM Election Central.

Three Clinton campaign workers reportedly participated in the smear campaign; two have resigned over the incident.

For the record, Obama lived in Indonesia for four years, with his mother and step-father. Between the ages of 6 and 8 he attended the Basuki school, commonly identified as a "Muslim school", and after that attended a Roman Catholic school.

CNN's John Vause visited the Basuki school and interviewed its deputy headmaster. "This is a public school," Hardi Pryono told Vause. "We don't focus on religion. In our daily lives we try to respect religion, but we don't give preferential treatment." Vause reported seeing boys and girls dressed in school uniforms, and teaches in wester-style dress.

Obama began attending the Trinity United Church of Christ in the 80s while he was still working as a community organizer in Chicago. Melissa Harris-Lacewell, a Princeton professor of politics and African studies who worshipped with Obama and his family when she lived in Chicago told NPR that the church's message appeals to socially conscious people: "You are good enough, God loves you, and if you want to demonstrate your love back to God, your responsibility is to your fellow men and women."