A story bringing to national attention the obnoxious smear job that casts Barack Obama as a Wahabbi sleeper agent has finally hit the wires. Someone finally traced one of the names on a recent dispatch of this rumor, back to a Clinton staffer. Shocker there. She resigned, Hillary denied any knowledge, and it was portrayed as a one time thing - a lark, a phenomena.

Except that it wasn’t - it’s been going around for some time. I was first introduced to the “Obama/Osama” concern by someone of considerable intelligence and influence, a woman who had heard it buzzing around some particularly important Jewish groups. Though she had some significant doubts as to its veracity, to be sure, she still couldn’t dismiss the worry out of hand.

I confirmed it was a lie, but despaired somewhat that telling one person wasn’t going to shift the opinions of an entire lobby, political action group or organization of concerned citizens. This expose’ on the rumor’s origin should turn up the volume.

A volunteer Iowa county coordinator for Hillary Rodham Clinton’s presidential campaign has resigned after forwarding a chain e-mail that suggests Barack Obama is a Muslim who wants to destroy the United States by being elected to its highest office.

Obama is a member of the United Church of Christ and has never been a Muslim.

A hoax e-mail that has been widely circulated suggests Obama is some sort of Manchurian candidate for Muslims.

Judy Rose, a Clinton coordinator and Democratic Party official in Jones County, Iowa, forwarded it without comment to eight people on Nov. 21. Rose referred requests for comment to one of the recipients, Grace Zimmerman, who serves with her on the Jones County Democratic Central Committee.

Now, naturally, Rose and Zimmerman are trying to weasel out of this. Zimmerman claimed it was just meant as a lesson in how dirty politics could be. I suppose, in a way, she’s right.

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For those of you who want a quick history of the Manchurian-Muslim hoax, check out CNN’s report on it.

And for those of you who appreciate a more thorough dissection, and don’t mind batting away hordes of pop-up ads, check out snopes.com’s treatment of it.