Clarion Fund: Pro-McCain Non-profit Group Fueling Politics of Fear

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http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1036862/clarion_fund_promccain_nonprofit_group.html?cat=2

Exactly who or what is the Clarion Fund?

The Clarion Fund is a 501 c(3) non-profit organization that apparently supports Senator John McCain for president. Why "apparently"? The Clarion Fund is responsible for paying newspapers around the United States to distribute an anti-Islam documentary as a supplement to their Sunday editions. The Huffington Post reports that the Clarion Fund has sent 28 million DVDs to at least 70 newspapers in swing states to place at the doorstep of newspaper subscribers. The Huffington Post also calls the Clarion Fund "shadowy," because the non-profit organization's financial backers are unknown.

The DVD is a 60-minute expose of militant Islam called "Obsession: Radical Islam's War Against the West" and is ideologically slanted toward painting Muslims as evil and bent on the destruction of the United States. It was nationally premiered on Fox News during the 2006 mid-term elections. Labeled highly divisive by many mainstream religious groups, "Obsession" shows Islam as a radically dangerous religion bent on the destruction of Western civilization, interspersing incendiary commentary with images of Nazis and suicide bombing indoctrination.

You might not agree with Senator Barack Obama's political ideology, but a point he has brought up in the past several weeks is not only relevant to this issue but a blatant truth as well. At several speeches Senator Obama has made mention of the Republican propensity to play distraction games during the campaigns and elections. Obama speaks directly to the GOP tactic of fearmongering, or the politics of fear.

It seems that Republicans have a lock on national security. Why is that? According to Norman Solomon, author of War Made Easy: How Presidents and Pundits Keep Spinning Us To Death, Democratic presidents have been just as likely to go to war or promote a military conflict as Republican presidents. So why are the Republicans seen as more hawkish?

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1. The film’s packaging features this message:

The film’s packaging features this message:
The threat of Radical Islam is the most important issue facing us today. But it’s a topic that neither the presidential candidates nor the media are discussing openly (!). It’s our responsibility to ensure we can all make an informed decision come November.

http://www.israelenews.com/view.asp?ID=3214

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2. We and my mom have not subscribed for years and still got this DVD

These DVDs went out last week in Asheville NC. I threw them in the trash without even opening them since it was obvious from the outer jacket they were trying to incite fear and hate of Muslims. There was a letter to the editor in our paper remarking that it is obviously no coincidence that they went out about two weeks before our early voting begins.

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4. Is, the Clarion Fund using Nazi German scare tactics?

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/9/13/81947/1029/784/597206

Clarion Fund's Scare Tactic Video in Charlotte Observer Today(NC-08)
by Maaarrrk
Sat Sep 13, 2008 at 05:54:20 AM PDT
The DVD Obsession: Radical Islam's War Against the West from the Clarion Fund was in my Charlotte Observer Newspaper this morning. It comes with a glossy 10"x10" cover that makes the film sound like a glamorous major award winning feature. The DVD shows a long series of interviews trying to equate radical Muslim movements with the German Nazis. Many images of Muslims desecrating places of worship. It blasts MSM and Michael Moore for not being SCARED enough.

Some claim that 27 million copies of this DVD were given away in battleground states.

The Clarion Fund who created "Obsession" is a right wing group. "Obsession" appears to be mostly the concept of one man, Peter Mier. Sadly the Clarion Fund is a tax exempt group. I wonder if it is legal for them to use their tax exempt status to try to manipulate an election.

Maaarrrk's diary :: ::
The cover said:

AS SEEN ON CNN AND FOX NEWS BY MORE THAN 20 MILLION VIEWERS WORLDWIDE

The "F" word tipped me off to this being election manipulation by the far right.

Here's a quote from the DVD's cover:

Obsession is a film about the threat of Radical Islam to Western Civilization. Using unique footage from Arab television, it reveals an insiders view of the hatred the Radicals are teaching, their incitement of global jihad, and their goal of world domination. The film also traces the parallels between the Nazi movement of World War II, the Radicals of today, and the Western world's response to both threats.

Do I think everything in the show is false. No. Some Muslims have gone off the deep end of hate.

If you want to see the results of such hate go to the Oklahoma City Memorial to see what a Scots-Irish American Christian right wing Terrorist did.

But just because Timothy McVeigh was of the same religion and ethnic background of John McCain does not make me want to advertise McCain's similarity in name, religion and looks to McVeigh.

We all know that McVeigh had just fallen for the crazy white supremacy doctrine that led him to perpetrate a terrible act of terrorism against the American people.

Unfortunately I bet the Clarion Fund video is just the start of a new scare assault by Karl Rove’s Pundit Army. They will probably reference "Obsession" then repeat Obama’s name over and over to create a false link in voter’s minds. "Obsession" blasts MSM and figures like Michael Moore for not taking the treat seriously. Oddly the Clarion Fund uses Nazi Germany as a BAD example. Is, the Clarion Fund using Nazi German scare tactics?

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3. Republicans seen as more hawkish--they talk hawk. Talk is cheap though.

Too bad someone doesn't look into how much was paid newspapers to distribute this DVD. Sad that someone would make money on hate.

It was also mailed to people.

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5. Some Answers On Clarion, And Still Some Questions

http://www.npr.org/blogs/secretmoney/2008/10/clarion_answers_some_questions.html