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People and Politics by Patrick Roberts

Obama's special St.Patrick's Day offer --- Contribute to his campaign and get a 2012 O'Bama T-shirt

Posted on Sunday, February 19, 2012 at 07:33 AM

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President Obama has begun his campaign to have Irish Americans support him in November with a special St.Patrick's Day offer.

Politico.com reports that the Obama campaign is offering supporters a chance to buy a special 'O'Bama' T-shirt — just in time for St. Patrick's Day.

Obama is capitalizing on the success of his visit to Ireland last year.

Last week in New York current Irish leader Enda Kenny stated that Obama had said his time in Ireland has been "one of the best days" of his presidency.
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Obama went to Moneygall in Offaly where he received an ecstatic reception in the village where his ancestor, Falmouth Kearney, had left during the Famine era.

The Obama e mail to supporters stated:

"St. Patrick's Day is around the corner. This year, show your support for a presidential candidate with Irish roots: Barack Obama," the campaign wrote in an email to supporters. "You might recall that back in 2007, as he was on the campaign trail, the President found out about ancestry. Last year, he traveled with the First Lady to pay a visit to Moneygall, the town of 300 people where his great-great-great-grandfather was born, and jokingly told a crowd there: 'My name is Barack Obama, of the Moneygall Obamas, and I've come home to find the apostrophe we lost somewhere along the way.'"

The shirt features a four leaf clover, not a shamrock, which is sure to draw some comment but Obama officials are clearly hoping his irish trip will serve as a reminder to Irish Americans of his heritage.

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TomDem55 | Feb 19, 2012, 03:50 PM EST

And do you all think that Ronnie Reagan never used shamrocks or green doo dads for election swag?

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TomDem55 | Feb 19, 2012, 03:49 PM EST

So MegK311 it's not political policy which spurs your sacred vote, it's the color of a T Shirt. Brilliant

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MegK311 | Feb 19, 2012, 03:42 PM EST

I just hate the fact that Obama would use St. Patrick's Day to raise money for his re election. I will not donate and he can keep his green T - shirt with the 4 leaf clover. I will vote for anybody but Obama.

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ciaradexy | Feb 19, 2012, 03:30 PM EST

Seabottom, youre a racist! Im Irish, I see an American when I look at Obama. You see a black man. hes about as Irish as you are!

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ciaradexy | Feb 19, 2012, 03:28 PM EST

If you vote for a president because they have a link to a certain country then you are an idiot.

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RedBranch | Feb 19, 2012, 03:07 PM EST

Ah the shade 'Kelly Green', takes me bsck to my days of fabric printing in the States. It is a colour unknown in Ireland.

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TomDem55 | Feb 19, 2012, 02:36 PM EST

seabottom, thanks for the offer of a free paid trip to Kenya, I however have no plans right now to travel there right now, as for our president who was born in Hawaii (a state of our glorious Union for which MY forebears fought and died) may or may not have any plans to visit a country of HIS mixed ancestry. Again, it's easy to shout and be nasty. but how do your loud angry opinions sand facts move this nation forward? The whole world wonders

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TomDem55 | Feb 19, 2012, 02:33 PM EST

Dearest Edmund, many Catholic institutions have greeted President Obama's policy change to have the insurance companies handle these issues w/out regard to the institutions in question. I am sure you do not think that all Catholic institutions employ only Catholics here in the USA? Catholic Bishops have regulary mis read OUR constitution and misread the bible and church doctrine regularly. Protecting clergy who harmed children in their care, transferring criminal offenders to other jurisdictions to avoid prosecution, so what's your point, that Catholic Bishops in the US are without sin?

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TomDem55 | Feb 19, 2012, 02:29 PM EST

Dearest Edmund, so you equate opinion sans facts as a probitive way to decide an issue of import? OMG, so if the oppressed take on the religion of the now LONG GONE oppressor that makes them un Irish? That is the kind of false analysis that kept the protestant and catholic communities at each other's throats for some 900 years, congratulations, you have reduced the ethnic and cultural identity of all Irish to just those who did not abdjure their religion to keep their lands or lives. Brilliant.

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edmundburke | Feb 19, 2012, 02:28 PM EST

@TomDem55, vis a vis your support for the Obama administration requirement that Catholic institutions provide/subsidize birth control and abortifacients. Are you saying the US Catholic bishops misunderstand both Catholic doctrine AND the US Constitution? It is the perversion of both, as expressed by you, that most Americans are reacting to with revulsion, and rightly so.

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seabeetom | Feb 19, 2012, 02:27 PM EST

I WILL ALSO KICK IN A FEW BUCKS FOR TomDem55 TO GO WITH obummer BACK TO KENYA.

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TomDem55 | Feb 19, 2012, 02:24 PM EST

seebeetom, is it that you failed reading comprehension in High School? President Obama as the article says visited Moneygall in Offaly where he received an ecstatic reception in the village where his ancestor, Falmouth Kearney, you see an ancestor, one who comes before was a shoe maker and he moved to our glorious Union, perhaps you missed the fact that our president is of Mixed race, and his mother was a white Kansan, thats KANSAN. What does it matter that his father was from Kenya? are there (in your opinion)no men or women of Irish descent here in the USA with other racial or ethinic mixes? Shudder perhaps like myself Irish English and Welsh and Scots, does that make me an Englishman who was born in the BRONX??? facts continue to elude you angry people

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edmundburke | Feb 19, 2012, 02:24 PM EST

@TomDem55-- after some 30 comments by Irish Americans, doesn't it tell you something that only you and elaine are backing Obama? By the way, I found it interesting that after your teary-eyed salute to Obama's ancestor Falmouth Kearney, you decided to give us a lecture on how awful the Church of Ireland's position was in Ireland, when it was the sole official religion in Ireland and was supported by the state. But I have news for you, all of Obama's Kearney ancestors in Ireland, all of them, have been identified as MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH OF IRELAND!! That being the case, unless you can demonstrate the existence of an Irish Catholic ancestor for Obama, I don't think there is a basis for concluding he has any Irish blood at all, only English blood through his Occupier ancestors in Moneygall.

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TomDem55 | Feb 19, 2012, 02:19 PM EST

elainepease, it's not that they don't like our president, as Americans we welcome debate, but the folks who think this is Sean Hannity's website forget that this nation is One from many... so I welcome opinions, but as a former History teacher I cherish facts...and facts, as we all know are hard! all the best

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elainepease | Feb 19, 2012, 02:08 PM EST

Nicely said TomDem55. You are the only one to use facts to support your position. Thanks for speaking up for the majority who will vote him back into office in November.

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