Have you heard that Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama is a radical Muslim? That he won't recite the Pledge of Allegiance? Or maybe that the U.S. senator was sworn into office using the Muslim holy book, the Qur'an, not the Bible?
None of it is true. But that hasn't stopped e-mails of such outlandish claims from bouncing from in-box to in-box. In fact, Internet-fueled rumors about Obama have reached such a pitch that they are the hottest draw on Snopes (www.snopes.com), the popular website that ferrets out fact from fiction among urban legends with lengthy explanations that include citations.
While noting that Obama's pre-political life has been unusual and interesting, Snopes adds: "Much of the information presented ... about his background is distorted and exaggerated, however, and no evidence supports a claim that Obama is currently, or ever has been, a Muslim (radical or otherwise)."
No other politician is among Snopes' 25 Hottest Urban Legends, but the site does delve elsewhere into rumors about presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Mike Huckabee. Check them all out in Snopes' politics section (www.snopes.com/politics).
RANDY A. SALAS
