Sweet: At Las Vegas debate, Obama addresses smears.

LAS VEGAS, NV.–Barack Obama was asked about a variety of smears about him circulating on the Internet.

” I am a Christian. I have been sworn in with a Bible,” he said.

from the transcript…..

> Senator Obama, a fresh question here.

>

> It may not come as news to you that there’s a lot of false

> information about you circulating on the Internet.

>

> We received one e-mail, in particular — usually once several

> weeks; we’ve received three of them this week. This particular one

> alleges, among other things, that you are trying to hide the fact that

> you’re a Muslim, that you took the oath of office on the Koran and not

> the Bible…

>

> (LAUGHTER)

>

> … that you will not pledge allegiance to the flag or generally

> respect it.

>

> How do you — how does your campaign go on about combating this

> kind of thing?

>

> OBAMA: Well, look, first of all, let’s make clear what the facts

> are: I am a Christian. I have been sworn in with a Bible.

>

> WILLIAMS: I figured.

>

> OBAMA: I pledge allegiance and lead the pledge of allegiance

> sometimes in the United States Senate when I’m presiding.

>

> I haven’t been there lately because I’ve been in Iowa and New

> Hampshire.

>

>

> (LAUGHTER)

>

> OBAMA: But you know, look, in the Internet age, there are going

> to be lives that are spread all over the place. I have been

> victimized by these lies. Fortunately, the American people are I

> think smarter than folks give them credit for. You know, it’s a

> testimony — these e-mails were going out in Iowa. They were going

> out in New Hampshire. And we did just fine.

>

> If we didn’t do well, for example, in New Hampshire, it wasn’t

> because of these e-mails. It was because we didn’t do what we needed

> to do in our campaign.

>

> So my job is to tell the truth, to be straight with the American

> people about how I intend to end climate change, what I’m going to do

> with respect to providing health care for every American, how we’re>

> going to provide tax relief to hard-working Americans who are really

> feeling the pinch, and to present my vision for where the country

> needs to go.

>

> If I’m doing that effectively, then I place my trust in the

> American people that they will sort out the lies from the truth, and

> they will make a good decision.

>