By John Santucci

Jul 29, 2008 6:59am

Barack Obama’s Fake Facebook Page (Courtesy of the RNC)

The Republican National Committee has launched a fake Facebook page attacking Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, highlighting some of the more controversial "friends" in his "network."

"Barackbook" includes info on Tony Rezko, former Weather Underground member William Ayers, Marilyn Katz, Nadhmi Auchi, and others.

Copying the format of Facebook, the page includes information along the lines of: "Alexi Giannoulias and Eric Holder have updated their profiles."

And "Barack Obama is now friends with Antoin ‘Tony’ Rezko."

If you click on any one of Obama’s "friends" you get a traditional oppo dump, with information (of questionable relevance) such as: "Katz Led Young Protesters Outside The 1968 Democrat Convention Who Clashed With Police Officers During The Demonstrations. (Stephen Franklin, ‘Sides Reunite, But 28 Years Later, Few Lessons Learned,’ Chicago Tribune, 4/16/98)."

Under Obama’s picture today, parodying the "what are you doing" conceit of the real Facebook, it reads: "Barack is hoping to settle on an Iraq policy before November."

- jpt

UPDATE: The website’s discussion board allows people to post comments and topics. Some of the comments are criticisms of McCain and the Republican National Committee:

"The site is lame."
"What a terrible attempt at political discourse."
"They can’t do a McCainBook — he’d forget his password."

User Comments

Do they really want to bring up the association with Rezko, which hasn’t produced any wrongdoing, when their candidate has the Keating Five, among other things, in his past? The RNC has become ludicrous. This party has really lost itself, doesn’t know where it wants to stand, or what are its key issues are anymore. Perhaps after 2008 it will reinvent itself. Big spending social conservatism doesn’t really equal conservatism in a traditional sense to many people, I suspect.

Posted by: mary | July 29, 2008, 7:29 am 7:29 am

If this web page is false then let the Democrat sue the RNC.
That is all the Democrats are good for is Investigations and Accusations that uses up tax dollars rather than tax on real issues like off shore drilling

Posted by: true blu | July 29, 2008, 7:35 am 7:35 am

The Republicans are desperate and clueless these days.
John McCain is a total failure.
As everyone could have known, of course, since George W. beat him before.
They’ll lose the Presidency for the next 12 or even maybe 16 years, I expect.

Posted by: hank | July 29, 2008, 7:38 am 7:38 am

I think this site was a fantastic idea from the GOP.

Posted by: Bridget | July 29, 2008, 7:40 am 7:40 am

Obama hiring all these advisers is another example of how Obama will make all these wasteful government programs that accomplish nothing.

Posted by: true blu | July 29, 2008, 7:42 am 7:42 am

Im not a fan of McCain but this is clever.

Posted by: rachel | July 29, 2008, 7:45 am 7:45 am

I’m not a big fan of the GOP but I LOVE THIS WEBSITE!.
McCain 2008! because obama is grossly under-qualified!

Posted by: John | July 29, 2008, 7:52 am 7:52 am

Dems should create one for McCheese, showing his loving children. Oops, that’s right, they don’t speak to him anymore.
Maybe they could have a page with McCheese’s campaign staff, a page for Charlie Black and all the terrorists, dictator’s and mass murderers he lobby’s for.

Posted by: Victim Voter | July 29, 2008, 7:56 am 7:56 am

I never though I would be praying for a Republican to be president. But at this point all I care about making sure I vote for anyone but Obama.
I can deal with McCain for 4 years but not Obama for 8 years. Once he is in (and all of his sleazy friends influence him) it is had to get him out.
The videos on the website are priceless!

Posted by: Sal | July 29, 2008, 8:08 am 8:08 am

I work for a marketing company and the only reason that Obama has gotten this far is because he has been marketed to the public. Why do you think he is targeting young people? Because they are the most impressionable. I know America is too smart for this. I wouldn’t think the press would have bought into it too, but you know, whatever gets you the ratings.
A life long Democrat voting for McCain!

Posted by: Suzanne | July 29, 2008, 8:13 am 8:13 am

Fair game. Shame on the DNC for foisting this phony on America!

Posted by: marylou | July 29, 2008, 8:40 am 8:40 am

Obuma must be told: “You are judged by the company you keep.”
Not to mention it shows you have no judgement along with a flimsy resume.
You are a good actor but a sad, sad excuse for a candidate.

Posted by: HP Boston | July 29, 2008, 8:40 am 8:40 am

Lest you forget the media sold us Bush for eight years, now they are selling Obama. I have been a Democrat from my first vote, but as long as they have Dean and the Super Delegates my vote doesn,t count. Makes you wonder why the politicians and the media hate this country so much. Bush, now Obama and McCain? What a choice!

Posted by: aduevol | July 29, 2008, 8:41 am 8:41 am

Lest you forget the media sold us Bush for eight years, now they are selling Obama. I have been a Democrat from my first vote, but as long as they have Dean and the Super Delegates my vote doesn,t count. Makes you wonder why the politicians and the media hate this country so much. Bush, now Obama and McCain? What a choice!
Posted by: aduevol | Jul 29, 2008 8:41:33 AM
—————————–
You HAVE a choice, McCain, Nader, The Green Party and the the Barr guy.
As a protest write in Hillary.

Posted by: HP Boston | July 29, 2008, 9:04 am 9:04 am

@ Mayor McCheese,
I love it when you post! You are a great representation of all Obama supporters.

Posted by: JamesDuck | July 29, 2008, 9:04 am 9:04 am

Network vs network. Spy vs Spy.
At least the RNC is learning how to use the amplifier. There is nothing more or less sleazy about this than there was about Obama Girl and the press loved that one.
Isn’t it odd how hard the press is having to work to remain relevant in this election? They dive into the tank for a candidate and it barely makes a difference. There is a palpable and resilient resistance to the marketing this time around. Perhaps it is the lingering effects of the radio jocks that made Bush and Co. possible. America is becoming very cynical of the mainstream media yet highly susceptible to the tricks made possible by the unregulated Internet.
It ain’t all good, kids. Information is as abundant as summer grass but facts get harder to vette and prove. At the end, only emotions count. That’s a population vulnerable to semiotic chicanery.

Posted by: len | July 29, 2008, 9:08 am 9:08 am

Whether I support Obama or McCain is irrelevant; this is juvenile.

Posted by: Bette | July 29, 2008, 9:08 am 9:08 am

Copyright lawsuit a cometh! I see numerous potential violations by the RNC.

Posted by: Risa | July 29, 2008, 9:09 am 9:09 am

Suzanne wrote:
I work for a marketing company and the only reason that Obama has gotten this far is because he has been marketed to the public. Why do you think he is targeting young people? Because they are the most impressionable….
———————–
DUHHH! All candidates market themselves. It’s called campaigning! Geez…
Dig up your 1990s books. Bill Clinton marketed himself to the young population all the same. Played the sax on The Arsenio Hall Show, appeared on MTV, you name all the while Bush 1.0 looking 100 years old. It’s called marketing.

Posted by: Bette | July 29, 2008, 9:28 am 9:28 am

Good idea, but as you would expect, a typically inept execution on the part of the McLame campaign. People over 40 don’t get the whole Facebook concept. So the imitation website won’t mean anything. Facebook users can see that this is a totally lame imitation and not real right down to the URL. It’s not authentic so guess how much creditibility it gets — nada. Now if they really wanted this to get some traction they could have used a less obvious approach towards getting this online, but then that would require some work. To quote the facebook generation, “LOL”

Posted by: joep | July 29, 2008, 9:56 am 9:56 am

@Bette,
The difference between Obama and Bill Clinton is that Obama has zero experience. He is not able to debate. He can only read prewritten speeches (that were written by a 26 year old). He is being falsely marketed. And I guess you are buying it. I’m not surprised though… You seem very intelligent.

Posted by: Suzanne | July 29, 2008, 10:14 am 10:14 am

@joep: People over 40 know it’s a joke and laugh accordingly.

Posted by: len | July 29, 2008, 10:46 am 10:46 am

LOL, you would think we truly have a bunch of 6 year olds running the country wouldn’t you. What a joke.
JT

Posted by: John Jones | July 29, 2008, 10:51 am 10:51 am

How incredibly juvenile can you get?
They should be embarrassed but as we all know, politics of this type is how they play their game when they have no other.

Posted by: TeeJ | July 29, 2008, 11:04 am 11:04 am

The Republicans are really desperate. They have nothing positive to offer. Just more Karl Rove/Swift Boat smear tactics. Their only path to keeping the White House is through character assassination.

Posted by: cincyr | July 29, 2008, 11:12 am 11:12 am

The facebook page is too true to be funny. What is funny is Obama supporters who claim the republicans are desperate – when all they’re doing is pointing out the truth about Obama. Too bad the media didn’t do their job earlier and spare us all this.

Posted by: marylou | July 29, 2008, 11:23 am 11:23 am

It’s about time the truth about Obama is being told. Obama’s past gives voters a look into his judgement and character.
He isn’t the saint he pretends to be–or even a different kind politician.

Posted by: riley | July 29, 2008, 11:27 am 11:27 am

Obama has a pattern of spending huge amounts of taxpayers money on his interests—his projects, his pastors, his friends, his wife, returning favors.
Voters should be aware of this since he wants to raise taxes as president.
This was a clever idea by the GOP, but I wonder how many swing voters will see it.

Posted by: cindy in nc | July 29, 2008, 11:44 am 11:44 am

My facebook of McCain would be his economic advisor and long time friend Phil Gramm and his Enron board of director wife Wendy.Between the two of them they deregulated the mortgage industry and created the infamous Enron loophole which deregulated the electronic platform industry that shielded Enron from market manipulation charges that led to the bilking of 40 billion dollars from Californians by the now infamous Ken Lay.This all was accomplished with the help of John McCain. not to mention the S and L scandal that linked him to the worst economic debacle since the great depression.If you look at vote smart and study McCain’s favorability rating on military matters he rates 20% to Obama’s 80% rating.The press keeps telling us McCain is a politician we know , NOT!

Posted by: joseph marcucilli | July 29, 2008, 12:11 pm 12:11 pm

Thoughts:
Is there no end to RNC snarkiness? Tories were long known as “the nasty party” – is the RNC determined to assume that mantle?
Does this mean the RNC wants to eliminate copyright protection? Or just from Facebook?
Interesting that of all Obama’s friends, these are the only ones the RNC cares about. Ever. Not the economists, not the military people, not the energy people, not the business people…you get the point. Tells you a lot about RNC priorities.
Appalling. If this is their idea of ‘playing politics’, who needs them?

Posted by: Tom J | July 29, 2008, 2:14 pm 2:14 pm

Both candidates have people that hate them. Who cares anyway, neither candidate says much on todays issues. They skip around the important subjects (like all politicians) and say little. Both candidates are scripted in their speeches but BO has a little better flair in his “Made for the TV Y-Generation audience” speeches. If you want to do whats right for yourself and the country you need to research both candidates, not the MSM (Main Stream Media) garbage that is spewed out daily, but google them plus look at other historical information on them. Then vote on your opinion.

Posted by: Billy Bob | July 29, 2008, 4:55 pm 4:55 pm

This is one of the worse ideas that the GOP has ever had. Now that they have installed such a site, what is to prevent the Democrats from doing the same? McCain has a lot of questionable friends. The cheif one is Keating from the Savings and Loan scandal. There are many others. I hope McCain has the good sense to tear this site down before things get worse.

Posted by: Beto | July 29, 2008, 7:23 pm 7:23 pm

whoso would you choose? The one that laid down the life for the country, or the one who………….. America.

Posted by: Jm | July 29, 2008, 8:22 pm 8:22 pm

Informational and accurate.

Posted by: RL in Illinois | July 29, 2008, 10:03 pm 10:03 pm

Where is the all-time favorite friends:
Rev Jeremiah Wright & Father Mike Pfleger?

Posted by: Jeff from FL | July 30, 2008, 3:14 am 3:14 am

As an American I am filled with despiar as I watch the Crooked McSlime Express smear Obama on his patriotism, his European successes, his proven rightness on the Iraq withdrawal and the Pakistan border, etc. The Media are spreading McSlime’s negative slurs for free–and Americans are drinking up this toxic brew and ready to vote for eight more years of McBushies’ bankrupt catastrophes. I am praying for our beloved Republic that our better angels will help us turn the page for our children and grandchildren.

Posted by: shirl | July 30, 2008, 9:48 am 9:48 am

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