I have very few Republican friends. Here in Brooklyn, a very blue part of a pretty blue state, they're few and far between. But my hometown of Amherst, NY leans Republican. And my parents, who still live there, are surrounded by, as Cole Porter would say, devotees of the G.O.P. Still, I was surprised when I was forwarded one of these Obama smear emails -- from my own mom!
Not to worry though. She had gotten it from her book club, a group of ladies of a certain age, and she sent it to me asking for a reply. (Secretly, I think she also wondered if the smears were true.) Here's what she said:
Hi,
Give me answers so I can argue this with my book club ladies. Mom Begin forwarded message:
The email, and my response, after the jump...