Reject and Denounce: Grab the Thesaurus, Hillary! w/poll

When Senator Barack Obama denounced Louis Farrakhan, he publicly deplored anti-Semitic statements by the Nation of Islam leader. Senator Hillary Clinton chided Obama during the Ohio debate for not rejecting Farrakhan as well as denouncing him. Obama said that there is little distinction between denunciation and rejection. Clinton said that he was wrong; rejection, in her estimation, seemed even stronger. Ultimately, Obama graciously conceded the point and said that he both rejected and denounced Farrakhan.

What does the thesaurus teach us?

Merriam-Webster's Online Thesaurus says that to denounce means "to declare to be morally wrong or evil"; and "to express public or formal disapproval of." According to the same authoritative source, to reject means "to be unwilling to grant"; and "to show unwillingness to accept."

So according to this authoritative American thesaurus, Clinton is wrong. Merely refusing to accept anti-Semitism is not stronger than denouncing it -- forcefully and publicly condemning it repeatedly as morally wrong, as Obama has done.

What should be most forcefully rejected is a race-baiting question that seeks to tar Obama not for his own words and actions, but for the words and deeds of others -- words and deeds that Obama has throughout his career denounced.

UPDATE:

The New York Times provides this transcript of how Obama handled Clinton's pettifoggery.

RUSSERT: Are you suggesting Senator Obama is not standing on principle?

CLINTON: No. I'm just saying that you asked specifically if he would reject it. And there's a difference between denouncing and rejecting. And I think when it comes to this sort of, you know, inflammatory -- I have no doubt that everything that Barack just said is absolutely sincere. But I just think, we've got to be even stronger. We cannot let anyone in any way say these things because of the implications that they have, which can be so far reaching.

OBAMA: Tim, I have to say I don't see a difference between denouncing and rejecting. There's no formal offer of help from Minister Farrakhan that would involve me rejecting it. But if the word "reject" Senator Clinton feels is stronger than the word "denounce," then I'm happy to concede the point, and I would reject and denounce.

CLINTON: Good. Good. Excellent.

(APPLAUSE)

WILLIAMS: Rare audience outburst on the agreement over rejecting and renouncing.