Secret Muslim!!!!!11!eleventy-one!!!

This morning, President Barack Hussein Obama chose the Saudi-owned, Dubai-based Al-Arabiya news satellite channel for "his first formal television interview as president," during which he said his "job to the Muslim world is to communicate that the Americans are not your enemy."

The interview underscored Obama's commitment to repair relations with the Muslim world that have suffered under the previous administration.

...Obama said the U.S. had made mistakes in the past but "that the same respect and partnership that America had with the Muslim world as recently as 20 or 30 years ago, there's no reason why we can't restore that."

...Obama called for a new partnership with the Muslim world "based on mutual respect and mutual interest." He talked about growing up in Indonesia, the Muslim world's most populous nation, and noted that he has Muslim relatives.

The new president said he felt it was important to "get engaged right away" in the Middle East and had directed [his new envoy to the region, former Sen. George J. Mitchell] to talk to "all the major parties involved." His administration would craft an approach after that, he said in the interview.

"What I told him is start by listening, because all too often the United States starts by dictating," Obama told the interviewer.

Naturally, rightwing heads are exploding.

Gee, these aren't the first signs of OBAMA DERANGEMENT SYNDROME we're seeing, are they?

Heh.