Book on Obama Hopes to Repeat Anti-Kerry Feat

NY Times ^ | August 13, 2008 | JIM RUTENBERG and JULIE BOSMAN

[neverdem]

In the summer of 2004 the conservative gadfly Jerome R. Corsi shot to the top of the best-seller lists as co-author of “Unfit for Command,” the book attacking Senator John Kerry’s record on a Vietnam War Swift boat that began the larger damaging campaign against Mr. Kerry’s war credentials as he sought the presidency.

Almost exactly four years after that campaign began, Mr. Corsi has released a new attack book painting Senator Barack Obama, the Democrats’ presumed presidential nominee, as a stealth radical liberal who has tried to cover up “extensive connections to Islam” — Mr. Obama is Christian — and questioning whether his admitted experimentation with drugs in high school and college ever ceased.

Significant parts of the book, whose subtitle is “Leftist Politics and the Cult of Personality,” have already been challenged as misleading or false in the days since its debut on Aug. 1. Nonetheless, it is to make its first appearance on The New York Times best-seller list for nonfiction hardcovers this Sunday — at No. 1...

--snip--

Mr. Obama’s campaign has yet to weigh in heavily on Mr. Corsi’s accusations. It appears to face the classic decision between the risk of publicizing the book’s claims by addressing them and the risk of letting them sink into the public debate with no response.

“This book is nothing but a series of lies that were long ago discredited, written by an individual who was discredited after he wrote a similar book to help George Bush and Dick Cheney get re-elected four years ago,” said Tommy Vietor, a spokesman for Mr. Obama. “The reality is that there are many lie-filled books like this in the works cobbled together from the Internet to make money off of a presidential campaign.” He added, “We will respond to these smears...”

[neverdem]

I haven't heard much from Obama's vaunted response effort except this lame review on the NY Times' front page.

[SatinDoll]

Notice how the truth has been labeled “smears”.

[sofaman]

I wonder if the New York Slimes referred to "Fahrenheit 911" as an "attack" movie?

Reading the article, it appears the NYT is more than a little concerned about this book, as well they should be.

[counterpunch]

— Mr. Obama is Christian —

Yeah, yeah. Just as they never missed an opportunity to tell us that John Kerry was a Vietnam war hero.
 

[counterpunch]

Notice how the truth has been labeled “smears”.

I notice that "I am a Christian" is this election's version of "I served in Vietnam."
 

[Cincinna]

Corsi’s book is #1 on Amazon, and #1 on the NYTimes Non Fiction Bestseller List.

They probably won’t even review it in their hallowed Book section.

[JennysCool]

They can't review it. Any conscientious reviewer would probably find the whole thing is factual and well-sourced. And they'd never print that.

[nathanbedford]

It appears that we are supposed to discount Jerome Corsi's new book on Barak Obama because his previous book on John Kerry was not credible. Although the author does mention a few facts alleged against Obama ("a stealth radical liberal who has tried to cover up “extensive connections to Islam” ), the main thrust is that you can't trust Corsi today because he lied about Kerry four years ago. It's fair to ask what facts do the authors invoke to demonstrate that Corsi lied about Kerry four years ago? here is what I take from it:

In its timing, authorship and style of reporting, the book is strikingly reminiscent of the one Mr. Corsi wrote with John O’Neill about Mr. Kerry, “Unfit for Command,” which included various accusations that were ultimately undermined by news reports pointing out the contradictions. (Some critics of Mr. Kerry quoted in the book had earlier praised his bravery in incidents they were now asserting he had fabricated; one had earned a medal for bravery in a gun battle he accused Mr. Kerry of concocting.)

So the authors say that Corsi's accusations were "undermined" by "news reports" which pointed out "contradictions." The authors assert that quoted accusations were made by people who had previously praised Kerry for his bravery, one even received the medal for action in a gunbattle which he said Kerry had "concocted." If these allegations can be shown to be without substance, the entire thrust of the article falls. On the other hand, these authors insist that because these allegations do stand, Corsi falls.

It has been a long time since I read the extensive threads here on FreeRepublic which minutely detailed the allegations, the rebuttals, and the sur rebuttals. I can no longer remember the details but I am satisfied that every rebuttal was convincingly overcome with a substantial degree of credibility and that the allegations against Kerry withstood the trial by Internet. I was very impressed the scholarship of many who posted here on FreeRepublic. If anyone has a citation which refutes the particular allegation set forth by the authors quoted above, now's the time to post them so that the record can once again be put right.

[counterpunch]

Some critics of Mr. Kerry quoted in the book had earlier praised his bravery

Kind of like this?
Democrats Praising McCain (VIDEO)
 

[ChiMark]

The NY Times must be in panic mode.

Since when has the Times ever used Christianity as a positive virtue?

[cynwoody]

I wonder if the New York Slimes referred to "Fahrenheit 911" as an "attack" movie?

911°? NYT's ignition temperature is nearing ambient.

[Leisler]

The New York Times couldn't catch a cheating trial lawyer in a motel parking lot if their life depended upon it.

[patj]

So the authors say that Corsi's accusations were "undermined" by "news reports" which pointed out "contradictions."

These would be the same "news reports" that found "contradictions" in the Scott McCellen book or any of the hundreds of Bush bashing books.

[NoControllingLegalAuthority]

I bought this book last week and have read most of it. It is not an exaggerated, wild-eyed trashing of Obama. It is well-researched and contains more than 700 footnotes. The author, Jerome Corsi, even dispels some criticisms of Obama that are not supported by his research.

There is no doubt Obama is a candidate not at all like he is attempting to portray himself.

The man is not only the most radical left-wing U.S. Senator (which is saying something), he is the most radical left-wing person to EVER run for President of the United States. He makes George McGovern look tame by comparison.

He has ties to a perfect storm of the most corrupt, racist, socialist and America-hating people you can imagine.

It is no wonder he has been endorsed by Fidel Castro, the government of Iran, the terrorist group Hamas, the U.S. Communist Party and a multitude of other America haters.

Obama and his consultant, Axelrod, are running a calculated and deliberate campaign of style over substance as an attempt to sell a candidate to the voters before they really can get to know his true positions.

He doesn't have much of a public policy record but what there is is VERY left-wing and radical.

As Corsi points out, his snake oil routine cannot con the majority of voters all the way through to the general election because issues do matter in the general elections in this country.

Obama seems to be campaigning like "Uncle Joe" Stalin, a "good guy" who is planning to rip us a new one once elected.

[patriciaruth]

Although I ordered Obama Nation for my husband, I ended up reading it tonight... Well, I read the first half with the facts, and skimmed the second half with the opinions. Got O’s bio a bit straighter in my head, but then sank in the morass of trying to figure out if goo equals policy promises.

BTW, Churchill’s The Great Democracy (volume IV of his History of the English Speaking Peoples) has 100 pages of his analysis of our Civil War, cultural factors as well as military analysis of the strategies and tactics of the battles.

If you have a copy you might enjoy his discussions.

I was happy to hear him debunk the belief accepted by some here that the soldiers from the North did a lot of raping and murder while in the South.

[SkyPilot]

Mr. Obama is Christian

Memo to the NY Slimes:

Black Liberation Theology is not Christianity. It is political hate speech and violent rhetoric.

They are nothing but birds of a feather of other hate groups who have nothing (absolutely nothing) to do with real cause of Christ.

[Loyal Buckeye]

I’m half way through it and agree with your assessment.

[Misschuck]

I know I should say something intelligent, this is a good thread. But all I can think is that I hope someone shoves this book up Bill Keller's @ss.

[blueyon]

“This book is nothing but a series of lies that were long ago discredited, written by an individual who was discredited after he wrote a similar book to help George Bush and Dick Cheney get re-elected four years ago,” said Tommy Vietor, a spokesman for Mr. Obama.

Nothing in the Kerry information has been proving as a lie so I guess that means it was the Truth and THANK GOD we did get Pres Bush and VP Cheney for a second term.

[Cboldt]

-- So the authors say that Corsi's accusations were "undermined" by "news reports" --

That's a carefully crafted phrase, and the amplification (that contributors had switched from praise to criticism, and one person was given a medal for a "concocted" event) aren't substantive rebuttals of the charges in "Unfit for Command."

In other words, the sentence isn't asserting that "Unfit for Command" was false - just that it's contents was smeared by Kerry supporters.