Jerome Corsi, the right-wing pamphleteer who wrote Unfit for Command, and helped set the tone for the Swift Boat attacks on John Kerry in 2004, is back. He’s now trying to do the same to Barack Obama with Obama Nation:
Mr. Corsi has released a new attack book painting Senator Barack Obama…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.
The book is being published by none other than Mary Matalin, who released this hilarious defense of the book:
Ms. Matalin said in an interview that the book “was not designed to be, and does not set out to be, a political book,” calling it, rather, “a piece of scholarship, and a good one at that.”
Given that she’s married to James Carville, I assume the woman has his rather impish sense of humor and that she held her hand over her mouth to conceal her laughter while she made this comment. Otherwise, perhaps she was on drugs.
I find it astonishing that this “piece of scholarship” otherwise known as a–dare I say it–“book” begins its life as number 1 on the NY Times Bestseller List. I’ve been struggling with the idea of whether or not to pursue writing a book myself. The fact that this jerk has written not one, but two of these execrable pieces of nonsense is galling beyond belief. There is no judge and there is no justice, is all I can say.
Here’s a wonderful Metafilter post skewering Corsi. The author was the first person I’ve heard point out the “subtle” play on words in the title Obama Nation. It’s really quite charming actually if you say it aloud to yourself. Naturally, the way Metafilter works, it was deleted (mustn’t be too political now) but you can still read it here. My post has also been published at Huffington Post.
Richard,
Why give such drek the added publicity of putting it on your web site? It should be ignored. Or write a full negative review of it for the New York Times, stressing that it is not one of Oprah’s recommendations.
@gene schulman: One of my purposes here is to poke fun & ridicule at the ‘thinking’ of the right. I thought Mary Matalin’s delusional comment was delicious & couldn’t resist. I didn’t even link to the book so I don’t think I’ve done Corsi any favors (hopefully).
“Questioning whether [Obama’s] admitted experimentation with drugs in high school and college ever ceased”, do I hear a big sigh of relief from the GOP that Corsi isn’t shilling for GWB?
Here’s the money quote in the NYT article:
“The goal is to defeat Obama,” Mr. Corsi said in a telephone interview. “I don’t want Obama to be in office.”
Does it get any more “political” than that? Regarding Matalin, I have no doubt that she knows full well that Corsi’s book is a work of propaganda; her “scholarship” comment is meant for the ‘right-wing flock’ in the hopes that it will buy her book.
This is a must read book! Everyone in America needs to read this book to learn the truth about Obama. It appears that this is happening, because it is a #1 bestseller. America is waking up to this marketing campaign that is disguised as a political campaign. Now that the bloom is off the rose, America will stop Obama from getting elected. It worked with Kerry and now it’s working with Obama! God bless you Mr. Corsi.
I agree with Gene Schulman. This is how your blog appears on the “Hey! Nielsen” Obama page — this site is frequented by racists whose outrageous lies are allowed to stand.
Matalin: Corsi’s Book Attacking Obama ‘Good Piece of Scholarship’
http://www.heynielsen.com/view/barack-obama/
I agree wholeheartedly (if by “good” you mean steaming pile of crap).
@Saint: I have no idea what you’re talking about. If you’re claiming that racists who support the book are reading my post & visiting this site–well, that’s their right. If they read my post & find anything to console them then they’re idiots since my post eviscerates the book. If you object to me giving any visibility to the book–well, all I can say is that’s the strategy that Kerry tried in 2004 & you can see how well that worked. Plus, the Obama campaign itself has released a long rebuttal of the book’s charges. So they agree w. me as well. I have no apologies for my approach.
And if you’re claiming that racists visit the HeyNielsen site I can’t see how that reflects on me.
@BitterAmerican: Hard to believe there is actually a Jerome Corsi fan club. I guess misery loves company.