What America Needs To Hear About Jerome Corsi
The smear merchants who lied about John Kerry being a traitor to tip the 2004 election are at it again with a book about Barack Obama. I am not going to link to the book, but the author is Jerome Corsi. He appeared recently on Larry King's show in a debate with Paul Waldman, a senior fellow at Media Matters for America and a specialist on debunking right-wing propaganda.
Day in, day out, Paul Waldman and the rest of the crew at Media Matters face down the most violent and offensive filth from right-wing broadcast media. They are patient, smart, and fearless (hint, hint...go donate to Media Matters here).
Having said that, it saddens me to have to acknowledge that, even though Paul did a great job on Larry King, I think Corsi won the debate -- unfortunately.
Why?
From the very start of the broadcast, Corsi made the debate about 'the facts' and kept returning back to that idea. 'I'm getting out the facts,' 'MM makes ad hominem attacks, but cannot refute the facts,' etc., etc. Paul did a great job pulling back the curtain (amazing job). But King never let the conversation come up to the real issue: this book and books like it destroy our political culture, undermine fair elections, inhabit the slippery space between politics and slander.
The Swift Boat group did more than just lie about John Kerry in a book. They broke Federal Election laws, were found guilty, and paid a huge fine. Their lie was not just the facts they printed on a page and promoted on TV, but the larger issue that they assembled and published the book in the first place as part of a big effort to win at any cost.
Now, I know it was not Corsi who was charged with the FEC violations, but if we are talking about 'truth,' then we are in the same discussion. And it is not a discussion about footnotes and sources and interview transcripts. It is a discussion about right-wing groups that seek to undermine our elections using the media.
These books destroy civic debate on purpose -- and are fundamentally at odds with democracy. The goal of Corsi's project is not to discuss facts -- it is to destroy the very possibility of discussion by implying that a Presidential candidate is a sleeper-cell terrorist -- and doing so in the context of a huge broadcast media effort to convince the country of the same thing.
That is not just factually wrong. It is wildly immoral. Whether or not Corsi published lies is not even half the discussion we should be having.
Americans from all over the country have talked about this problem before -- the problem of shady right-wing groups that assemble huge private backing and then wade into elections with the purpose of bullying a candidate off the national stage -- so this is nothing new. But the media ignores us. Saps like Larry King choose instead to debase the hard work of researchers like Paul Waldman, and to willfully ignore the larger issue here: the wholesale undermining of our civic culture by deep-pocketed right-wing groups with a history of breaking election laws.
What American needs to hear from Larry King about Jerome Corsi is something like,"This book is filth. It goes against everything we believe in about honest, healthy civic debate. Don't buy it. Jerome, you are obviously part of a shady organization that uses money to sell lies with the goal of undermining serious debate in the 2008 Presidential election. The only reason your book is atop the best-seller list is because you have a giant political marketing machine working behind the scenes. Caveat Emptor -- buyer beware."
Yeah, yeah. I know. It is hard to imagine someone like Larry King saying that on his show -- hard to even conceive of an America in which journalists use their broadcast power to protect our civic culture rather than promote shadowy figures who seek to destroy it. But imagining it is the first step.
Demanding it is what comes next.
(cross posted from Frameshop)
Follow Jeffrey Feldman on Twitter: www.twitter.com/JeffreyFeldman
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This book is a clear indication of how the right wing NeoCons think and operate. They are masters of deceit and this guy is an expert. They will state some things that are true and than imply things that are totally of the wall. As an example of their logic, consider this, fact 1 over 90% of pedophiles are white males, fact 2 most male republicans are white, then based on these facts they would conclude most male republicans are pedophiles. This kind of logic is rampant throughout the book. Obama worked in Chicago registering voters, most of whom were black, based on this he was advovating Black Power just like the Black Muslims. The problem we have is that a lot of people cannot think logically, once they get beyond the 30 second TV spot there are lost. We must fight this nonsense, one way is to boycot the publisher!
Limbaugh makes a big point out of how this book is #1 and therefore represents majority opinion.
But until rational points of view get the circulation that those held by the Limbaughs and Corsis, they will continue to be suppressed.
Currently some rational dialogue is even "politically incorrect", as was opposition to the Iraq War at one stage.
If things don't change, the Rightwing extremists will continue to hog the public forum, despite facts, events and even the opinion of the majority.
Nothing matters right now except who has the loudest voice, and that's the extreme Right currently.
#1 on the NYT Bestseller List? Wow! Americans really ARE stupid and hateful!
The only reason it is on the best seller list at all is that republican groups are buying large bulk lots of it to put it there, hence the dart next to it. This mo ron references his own books as sources in the footnotes. Laughing stock.
Here is my letter to the editors of local, regional and national newspapers:
As a journalist, and former newspaper writer, I understand first amendment rights. But I also know how important it is to present the facts. For some people, the newspaper is their chief - or only - source for news and information. It's important to get it right.
Jerome Corsi is a crackpot "writer" with the intention of preventing the election of the Democratic candidate. His book is overflowing with deception, and his research methods are unique, to say the least. Any author who quotes himself from other works that have proved to be false is not credible in any way.
Please challenge Corsi on his wholesale manipulation of reality. He is not a scholar. He's a bigot and a slime artist. In fact, the other hatchet men who collaborated with him in 2004 to destroy John Kerry kicked him off that book tour. The question here is why any respectable publisher would risk their reputation for a possible monetary gain. Or is that my answer?
A work of slander to brainwash the weakminded, it belongs in society's sewers!
There was a gentleman on Hardball last night talking about Corsi and the book. He said you can't link MC to the book because it doesn't mention his name. It would seem to me that the book was put out for the "sole" purpose of knocking O out of the race so MC could win. So I link the book to MC who will take any sleezey thing he can get.
Of course the book is tendentious and most probably slanderous, but I thought King was relatively critical, as he is not a partisan talking head. I do wish the book's suggestive quasi-inverted title had been discussed as an extension of 'The One' ad.
I have not read your latest book, and it seems that is my loss.
I would comment this: you say 'It is wildly immoral '. Democrats must, and in fast fashion, recognize that the Right's Attack Troop Strategy is Leo Strauss inspired. This means one must talk of amorality. It is an extraordinary step one takes when embracing amorality. It means you are not bothered with moral choices. Morality, or the lack of, simply becomes a tool, a means to an end. You can tell any lie; concepts like decency, compassion, remorse, charity, etc. ad infinitum all become subordinate tools to reach a goal. Every opponent to your goal becomes an enemy, every obstacle a target, in short a perpetual battlefield, no holds barred, hand to hand combat. The dark side Cheney spoke of.
The only response is complete, crushing and absolute discredit of such enemies of humanity while ourselves remaining human. Difficult.
I wonder how Jerome Corsi and Mary Mattlin would react ,if they would have received a taste of their own medicine..
One of the main reasons OHB beat HRC was he made use of the Internet like Howard Dean did, only the technology had advanced so much that rivals were caught flat-footed. In 2008 a printed book versus the massive outrage and counter-arguments online has no chance of having nearly the same impact as Kerry in 04.
There is much more to come from the Corporations represented by the GOP. Be prepared to hit back, not just Obama but all of us with money, emails, boycotts, whatever it takes.
The only possible senario that I could think of to buy this book is if every roll of toilet paper had been recalled then I would buy the book and use the pages for toilet paper.
use with caution might leave rash.
papercuts, yow!
"What American needs to hear from Larry King about Jerome Corsi is something like,"This book is filth. It goes against everything we believe in about honest, healthy civic debate. Don't buy it. Jerome, you are obviously part of a shady organization that uses money to sell lies with the goal of undermining serious debate in the 2008 Presidential election. The only reason your book is atop the best-seller list is because you have a giant political marketing machine working behind the scenes. Caveat Emptor -- buyer beware.""
Wouldn't be refreshing if King said this and then the set just faded to black, instead of having another contrived media discussion. Journalism is falling in the regard of the public because it treats all sides as if they were worthy of discussion. Sometimes it is just better to say "Your point is nonsense." Facts still have a place in our political discussion, despite what Fox News tries to sell us.
"Journalism is falling in the regard of the public because it treats all sides as if they were worthy of discussion. "
What then would be the alternative? A sanitzed one-sided view approved by the Ministry of Truth? Or were you thinking more along the lines of government controlled media like Pravda? Seriously, if we stifle or silence dissenting voices, we become something that we claim to despise - tyrants.
There are multiple reasons why jourmalism and journalists are falling in the public's eye and if what you stated were to happen, then it would fall even more.
Ya know, Stevespelling - it's guys like you who believe that lies are facts. But lets just say that what you are spewing is true and Obama did all that for Rezco.
It has little to do with his background and education (President of the Harvard Law Review), strategic mindset, his intelligence, his calm and collected demeanor, his understanding of world cultures, his ability to get things done and organize people at a grass roots level, his success in getting free health care for the children of poor familes in Chcago, getting ethics reform passed in the Senate - should I go on?
McCain on the other hand, is not the Maverick any more - he is in the pockets of Big Oil and we all know it. His economic advisor, Phil Gram, thinks we are a nation of whiners..a
I'm ranting and I'm going to stop now.
Obama '08! PLEASE NO McCain EVER!
Yes, talk about drinking Kool-Aid. I can't believe republicans believe Corsi. I mean, Corsi doesn't even believe Corsi.
Corsi and Fox News programs like BillO and Hannitty know that if you repeat a lie often
enough people will believe it to be true.
To the true patriots writing comments here, and to the author of this article:
I believe that a national boycott and letter campaign to Simon & Shuster should outline the obvious conflict of interest, when you have a Republican political consultant and former staffer to George W. Bush, that is Mary Mattlin, who as their head of the department, published this fake non-fiction book! Also, perhaps a list of other fake non-fiction books who have made the NYTimes best seller list should be published everywhere, like the one about Howard Hughes, etc.
Simon & Shuster also published =The Secret=, pseudo-quantum physics and affirmation theory disseminated by a housewife channeling Ramtha in a trailer and a chiropractor who wanted to get rich off the uneducated and the emotionally needy. What's up with Simon & Shuster? The basis of really good writing is its adherence to truth. Can't they find any reputable authors to publish? People who actually have something to say without making it up? Or is it all really just about the money?
I agree - who can get this organized?
Didn't SImon & Shyuster used to belong to Barbara Pierce Bush's Father??
(Publisher name was an accidental typo- but I like it I'm leaving it!)
"But surely you agree that truth can be created by the repetition of a lie." Karl Rove to Plato Bizarro 10-29-04
The problem is a lot of Americans would rather be spoon fed their news from one source, rather than seek the truth by researching the facts. Hmm, a news channel that gives me news in small snippets, hey they claim to be fair and balance.
The Democratic media (mainstream media) has taken on the role of cheerleading for Obama so where else is the public to get any factual information. Obama Nation and The Case Against Barack Obama are must read books. They're necessary because of the left wing media's cover-up of Obama's real history of failure in Chicago. Obama lobbied the money for Rezko's public housing deals, every one of which proved to be proved to be sinkholes in which government money was either squandered or stolen. Not one unit of housing that was funded is inhabited today. Not a very effective way of helping the poor obtain decent housing. Each Obama sponsored, Rezko project was an abysmal failure, a waste of money and the City of Chicago Code enforcement department shut every one of them down. After wasting millions of dollars not one unit of affordable housing was created. The voting public needs to have this information and decide for itself.
Can you cite a legitimate source for any of these allegations?
I think he's citing Corsi.
Oh there is a supersecret cabal made up of every reporter, editor, talking head and tv news producer and they have weekly to insure that they don't let anything slip about Obama?
effin despearate fools.
You've really got to stop listening to Mark Levin.
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