McCain Needs to Be Asked If He'll "Repudiate and Denounce" Jerome Corsi
The media made a major issue out of insisting that Barack Obama reject Louis Farrakhan's endorsement - an endorsement he never sought from a person he had consistently criticized. When moderators brought the topic up yet again during a debate, Hillary Clinton pointedly demanded that Obama formally "repudiate and denounce" Farrakhan. (He did.)
Enter Jerome Corsi. He, not unlike Farrakhan, exists on the political fringe. Corsi has a history of making highly bigoted and offensive comments. He's the professional liar who co-wrote the "Swift Boat Veterans" book Unfit For Command (although he's not a veteran himself). He has spread 9/11 conspiracy theories, and he believes that George W. Bush has a "secret plan" to "erase the USA." Exactly how will Mr. Bush dismantle our nation? According to Corsi, he plans to lure us into a "North American Union" which will "erase our borders with Mexico and Canada." (Blame Canada!)
Corsi's inflammatory hatchet job on Obama has just been being published by Mary Matalin - who, in an ongoing arc of moral decline, has now apparently added "smear merchant" to her resumé. But, despite the fact that he says he's retracted his most inflammatory statements, Corsi's scheduled to appear on an avowedly "pro-White" radio show whose host has stated that "interracial sex is white genocide."
What was McCain's reaction when a journalist asked him today about Corsi's book? As CNN reports:
"Gotta keep your sense of humor," McCain responded, before his aides shuttled reporters away.
That's not good enough. This is a candidate whose family was smeared by these tactics in 2000, and who had the decency to condemn the "Swift Boat Veterans" in 2004. (Was that just because his own self-interest wasn't involved? Let's hope not.)
Journalists need to understand that it's more reasonable to press McCain about Corsi than it was to ask Obama about Farrakhan. Corsi and the GOP are closely linked. Corsi worked with the Swiftboaters, a group funded by GOP contributors who were part of Bush's Texas inner circle (1). And his new book is being published by a longtime Republican political operative - one who had no previous publishing experience before launching Simon & Schuster's conservative "Threshold" subsidiary in 2005.
(In fact, Corsi's book is the imprint's first real best seller - although it's been helped in that effort by the Right's longtime practice of bulk-buying certain books to spike ratings. Without this practice - which is yet another example of "affirmative action for conservatives" - the book would have gone the way of Threshold's other efforts, like "The Christmas Sweater" by Glenn Beck.)
Question for the press: Since you hounded Obama over Farrakhan, will you continue to press McCain to disavow Jerome Corsi? Since Corsi's book has been extensively refuted (most recently by the Obama team itself), McCain should be asked to specifically state whether he believes the book to be true or false. No equivocation, evasion, or cute quips: Does he think the book is true or false?
The keeps telling us of Senator McCain's core decency and "maverick" personality. I hope they're right, and this is a good way to find out. Given their treatment of Barack Obama, they have the obligation to keep putting the question to him until he answers: Will he "repudiate and denounce" Jerome Corsi and disavow his book?
If they don't, some prominent Democratic leader should insist that they ask it. That Democrat should be somebody with a high profile who can give this issue visibility - someone with the determination and grit to follow through forcefully and make sure the question gets asked. I know just the right person for the job:
Hillary Clinton.
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UPDATE: This piece was revised to incorporate today's "sense of humor" quote from McCain.
UPDATE 2: McCain's campaign now says he didn't hear the question. Maybe the publicity for being flippant about a smear job got a reaction. It's either that or they're telling the truth, in which case he answers questions without knowing what they are. Not a good habit for a President ...
Let's give him the benefit of the doubt and assume it's the latter. OK - Now all we need regarding that question is ... an answer.
___________
(1) From this well-documented Wikipedia entry:
"According to information released by the IRS on February 22, 2005, more than half of the group's reported contributions came from just three sources, all prominent Texas Republican donors: Houston builder Bob J. Perry, a longtime supporter of George W. Bush, donated $4.45 million, Harold Simmons' Contrans donated $3 million, and T. Boone Pickens, Jr. donated $2 million. Other major contributors included Bush fundraiser Carl Lindner ($300,000), Robert Lindner ($260,000), GOP contributor Aubrey McClendon ($250,000), George Matthews Jr. ($250,000), and Crow Holdings ($100,000)."
RJ Eskow blogs at:
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The Sentinel Effect: Healthcare Blog
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Excellent points. If O didn't denounce even miniscule negative references about McCane (i.e. Wes Clark's spot on remarks) he would be slaughtered by the press. I have seen no such demand from the press about this bit of "scholarship" and I won't be holding my breath!
Is McCain silents any indication that what he says about him is Correct?
Mr. Eskow writes, "first real best seller - although it's been helped in that effort by... ...bulk-bu
The NYTimes has carefully and in my opinion credibly refuted these sorts of charges. According to their statements, you can't vault a book onto the best seller list by bulk buying at a few selected outlets.
But I'm sure that pre-orders count, as do huge book sales at Amazon. There are more than a few ways to reach the NYT's number, which I also understand is a moving target, based on the author, the time of year, the type of book....
I think its a good idea. Since its the Obama group complaining. First Obama should first renounce the following:
1. Media matters 2, The New York Times 3. Moveon.org 4. Msnbc 5. Los Angeles Times , then I am sure that McCain will renounce whatever you wish, no problem.
Its all silly, this is a political election. One should read the reports of the Lincoln/Douglas election an the things our free press would right. They called Lincoln a Gorilla and Douglas a cretin. And that is only what can be printed here. Grow up everybody, this is democracy and it is all good.
So all of those news outlets you name are wrong and Fox News and right wing funded agenda driven propagandists are right? What color is the sky in your world?
So what question did he think he was answering?
Will he be able to hear the phone ringing at 3 am?
It would probably be better if he didn't....
Thank you. After all the stupid demands by rethugs for O to denounce and repudiate, MC should be held to the standard of behavior they set for O. They did set the bar, let's hold them to their own standards.
What's that sonny? Can you speak up? Now where's that darn flappin' ear-microp
Ultimately, it's the publisher who's responsible for putting this trash out there, and they must be held accountable. This garbage was produced by a division of Simon & Schuster, and they should be made to pay. Since the only thing they care about is their bottom line, I say a boycott is in order. Maybe then, they and other publishers will know that there will be a price to pay for publishing a pack of slanderous lies.
More McCain hypocrisy.
I've heard it before:
http://www
Let's have some fun now:
The McCain-Nixon-Bush Tango
http://www
It appears that Corsi's book was commissioned and published by Mary Matalin, a long-time high-level Republican operative. It's hard to see how the Republican party can avoid taking responsibility for it.
I am wondering how James Carville is reacting about the book...Oop
Still.....
I'm reading the book now. It's nothing I haven't seen about O all along, but Corsi just puts it together. I personally think the O campaign is going overboard on attacking the author with the long document put out. It's too over-the-top. A lot of Corsi's remarks are obviously opinion. That's not lying. That's just opinion.
Corsi isn't remotely similar to Farrakan in terms of endorsement power. He's an author only. He is very honest about his intention. He wishes to influence people to not vote for O. That's his right to do so.
I once read everything published about a president.
This book is a bit boring.
Thanks for the critique. I have been asking people on Huffpo for several days not what the fuss is all about. What are all these lies in the book? Have not had one answer. From some reviews it seems the author may have some dates or other minor details wrong but otherwise the book is essentially correct.
The left may be doing more damage to BO by going after Corsi so hard for what is not really not that big of a deal. All they are doing is helping Corsi make more money.
Well that's easy to answer. Go to Media Matters- they have an exhaustive list detailing the lies in the book. Or go to Barackobama dot com, where there's a 40 page dissertation on Corsi's lies. But you wouldn't be interested in that, right? Nah, just pretend "nobody" can point to a "lie", and move on your merry way.
The problem isn't "lies". The problem is INSINUATIONS. All the allegations INSINUATE something nefarious about Obama. So even if EVERY SINGLE "connection" or "factoid" or "example" or "idea" or "view" that is misused to pursue Corsi's line of thought is proven wrong...th
Yeah, only people like you who already hate Obama are going to read this book. As long as Obama can rebut Corsi on tv, then this is no big deal.
People just don't read books anymore, especially the dummies who are targeted by this author.
Opinions are often lies. Just because you have an opinion doesn't mean that you are not knowingly pushing a lie.
Because you read through C linton glasses, your opinion on negative attacks on O bama has about as weight as McPretendPOTUS' does.
Mr. Eskow, tell you what, since you want McCain to repudiate Corsi, why doesn't Obama and YOU repudiate Robert Scheer's outragous article, "Is Russia-Georgia war an election ploy designed by neocons?" Don't believe me, go to the Chicago Sun-Times website (Sat., 8/16/08) and read this ridiculous piece. So again, shouldn't BOTH sides be held to the same standards?
yes, that's why MC should renounce and repudiate Corsi. Rethugs started this, they should be subject to their own rules of conduct.
Republicans don't have any standards for themselves. They just want to impose standards on other people.
I've opted to refrain from rushing out to buy the book being discussed here. I've read enough reports about the author and the company he keeps to be of the opinion that anything written by him is likely to provide exactly what the Rethugs and their hired henchmen drool over - sleaze in its most disgusting form.
published by Mary Matalin -?
That just amazes me for some reason
Maybe because she is married to James Carville
It surprises me not that her name is associated with this bit of ugliness.
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