Obama Nation
The book claims to document "Obama's extensive connections with Islam and radical politics", his "religious affiliation with ... black-liberation theology", and his associations with controversial pastor Jeremiah Wright, fundraiser Tony Rezko, and radical activists Bill Ayers and Bernadine Dohrn, formerly of the Weather Underground. The book also argues that Obama supports "far-left domestic policy" and "naïve ...
foreign policy predicated on the reduction of the military", and that he is therefore unsuitable to be the President of the United States.
The book opens with a quote by Andy Martin, who the The Nation, The Washington Post, and The New York Times have identified as the primary source for the allegations that Obama is concealing an alleged Muslim faith, rumors which began shortly after his keynote speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention.
Author and publication
The book's author, Jerome Corsi, has written on a number of controversial topics. In 2007 he wrote a book exposing a supposed plot to replace the United States dollar with international currency. He has accused a "Muslim terrorist group" of supporting McCain, and has called for the impeachment of George W.
It's up to you to spread the truth, so here it is. Below you will find the facts about Corsi and his desperate fabrications."
Other responses
When asked for a comment about the book, John McCain said, "Gotta keep your sense of humor," but his campaign said McCain did not hear the question, and the campaign had no comment. In response to the book's publication, Senator John Kerry, the subject of a previous book by Corsi during his 2004 campaign for presidency, launched the website "Truth Fights Back" to rebut the claims. Media Matters for America, which describes itself as a progressive organization dedicated to countering "conservative misinformation in the U.S.
News and World Report, the Associated Press, Time magazine, Newsweek, The Daily Telegraph, Editor & Publisher, The Guardian, CNN, The Independent, Politifact.com, and The Boston Globe. According to The New York Times, "several of the book's accusations, in fact, are unsubstantiated, misleading or inaccurate." Peter Wehner of Commentary wrote: "conservatives should not hitch their hopes to" Corsi's book because "it seems to be riddled with factual errors — some relatively minor (like asserting that Obama does not mention the birth of his half-sister, Maya Soetoro-Ng, in Dreams from My Father; Obama does mention her), and some significant (suggesting that Obama favors withdrawing troops from Afghanistan; he wants to do the opposite)."
The Washington Post called it an "innuendo-filled, mistake-riddled biography" in its online election diary The Trail. Kate Linthicum of the Los Angeles Times wrote "being No. 1 doesn't necessarily mean being accurate" in regard to Corsi's claims about Obama's religious faith. The Politico reported that Corsi's book "left a trail of wild theories, vitriol and dogma that have called into question his credibility." The British newspaper The Independent called Corsi's book "a hatchet job on Obama". According to Slate, "neither Corsi nor Matalin responded to e-mails from me asking whether they intended to correct any errors in The Obama Nation – it would be a miracle if there were none" .
The book also contains what the The Washington Post describes as "potentially offensive passages" about Barack Obama's personal and family life, such as one stating that Obama is less identified with his American roots than his "African blood". Corsi also writes: "Obama's mother chose another Third World prospect for her second husband, a second man of color, to be her mate", noted by CNN as "lines some might consider racially insensitive." The LA Times also pointed to a line by Corsi claiming "Obama wants to will all the white blood out of himself so he can become pure black," citing "bigoted comments." The Chicago Sun-Times called it "an abomination," and said the book "exploits racial fears hate in effort to scare white America." Corsi has drawn criticism for scheduling an appearance to promote the book on the The Political Cesspool, a "pro-White" radio talk show described as "white nationalist" by the Southern Poverty Law Center. He previously appeared on the show on July 20, but he cancelled his August 17 appearance because of a change in travel plans.
Disputed accuracy
The New York Times noted the book's assertion that Obama attended an incendiary sermon by the Rev.
The The State Journal-Register of Springfield, Illinois reported Obama's response to a question about his drug use: "I haven't done anything since I was 20 years old." Corsi told the Times that "self-reporting, by people who have used drugs, as to when they stopped is inherently unreliable." (Obama has also answered the question in the autobiography that Corsi reviews in his book.) In the book, Corsi says that Obama may still be using drugs today, but does not provide evidence for this claim.
The Times further noted that while Obama is a Christian, the book contains statements arguing that he has "extensive connections to Islam". One of Corsi's statements is that Obama's childhood friend, Zulfin Adi, had stated that Obama was a practicing Muslim. http:www.nytimes.com/2008/08/13/us/politics/13book.html?bl&ex=1218772800&en=bf042c4d96f94d9e&ei=5087%0A.
http:www.simonsays.com/content/book.cfm?tab=1&pid=633443&er=9781416598060. http:www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-trailcorsi12-2008aug12,0,2342201.story?track=rss.
http:ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gM7mJRqi2SSqU69XN_Jk4vf8t7TQD92IV1QO0. http:www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/uselection2008/barackobama/2565470/US-elections-2008-Barack-Obama-attacks-best-selling-book-as-poisonous-crap.html.
"This Time the Press Does Not Wait to Hit a Swiftboater's Claims". http:www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/columns/pressingissues_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003839465.
http:blogs.guardian.co.uk/usa/2008/08/new_antiobama_book_not_entirel.html. "The Obama Overreach: Refuting A Few of Corsi’s Smears By Re-Writing History".
http:www.usatoday.com/life/books/news/2008-08-05-obamabooks_N.htm. http:ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hSrO3AKCadFLC_0EYvoVO7c3JAlgD92DJPRO0.
http:www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/politics/national/stories/DN-factcheck_23pol.ART.State.Edition2.4d889ec.html. http:www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2007-07-22-dems-hispanics_N.htm.