Debunking Jerome ‘Bigot’ Corsi’s Smear Attack Book: ‘The Obama Nation’

Chapter 1: THE REVIEWS ARE IN!

Corsi’s falsehoods about Barack Obama have been discredited by numerous news organizations, which have questioned his “scholarship,” his conclusions, and his ideological bent.

New York Times: Several Corsi Accusations Are “Unsubstantiated, Misleading Or Inaccurate.” The New York Times reported, “Several of the book’s accusations, in fact, are unsubstantiated, misleading or inaccurate.” [New York Times, 8/13/08]

Los Angeles Times: “Being No. 1 Doesn’t Necessarily Mean Being Accurate.” The Los Angeles Times reported, “The book lashes out at Barack Obama and alleges, among other things, that the politician has a secret radical Islamic agenda. But being No. 1 doesn’t necessarily mean being accurate. Obama is a Christian.” [Los Angeles Times, 8/12/08]

Politico: “Outrageous Assertions and Fringe Theories…Have Hurt His Credibility on the Right as Well.” “[H]is outrageous assertions and fringe theories — which include allegations that President Bush worked to eliminate the borders with Mexico and Canada and the assertion that Kerry is a Communist — have hurt his credibility on the right, as well. … On the blog FreeRepublic.com, Corsi wrote that pedophilia ‘is OK with the Pope as long as it isn’t reported by the liberal press,’ that ‘RAGHEADS are Boy-Bumpers as clearly as they are Women-Haters.’” [Politico, 8/13/08]

Washington Post: Book “Lacks Major Revelations… Parts Of The Book Have Also Been Disproved By The Mainstream Media.” “Corsi’s ‘The Obama Nation’ lacks major revelations and has been dismissed by Obama’s campaign as a series of lies from a serial liar. Parts of the book have also been disproved by the mainstream media. In 2004, Corsi co-wrote ‘Unfit for Command,’ in which Swift boat veterans criticized Sen. John F. Kerry’s Vietnam War record. That book was also widely disproved... Nevertheless, Corsi’s book about Obama will debut as a No. 1 New York Times bestseller.” [Washington Post, 8/14/08]

Politico: “Factually Disputed New Book” Written By An Author With A “Trail Of Wild Theories, Vitriol And Dogma That Have Called Into Question His Credibility.” “The folks behind ‘The Obama Nation,’ the wildly successful but factually disputed new book trashing presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama, are casting it as a scholarly, thoroughly researched work. But its author has left a trail of wild theories, vitriol and dogma that have called into question his credibility.” [Politico, 8/13/08]

Time’s Klein: The Book is “Trash,” “Poisonous Crap.” Joe Klein wrote for Time, “I heard about Jerome Corsi’s book a few weeks ago from my mother, who said that her great fear--that Barack Obama has covert Islamic associations--had been confirmed by a new book. I told her not to worry, that many reputable people had looked into the matter and Obama was more likely to be spotted in Whole Foods than praying in a mosque. (Since my mother has never been to Whole Foods, so she didn’t quite get my wry allusion.) ‘I hope so,’ she said, dubiously. So we know the market for trash is there, and not so far from home. And we know, that Mary Matalin, who appears regularly on mainstream media programs like Meet the Press called the Corsi book in the New York Times today: ‘a piece of scholarship, and a good one at that.’ But hey, Mary stands to make big bucks off this scholarship, which I’m sure was submitted for peer review and otherwise held to the highest editorial standards--and I’m sure her reputation and mediagenicity won’t be damaged by this poisonous crap, and we’re all friends here, aren’t we? And, yknow, they say politics ain’t beanbag...and it’s all in the game to tell innocent, well-intentioned people that Barack Obama is a secret Muslim or that John Kerry wasn’t really a hero in Vietnam. Or, as George W. Bush, once told a rightly outraged John McCain--whose wife and daughter Bush’s minions had smeared—’It’s just politics.’”

New Republic: “Frequently Fictitious” Book From “Propagandist And Renowned Liar.” “From today’s NYT piece on the vile and frequently fictitious anti-Obama book just released by swift-boat propagandist and renowned liar Jerome Corsi…” [New Republic, 8/13/08]


Martin: Corsi’s Book “Regardless Of Accuracy, Is What Many On The Right Want To Believe About Obama.” Jonathan Martin wrote, “But Corsi delved into the drug-and-Muslim fever swamps, which, regardless of accuracy, is what many on the right want to believe about Obama.” [Politico, 8/13/08]