In Case You Missed It: Rachel Maddow on Birther Claim that Obama is Secretly Gay

Rachel Maddow is ten times more generous than I could ever be to World Nut Net Daily, viewing them as a sort of entertainment. I find them hilarious too, but terribly sad in that otherwise rational people may believe the garbage they push. As Birther-central, WND starts out with a huge credibility problem, since Birtherism is wholly and completely without merit. So, I guess the whole site is sort of like the Weekly World News of right-wing politics, and saying outrageous things about President Obama is their "bat boy."

Their latest schtick--aided by alleged Hillary Clinton supporter, HillBuzz's ridiculous Kevin DuJan--is to claim that Obama is secretly gay. Before Michelle, he was married to a dude, who he bumped off. The evidence for this offshoot of birtherism is scant, to be generous. And it was handled with precisely the right level of snark and humor by Rachel Maddow this past Friday. If you want to know more about this crackpot theory, and be entertained at the same time, watch.

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Paul Waldman of Media Matters Discusses Obama Book

I've posted pieces on the Jerome Corsi book, The Obama Nation a couple of times already. But until that book is recognized for the load of hooey it apparently is, we liberal bloggers will have to keep hammering away.

Now, I'm one of the first people to jump on critics who tear apart a book they haven't read or a movie they haven't seen. Full disclosure: I have not read The Obama Nation yet. But there is a reason I'm willing to criticize it. Many different web sites (including Obama's own) have started printing passages followed by refutations. Pages and pages and pages. One of those sites is Media Matters for America.

MMFA is falsely maligned by people like Bill O'Reilly as a left-wing "smear" site. That--no matter what you've heard--isn't true. The bias at Media Matters is in the subjects they choose to cover, and some editorializing in their summaries. But they always include transcripts, and often audio and video, so that you can decide for yourself. It's probably the most honest news analysis site you'll find.

Paul Waldman of MMFA was interviewed on C-Span regarding the Corsi book. If you're interested in this story, it is must-see.

Conservative Book Scam: Win by Cheating!

Image from source, FightTheSmears.com

Do you ever get irritated hearing Ann Coulter introduced as "New York Times #1 Bestselling Author. . ."? Especially if she's introduced by someone like Sean Hannity, who hates everything about the New York Times except their bestseller list? And Ann is not alone. It seems like just about everybody on FOX "News" has some sort of conservative screed to sell, from guests to hosts.

I've often wondered how it is possible that Ann Coulter keeps writing the same book over and over again (always pictured in the little black cocktail dress), and every time it hits #1. And every book by Bill O'Reilly or Hannity seems to hit #1 too. Have you ever tried to slog through one of those books? It can't be done. . .well, at least not by me. You'd think an answer this obvious would have hit me right off the bat. . .they cheated.

Horrors! Arch conservatives cheat to get what they want? Of course they do! In this case, a conservative writes a book dripping with froth about how liberals eat babies or something. Then conservative groups (sometimes arms of the conservative book publisher) buy up huge quantities of the books, and sell them at drastic discounts to conservative book clubs, and other conservative outlets. Hell, I might even buy Obama Nation for $1.

Obama Nation, by swift-boater Jerome Corsi, is the most recent #1 best seller in this scheme. The book has been ripped to shreds by fact checkers (not all of whom are liberals), but will continue to be hawked on FOX "News" as a #1 book, and that alone gives it its credibility. Just like the equally ridiculous Liberal Fascism by Jonah Goldberg just a couple of months ago. It's one big cheaty, conservative scam circle, ain't it?

Some links for you:

• From the New York Times, a piece on conservative authors (Corsi included!) who sued a conservative publishing house for the practice of bulk selling, and cutting the authors out of profits. It's sort of a "biting the hand that feeds you" story. Conservative Authors Sue Publisher
• The Conservative Book Club, where you too can get scads of books at a reduced price! Um, suggestion: I was just kidding before about buying any of these books at any price. Just do like I do, and get them from the library.
• And finally, if you want a centralized site to get out your conservative message, here is a (to me, very creepy) site that gives you the links to everybody. Eagle List Company

Links found at Newshounds.us comments, posted by "Escape Goat - Olympic Athlete"

Barack Obama's Rebuttal of Corsi Obama Nation Book

Image from source, FightTheSmears.com

If you watch any amount of cable news (and as always kids, if you haven't tried it, don't start) you've heard of a book called Obama Nation by Jerome Corsi. He's so familiar to FOX "News" viewers by now, they probably think he's a regular correspondent. He was the co-author of Unfit for Command, the book that effectively sunk John Kerry's campaign four years ago.

For as much press as Corsi has gotten, you'd think he was a credible author. But while FOX loves him, his reception by many others has been much more critical. That shouldn't come as much of a surprise given that his co-author on the Kerry book, Paul O'Neill, was forced to distance himself from Corsi during the heyday of that book.

Barack Obama has issued a rebuttal to the book, called Unfit for Publication. And bully for him. Don't you wish Kerry had tried the same tack? Even Kerry is on board this time though, with a website called TruthFightsBack.com.

[Excerpt]

Unfit for Publication

One of the most vile smear peddlers of the 2004 election has found a new target.
Jerome Corsi just published a new book full of rehashed distortions and the same old lies about Barack Obama, and the right-wing noise machine is in full gear promoting it.

In 2004, Corsi helped launch the Swift Boat smear campaign with a book of distortions and lies he wrote about John Kerry.

It’s up to you to spread the truth, so here it is. We’ve posted some of the facts about Corsi and his desperate fabrications on this page, but there’s even more in our PDF: Unfit for Publication.

Obama Nation Author Assailed for Lack of Credibility

Photo from source, Politico

It's really no surprise that one of the men behind the "Swift Boat Veterans for 'Truth'", Jerome Corsi, would now be ought to get Barack Obama. What is surprising is that Corsi is being treated as a credible source by anybody.

The allegedly fair and balanced FOX "News" has been featuring Corsi and his book on many of its programs, along with right-wing talk radio. As far as I know, the only naysayer in any of those appearances is the usually non-combative Alan Colmes. Fortunately, not everyone is won over by those outlets. The book is being debunked all over the place. Even the book's placement on the New York Times Bestseller List is being questioned, as right-wing organizations are buying the book up in bulk.

Here's hoping that this time, Corsi's dreams of derailing a Presidency do not take hold.

[Excerpt]

Wild theories of 'Obama Nation' author

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. . .

Read more at: Politico