At "hate group" event, Dobbs embraces discredited birther Jerome Corsi
On his radio show -- broadcast from the anti-immigration organization Federation for American Immigration Reform's "Hold Their Feet to the Fire" legislative advocacy event -- Lou Dobbs interviewed WorldNetDaily staff reporter Jerome Corsi, who Dobbs described as "a pretty good guy to talk to" about immigration issues. Corsi is a consistent promoter of the conspiracy theory -- previously advanced by Dobbs -- that President Obama has yet to produce a valid birth certificate; the author of falsehood-laden books about Obama and Sen. John Kerry that Dobbs' CNN colleagues panned as "discredited;" and has a history of making bigoted comments, some of which he later apologized for.
Dobbs lauds Corsi's expertise, plugs his books
From the September 15 edition of United Stations Radio Networks' The Lou Dobbs Show:
DOBBS: Welcome to the broadcast, Jerome Corsi. We're going to be talking about, obviously, illegal immigration, we're going to be talking about border security. And to do that, Jerome Corsi is a pretty good guy to talk to about all of that. Amongst other things, he is the author of Obama Nation. He's also a staff reporter for WorldNetDaily. Jerome, it's great to see you here. I want to get all these books now sorted out here. You've got a new book coming out, called America for Sale, you can pre-order that on Amazon.com, and you have out right now Why Israel Can't Wait: The Coming War Between Israel and Iran.
Jerome
Corsi, birth certificate conspiracy theorist
Obama campaign posted online a "fake birth certificate." On Fox News, Corsi claimed that Obama's presidential campaign "has a false, fake birth certificate posted on their website." In fact, the Hawaii Department of Health has confirmed that the birth certificate posted online by the Obama campaign is "a valid Hawaii state birth certificate" and has called the speculation about Obama's citizenship "pretty ridiculous." [Fox News' Fox & Friends, 8/15/08]
"[T]he Obama campaign refuses to release the original birth certificate." In a radio interview with Corsi, G. Gordon Liddy stated: "Now, the Daily Kos, which is a blog, a leftist blog, published a certificate of live birth -- purportedly from Hawaii. Giving a date but having the serial number redacted, blocked out. And, from what we're told, heavily Photoshopped. ... It's not a birth certificate. It's something that is issued after there has been a birth -- and supposedly attests to the fact that, well, yes, there was a birth in the past and it was on such and such a day, but it's not a birth certificate such as you and I have." Corsi agreed, stating: "It's a registry of birth. It's -- you know, you come into the office afterwards, and you register the birth. The birth certificate is issued by the hospital. It's not something you go in and request." Corsi then said that a lawsuit alleging that Obama is not a natural-born U.S. citizen "would seem to be -- to have some credibility to it, because the Obama campaign refuses to release the original birth certificate." Liddy and Corsi then agreed that Obama should "release" his birth certificate to settle the matter. [Radio America's The G. Gordon Liddy Show, 9/17/08]
Corsi travels to Hawaii to "do what digging I can on the birth certificate." During an appearance on the October 22, 2008, broadcast of Liddy's radio show, Corsi said:
I'm headed out to Honolulu. I am not convinced that Barack Obama is going because his grandmother is sick. I appreciate that his grandmother is sick and he wants to be with her. I do recall that Barack Obama's mother died of cancer, and he didn't go to be by her side when she died. He relates that in his autobiography, Dreams From My Father. And I'm going out to do what digging I can on the birth certificate.
Corsi later added:
I think I'll accomplish something in Hawaii, too. Obama's headed out there, and I believe there's a court challenge that if Obama does not dodge, he's gonna be forced to produce a birth certificate, and there's gonna be something damaging on that birth certificate, because even at the eleventh hour, Obama refuses to show us the hospital-generated birth certificate when he was born.
Dobbs' CNN colleagues have slammed Corsi's "discredited" books on Obama, Kerry
Corsi books filled with falsehoods. As Media Matters for America documented, Corsi wrote a widely criticized and falsehood-laden book about Obama during the 2008 election and a similarly factually challenged book about Kerry during the 2004 election.
CNN's Yellin: Corsi book "includes lines that some might consider racially insensitive"
YELLIN: The book debuted at number one on the New York Times bestseller list and scored an article on that paper's front page.
It alleges, Obama is on the extreme left of American politics, and has extensive connections to Islam and with radical racial politics, this despite the fact that, for months, Obama's been explaining he is not Muslim.
OBAMA: If you get one of these e-mails that says I'm a Muslim, not true, that -- never been a Muslim. This -- this is just stuff that is designed to make people suspicious.
YELLIN: It includes lines that some might consider racially insensitive, such as, "Obama's mother chose another Third World prospect for her second husband, a second man of color, to be her mate."
Obama supporters charge, Corsi has been discredited. In 2004, the Associated Press verified he posted comments on a conservative Web site describing Islam as a religion in which the "boys are buggered and the infidels are killed," and calling Pope John Paul II "senile." [Situation Room, 10/13/08]
Campbell Brown: "Discredited" Corsi book "riddled with pretty much every unsubstantiated rumor you've ever heard about Obama."
BROWN: There's a new book out about Barack Obama. It's number one right now on The New York Times bestseller list. I can guarantee you, though, nobody in the Obama camp is happy at all -- at all happy about that. And here's why.
It is called Obama Nation: Leftist Politics and the Cult of Personality. The author, Jerome Corsi, also co-wrote the book Unfit for Command, which started the Swift Boating of John Kerry. Obama Nation is riddled with pretty much every unsubstantiated rumor you ever heard about Obama. Jessica Yellin found out for us that it's also turning into a major campaign headache. And, Jessica, I know -- we know that some of the most damaging charges in this book just aren't true. The author admits he's on a mission to take down Barack Obama. He's been slammed for books that he's written before. They're also discredited. But it's still getting an awful lot of traction. [CNN Election Center, 8/13/08]
Larry King: Corsi makes "incredible and even false claims about" Obama
KING: The man who wrote that book on John Kerry now makes some incredible and even false claims about the current Democratic candidate. Sensational accusations on race, religion and drugs leap from the pages in what's about to top the New York Times best-seller list. The author spells it all out right here and a critic confronts him. [Larry King Live, 8/13/08]
Anderson Cooper: Corsi's attacks on Kerry "were widely discredited"
COOPER: The Swift Boat ads helped sink Kerry's campaign in 2004. And the man whose book launched the ads, Jerome Corsi, is back in the news tonight. He's written a new book about Barack Obama, just as inflammatory as the one about John Kerry. On Sunday, his book will be number one on the New York Times bestseller list.
Since a lot of his attacks on John Kerry were widely discredited, tonight, we are checking the facts in his new book about Barack Obama. [Anderson Cooper 360, 8/13/08]
Jessica Yellin: Corsi attacks are "wrong on many points"
YELLIN: To prove his point, Corsi says the book is meticulously researched and fact-checked. But when we checked his facts, we found he's wrong on many points. Here are a few. The book claims Obama didn't dedicate his first book, Dreams from My Father, to his family members. He did. He dedicated it to his mother, his grandmother, and his siblings. Corsi cites a report saying Obama was in church when Reverend Jeremiah Wright made comments about race on July 22. But Obama was out of state, a full time zone away. And Corsi writes Obama has yet to answer questions about whether he ever stopped using drugs. But in his first book, Obama said he stopped getting high during college.
The Obama campaign dismisses the book as a series of lies from a discredited writer. [Anderson Cooper 360, 8/13/08]
Jack Cafferty: "Corsi has a record of putting out lots of wild theories ... that call into question his veracity and credibility."
JACK CAFFERTY: Summertime and the swift boats have set sail. The author of a book that attacked John Kerry's war record during Vietnam and ultimately torpedoed Kerry's campaign is now going after Barack Obama.
Jerome Corsi is out with The Obama Nation, which debuts at number one on the New York Times bestseller list on Sunday. It portrays Obama as a radical liberal who's tried to cover up his connections to Islam. The book also questions whether Obama's drug use as a youngster ever ended.
This is real nice stuff.
Critics say a lot of the book's accusations are unsubstantiated or just plain not true. Corsi has a record of putting out lots of wild theories in other books that call into question his veracity and credibility. [The Situation Room, 8/14/08]
Corsi's history of bigoted comments
Corsi has a history of making bigoted comments, particularly on FreeRepublic.com. Corsi has stated that he has apologized for what was described as a "series of bigoted and hateful posts" on FreeRepublic.com; those posts include:
- Corsi on Islam: "a worthless, dangerous Satanic religion"
- Corsi on Catholicism: "Boy buggering in both Islam and Catholicism is okay with the Pope as long as it isn't reported by the liberal press"
- Corsi on Muslims: "RAGHEADS are Boy-Bumpers as clearly as they are Women-Haters -- it all goes together"
- Corsi on "John F*ing Commie Kerry": "After he married TerRAHsa, didn't John Kerry begin practicing Judiasm [sic]? He also has paternal grandparents that were Jewish. What religion is John Kerry?"
- Corsi on Senator "FAT HOG" Clinton: "Anybody ask why HELLary couldn't keep BJ Bill satisfied? Not lesbo or anything, is she?"
MMFA falsely claims that HI authenticated the picture shown on BHO's site. That's false for two reasons:
1. Later on the same Politifact page that MMFA links to, the same person who they falsely think authenticated the cert says: "I don't know that it's possible for us to even say beyond a doubt what the image on the site represents." That quote cancels out whatever the other quote was meant to mean.
2. The very same quote source recently admitted that neither she nor any HI official have authenticated the picture of a COLB shown on BHO's site.
Unless you live in an alternate universe, MMFA is misleading you.
Further, much of this post relies on the opinions of CNN's hosts; that and two dollars will get you a cup of coffee. For instance, here's CNN's president spreading false information on this issue, and here's another CNN host grossly deceiving their audience (see the FAX).
And, here's an example of the Obama campaign silently editing a Corsi quote to make him look bad. They deleted an entire sentence from the middle of a quote and didn't in any way indicate that they'd edited the quote.
I don't think even MMFA would stoop that low, but the BHO campaign did.
Oh my god! A real live birther! God you people are stupid. Do you believe the earth his flat, too? According to this logic, become some doubt exists about just *one* piece of evidence, that means the whole case isn't true. But that's how conspiracy theories work. Ignore the mountain of evidence, and find the littlest innocent doubt, and ha ha! The earth is flat! Elvis lives!
You really are a joke. All your links lead back to your very own site! Are you one of those people who say the bible is true because the bible says it is?
Obama's long form exists, why doesn't he release it? Because morons like you defend his secrecy. And just who are "you people"? You mean people who believe in the Constitution? I know idiots like you have never read it, and would prefer it be used for toilet paper, but it is the law of the land.
This site is dedicated to pointing out conservative misstatements. Why not misstatements in general? Because this site is propaganda.
BTW, although I think that some of Corsi's statements are reprehensible, are they really much different than Keith Olbermann's?
A good start. I suspect that "all" is a better choice of words than "some."
are they really much different than Keith Olbermann's?
Yes. Please feel free to name the most reprehensible things that Olbermann said, and we can compare. My early guess is that Corsi wins the reprehensibility contest hands down.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23173388/
Olbermann calls the President a fascist and a liar. (incidentally the issue he was ranting about has been approved by the current President and Congress.)
Now remember when you post your Corsi quotes, that original sources are important.
Now, as to Olbermann calling Bush a fascist, I will agree that he went over the line... a little. Still, he backed up his contention and at least had the sense to accuse it of someone on the right (anyone who ever equates fascism with the left is in dire need of both a dictionary and a history book).
The Corsi quotes are in the main story above. They are, of course, in context. Furthermore, he takes no effort at all to substantiate his views.
In other words, Corsi defeats Olbermann on reprehensibility, by about 96%-4%.
You are quoting a story on this site to refute me? What a joke. I provide a link to MSNBC and original source material and you refer me back to this thread. You cannot find sources for those Corsi quotes. Hmmmmm. Can you say propaganda?
Prove it.
Again, prove it.
Olbermann said Bush was as dangerous to the US as the 9/11 terrorists. Point proved.
That was easy.
Leading the charge on the Dobbs assault...caddying for CoC on the Big Beck Boycott...defending the actions of ACORN...educating those that can't count people at protests...soldiering bravely along in support of Pres.Obama's healthcare reform...and the never ending battle with FoxNews.
Whew!
By the way, it's nice to see that you agree that the people on your side can't count people at protests, and are in need of educating. It was off topic, of course, but you get that many kudos for honesty.
Which actions? Since we do the unfortunate behavior of a couple low-level staffers represent the entire organization?
So, if that is the case, Dick Cheney is a rapist.
Why not? Many of you here, and I am sure you are one of them, have no problem taking the actions of the nutty protesters with stupid signs and making them representative of all those protesting.
By definition, you teabagging protesters are "nutty". There is no other kind.
But, good to see YOUR hypocritical double standard....it's not something, it's expected from you lesser kind.
Now who's applying the broad brush? Hypocrite, heal thyself.
If there were any rational teabaggers, I'm sure they'd be all over the teevee. Instead what we get are racists, idiots, and numbskulls who want the government out of their medicare.
Nice to have the opportunity to prove that my post makes sense. Frankly, I could hardly care any less about your approval, but I wouldn't want other readers to be misled.
The DoJ has been pressuring Carter to dismiss the case, like they have the judges for the numerous other cases, but Carter hasn't budged.
Mr. News