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First Read is an analysis of the day's political news, from the NBC News political unit. First Read is updated throughout the day, so check back often.

Chuck Todd, NBC Political Director

Mark Murray, NBC Deputy Political Director

Domenico Montanaro, NBC Political Researcher



Obama camp responds to Corsi book

Posted: Thursday, August 14, 2008 5:57 PM by Mark Murray

From NBC's Mark Murray
The Obama campaign has released a 40-page rebuttal to Jerome Corsi's new attack book on the Illinois senator -- "Obama Nation: Leftist Politics and the Cult of Personality -- which will be No. 1 on the New York Times' best-seller list for non-fiction hardcovers.

The Obama camp rebuttal is entitled "Unfit for Publication," a play on Corsi's "Unfit for Command" book that launched the Swift Boat attacks on John Kerry in 2004. And the rebuttal comes as Democrats wondered how aggressively the Obama campaign would respond to the book's charges.

"Jerome Corsi is a discredited liar who is peddling another piece of garbage in order to continue the Bush-Cheney politics he helped perpetuate four years ago," said Obama spokesman Tommy Vietor. "His is one of what will likely be many lie-filled books rushed to print this election cycle that are cobbled together from debunked internet sources to make money and advance a partisan agenda. We will forcefully respond to these smears with all means at our disposal."

The rebuttal is currently an Adobe Acrobat attachment, but it will soon be posted on this campaign Web site.

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Comments

Huzzah!  But I would rather sue Corsi - he needs to have his clock cleaned in court, and pay damages for defamation of character.
Here's where the landslide begins.

Dear John:
See ya.
And the man is a fat, ugly, racist. Why doesn't he write a book about all of the wonderful things his efforts brought us by helping to defeat Kerry? Like the largest deficit in history, the raping of the constitution, $4 gas, a scandal of a war, and the the enormous loss of clout and respect the US has experienced over the past 8 years?
Political profiteers and pirates have finally arrived..

Hoist the colors!
"The Obama campaign has released a 40-page rebuttal to Jerome Corsi's new attack book ..."
--Crips!  They are attacking a book with a book.  (It's like something out of the Bourne Ultimatum).  Anyway, I'm waiting for the campaign graphic novel.  Always corner the nerd market, I say.

At the very least, I hope both books offer an abbreviated version, ha!
We will forcefully respond to these smears with all means at our disposal."
-----
Now THAT is what I like to hear.  Go Team!
The Republican attack machine is relying on old tricks.  Corsi's book will be a hit with the small-minded conservatives who want to some how feel good about how they will vote in November, but it won't net McCain any more votes from the middle.  Corsi himself is the only one who will benefit.
OK, Republican Lemmings,  repeat after me....
I have a functioning brain.  I can reason for myself.  
Now as long as no one else attempts to tell you what to think you should be fine.
Election?  Oh dear Lord no!  You are no where near ready for that responsibility.  Do you remember how badly you messed things up with the last election?  Will will be cleaning up you little booboo for years to come.
Here is your beer, now go watch some wrestling.
Nice! That's what I like to hear. But I wouldn't worry too much, most republicans don't read anyways.
"Jerome Corsi is a discredited liar who is peddling another piece of garbage in order to continue the Bush-Cheney politics he helped perpetuate four years ago," said Obama spokesman Tommy Vietor. "His is one of what will likely be many lie-filled books rushed to print this election cycle that are cobbled together from debunked internet sources to make money and advance a partisan agenda. We will forcefully respond to these smears with all means at our disposal."
**************************

A very strong response. Dignified, but still a real uppercut to the GOP chin.

*****************************

Thanks everybody for your kind words of support.
Obama says George Bush tried to privatize social security.  That makes him an out and out liar who should be discredited.

But I have to say the Obama's response is really a shock.

I gotta get that book.  Something so vehemently trashed by the Democrat party has to have some merit.

I don't know how to define pornography precisely, legally.

But I know pornography when I see it.

We can only hope Corsi includes some Photoshopped pictures of Obama and Osama hanging in the madrassa coffee shop as boys.  Smoking.

Maybe some sex pictures involving animal sacrifice.

I am trembling with excitement and anticipation!

This is not about white or black.

This is about republicans or Democrats.
This is about corruption or true democracy back in our country.

I say,

Vote Democrat this time!!
I wish there was some way to distribute the rebuttal with every copy of the book.
I would lay $'s that J.C. is a member, in good standing, of the KKK. When Alan Colmes asked him if there was anything,at all, that he liked about Obama, his lillie white, partially sunburnt face was turning increasingly red and you could just see him seethe and want to tell the truth....He hates blacks...He, of course, held back and didn't tell the truth, and of course, he has a lot of practice at not telling the truth.  He is the model GOP ditto-head though.  It could have been Rove, Limbaugh, Hannity.  Hate to sound rascist but they look the same, talk the same "tough talk", all dodged the draft when they were of the appropriate age to serve, all trying to make up for their cowardice by sounding tough.  Sadly it works for a lot of people.  It doesn't work for me.  Barrack and Michelle Obama are two of the classiest people (couple) that have ever run for President & firstlady and it will be a real celebration when they enter the White House and hope finally arrives for our country and it's wonderful people.
"Jerome Corsi is a discredited liar who is peddling another piece of garbage in order to continue the Bush-Cheney politics he helped perpetuate four years ago," said Obama spokesman Tommy Vietor.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Now THAT'S what I call STRAIGHT TALK! :)

Obama/Biden '08/'12
Senator McCain had promised to run a respectful campaign which he immediately  disregarded.  Now he has a chance to stand up and refute this disgusting book and show that he is against such tactics. Don't hold your breath though.
Lets hope the MSM talks about Unfit for Publication more than Corsi's latest smear.
have you left wing fanatics ever thought what he is writing is the TRUTH!!
In our culture we give the benefit of the doubt to the accuser. We have no sense of "burden of proof," in the country that invented it no less. All of Obama's retorts will be scoffed at as proof that he's trying to hide everything. And since Democrats don't sink to that level, the Repubs will always have the upper hand.
Bravo for Obama!! Now if he will just stop letting the Clintons lead him around by the nose.
Republicans, for all their talk about being the party of ideas, cannot ever run, or get elected simply on.....those ideas.  If republicans and their supporters as well, believe that the republican agenda/platform is far beter for America, then why on earth can't the republicans run a truthful campaign and win on the merits of their platform/ideas, instead of rigging elections, rigging voting machines, disenfranchising voters, deviding a nation using relegion, patriotism, and  wedge issues as distractors, in order to win elections?
The real question is whether the details of the rebuttal will be discussed on network news shows and non-stop cable news programs.  I don't expect Fox to do that, but the rest of you guys should be ashamed of yourselves if you don't give the specific lies at least as much attention as you are giving such "newsworthy" topics as the politicians' affairs.  
why doesn't someone from obama's camp put out a smear book about mccain.....think about it,  they wouldn't have to lie...just point out some facts; mccain has done enough on his own to fill a book!!
When a candidate must splatter the opposition in lieu of a winning platform everyone loses.

The honor of John McCain is no more. Especially since he was so disgusted when the Bush team did it against him. He knows better.
To late Obama. Your lies are exposed. Thanks for playing though. Have a good primary against Hillary in 2012.
I agree that this idiot should be sued for defamation.  I think he would lose the law suit and maybe, just maybe, it would stop this nonsense on the part of Republicans.
It's called libel.  Boo-yah.

http://thepajamapundit.com/
Here's where the landslide begins.

Dear John:
See ya.
wds Seattle, wa (Sent Thursday, August 14, 2008 6:05 PM)


Yup. See ya alright John. In Washington DC, late in January. Capital steps will be a good place to meet.

Looking forward to it.
I'm waiting for the cliff note version of Corsi's book, It will be one page and will say ME good, him bad.
Still making me laugh today repubs.
. . . . is a discredited liar who is peddling another piece of garbage in order to continue the . . .


Wait a minute, this is the same line of attack Obama has for anyone he disagrees with.

Barack is a divider, not a uniter.
"Corsi's "Unfit for Command" book that launched the Swift Boat attacks on John Kerry in 2004"


What a vicious little a@@hole. Has he ever done anything except assassinate characters?
I got a ridicuous e-mail from an old ex-hippy type like Angelina's neglectful father, John Voight, who supposedly turned back on himself into a self promoting, (so-called) political neocon sage.

The message was one full of dates, and statistics trying to prove that as of 2005 all was right with America, but things went downhill only after the dems flooded the media with negative propaganda which caused everything to go to hell, and the Congress to have a Democratic majority which has sealed our fate in failure.

My question in response is this:

If GWB was such a stellar leader, would he not have the intelligence, influence, and power to overcome obvious lies? Would he not have the leadership to prevent falsehood from ruining all his economic accomplishments?

To the ex-hippie, turned selfish, murdering neo-con I say get over it. Your boy is a disaster, and you are a loser as in having lost your soul.

Imagine, the guy sells rocks, incense, and all things natural such as bugs, and bats. So he tries to perpetuate a hippy personification. But it is a lie. Long hair, and beads are the costume he wears just so he can sell his wares. It's all about the blessed buck. When the time came to stand up, and be counted, he showed his true colors.

Good for Obama! Hope he puts on his boxing gloves for this one.
Obama should sue Corsi for character defamation since that book will be there for future generations to read.  
No Harm, No Fowl..

McWar supporters cannot even read!

OBAMA 08
I really wish they would sue this guy. maybe that will finally shut him up.
If you set up s fund to sue this lying piece of garbage I will send a donation asap.  I really love the way McCain is running a "positive" campaign.  I would hate to see what he would call "negative"!
McCain looks more like a Rush Limbaugh wannabe every day.
Patrick in Vancouver, WA:

Are we allowed to plagerise on this blog?  "And the man is a fat, ugly, racist. Why doesn't he write a book about all of the (crap- this is a better word, Pat) wonderful things his efforts brought us by helping to defeat Kerry? Like the largest deficit in history, the raping of the constitution, $4 gas, a scandal of a war, and the the enormous loss of clout and respect the US has experienced over the past 8 years? (Patrick:  You forgot to add - it is your type that brings disgrace to America - UNPATRIOTIC MORAN!)  Everybody in the world is laughing at the US. I HOPE Barack's brillance can save us).
I do not know why the Obama team are writing a rebutal book? They should or at least someome has to sue this Idiot for defamation and outright lying through is teeth about Obama and others.
I hate to generalize with terms like "the MSM" as if it is a club where news organizations get together and come up with that day's agenda, but i really hope the Obama campaign pushes MSM members HARD on this.  The media, FR, etc. have a responsibility to squash lies - you do it when the candidates "stretch the truth", you have to also do it with surrogates and "friends" of surrogates.

While the Kerry campaign should have fought the swift boat stuff harder, it was pathetic that media folks only covered the issue with a "how will this affect the election" commentary and not pointing out, forcefully, that it was all a LIE.

This is why a lot of younger folks (and 37 year olds like me) end up looking to shows like The Daily Show for news.  As far as I know, Jon Stewart's show was the only one that pointed out, on a continuous basis, the outright lies from that group.  (although, to be fair, I should point out that Steve Croft from 60 minutes told an undecided Ohio voter during the primaries that NO, Barak Obama was NOT a Muslim.  I almost fell out of my chair when that happened.)


To Corsi--I move this simple logic:
In your words Obama (a) "has extensive moslem connections"
(b)  Obama had a former Pastor  
If case (a) then it can never be (b)
If case (b) then it can never be (a)
Since Corsi is peddling both (a) and (b) any rational mind must conclude that the sewage spewing out of "Obama Nation" is nothing more than a hallucination of  a pyschotic mind beffiting overtime for a professional pyschiatrist!
I hear alot of the books are being sold CD's with Flash Cards so the Short Bus people can understand them. They are the ones buying this trash!  I know, I use to ride the Short Bus with Corsi.  I loved it when I could draw lightning Bolts on his helmet!

Remember Me Corsi
The mainstream media .... always ready to standby and watch the lies fly.
A housing bust, falling stock prices, foreclosures, record-high gas prices, rising unemployment rates, failing schools, thousands of heros dead and tens of thousand heros wounded due to an illegal war and attacks on the American constitution and the media continues to focus on the ridicules while ignoring substantive issues that have and will impact American lives. Is this the free media worth fighting for?
Not this time, not in this election, not this year.

Obama/Biden '08
Why do people spend their hard earned cash on crap like this book. I guess it's the same people that buy the crap spewed by Ann Coulter.

I am liking what the Obama camp is doing. Fighting back with the truth. Corsi is a scumbag and Obama is going to show the country his true colors.
Corsi is a gutless coward and a traitor to boot. Everyone in this country has standing to sue him for this piece of lying slime. I hope we start seeing lawsuits against him and his swift boat scum in every jurisdiction, not to mention major demonstrations outside the bookstore chains. These Neo-con pukes understand one thing .... the power of money and there is no doubt that Obama's organization nationwide has more than enough pocket change to simply crush him. Go for it.
Good let the Rpub elites buy all this guys books. Most of the people that would beleive this drivel don't read anyway. They are so afraid on Wall Street because some of these corporations who actually don't pay any taxes may have to start.
The real question us why the "liberal media" especially MSNBC is giving so much space to this book, and also to the John Edwards affair. You would almost think they want Bush/McCain to have four more years. They can not be that stupid, can they?
Corsi is such a idiot...why does he continue to speak about Barack's muslim upbringing. Why on one hand do the repubs say he stayed in a christian church with a guy like Rev. wright for 20 years and on the other hand they want to say he is a Muslim. By the way, what is wrong with being a muslim??? I am a Christian with numerous friends from different backgrounds and beliefs and I never once thought one of my Muslim friends were any less American. Corsi also try to say that Barack's father was a muslim and how he had such a fondness for his "muslim" father....what does his father's religion have to do with his fondness of his father. Make up your mind Repukes and please get your Croonies in check

I THINK THIS IS TRUE DEFINITION OF "REACHING"


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