The abomination that is 'The Obama Nation'

By Tom Blackburn

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- It's amazing, the number of people who still say Al Gore claimed to have invented the Internet. Some believe it, which is surprising and depressing. Others know better but say it because it zaps a Democrat, which is just depressing.

I mention this ancient bit of character assassination in recognition of the No. 1 nonfiction bestseller on The New York Times' list this week, "The Obama Nation," by Jerome R. Corsi. The book is reported to be a farrago of truth, half-truth, twisted truth and nothing like truth. I haven't read it, but I have followed the genre since my days as an avid reader-but-not-believer of Ralph de Toledano, who was Hans Christian Andersen by the standards of contemporary political hacks.

Democrats started a backfire last week. John Kerry was slow to respond to the lies about him in a book, "Unfit for Command," that Mr. Corsi co-wrote four years ago. The slow pushback was analytically called proof that Kerry didn't have the right stuff to be president. But it doesn't matter what Barack Obama or his party says about "The Obama Nation" or Corsi. Much of what's in the book will blow away on a late-summer breeze; enough will stick so that eight years from now some people will believe absurdities about Obama and others will happily repeat them as a chance to zap Democrats....(Click here for remainder of article).

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Rachel Maddow Now Part of the Corporate Media

Now that it has been announced that Air America host Rachel Maddow will be replacing Dan Abrams on MSNBC, one has to wonder if this move will change her. Will she now reign in her indignation? Will she temper her liberal beliefs? I guess only time will tell.

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Rachel Maddow to Replace Dan Abrams on MSNBC
By Bill Carter | NY Times

Just in time for the closing rush of the presidential election, MSNBC is shaking up its prime-time programming lineup, removing the long-time host –- and one-time general manager of the network — Dan Abrams from his 9 p.m. program and replacing him with Rachel Maddow, who has emerged as a favored political commentator for the all-news cable channel.

The moves, which were confirmed by MSNBC executives Tuesday, are expected to be finalized by Wednesday, with Mr. Abrams’s last program on Thursday. After MSNBC’s extensive coverage of the two political conventions during the next two weeks, Ms. Maddow will begin her program on Sept. 8.

MSNBC is highlighting the date, 9/8/08, connecting it to the start of the Olympics on 8/8/08, as a way to signal what the network’s president, Phil Griffin, said “will be the final leg of the political race this year.” He added, “We making that Rachel’s debut.”...(Click here for remainder of article).

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Rachel Gets Her Own MSNBC Show
By Keith Olbermann

Happy Now?

The network will be formally announcing this tomorrow, but I am pleased to inform you in this fully authorized leak, that as of Monday, September 8, our mutual friend Ms. Maddow will become host of her own show, on MSNBC, at 9 PM Eastern Time.

And, yes, we will be making another unofficial announcement of this on tonight's edition of Countdown. My guest to analyze the Rachel Maddow news will be Rachel Maddow.

Let me answer the key questions in advance:

1. No, she will not be serving as a VeeJay introducing music clips or cartoons.
2. No, I don't think we have the name of the show chosen yet. She wanted to use "Countdown With Keith Olbermann" and I said, that's where I draw the line.
3. No, the format isn't set, though there have been a lot of discussions out there and they have all centered on how to best allow her to both give her laser-quality insights while soliciting the opinions of others.
4. Yes, I had something to do with it.
5. Yes, you had something to do with it.
   

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