Corsi gets Canned in Kenya

Jerome Corsi, the right-wing propagandist who penned two vile books attacking Democratic Presidential candidates, has been 'detained' in Kenya.

He was there for the book launch of "Obama Nation," a 300 page attack on Barack Obama filled with the same sort of smears, insinuations and lies as his previous book, an attack on John Kerry called "Unfit for Command."

In Obama Nation, Corsi suggests that Barack Obama is a pot-smoking, secret Muslim radical with connections to black power groups - and filled with what Corsi calls 'seething black rage.'

The book has as little substance as Unfit for Command - the manuscript that stirred up the 'Swift Boat Veterans for Truth' - a petty hate group denounced by every rational politician and serviceman in America, including John McCain.

Despite his reputation as a hatchet artist, Corsi is a favourite with the right wing - many of whom apparently believe the rubbish he spouts in his slanderous books. However, Corsi severely overestimated his appeal when he visited Kenya.

It turns out that spewing a pack of lies attacking Kenya's favorite (grand)son didn't win him any support amongst the authorities in Nairobi. Corsi was arrested for organising the book launch without an appropriate work visa.

Carlos Maluta, a senior immigration official in charge of investigations, told the press: "We still haven't decided what to do with him."

Well, I have a few suggestions...

Republicans don't play fair...

Jerome Corsi is a truly despicable human being.

In 2004, when Vietnam veteran John Kerry stood against George Bush in the presidential election, he published a book called 'Unfit for Command,' which was a cynical pack of lies aimed at discrediting the decorated officer's wartime record.

'Unfit for Command' was the inspiration for the 'Swiftboat Veterans for Truth' - a group of right wing Vietnam veterans who raised money and campaigned against John Kerry in the lead up to the election - and possibly contributed to Kerry's defeat.

Just like 'Unfit for Command,' the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth were largely discredited - but not early enough to prevent the damage they did to Kerry's campaign.

Well, it's a new election and the Democrats have a new candidate - but it's business as usual for Jerome Corsi.

He's just published 'The Obama Nation' (abomination, geddit?)

Just like 'Unfit for Command,' this book is nothing but a cynical attack against the Democratic candidate, filled with page after page of bullshit.

For example, that Barack Obama currently uses marijuana and/or cocaine (because, in Obama's biography, he admitted experimenting with the drugs in college.)

Or that Barack Obama is a 'secret Muslim' (because he spent a few weeks at a madrassa while living abroad.)

These aren't lies exactly. More just wild, erroneous, malicious speculation based on the most tenuous sliver of fact. And the scary thing is that stupid people are going to believe them.

Currently, after the Georgian crisis highlighted his canny eye for the international scene, John McCain's managed to clamber to a level footing with Obama in the polls. He can win this election all by his own damn self - he doesn't need the cheap lies and petty slander of the likes of Corsi.

I hope John McCain does what he did with the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth - and disassociates himself from Corsi and his cronies.

He's what he said when the Swift Boaters paid to slander Kerry on the television:

"I condemn the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth ad. It is dishonest and dishonorable. I think it is very, very wrong."

As for Obama? Well, the quality of a man's character is often revealed by the people who revile him. He's gone up a notch in my book.