Breaking: Jerome Corsi's Publicity Stunt Works
Far be it for me to condone the Kenyan government’s heavy-handed treatment of anti-Obama polemicist Jerome Corsi, news of which was splashed across the top of the Drudge Report this morning, and is still prominently displayed. It appears to this reporter, who has spent some time in the region, that Corsi’s deportation—if that is indeed what happened—appears to be an all-too-familiar case of an annoyed government overreacting in stereotypical fashion. On the other hand, no one should portray Corsi as a martyr for press freedom. What he was up to in Kenya wasn’t journalism. It was a dangerous political stunt.
First, some background. As a journalist, it takes a lot to get yourself kicked out of Kenya. It’s not Sweden, but it’s a country with a vibrant free press. There are various accreditations required to work there as a foreign correspondent, but if you’re a reporter on a brief visit, you can generally enter with a tourist visa and rest assured that no one will bother you. Despite the contention of the W.N.D. article that Corsi was there to mount an “investigation into Barack Obama's connections in the country,” it seems that what primarily brought him to Kenya was a reception to publicize his book, The Obama Nation. According to Reuters, an invitation to the event, which was to be held at a Nairobi hotel, announced that Corsi would be exposing “Obama’s ‘deep secret ties’ to mafia-like groups in Kenya.”
Specifically, Corsi has been trying to link Obama to a Kenyan politician named Raila Odinga, a former presidential candidate. In past interviews—including one with me—Odinga has claimed a personal connection to the Democratic candidate’s father, and has reportedly even said he is distantly related to the Obama family. Corsi has sought to use this tenuous connection to link Obama to militant Islamists by claiming that Odinga (who is not a Muslim) may have undisclosed plans to institute to sharia law in Kenya, and—somewhat contradictorily—that Odinga is aligned with his country’s “extreme left wing.” Corsi’s allegations of sinister ties between the two politicians are all either false or grossly distorted, but they’ve been highly publicized in Kenyan newspapers. According to W.N.D., Corsi was going to expand on the book at his press conference, revealing Obama’s “connection to certain sectoral groups in Kenya and [a] subsequent plot to be executed in Kenya should Senator Obama win the American presidency.”
Here’s why Corsi’s antics were so incredibly irresponsible. A year ago, an election was held in Kenya. Odinga ran against the incumbent, President Mwai Kibaki. Kibaki was declared the winner of the election, under circumstances that outside observers declared highly suspicious. The contest between the two men revealed deep ethnic animosity between Kibaki’s tribe, the Kikuyu, and Odinga’s tribe, the Luo, who generally feel that they’ve been unfairly prevented from ruling the country. After the disputed vote, antagonists from both sides spilled into the streets with machetes. There were massacres. Hundreds of people died and many thousands were displaced from their homes. Eventually, after much arm-twisting, Kibaki and Odinga agreed to form a “unity” government. But the country is anything but unified, and many fear that violence could break out again. In warning of plots and secret mafias, Corsi is echoing the conspiratorial tribal rhetoric that helped to incite the killing.
It’s safe to assume that Corsi did not travel to Kenya to promote his book because he hoped to alert people there to the danger posed by a Obama presidency or, for that matter, because he hoped to sell many copies there. (Most Kenyans can’t afford hardcover books, for one thing, and a quarter of the population is illiterate.) What seems more likely is that the writer was hoping that bringing his book tour to Kenya would create a little exotic frisson and generate headlines back home, where The Obama Nation has fallen to number 26 on The New York Times' best-seller list. In handling the situation so ham-handedly, the Kenyan immigration authorities have given Corsi an attention-bump bigger than any he could have dreamed. Let’s hope that in the future, though, the author stays here in America, where his lies only endanger a deteriorating political culture, and not actual lives.
Thank you for clarifying and making right what I knew had to be a bogus report.
Your article is so flaccid of objective posture and as a journalistic interpretation and rebuttal of Corsi's motivation.....
All I want to know is: Is Obama a citizen of the United States of America so he meets Constitutional requirements.
Corsi should stop extending his bigoted views to Kenya. The country is 70% Christian, 25% Muslim and 5% other and ALL citizens and religions are respected and protected by the constitution. Raila Odinga is a politician who got alot of support from the GOP when he ran against Kibaki, remember Dick Morris was deported from Kenya in Dec 07 when he tried to work in Raila's campaign? But all that is water under the bridge. Kenyans are now united under both Raila and Kibaki, and while they are proud of Obama, they are fully aware he is an American and his connection to them will be as close or as distance as what he will have with a Zulu in SA, a Tualeg in Morocco or a Tonga from the pacific.
0bama campaigned for Raila Odinga in Kenya. There are pictures to prove it.
Do you think Corsi had a chance to give George Obama a copy of his book?
The question everyone should be asking is whether Obama will deliver or not. not his connection with kenya. Kenyans are Now united under the leadership of Raila and Kibaki. anyone saying otherwise is a prorhet of doom
Andrew Rice should have expounded more on issues of observers suspicionand the issue of sharia law.
We cannot belabor the point that Raila signed a memorandum with Muslim extremists (NAMLEF) to allow sharia law in Coast province and North Eastern Kenya which are predominantly muslim. He cannot even attempt to deny that.
On the issue of observers mostly from western countries (i have nothing gainst them)theirs is a partisan argument since they seem to have personal issues with Kibaki. The situation is not helped by Kibaki who will NEVER respond to a critic. You jusy need to check the who is who on the list of "banned travels" to US and Europe and the way it is done in tandem. Yet we have known drug dealers who happen to be on the other side of this divide getting protection in return for their political support.
I am a Nairobian and i know what i am talking about.
Andrew Rice should have expounded more on issues of observers suspicionand the issue of sharia law.
We cannot belabor the point that Raila signed a memorandum with Muslim extremists (NAMLEF) to allow sharia law in Coast province and North Eastern Kenya which are predominantly muslim. He cannot even attempt to deny that.
On the issue of observers mostly from western countries (i have nothing gainst them)theirs is a partisan argument since they seem to have personal issues with Kibaki. The situation is not helped by Kibaki who will NEVER respond to a critic. You jusy need to check the who is who on the list of "banned travels" to US and Europe and the way it is done in tandem. Yet we have known drug dealers who happen to be on the other side of this divide getting protection in return for their political support.
I am a Nairobian and i know what i am talking about.
That "Reply" function is a real bummer.
Aliens were autopsied in New Mexico. There are pictures to prove it.
Jerome Corsi is outright scum.
Barack Obama & Raila Odinga
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8QcpdUtxNQ
http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/atlas_shrugs/kenyas_killing_fields/
Corsi is doing us all a service, exposing Obama and his links to criminals, islamic thugs, and his extreme socialistic views on everything. Tell me - how in a country of 300,000,000 do you reduce taxes on 285,000,000 (95%) and still increase spending by a Trillion Dollars??? To create a redistribution of wealth on such a scale will destroy what people and companies have worked their entire lives to build... for what?! In short order it will all move back to the people who work hard and save and invest and support their efforts with education and sweat.
What Obama is all about is Socialism, which he picked up during his time associating with criminals and radicals.
Incredible that a guy with no real experience and extreme socialistic views even has a shot at this job! Wake up America!!!
That was a stupid video and you all are stupid to buy into it. If I'd been the Kenyans I'da necklaced Jerome Corsi, racist bastard. You're all a bunch of Republican idiots!!! Just face it, your boy is gonna lose and Obama is gonna be president.
"Let’s hope that in the future, though, the author stays here in America, where his lies only endanger a deteriorating political culture, and not actual lives."
Ms. Rice:
Which parts of Mr. Corsi's book or his statements are you referring to as "lies", and where is your evidence? If you can't defend your statement please have the stones to retract it. Heaven forbid you should do some research prior to making your accusations, versus perusing the Lib blogs.
Good luck with all of that.
Kenya can't handle freedom of speech. It is enough to make me not vote for Obama due to his Kenyan connections
"The continued tolerance and prominence of Jerome Corsi - his books, columns and appearances - is just embarrassing. It is embarrassing for the Right, embarrassing for Republicans, embarrassing for conservatives and libertarians, embarrassing for all of us."
THIS SO CALLED REPORTER IS A LIAR !!!
CORSI HAS E-MAILS SENT FROM SEN OBAMA'S OFFICE TO ODINGO !!!
THIS IS HUGE, IT IS TRUE !!!
DEAR AMERICANS: TIME TO STOP THE MEDIA FOR HIDING THIS !!!
We have the smoking gun, the October surprise, the game changer !!!
WE HAVE A GAME CHANGER, A ELECTION OCTOBER HUGE SURPIRSE !!! OBAMA WILL LOSE IF THIS GETS REPORTED !!! THIS SHOULD BE YOU BIGGEST BANNER OF ALL TIMES !!! GAME CHANGER !!! SEN. OBAMA SENDS E-MAILS FROM HIS SENATE OFFICE TO RADICAL KENYA PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE ODINGO !!! ODINGO HAD SIGNED A PACT WITH RADICAL MUSLIM’S TO IMPOSE SHIRIA LAW IN KENYA IF ELECTED !!! ODINGO WAS NOT ELECTED HOWEVER, BUT DURING THE NH PRIMARIE SEN. OBAMA AND ODINGO E-MAILED EACH OTHER ON STRATIGIES TO WIN THE KENYAN ELECTIONS !!! THIS WAS NOT A ONE TIME E-MAIL, ODINGO AND OBAMA HAD AN ONGOING RELATIONSHIP THRU PHONE CALLS AND E-MAILS FOR WEEKS !!! HERE WE HAVE A SITTING SENATOR, A MAN RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT WHO IS IN STATAGIY SESSIONS WITH A KENYAN WHO IS PROMISING RADICAL MUSLIM LAWS IN KENYA !!! WE HAVE THE PROOF, COPIES OF THE E-MAILS !!! WHY ARE YOU NOT ALL OVER THIS ??? THIS WILL BLOW UP THE ELECTION AND YOU CAN LEAD THE WAY !!! THIS IS NO JOKE, CHECK WITH SEAN HANNITY OF FOX NEWS, TALK TO CORSI !!! WE HAVE THE DOCUMENTS, WE MUST HIT OBAMA AND THE MEDIA WITH THIS NOW !!! PLEASE DO NOT LET THE MEDIA HIDE THIS INFO !!! OBAMA TIES WITH ANOTHER RADICAL WILL PUSH THIS ELECTION OVER TO McCAIN !!! TOO MANY HIDDEN ISSUES THAT ARE JUST NOW GETTING TRACTION, THIS WILL RE-ENFORCE THE MESSAGE !!! OBAMA IS A RADICAL AND HAS CLOSE, PERSONAL TIES TO RADICALS AND MUSLIM SHARIA LAW IN KENYA !!! SPREAD THE NEWS, CALL EVERYONE, TELL THE PAPERS, TELL THE MEDIA, E-MAIL EVERYONE !!! LET’S NOT LET THE MAIN STREET FAR LEFT MEDIA HIDE THIS FROM THE AMERICAN PEOPLE !!! THIS MAN OBAMA MUST BE STOPPED !!!
Corsi had promised a news conference that would "expose details of deep secret ties between U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama and a section of Kenya government leaders, their connection to certain sectoral groups in Kenya and subsequent plot to be executed in Kenya should Senator Obama win the American presidency."
Sen. Barack Obama with Raila Odinga
Corsi was set to show Obama and Odinga have been in direct contact since the senator's visit to Kenya in 2006. He was to claim Obama advised Odinga on campaign strategy and helped him raise money in the U.S. for the Kenya presidential campaign.
Corsi was to report Odinga's 2007 presidential campaign strategy called for exploiting anti-Kikuyu tribal sentiments, claiming victory and charging voter fraud even if the campaign knew the election had been legitimately lost. Odinga, Corsi said, also was willing to fan the flames of ethnic tribal tensions and use violence as a last resort by calling for mass action that led to the destruction of properties, injuries, loss of life and the displacement of over 500,000 Kenyans. The purpose was to compel the Electoral Commission of Kenya to declare him the winner or enable him to declare himself the winner by force.
Even though Odinga has not fulfilled his campaign promises to the Muslims who voted for him, he continues to cause concern among Kenyans because he has not declared his position on Shariah law, Corsi said.
Corsi said Obama remained in active phone contact with Odinga through the New Hampshire Democratic Party primary in January. The Illinois senator continued to support Odinga, he said, turning a blind eye to an agreement signed with Muslims and the post-election violence instigated as part of the campaign strategy
Mark Garnett
I heard all of this too. Jerome Corsi will be on The Sean Hannity Show this Monday night and will show the actual emails between Odinga and Obama. We'll see. If he does have proof of this correspondence .....WOW! Along with all the other nefarious characters in Obama's background, this is not good!
The reason Obama is ahead in the polls is the Bradley effect.
'Ignorance is easy - Intelligence is hard'
0bama will be going down fast after Hannity gets this in the news Monday. He has the emails from inside Odinga's headquarters to prove contact with 0bama continuously. The drive-by media don't want it out til after the election, but the truth will prevail.
I hope Hannity stays at home where it is safe til this breaks and that Corsi safety returns from London this weekend.
His citizenship is an important issue. If he is, in fact, a citizen he should produce an authentic birth certificate and end all the speculation. If he isn't, he has been lying to us and trying to defraud the American people all this time. The shady dealings with shady characters are a consideration but intentionally lying and trying to deceive people if he does not meet the established criteria for the office of President speaks to his personal lack of ethics, etc.
Obama has strong ties to Odinga who ran and at this time may be the President of Kenya. Odinga fomented Kenya's post election violence last January in a bid to secure the presidency after the results declared incumbent President Mwai
Kibaki the winner. In fact, independent observers disputed Kibaki's victory, and a commission looking into the vote recently determined that Kenya would never know if Odinga or Kibaki truly won.
See the following videos (the ones that OBAMA does not want you to see) and what directions OBAMA suggested for ODINGA ,who eventually is/or will be taking over Kenya:
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8QcpdUtxNQ
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6eVVVKFHu0
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjCXCdXKpt8
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voBBx9EaEGA
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnmS_vULPxw
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxoiZdBSi-g
>
> BEFORE YOU VOTE - THINK - COULD ALL OF THESE CONNECTIONS BE JUST A COINCIDENT??????
Obama has strong ties to Odinga who ran and at this time may be the President of Kenya. Odinga fomented Kenya's post election violence last January in a bid to secure the presidency after the results declared incumbent President Mwai
Kibaki the winner. In fact, independent observers disputed Kibaki's victory, and a commission looking into the vote recently determined that Kenya would never know if Odinga or Kibaki truly won.
See the following videos (the ones that OBAMA does not want you to see) and what directions OBAMA suggested for ODINGA ,who eventually is/or will be taking over Kenya:
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8QcpdUtxNQ
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6eVVVKFHu0
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjCXCdXKpt8
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voBBx9EaEGA
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnmS_vULPxw
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxoiZdBSi-g
>
> BEFORE YOU VOTE - THINK - COULD ALL OF THESE CONNECTIONS BE JUST A COINCIDENT??????
Odinga and Obama are related. Odinga is his uncle. He is a terrorist and Obama has sent over 1 million dollars to this terrorist organization. Odinga has tried to bring down the Kenyaian government for the last twenty years. Of course Obama was born in Kenya, which is being covered up. Obama MUST BE STOPPED! Necklacing may become popular in the USA if he gets in office. Michele is another Winnie Mandella. You can see the hate in her face. Information comes from within that country, backed up by those who know.!!!!!!!! Odinga's tribe are the Mau Maus. Odinga is now the Prime Minister of Kenya either legally or illegally.
And what makes this writer any more credible than Corsi? The YouTube video someone posted here with Obama and Odinga says it all. You can't make this stuff up.
Gee - Wonder how you are going to explain away the new radio interview from 2001 that has surfaced showing that Obama's main goal is for an updated Civil Rights Act that includes "Spreading the Wealth". What excuse could you possibly dream up for that? He is bad for this country!
Thank God the madness is over and all the losers on this website can crawl back under their respective rocks ...