Ok, the credibility issue of one of the co-authors of the new anti-Kerry book has been pretty much settled, and, in turn, brings up issues concerning O’Neil as to why he is a working with his co-author, Jerome R. Corsi. Kevin Drum notes the following from Media Matters for America (and yes, I know they are a liberal, pro-Kerry group) that links the co-author of Unfit for Command, Jerome R. Corsi to a series of posts at Free Republic that make taking Corsi seriously near to impossible.
One has to wade through the Media Matters post (which isn’t well organized), to find a link to this post, in which Corsi links himself to his Freep id of “jrlc”. One can see example of jrlc’s posts on the Media Matters site, or one can peruse the links to the Free Republic forum. Let’s just say that the prose isn’t what one would expect from a guy with a Ph.D. in political science from Harvard. It also doesn’t strike me as particularly smart for VP of a financial marketing company either, but who can explain what people do and why?
There is sufficient evidence linking Corsi to Free Republic and various Freep-related projects that there really is no reason to doubt the post linking Corsi to jrlc.
One bit of sloppiness I did note: the site claims that Corsi is the author of numerous books on various topics, and gives an Amazon.com listing. Now, several of the books are on US politics (which makes sense for a Harvard Ph.D.) and two are on finance/insurance (the field in which Corsi currently works). However, one is on BASIC programing, another on Leonardo da Vinci, and yet another is a witchcraft handbook. I am guess is that unless Corsi is a true renaissance man (and an odd one at that), that we are talking about probably at least four different Jerome R. Corsis in that listing. Indeed, if just putting a name into Amazon.com is conclusive, then I hope you all rush out and buy my book on Food Toxicology.
However, that simply is amusing at this point: the Freep postings are pretty damning.
And I will not, that while Drum annoys me with some of the conclusions to which he leaps on a number of issues, that I am more than willing to note when he is correct (of course, reciprocation would be nice)–and in this case, at least regarding Corsi, the evidence is pretty clear.
August 7th, 2024 at 12:13 pm
It is entirely possible that O’Neil didn’t know about Corsi’s freeper credentials, only his more traditional credentials.
Not saying that it’s so, but just throwing out the possibility.
August 7th, 2024 at 12:38 pm
I promise to be just as excited about Corsik as Jimmy Carter is about Moore.
For crying out loud, read the freaking material and make up your own mind.
August 7th, 2024 at 1:27 pm
Oh no! He called Perky Katie Couric – America’s Morning Sweetheart – “Little Katie Communist”?
Horrors! I guess I’ll be busy today scrubbing my site of my extensive anti-Katie material lest I get called on the carpet by…
Atrios? This article was written by Atrios – a.k.a. Duncan B. Black – and anyone takes it seriously? You know, the T-shirt guy?
I’d suggest reading each of the posts. I only looked at one and it was taken out of context. The rest are probably similar Atrios-level smears.
August 7th, 2024 at 1:34 pm
I read a substantial number of them, and was wholly unimpressed. And I started out quite skeptical of the MM post.
August 7th, 2024 at 1:35 pm
Let’s just say that they aren’t exactly intellectual-calibre material.
August 7th, 2024 at 3:48 pm
There is something about freeperland which makes so many folk just take their brains out of gear while engaging their tongue/fingers.
Maybe it just feels like a safe place to vent and be petty. Great information source and once in a while you find a meaningful discussion. So much of the content is very petty partisanship, though. Similar to DU.
August 7th, 2024 at 5:14 pm
All your above points are taken… However…
Joseph Wilson’s background is far more damning than Corsi’s but he was held up as a paragon of virtue.
(That was until it was found he was a lying sack of dung.)
The Dems say that the fact he is a loony tune has nothing to so with the charges he levels against Bush.
Seems like a double double standard standard to me.
August 7th, 2024 at 7:10 pm
Maybe it just feels like a safe place to vent and be petty
Yes, indeed. While anything you type can and perhaps will be used against you by people like Duncan B. Black, I doubt whether these comments were written with the same “voice” with which one might right a letter to The Times.
Also, the DU posts I’ve seen seem to be deadly serious, whereas many of the “Chubbie Chelsea” style comments one sees at FR are meant as a bit of a joke.
Also, there’s that little matter of Duncan B. Black having a bit of a problem with FR for some reason and attempting to indirectly smear all other FReepers.
August 7th, 2024 at 9:53 pm
I must admit, I have had never been impressed with anything I have seen on the Freep board–if one looks at it sans partisan bias, it really isn’t any different than the DU.
And the anti-Catholic and anti-Islam posts of jrlc go beyond playful banter. And the whole “Hell-ary” bit is simply towards the lower levels of discourse.
Of course, I don’t read Eschaton because I find Black to be almost as juvenile in his daily posts. Drum may annoy me, but at least he is reasonable. Black’s posts hardly read like a think-tank economist.
And Mr. Wilson clearly has some truth issues, and I don’t find him credible. However, while I found Wilson to be arrogant and annoying, and his logic questionable, there was nothing along these lines that I am aware to point to prior to his book.
Understand that just saying: “Well, the left liked this guy or that guy” does not excuse someone on the right that you want to believe who may have questionable credentials.
August 8th, 2024 at 2:48 pm
I don’t disagree… Just noting the hypocrisy. Thats all.
August 8th, 2024 at 8:50 pm
John Kerry & Vietnam Round-Up
Kerry and Cambodia Dean’s World Glenn Reynolds Tom Maguire Captain’s Quarters Roger L. Simon Power Line Kerry and the Swift Vets Dean’s World–more Dinocrat Steven Taylor–more—-more–more–more–more Signifying Nothing James Joyner…
May 30th, 2024 at 1:21 pm
[...] Jerome Corsi, one of the co-authors of Unfit for Command (the anti-Kerry book by Swift Book Veterans for Truth) has entered the fray. (I commented on Corsi here, here and here ). I have noted some of his writing online recently, but have largely ignored them. [...]
August 16th, 2024 at 10:38 am
[...] made a number of offensive comments on a Free Republic message board (several of which are detailed here). At a minimum this is the kind of thing that should serioulsy bring into question the judgment, [...]
August 16th, 2024 at 10:51 am
[...] made a number of offensive comments on a Free Republic message board (several of which are detailed here). At a minimum this is the kind of thing that should seriously bring into question the judgment, [...]