206 Comments

1. KevinNYC:

I commented on the other post that Ledeen needed to apologize and he has to his credit.

Let’s hope the lesson stays learned.

Oct 23, 2009 - 12:28 pm 2. David W. Lincoln:

When it comes to satire, as people who have been around the block know, it is very believable. So, one takes their lumps, apologizes and then moves on.

Oct 23, 2009 - 12:32 pm 3. Eddie:

Isn’t satire supposed to be over-the-top and readily recognizable as such?

If I wrote a piece about Keanu Reeves loving surfing and having a collection of over 200 vintage surfboards… would that be satire? It’d be false, because I have no clue how many surfboards the man owns, but satire?

I view this piece in the same light.

Oct 23, 2009 - 1:14 pm 4. Don:

You believed it because you are gullible wanted desperately for it to be true.

Your dislike of Obama has clouded your judgment. You have become what you so hated during the Bush years: A mindless hater of the president.

Hopefully, this will be a wake-up call.

Oct 23, 2009 - 1:18 pm 5. fauxscot:

Man, you HAVE to start checking your stuff. Generally, claiming that heads of state are dead is pretty lame, but this just adds fuel to the fire of right wing insanity.

Hint: look up ‘fact’. At least check Wikipedia. Listen to the BBC. Turn off Fox.

Oct 23, 2009 - 1:31 pm 6. claudia barlow:

Well the fact that the story was not denied by the Left tells you that it is indeed plausible and perhaps a balloon to test how far can this O man can go before we all explode. And, to think that our side must stop and be clear headed enough to say, well, this is really satire, goes far beyond what the other press and blogs do in piles of outright phoniness and deliberate lies. Perhaps this satire got wings today, because we all discussed it and that alone gets us to more conclusions of faster please.

Oct 23, 2009 - 1:34 pm 7. obladioblada:

No big deal, the current MSM standard is “fake but accurate.”

Oct 23, 2009 - 1:48 pm 8. AndyinSD:

Yes, good satire is believable. But good journalists check their facts.

Oct 23, 2009 - 1:52 pm 9. commie atheist:

And Ayatollah Khamenei is still not dead.

Smarter, Please!

Oct 23, 2009 - 2:01 pm 10. Lord Valve:

Taking a cue from all of the liars who published fabricated quotes of “racist” statements supposedly uttered by Rush, Rush stated he is *standing by* his analysis of the fabricated Obama thesis quote, the same way the state-controlled Obamedia droids have done in his case. And bully for him!

Oct 23, 2009 - 2:05 pm 11. Jan Van Goyen:

I was suspicious
This country has problems but for Obama to use the phrase “so called Founding Fathers” would have spread like wildfire.

This thesis has always been closely guarded by 0bama along with other documentation of his past. I was quite surprised to hear on Rush that Joe Klein had gotten a look at it

Oct 23, 2009 - 2:07 pm 12. joe from Lowell:

No, Mr. Leeden, it’s not plausible. It’s obvious wingnut nonsense. Such statements from Obama would be radically at odds with everything we know about him.

It is testimony to how deep the “Kenyan Socialist” conspiracy rot goes in your brain that you didn’t immediately roll your eyes at this story.

Oct 23, 2009 - 2:14 pm 13. MikeTruthbetold:

This is golden!

“Maybe instead of fuming about words that Rush Limbaugh never uttered, the paladins of the free press might ask the president about words that he did write.”

Criticizing the free press (which in reality were just a couple of bloggers) for misquoting Rush Blimp Butt, Michael Ledeen is hurling a completely fabricated quote out of his cage. And as expected, the entire Reich Wing Noise Machine follows right in his footsteps. And Blimp Butt has now admitted that the quote was fabricated: “But, it doesn’t matter” he says. He goes on to explain that he knows for a fact that though the quote was fabricated, it reflects the President’s thinking.

So Mr. Michael Ledeen, even while writing a sentence where you are criticizing someone for using false quotes, you don’t consider verifying your own quotations? How am I to believe that you ever fact checked anything you wrote in any of your books?

Golden…

Oct 23, 2009 - 2:22 pm 14. Barack Obama On Negative Rights And The “So-Called Founders”: Then And Now [IMPORTANT UPDATE] | Tea Party of Northern Colorado:

[...] UPDATE: I just learned that the Obama thesis is a hoax. The second quote below is real, however. For more on the thesis hoax, click here.] [...]

Oct 23, 2009 - 2:31 pm 15. theod:

It’s “plausible” only if you are conditioned by wallowing in your own and others’ BS so frequently that you’ve lost the ability to smell it anymore. The story was not “satire” as much as it was a bold lie designed to become a distracting smear. Satire is something funnier, wittier and socially productive, like Swift, Voltaire and The Onion.

Oct 23, 2009 - 2:55 pm 16. Tcobb:

#3 theod
It seemed to be plausible to the defenders of Teh One on the previous thread. They had no problem with the words or defending them, nor with attributing them to Teh One.

It brings a whole new dimension to the term, originally coined about George Bush, “fake but accurate.”

Oct 23, 2009 - 3:20 pm 17. Marcel Kincaid:

“It worked because it’s plausible.”

No, it worked because you’re an intellectually dishonest git with a will to believe anything consistent with your prejudices, regardless of their grounding in fact.

Oct 23, 2009 - 3:24 pm 18. Jason:

good job, genius.

Oct 23, 2009 - 3:41 pm 19. dicentra:

Having spent many years in academia, I can attest that there is nothing so absurd, nothing so ridiculous that it can’t get into someone’s thesis.

Academics absolutely LOVE “transgressive” ideas such as turning the meaning of the Constitution on its head, and “clasting” all icons such as the “so-called founders.”

When academics and wanna-bees can assert without irony that feminism is intrinsically linked to vegetarianism, [http://davidthompson.typepad.com/davidthompson/2009/08/another-great-moment-of-academic-clarity.html] the ability to discern the authentic from the parody is utterly lost.

Oct 23, 2009 - 4:10 pm 20. Currnet Topix » Rush Was Punked: “Obama Thesis” Hoax:

[...] Joe Klein finally jumped in, and called the report "nonsense" on his Swampland blog, and the blogger who thought the hoax was real also apologized. [...]

Oct 23, 2009 - 4:15 pm 21. HiddenRed:

The big question is: What does Obama have on Michael Ledeen to force his silence? Is it a coincidence that Michael Ledeen had this information about a man who has spent $921 million in legal fees to hide his secret past and birth records, but then suddenly it’s all a hoax? Don’t worry, Mr. Ledeen, we’re on the case, and the truth will come out!

Oct 23, 2009 - 4:18 pm 22. Moho:

TCobb

Indeed, it was plausible. There’s nothing controversial about the statement. But the difference between being a journalist, academic or think tank slut like Ledeen and just some dumb antagonist like his readers, is that there is this idea that you can’t just be trolling around the internet picking up anything no questions asked. It behooves anyone who wants to be taken seriously to get their facts straight from the get go. Ledeen could equally have reported that Obama had either decided to increase troops or decrease troops, and either would have been believable, and any number of critiques both asinine and legit could have followed. But neither would have been true and he would still be a db. Still, if Ledeen can’t even bothered to fact check, even the drones that read his tripe must ask what he’s good for…

Oct 23, 2009 - 4:30 pm 23. Don:

You’re all, including Ledeen, missing the lesson here. When you get obsessed and fanatical over somethng or someone, you open yourself up to an easy dupe. Now to say that “I believed it because that would be in character for Obama” is just illustrating this.
If you’re gonna be obsessed to the point that you uncritically believe anything because
you’ve programmed yourself to do it, you might remember the adage that “if it’s too good be true, it’s probably not true.”

Oct 23, 2009 - 4:45 pm 24. theWalrus:

We are entering into the bizarre Rightwing world of “plausable fake-ability”. So….if it simply *sounds* like something Obama *might have* said, well then…it *must* have the ring of truth to it (even though it’s totally FAKE!).

You just can’t make this stuff up! (Unless it’s fake, of course).

Oct 23, 2009 - 4:59 pm 25. Ledeen Self-Pwns at Pajamas Media « Hyphenated-Republic:

[...] You can read Ledeen’s article here…and Ledeen’s half-hearted apologia here [...]

Oct 23, 2009 - 5:08 pm 26. Amy Marie:

No need to apologize – this “hoax” really is nothing more than a way for the White House to get back at conservatives in the media who actually got the presidents TRUE number.
They still have not answered: WHY IS THE THESIS SUCH A SECRET IN THE FIRST PLACE.

Oct 23, 2009 - 5:35 pm 27. Rob Taylor:

As usual the Right is dragged down by “conservatives” whose only goal in life is to make every righty look stupid. I should have known better than to trust a site co-founded by Charles Johnson.

Oct 23, 2009 - 5:56 pm 28. Chris:

4. Don, 12. joe from Lowell, 15. theod, 17. Marcel Kincaid, and 24. theWalrus. I’ll have to assume you are all completely ignorant of the now well known taped Obama quotes that are only about a hair different from this new quote (fake or not). Either that or you’re just complete and utter morons who have no reading and/or speech comprehension whatsoever.

The “thesis” quote is entirely consistent with many Obama quotes that are much more recent. If Obama actually wrote anything like this back in college it would only serve to establish more firmly how long he’s held his anti-Constitution views, but it’s certainly not at all necessary to add to the taped quotes you can easily find.

Oct 23, 2009 - 6:07 pm 29. Meme:

Thanks Mike! Nobody has ever disgraced and discredited himself and his cause like you have. A thousand liberal commentators couldn’t have done the damage you’ve done. Any you can never undo it, never. It might well be the death knell for the likes of you and Limbaugh, but probably not, because your moronic ilk will forgive you anything.

Oct 23, 2009 - 6:09 pm 30. BoilerT:

I do so enjoy all the critics of Dr. Ledeen’s. Are you folks finished pissing on his leg? Good grief. Perhaps we should all check your work at your jobs – if you have jobs (and are not part of the double digit unemployed in our country). Here are some of the “comments” used by Dr. Ledeen’s critics:

“At least check Wikipedia. Listen to the BBC. Turn off Fox.” Check Wikipedia?! Listen to the BBC?! Turn off Fox?!!

“It’s obvious wingnut nonsense.” Thank you Mr. Olbermann.

“…misquoting Rush Blimp Butt, Michael Ledeen is hurling a completely fabricated quote out of his cage. And as expected, the entire Reich Wing Noise Machine follows right in his footsteps. And Blimp Butt has now admitted that the quote was fabricated…” “Golden…”
Yes, Golden indeed. I’m shocked I didn’t see the phrase “poopy-head.”

“…think tank slut like Ledeen…” Is that anything like a trolling whore?

“…and he would still be a db.” You should really quit looking in the mirror.

Everyone, take an effing breath. Perhaps indulge in an adult beverage. Enjoy your family and friends this weekend.

Oct 23, 2009 - 6:15 pm 31. Stan Wright:

It worked not because it’s plausible, but because you wanted to believe it.

Oct 23, 2009 - 6:16 pm 32. Tcobb:

moho writes:
But the difference between being a journalist, academic or think tank slut like Ledeen and just some dumb antagonist like his readers, is that there is this idea that you can’t just be trolling around the internet picking up anything no questions asked.
You don’t make it clear–what exactly is the difference between a journalist, academic, and “think tank” slut in terms of picking up data and believing its true because it fits their preconceptions? And where does teh One fit here–ignorant pompous politician imbecile? Probably. After all, we have 57 states and there is a language called “Austrian.” Twenty years ago anybody who mouthed such apparent absurdities would have been deemed as too stupid to graduate from high school. As a “progressive” moho, which you seem to be, its all about slogans, and he who mouths the “correct” ones is the paragon of virtue. Its only when the other side of the political spectrum practices it that its a vice.

As for me, I don’t buy it no matter where it comes from, left or right.

Oct 23, 2009 - 6:17 pm 33. Moho:

Tcobb, I’d like to respond, but though there were many words in that paragraph, few seemed connected to one another.

Oct 23, 2009 - 6:22 pm 34. skylark:

Not a single mention of an attempt to find the purported Joe Klein piece, which would have involved what, two clicks on Google?

Thanks so much for the revealing display of the level of work you consider “journalism.”

Oct 23, 2009 - 6:50 pm 35. Tcobb:

mojo
Your ignorance is excused. As for the 57 states and “Austrian” as a language it came from the great and wonderful Obama. I hope it fills in the context for you.

Oct 23, 2009 - 6:52 pm 36. barneyg2000:

nice job dan rather

Oct 23, 2009 - 6:55 pm 37. ignatov:

“As for the 57 states and “Austrian” as a language it came from the great and wonderful Obama. I hope it fills in the context for you.”

Do what to the who now?

Oct 23, 2009 - 6:58 pm 38. Dave in RI:

Hey, Muke,

You’re a bit gullible, no?

“I see poverty in every place I walk. In Los Angeles and New York, the poor reach to me with bleary eyes and all I can do is sigh.”

Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha.

Maybe you’d write like that in a thesis.

That’s ok. We don’t expect intelligence from you. The humor’s great.

Oct 23, 2009 - 7:30 pm 39. smitty:

Try some of mine:
OediPOTUS Wrecks or
Waiting for O-Dough or
Czar d’Oz

Oct 23, 2009 - 7:47 pm 40. waldo:

First off sincere congratulations on having open comments and accepting the well-earned criticism for this farce.

Now if you’d just man up a little more and admit that this episode a glaring illustration of the rich tapestry of convenient lies that has been the hallmark of the conservative movement ever since Puke Ginbitch was was heading the GOP, you’d be on your way to rehabilitation and achieving a modicum of credibilty.

Oct 23, 2009 - 7:50 pm 41. waldo:

‘this episode *is* a glaring ‘

You don’t fact check. I don’t spell check.

Oct 23, 2009 - 7:56 pm 42. IdahoGal:

So, we still have no evidence Obama went to Columbia!

Oct 23, 2009 - 8:11 pm 43. Aphorist:

Is this what passes for political discourse now? Even when something is fake, well, it isn’t because “he thinks it”?

Rush is a buffoon who takes himself seriously. And people believe him. Olbermann is a buffoon who takes himself seriously. And people believe him.

Beck is a buffoon who doesn’t take himself seriously and probably can’t believe that so many people do.

The sad thing is that the wingnuts – on both sides — are generally the ones who vote.

Stupid is as stupid does.

Oct 23, 2009 - 8:40 pm 44. Delia:

If only the left were so benevolent and gracious when truth disproves their virulent bile filled lies when it comes to attacking Sarah Palin.

Conservatives aren’t allowed to make mistakes or change their minds apparently.

Good on you, Michael. You certainly didn’t have to do this article.

Oct 23, 2009 - 8:43 pm 45. You may like Obama, but really what is this? - The Final Fantasy Forums:

[...] [...]

Oct 23, 2009 - 9:04 pm 46. Mick Richards:

Are you sure that this is false, I was just reading the onion and they have some other interesting things you should check into.

Oct 23, 2009 - 9:25 pm 47. SickAndTired:

It “worked” because you want so very desperately to believe the absolute worst about our president. So badly in fact that you didn’t even bother to do a basic fact check.

Oct 23, 2009 - 10:05 pm 48. Cate:

This is why the real press have training and they use fact checkers. No real journalist would ever attribute writing or comment to another person on the basis that it is “plausible.”

Oct 23, 2009 - 10:22 pm 49. ms:

Wow, TOTALLY pathetic. The fact that people who claim to work in “news” reported a Satirical blog post as fact, and barely retracted the story when they were informed as such, well that tells you a lot about what news and facts mean to them. And the people on here now who are coming up with INSANE theories about the blog post, such as one comment regarding how the blog post was a White House attempt to smear the Rushes of the world. Well you people are INSANE, because for your “theory” to be true, someone in the White House would have to be a psychic, able to predict the current devolving state of the “right wings think tank” to setup this blog post MONTHS and MONTHS ago. And lets say thats true, a psychic who can clearly predict the future works in our government. WHY would you not want someone like that in such a position? If only the last president had someone like that, we wouldn’t be in all the wars and economic messes that we are in today….so once again, PATHETIC.

Oct 23, 2009 - 10:25 pm 50. Moho:

TCobb. I was afraid I would have to do this. Here, I will explain it for you: your post made no sense, you can hardly write complete sentences, nor are the words in the phrases thematically connected to one another. Sometimes, one wants to just drop hints, rather than tell someone they write like an illiterate imbecile. But you forced it out of me, I’m afraid.

Oct 23, 2009 - 11:44 pm 51. Leckie:

The inaccurate-but-plausible excuse in all this slithers ungracefully into right-wing victimology. “Virulent bile?” Please. Obama’s thesis was on international arms control and not at all a hard thing to check. We have two (not mutually exclusive) options here: either the wingnuts who spread this kind falsehood are so self-righteous they can overlook something obviously marked as satire, or they deliberately spread this junk knowing full well what it is. It is an easy and cost-free gesture for Ledeen to write his little thing–the damage is done, and he knows it.

Oct 24, 2009 - 12:35 am 52. Magic Dog:

“It worked because it’s plausible.” Yeah, if you’re a fever stricken, whackjob crazy wingnut, it’s plausible. If you’re a normal American, it isn’t.

Oct 24, 2009 - 1:00 am 53. Alireza:

This clearly validates so many people on the right are losing their minds. An END justifies the MEANS.

Dr. Ledeen, don’t worry. Some of your readers are so out of touch that they don’t believe you made any mistake. Oh no, you just added more fuel to their 19th century belief and their American golden era. They keep pumping this crap just like they have been pumping his citizenship with more smelly and sickening behavior they can get away with.

The genesis of such satire is racism. No matter if any of you write 500,000 words with A+ English from Oxford and wanting to prove otherwise.

And this hate I’m talking about is DEEP DEEP within the DNA of individuals. They have inherited it from their great great parents who use to have slaves and those slaves worked for them for free. Deep within their DNA, NO MATTER how much people fight against such injustice. This racism is like people having colon cancer and still they know it, until they get really anal with them to see those tumors. Sorry for being too graphic, but sometimes people need to be checked anally for better health.

Oct 24, 2009 - 5:07 am 54. Pug:

It worked because it’s plausible.

And the quotes falsely attributed to race hustler Limbaugh were an outrage and completely implausible, right?

Oct 24, 2009 - 5:18 am 55. DallenG:

Thanks Ladeen for taking your lumps and correcting the gross oversight. Looking for the bad in Obama is like having too much fun at the fair. Keep it up and we get sick.

Alireza, a simple check of the history of the Democrat party would show them to be by far THE most racist political party in our history. The Civil War is there fault and if the Democrats from then had had their way Obama would be a slave today.

Thank GOD for the Republican President who would come to the rescue for all Americans.

Oct 24, 2009 - 6:35 am 56. brad:

Well, at least your apology has more integrity than Rush’s: “So we stand by the fabricated quote because we know Obama thinks it anyway. That’s how it works in the media today.” So Rush stands by the fabricated quote! Yeah, that works. Link: http://mediamatters.org/limbaughwire/2009/10/23

Oct 24, 2009 - 6:37 am 57. retzie:

As someone who has read both of Obama’s books and some of the transcripts of his speeches, the claim that this paper was written by him, even as a college student, was ludicrous. It contained words Obama would never write (like “so-called”) and other stylistic anomalies that belied its provenance even before I discovered it was a spoof anyway.

I’m surprised that Ledeen and others who jump to criticize everything Obama does and says are not better versed on the man’s own writing and reveals a lot about his thinking, philosophy and, most importantly to this goof up, his writing style.

Oct 24, 2009 - 8:20 am 58. shiraz:

Again Alireza, please have something of substance to say rather than ranting nonsense just for the sake of proving your senseless point. You sound like a indoctrinated individual with no educational background!!! As I said before Obama nation is as blind, as illiterate historically and politically and as ignorant as any such people throughout our troubled human history.
At least in this case Dr. Ledeen admitted that this whole thing was a hoax and hence apologized. But for indoctrinated uneducated people like you and the rest of Obama nation and their biased media whatever Obama touches is gold and whatever they say or believe is the RULE OF GOD and as subjugated people they believe all else is fallacy and satanic even!!! Obama nation needs to check themselves in mental clinics to cleanse themselves of all the garbage fed into their brains and learn to be free thinkers!!!
Dictatorship in all countries start by stiffening the voice of people and silencing them. With Obama this is what we are seeing in our beloved country. Obama is a communist at heart and a fascist as a politician.

Oct 24, 2009 - 8:46 am 59. Will:

This was only “plausible” to complete, utterly gullible fools.

Oct 24, 2009 - 9:08 am 60. joe from Lowell:

You sound like a indoctrinated individual with no educational background!!!

Then again, to you, the silly-assed language from the made-up thesis “sounded” like something Barack Obama would have written.

It’s funny to watch you people go into the same “I was RIGHT to be WRONG, and you were WRONG to be RIGHT!” defense that they adopted over the Iraqi WMDs. If your brilliant, mature, serious, insightful understanding of the world keeps leading you to believe objectively false things, perhaps it isn’t actually that brilliant, mature, serious, or insightful.

Oct 24, 2009 - 9:11 am 61. joe from Lowell:

Obama nation needs to check themselves in mental clinics to cleanse themselves of all the garbage fed into their brains and learn to be free thinkers!!!

See, if you were a free thinker, you would have been fooled by this hoax.

As it is, Alireza, you are a slave to reality.

!!!1!!eleven!

Oct 24, 2009 - 9:13 am 62. ConcernedGOP:

The GOP and conservatives need to stop falling so easily for all these conspiracy theories and lies being spread about Obama. The more we gullibly feed into it, the more the MSM will spin the right as being crazy. Obama is doing plenty enough as it is to sink himself and his party without conservatives driving away more independents and moderates from our voting base.

Oct 24, 2009 - 9:27 am 63. shiraz:

Joe from Lowell!!!
You as a “free thinker” have you ever questioned yourself why it is that Obama the anointed one and his lap dogs the media along with the leftist Columbia university goons have to cover up his thesis???? You as a free thinker have you ever questioned yourself why it is that Obama’s thesis has been hidden from the public all along??? Free thinkers are not either you or the Obama nation!!!! Mental clinic must be in the prescription for your kinds!!! I as a free thinker like to know what he wrote in his thesis!!! Do you have any problem with that or do you want to censor me like the way your anointed leader does?!!!

Oct 24, 2009 - 9:28 am 64. Anthony:

I just love the smug self righteous crap coming from the left on this. It was very believable,as Obama has been captured on tape many times lamenting the restrictions of the Constitution’s “Negative Rights” i.e. what government can’t do,as opposed to what he thinks the Constitution should say about “what government can do”. Same with his Marxist dogma on redistributive rights. He has also lamented that the Warren Court was not “radical enough”. Of course, our friends on the left wouldn’t know about these quotes because they get their world view from MSNBC and the NY Times. So let’s cut out the santimonious b.s.
I’m still waiting for Joe Klein’s apology to America for pretending, playing along and hyping the mystery of who Anonymous was, in writing Primary Colors.

Oct 24, 2009 - 9:29 am 65. Mandamus:

See what happens when you don’t check your work?
Verify your sources. If it doesn’t come from two people, and in this age of the internet, two blogs cross posting each other does not count as two sources.
I know you guys get excited when you stumble across something like this, but if you can’t verify it, then it’s not true.

Oct 24, 2009 - 9:56 am 66. MrCaleb6000:

It never seems to occur to any of you that you could be monumentally, completely wrong about President Obama.

The fact that you continue to perpetuate the idea that this hoax is somehow the truth is proof that you lack the ability to see things from an objective spot. You cannot admit you were wrong without hedging it with, “But it could be right.” No. It could not be right. It was a hoax. It was not right and never will be right. You are wrong. Until you have the courage to admit your mistakes outright, with no hedging and childish “Buts,” you will never be stong Americans.

Oct 24, 2009 - 9:58 am 67. Skiptech:

Be skeptical in the extreme about anything from anybody in today’s world. Media content providers must thoroughly vet all sources. And then vet them again, and again. Otherwise, you will be just another Dan Rather.

Oct 24, 2009 - 10:10 am 68. Nameless Cynic:

Come on, Mikey, admit it. You were pwned. A real man takes responsibility for his own words. “It worked because it’s plausible”? That’s garbage and you know it.

Don’t try to deflect the blame. You screwed up, and you know it. Does anybody remember the phrase “Party of Personal Responsibility” around here?

Must be nice to know that Rush reads your stuff, though.

Well, he used to…

Oct 24, 2009 - 10:24 am 69. Sarcastro:

Mental clinic must be in the prescription for your kinds

Three more syllables that reference season and you’ve got a haiku. And nothing else. I think it also needs a touch of rewording to make ‘prescription’ the cutting word. Let’s see…

Mental clinic must
Be in winter’s prescription _..
For your kinds cold minds

Meh. Somewhat formally correct at least. Makes more sense that way. As in… “any”.

Oct 24, 2009 - 10:31 am 70. Magic Dog:

Yeah, and Bill Ayers wrote his books, and he was really born in Kenya and secretly shipped to Hawaii because there was a plot to make him president in 45 years. Hey wingnuts — emphasis on “nuts” — do realize just how batsh!t crazy you are?

Oct 24, 2009 - 10:33 am 71. David Mount:

Sorry (not really!), Leeden!
You state that believing the satire “worked because it’s plausible”, but the problem is (and will continue to be until you exorcise your unassessed beliefs that serve your ego and agendas) that if one doesn’t apply critical thought from an objective viewpoint, one will inevitably be a victim of satire, spin, and among other rhetoric, outright lies.
I suggest an analysis of information to boil and skim the scum out of the soup cauldron to leave behind FACTS with irrefutable sources… this is what all of us need to be “consuming” rather than the opinions of opinionated, overblown media windbags with personal agendas stoked by ignorance, fear, and greed.

Oct 24, 2009 - 10:38 am 72. null pointer exception:

Can we get a confirmation on the health of Ayatollah Khameni?

Oct 24, 2009 - 10:45 am 73. Rod:

Congrats. All the rage on the right about a quote attributed to Rush (false) and you do your part to even things out.

Satire indeed.

Oct 24, 2009 - 10:49 am 74. shiraz:

Magic Dog and all of you Obama nation wingnuts!!!
You are all too illiterate and too ignorant not qualified for any intelligent discussion or even argument. Time wasted on you goons is better spend somewhere else.
Why do you waste your time in a blog such as this? It is too painful for you all so why even bother?
Obama is your God and not mine or any free thinker. So take him away from free thinkers and do whatever with him that pleases you. Run a detention camp, censorship committee, hey even run a Kremlin size government!!! Would you???
Yes Kenya fits him fine. Hawaii ummmm not quite sure!!!
My last waste of time on you goons!
I like to read scholarly works and learn something of substance!!!

Oct 24, 2009 - 10:51 am 75. kravitz:

And some fool pays Ledeen and his ilk to be even bigger, more public fools. Why not put the money to a good cause rather than a negative one.

Oct 24, 2009 - 11:01 am 76. Michael Ledeen:

Nameless, i was always taught to admit error and try to correct it. Which is what I’ve done. That fraudulent post, or satire, was up for more than two months, and nobody called him out on it. Not you, not anyone. I wish you had. As soon as it became clear that it was a hoax I said so, and apologized.

We all make mistakes. I’ve made at least two, quite publicly, in the past two years. Probably I’ve made more, and I’d be grateful for corrections.

It was certainly plausible, in no small part because we have so little information about the president’s academic career. And, for example, about his health. I complained during the Clinton years about the paucity of medical reports, and I’ve done the same about this president. I presume he’s in great shape; he certainly seems to be. But we’re entitled to know, not presume.

We will all make mistakes; some will take them as defining the person who made them, others will look at them in context, appreciate candor, and move to the next case. If you think I’m a fool or a bigot, go elsewhere.

Oct 24, 2009 - 11:05 am 77. Lish:

I agree, that satire was far more plausible that anything Ledeen himself has written. To further develop his budding career change as a curator of 1970’s collegiate satire, I’d suggest Ledeen study the archives of the Harvard Lampoon.

Oct 24, 2009 - 11:08 am 78. Michael Ledeen:

there’s another option: I made a mistake and apologized for it.

Oct 24, 2009 - 11:11 am 79. shiraz:

Quote: “And some fool pays Ledeen and his ilk to be even bigger, more public fools”

Oh yes and some mafia ridden Chicago style politicians paid and continue to pay Obama and his ilk to be “even, more public fools”!!!! Hello? even a President!!!

Fools are plenty in the Obama nation!!!

Oh yes I agree with you we need to put our money to a good cause of educating our masses of Obama nation so as not to follow as sheep but be free thinkers and support liberties!

Oct 24, 2009 - 11:13 am 80. Michael Ledeen:

I’ve had lots of training. And the “real press” makes plenty of mistakes. I referred to one in my post: I wrote a satire, and it got taken seriously all over the world. I thought it was credible, and I also thought that since the post had been up for months, and nobody had challenged it, it was probably legit. Wrong. Not deliberate, just wrong.

Oct 24, 2009 - 11:16 am 81. Michael Ledeen:

heh, did Dan apologize? I thought he sued…

Oct 24, 2009 - 11:18 am 82. joe from Lowell:

As soon as it became clear that it was a hoax I said so, and apologized.

It should have been clear to you the first time you read the made-up language that it was a hoax. That it was not is testimony to your judgment, and should be kept in mind as people read your future work.

Oct 24, 2009 - 11:19 am 83. joe from Lowell:

Mr. Leeden, if it’s any consolation, people who continue to believe each successful forged Kenyan birth certificate consider your oversight to be perfectly understandable.

So…there’s that.

Oct 24, 2009 - 11:22 am 84. shiraz:

Thank you Dr. Ledeen!
You are an honorable man and times like these your true measure of strength, honor and dignity is proven even more so.
This is something for all the haters on the other side (the Obama lovers) to ponder and hopefully learn from.
Liberty of thoughts, deeds and speech is the motto of free thinkers!
Ayn Rand is a good start to read for such indoctrinated crowd!!! If they are open enough to learn.
Don’t you think so?

Oct 24, 2009 - 11:23 am 85. Ravi J:

Dude, wake up and have a life, as opposed to spending most of your time in toilet trashing president.

Oct 24, 2009 - 11:26 am 86. shiraz:

To Anthony #64,
Thank you!
You are right on the spot. “the left wouldn’t know about these quotes because they get their world view from MSNBC and the NY Times.”
I would say the “left” would not know because the “left” has been indoctrinated and the “left” does not read. It is easy for them to be fed and stay lazy and rant instead. Seeing is believing and being fed either by a “highness”, “leader” or a big daddy government is much more preferable, easier, hassle free and painless. So why bother?
The Obama’s media lap dogs fall into these camps as well. How many time CNN and NBC reported something wrong in the favor of the “left” and were forced to apologize? We never heard these “leftist crowds” screaming for such dishonesty and bias in the field of journalism!!!
The hypocrisy of the “left” is unbelievable and shameful!

Oct 24, 2009 - 11:38 am 87. Limbaugh Duped By Obama Thesis Hoax:

[...] well. “The hoax/satire was written in August, so it’s not connected to any current event,” he wrote in another blog posting. “I came across it on Twitter, read the blog, found it interesting, and posted on it. I failed to [...]

Oct 24, 2009 - 11:41 am 88. joe from Lowell:

Ayn Rand is a good start to read for such indoctrinated crowd!!! If they are open enough to learn.
Don’t you think so?

It’s all right in here, Baby. Some people matter, and some people don’t.

Oct 24, 2009 - 11:45 am 89. thetruth:

Wrong. It’s not plausible at all. It is not even close to anything the President has ever expressed.

It worked because you desperately want it to be true. You’ve hypnotized yourself into believing this nonsense, and so cast about for anything to back up your delusion.

At least in that, you are staying true to your neocon dna: Create an illusion to describe the world as you desperately want it to be (not as it actually is). Start to truly believe in your illusion. Search for anything, even outright and obvious falsehoods, to back it up. Trumpet those falsehoods as fact.

And finally, if forced into retreat give a half-hearted apology claiming it was a deliberate hoax (actually a satirical piece written by a Republican mind you) that is so close to (your self-delusional version of) the truth that it demands to be taken seriously.

You’re a sad, delusional, intellectually-dishonest man, Mr. Ledeen. You and your neocon ilk have done more damage to our nation, and the world, than any other radical ideology in existence today.

Have a nice day.

Oct 24, 2009 - 11:45 am 90. GayPatriot » The Obama Thesis Hoax & the the “hidden” records of his past:

[...] [...]

Oct 24, 2009 - 11:56 am 91. John:

As soon as I saw this I doubted it and started searching for confirmation. Not surpised it wasn’t true – only surprised by who it had fooled. Sad to see Ledeen taken in in this way – not typical for him in my experience. Probably not a mistake he’ll make again soon, either.

Thing is, it is plausible, very plausible. My immediate suspicion was not caused by thinking “young Obama couldn’t have written this,” but by the improbability of its legitimate release at this time and in this way. He’s on the record with statements expressing scepticism about the efficacy of the Constitution as a proper founding document, and what I’ve heard about his lectures on constitutional law suggest that he views it through a distorted “social justice” lense, consistent with his first Supreme Court appointment.

But, when (not if) Obama’s totally hidden “back-story” does leak out for real, we’ll be in for a treat. Be prepared Obamaphiles: with your hero the clay certainly doesn’t stop at the ankles – be prepared to learn that it goes all the way up.

Oct 24, 2009 - 12:26 pm 92. toomuchtruth:

It’s not plausible whatsoever. Your claim of “plausibility” is an assertion you make while providing absolutly nothing to back it up. Rational observers would find little link between the satirical article and the philosphies of the President. In fact, the satire of the article lampoons (perhaps unintentionally) the views conservatives hold of the President more than it satirizes any views actually held by the President himself.

The author of the piece himself (a Republican mind you) claims it was satirical in intent, and not a deliberate hoax as you insinuate.

Simply put Mr. Ledeen, you wanted it to be true, so you believed in it.

Oct 24, 2009 - 12:26 pm 93. Mikey:

This is tremendously amusing. How many of the people who are slamming Michael Ledeen for inadvertently seeing satire as truth were credulously accepting as fact the lies told barely two weeks ago about Rush Limbaugh? And why were those lies accepted and propagated? Because in the eyes of those spreading them, they were entirely plausible.

You can accuse Mr. Ledeen of whatever ideological blindness you want, but if you believed, even for a microsecond, that Rush Limbaugh ever said James Earl Ray deserved the Medal of Honor, you are guilty of identical ideological blindness.

Oct 24, 2009 - 12:48 pm 94. David:

“It worked because it’s plausible.”

Plausible if you’re a Republican, Reich-wing nutjob GOP waterboy who’s only goal and aim in their waking life is to destroy this President by any means possible.

Oct 24, 2009 - 1:03 pm 95. Michael Ledeen:

it was posted two months ago.

Oct 24, 2009 - 1:26 pm 96. IdahoGal:

Brad said, “Well, at least your apology has more integrity than Rush’s: “So we stand by the fabricated quote because we know Obama thinks it anyway. That’s how it works in the media today.” So Rush stands by the fabricated quote! Yeah, that works. Link: http://mediamatters.org/limbaughwire/2009/10/23”

If you had actually listened to Rush, you would have found that statement to be a satirical reference to the whole Dan Rather mess – “On the September 15 60 Minutes, Dan Rather offered a sleazy new standard for journalists: Using phoney evidence is okay if “the major thrust” of the story might be true. Rather trumpeted how while the 86-year-old ex-secretary of Lt. Colonel Jerry Killian said CBS’s memos were not authentic, “she told us she believes what the documents actually say is exactly as we reported.””

Dr. Ladeen, you are a gentleman!

Oct 24, 2009 - 1:32 pm 97. Delia:

Anyone know what the current POTUS’ thesis is about yet?

Anyone?

Bueller?

Oct 24, 2009 - 1:49 pm 98. Amillennialist:

Plausible because Obama’s did say it in a radio interview: http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/atlas_shrugs/2009/10/debunking-the-obama-thesis-hoax-uh-he-did-say-those-things-.html

Oct 24, 2009 - 1:51 pm 99. IdahoGal:

No, Delia, we don’t. I was kind of excited to find there was actually something that proved he went to Columbia! But, no, it’s phony, too! Isn’t it strange that not one person in his class at Columbia remembers him? Not one. Not one grade, not one paper, not one transcript, nothing.

Oct 24, 2009 - 2:15 pm 100. Alireza:

If you really want to know why I keep writing against such lies and fabricated stories like the one Dr. Ledeen posted, it all goes back to Clinton era.

I remember how creatively the Right wing created disturbing news against President Clinton and continuously demonizing him to a shocking degree. Yes, I agree he was/is a womanizer, but he was an EXCELLENT President to work for the benefits of average people in America and around the world. No matter how many time he did it with Monica and others.

At that time I was one of those SUCKERS who bought into how bad Clinton was, while Daily Telegraph kept publishing the most loaded-lies about him.

Sadly and yes SHOCKINGLY, I ended up voting for Dole!!!…LOL!!! Still I can’t believe doing that. God, please forgive me!! PLEASE!

Now I sense the same machinery is back to work. Their plutonium energy and guidance comes from places like insurance companies, companies that are being fed by current health system sucking money out of federal government, and companies possibly connected to military complex. From places like pharma companies that bans U.S. government to negotiate drug pricing for volume discount!!!

These special interest groups supply the energy and dollar to get these things created and then the easy part is to attract people like most of the readers on this site to go to tea parties. You people do your part so well!

Meanwhile, Fox TV enjoys great financial benefits by serving this small, noisy and potent group. The LAST thing that Fox TV cares is America and American people.

IF you don’t understand this its because you are no different than those teenagers who think he/she knows everything and keep causing their family GREAT PAIN and suffering. You people are no different in your thinking. I already can hear you screaming and yelling!!

Oct 24, 2009 - 2:22 pm 101. rofl:

“It worked because it’s plausible. … So I should have picked up some hint, but I didn’t. ”

Translation:

“It is the President’s fault that I was so eager to bash him that I didn’t scroll down far enough to see that the post was tagged as satire.”

Oct 24, 2009 - 2:36 pm 102. Can’t Fault Him For Lack Of Effort « Faux Populi:

[...] Unfortunately for him, his mission is to come up with a satisfactory explanation for why it’s Obama’s fault that Ledeen jumped all over a “report” about an embarrassing “thesis” Obama [...]

Oct 24, 2009 - 2:48 pm 103. Tranesblues:

It’s interesting. When Dan Rather gets busted, it’s a fraud and a hoax. When a right-wing nut gets busted, it’s ’satire.’ Hypocrite.

Oct 24, 2009 - 4:30 pm 104. IdahoGal:

Alireza: It’s not about WHO is right or wrong, but WHAT is right or wrong. Don’t get caught up in the party line. Both parties are at fault. Follow the money – it flows into both sides of the aisle and the legislators are almost all crooks (few exceptions – very few).

That is what the tea parties are all about. Most of us are just as mad at Republicans as we are Democrats. A pox on both of them.

Oct 24, 2009 - 4:59 pm 105. Moho:

I commented on the other post that Ledeen needed to apologize and he has to his credit.

Let’s hope the lesson stays learned.

He followed that up by lying about his advocacy for the Iraq war. Now he’s preaching in another article about evil. The man is a slug.

Oct 24, 2009 - 5:19 pm 106. Magic Dog:

Why do you waste your time in a blog such as this?

To aggravate the sh!t out of wingnut lunatics like you, natch!

Run a detention camp

Great idea! We’ll incarcerate wingnuts without any charges and sexually humiliate them. When they complain, we’ll say, “What’s the matter? It’s all fraternity pranks.”

Nameless, i was always taught to admit error and try to correct it. Which is what I’ve done.

The hell you did, wingnut. You tried to justify your little prank by calling the lie “plausible.” It was only “plausible” to lunatic fringe nutcase freaks like you. Your ludicrous non-apology is transparent to every normal person who read it. Maybe you’ve fooled your fellow weirdos, but no one else is buying it.

It was certainly plausible, in no small part because we have so little information about the president’s academic career.

There you go again, ya lyin’ little nutcase squirrel. And you wonder why the Republicans have a 20% approval rating and Americans think you and your kind are a few bricks short of a full load?

Go peddle your lies on FoxPropaganda, Ledeen. It’s the only place where people won’t laugh in your pathetic face.

Oct 24, 2009 - 5:26 pm 107. Magic Dog:

Jeez, this guy is “Dr.” Ledeen? Whoever hands out doctorates to people like him ought to yank his doctoral license! What a joke!

Oct 24, 2009 - 5:28 pm 108. narciso:

This was admittedly outside of Ledeen’s usual area of expertise, being Middle East affairs and intelligence policy. But the question of what the President believes and why he does so, Either on thegeneral question
of constitutional theory or his equally wrong
headed approach to international relations. Dr. Ledeen has been at this for the better part of the last thirty years, when he uncovered certain transaction with the Libyan govt by the then president’s brother. He was an early critic of the naive view of intelligence proferred by the Leon Pannetta
of the day, Admiral Stansfield Turner, and he was prescient about the consequences of that.

Oct 24, 2009 - 6:13 pm 109. ericm:

to all the limbaugh apologists who say he was incorrectly quoted about his racist comments…can you point to an incorrect quote? just one? please?

Oct 24, 2009 - 7:25 pm 110. Michael Ledeen:

what about the one where he allegedly said that slavery was a good thing?

Oct 24, 2009 - 7:30 pm 111. Michael Ledeen:

it’s not obama’s fault. it’s my fault.

Oct 24, 2009 - 7:31 pm 112. Michael Ledeen:

indeed. several bloggers have noted this audio, as well as other occasions on which the president said similar things.

Oct 24, 2009 - 7:35 pm 113. Harold:

You should pull down your pathetic little blog

Oct 24, 2009 - 8:02 pm 114. You are funny:

“It was certainly plausible, in no small part because we have so little information about the president’s academic career.”

That’s a good one. The logical assertion here is that if you don’t have much knowledge about something then whatever you hear about it is certainly plausible…

Actually, it is very plausible because it fits what you believe.

Oh!! I just saw Santa Claus flying by!! he’s early this year!

Oct 24, 2009 - 8:05 pm 115. anonemous:

I have to agree with the first blog above, every time someone goes online, or make phone call threats concerning the President Obama, just remember, the FBI, CIA, are watching and they are tapping into everyone, IP address,cell phones landphones and even flying above they are watching let Rush limburgh make a mistake he will soon find out

Oct 24, 2009 - 8:05 pm 116. Morgan Smith:

It is apparent that both Joe Klein and Rush Limbaugh are not as intelligent as they may appear.

Even novas like me, will not repeat or send out an email before I make an attempt to verify the contents. At least once a month I have to reply to a sender that they are sending out a Hoax to people and endorsing it at reality. We are such gullible people!

I am glad both look like fools!!

Oct 24, 2009 - 8:17 pm 117. Moho:

This was admittedly outside of Ledeen’s usual area of expertise, being Middle East affairs and intelligence policy.

Whoa, if that’s his expertise, he’s seriously in trouble.

One last thing Ledeen. “what about the one where he allegedly said that slavery was a good thing”. One day after apologizing for posting fraudulent documents, you’re referring to an “alleged” recording, but not linking to it or providing any evidence. And then backing it up with unnamed sources. Only the idiots who read this kind of crap would tolerate such bs.

Oct 24, 2009 - 8:22 pm 118. Sabz5150:

Can I ask one question…

What *isn’t* plausible in regards to the endless smears and lies? Seriously, from the birthers to the “death panels” to the whole socialism schpeel…

And now this.

You wanna fix this? “I sincerely apologize for propagating lies and falsehoods about the President.”

I’ll give you two reasons why you should do this: Bush and TANG.

Oct 24, 2009 - 8:24 pm 119. AJ Beamish:

Seriously, you (Republicans) believed that? You guys really don’t understand why you lost the White House, do you? You’re not just clueless, you are completely out of touch with reality. Please come back down to earth soon, some of us aren’t all that comfortable with the Democrats in total control, but you’re not giving us much of a choice! Really, think about it…

Oct 24, 2009 - 8:35 pm 120. Keith:

George W Bush’s Greatest Accomplishments

1) Started a trillion dollar war in Iraq
that had nothing to do with 9/11
2) Wasted another trillion on increased
health care costs while leaving 46 million
Americans uninsured
3) Gave a $1.35 trillion tax break to the
wealthy under the guise of creating jobs,
yet produced the fewest jobs, per year,
of any president on record
4) Led us into the worst economic debacle
since the Great Depression
5) Increased national debt 86 percent after
promising to pay it off by end of 2009
6) Gave hundreds of billions of dollars to
“Big Oil” (Dutch Shell et al) via
renegotiating contracts
for oil taken off federal property
7) Squandered budget surplus handed
to him on a silver platter by Bill Clinton
Protected White House staff who outed
CIA Agent Valerie Plame
9) Obligated the U.S. to yet another
$220 billion per year, in INTEREST alone,
to finance the debt accumulated
under his administration
10) Raped the 4th Amendment via warrantless
wiretapping of ordinary citizens

ALL VERIFIABLE FACTS.

Oct 24, 2009 - 8:48 pm 121. narciso:

The fact that documents were forged in furtherance of a news report, that was not contemporaneous with other evidence, seems to escape this one. Now one could chalk up Dr. Ledeen’s role in the Iran initiative of the 80s, which has consequently made him more apprehensive about any further negotiations with Iran, then again a critic of same operation, like Bob Baer, seems to have come to a similar conclusion, after flip flopping
again, on the question.

Oct 24, 2009 - 8:49 pm 122. Michael:

Also “plausible” but not true: That Bush ditched on his reserve assignment; that Cheney kept energy meeting notes secret because he was helping them fix prices.

Shiraz (#58): How exactly is Obama snuffing out dissent? Fox keeps reporting on the Tea Party protests, keeps championing Glenn Beck (whose words are repeated across all media), Rush Limbaugh is in the news ALL THE TIME – no one is being shut down. They are all enjoying healthy ratings and I haven’t heard one thing about the FCC or the Administration somehow messing with their corporate parents (which would be the quickest and easiest way to shut them down).

Oct 24, 2009 - 9:16 pm 123. Gateway Pundit:

[...] latest conservatives to fall for one of their fake news stories were Rush Limbaugh and Michael Ledeen. On August 25 Jumping in Pools posted a fake article about Obama’s far left college thesis. [...]

Oct 24, 2009 - 9:30 pm 124. Samantha:

You need to check your ALL facts BEFORE you assume that information found floating on the Internet is true.

With everything going on in the world today – why on earth did you waste your time blogging about inaccurate information?

I don’t understand why ppl blog about stories, find out that its a lie and then want to apologize.

You know what happens when you assume.

Oct 24, 2009 - 9:43 pm 125. Jerry Cline:

Great Job Mr.President Obama nice trick!

Well as for you Rush and company… this was and early halloween for you and your friends, how ever next week is the real treat!

Oct 24, 2009 - 10:35 pm 126. S.L.P.:

I first read this post to see if Ledeen had a more apologetic apology than Rush Limbaugh did. I was glad to see that he did admit to his mistake. As I began to read comments, I thought that people were making themselves look worse with the smart-alec remarks. However, Michael’s later remarks (amongst the comments) made me realize why people were being so harsh.
Yes, Michael, it was posted for two months.
Yes, Michael, Rather made some huge mistakes.
Yes, Michael, Rush Limbaugh has been saddled with non-existent racist remarks.
I hope that that makes you feel better about yourself, Ledeen. Because you certainly tainted my opinion of you with those unnecessary distractions.

“Shame on me.” – Michael Ledeen

Oct 24, 2009 - 11:53 pm 127. Kevin:

Hmm, didn’t Dan Rather loose his job for something like this? Didn’t Limbaugh et al rail against him for his shoddy ethics and partisan journalism,? I’m sure these guys will do the honorable thing and resign.

Oct 25, 2009 - 12:20 am 128. Rob:

Why are you apologising to Rush Limbaugh If you and Limbaugh were not so blinded by irrational hatred of Obama, you might have had someone check your facts before helping turn a satire into a slander. You seem to assign the flaws and failures of the Bush-Cheney administration to Obama rather than where it belongs. Has modern conservatism truly devolved into a mental illness?

Oct 25, 2009 - 12:27 am 129. Magic Dog:

This was admittedly outside of Ledeen’s usual area of expertise, being Middle East affairs and intelligence policy.

There is a world’s worth of difference between someone who has an “area of expertise” and someone who has done nothing more than read a lot and talk a lot about a subject.

I don’t know who the hell this “Doctor” Ledeen is, but to see his comments about Obama, and his squirrely, simpering, dishonest, typical wingnut crazy non-apology for his egregious and frankly stupid bullsh!t, I seriously doubt that “Doctor” Ledeen has any authentic “area of expertise” at all!

Who is God’s name award this faker a “doctorate” in anything other than waste generation?

Oct 25, 2009 - 12:51 am 130. Magic Dog:

Correction: Who in God’s name awarded this faker a “doctorate” in anything other than waste generation?

Oct 25, 2009 - 12:53 am 131. Nancy Irving:

“It worked because it’s plausible.”

Shorter (or rather longer) Ledeen: President Obama is to blame for my willingness (nay, eagerness!) to believe the worst of him.

Oct 25, 2009 - 1:13 am 132. Brenda:

IT JUST GOES TO SHOW, RUSH IS NOT THE ONLY IDIOT OUT THERE & JUST HOW FAR RACISM CAN GO – HE’S THE PRESIDENT, THAT FACT CAN NEVER CHANGE NOW, GET OVER IT!!!!!!

Oct 25, 2009 - 3:23 am 133. patriot:

Take notice that the blogger apologized profusely to Limbaugh and yet briefly to our President and victum of this slander. Pathetic.

Oct 25, 2009 - 4:52 am 134. ann:

Though I’d never heard of The Foundation for the Defense of Democracies nor Michael Ledeen, I now have a very poor opinion of both.

Oct 25, 2009 - 4:58 am 135. Joe-OKC:

Thanks, pjm, for the heads up. I always suspected bloggers were less than journalistic, now I know. However, keep feeding this nonsenses stuff to Rush Limbaugh. At least you apologized in true George Bushian fashion…you blamed it on the satirist. That was classy.

Oct 25, 2009 - 6:13 am 136. George Peterman:

I stumbled across this nonsense by accident. What a bunch of BS. How in God’s name can any of you support Rush Limbaugh? They gets caught repeatedly telling half-truths and flat out lies and you support him? Equating an exageration of Keanu Reeves’s slurf boards with this “exageration” about Obama’s thesis is analogous? That’s just patently ridiculous. You folks need to learn something about ethics and reason. Go back to school.

Oct 25, 2009 - 6:26 am 137. Eric:

“Well the fact that the story was not denied by the Left tells you that it is indeed plausible and perhaps a balloon to test how far can this O man can go before we all explode. And, to think that our side must stop and be clear headed enough to say, well, this is really satire, goes far beyond what the other press and blogs do in piles of outright phoniness and deliberate lies. Perhaps this satire got wings today, because we all discussed it and that alone gets us to more conclusions of faster please.”

from Claudia above

That’s paranoia. They have pills for that. Do you not see how your logic circles in on itself here? Some satire got out of hand because it was erroneously connected with a real journalist. People who wanted it to be true got all excited and went, “See, see, he is an evil elitist who hates America and wants to bring back an Aristocracy.” Then they found out that it was satire, wiped the egg off of their faces and moved on. Everyone, even Limbaugh, was reasonably mature about this whole thing.

You went straight to crazed paranoia. People don’t need to come out and deny things that are completely made up and have no evidence to support them outside of the people making them up. That would be like me expecting Ayn Rand to come out and deny that some plot point within her books was not in fact a true event. I have seen YouTube videos where a representation of Limbaugh vomits fecal matter onto the American flag, should he deny that he has ever vomited onto a flag? Because people refuse to deny things that are ridiculous does not make them true.

Oct 25, 2009 - 6:40 am 138. fedup:

Michael Ledeem was denied tenure at Washington University, according to history department faculty interviewed by the Washington Post, because of questions regarding the “quality of his scholarship” and about whether Ledeen had “used the work of somebody else without proper credit”. One faculty member said “the ‘quasi-irregularity’ at issue didn’t warrant the negative vote on tenure for Ledeen”
I get my “facts” from Wikipedia.

Oct 25, 2009 - 6:44 am 139. Henry:

This is pathetic.

I find your apology even worse than your initial failure to do a simple fact check. You go on to compliment Rush Limbaugh for his “very wise things to say about the Constitution”. How about critiquing Rush for being so gullible for believing in a news story so obviously flawed? It’s understandable that some hack on the internet with a blog could make this mistake. It’s unnacceptable for a “professional” journalism to act with such disregard.

Oct 25, 2009 - 7:16 am 140. Rich Irwin:

So desperate to attack President Obama, the vetting process gets discarded.

How about following up on WND’s “Kenyan birth certificate” next time?

Oct 25, 2009 - 7:30 am 141. Fox Viewers Believe Saddam behind 9/11:

Look up the term “motivated reasoning” as defined by sociologist Steven Hoffman. I think it suits you fairly well. Anyway, don’t feel bad about spreading a lie Mr. Ledeen. Most Republicans regularly repeat all sorts of outrageous Obama conspiracies and don’t even bother to offer a half hearted apology as you have done. They are simply so divorced from reality that the truth will never penetrate their shell of ignorance.

Oct 25, 2009 - 7:30 am 142. Jake Deman:

You lost me when you used Rush and “wise” in the same sentence.

JJ

Oct 25, 2009 - 7:35 am 143. By-stander:

Have we not beat this horse to death yet??

Oct 25, 2009 - 7:45 am 144. g:

Conservatives aren’t allowed to make mistakes or change their minds apparently.

Apparently, neither is President Obama, because I see you obsessed wingnuts still flogging the “57 ststes” thing.

Idiots.

Oct 25, 2009 - 7:49 am 145. macko:

the fake thesis would not have been so quickly accepted if the real one had been made available.

maybe folks like “magic” dog can come up with the real thesis. It will take some real magic to accomplish that which is why people are chomping at the bit to see the o’s records and writings.

Meanwhile you can see by the o’s action why this fake thesis was so easily accepted as real.

Oct 25, 2009 - 7:52 am 146. Andrew:

It worked because you wanted it to be true – not because it’s plausible.

It’s a human characteristic to be biased towards data that supports your pre-existing views.

In a polarized nation, like ours, a lot of people are going to buy into stupidity (just look at how the Obama citizenship thing never goes away). This isn’t because people are stupid (well, some of them are, but some of them are fairly intelligent). People fell for this hoax because it “fits’ their current word view.

At least you’re admitting the mistake. That’s a good start towards objectivity.

Oct 25, 2009 - 7:57 am 147. brendan t:

wow, you folks NEED this to be true so badly, that while admitting it isn’t, you’ve somehow rationalized that at the same time, it IS essentially true and representative because it confirms your worst fears.

employing rationalization to justify your fears is the beginning of paranoic thinking.

you know, disagree with the guy all you want on those issues that are important to you, as any responsible citizen would, but, jesus h christ, get a hold of yourself and stop frothing at the mouth.

Oct 25, 2009 - 8:07 am 148. Tara:

If people like you and others weren’t so quick to judge and try to discredit our president, things like this would not happen.

Oct 25, 2009 - 8:08 am 149. Archer:

This is exactly the reason Obama probably doesn’t want to release his thesis, because it would be picked apart, taken out of context and used against him.

Now let’s analyze GWB’s thesis, why don’t we?

Oct 25, 2009 - 8:14 am 150. A Hermit:

Only an idiot or someone so blinded by ideology and hatred could possibly have believed this trash.

Good for Mr. Ledeed for apologizing. Now if he would just shut up and go away….

Oct 25, 2009 - 8:35 am 151. Moho:

the fake thesis would not have been so quickly accepted if the real one had been made available.

Where is GW Bush’s thesis?

Oct 25, 2009 - 8:36 am 152. Rush is Wrong (Again) « badger4life:

[...] Here’s the link to the apology on the Pajamas Media blog [...]

Oct 25, 2009 - 8:50 am 153. kuklux:

I’ll believe anything that was written against the current administration because I hate it. It’s not about the facts, it’s only about the propagation of the conservative idealism. Even if it’s an utter lie I’m gonna shout it, as long as it is in line with my ideals.

Oct 25, 2009 - 8:59 am 154. wendilee1956:

Ummm, did anyone read #51 Leckie? Apparently President Obama’s thesis was on international arms control and not all that difficult to check. I would find the GOP’s arguments more plausible if they were not slippery slope and straw man arguments. As an Independent, I find it hard to take the Right seriously these days with Limbaugh and Beck as the spokesmen. After 8 years of W. ignoring the needs of the American people (ya know, we DO pay taxes and should not be supporting corporate America on our dime), I, for one, am delighted that a president is actually trying to give us value for our dollars.

Oct 25, 2009 - 9:09 am 155. Lani:

It’s obvious satire, but politics couldn’t be more divided right now, so people are just slobbering over any kind of negative piece or find about President Obama.

Being a Moderate Republican that supported McCain, I find the heated political division to be quite nauseating.

Oct 25, 2009 - 9:12 am 156. What’s a journalist’s duty? Limbaugh ignores warning signs, punks himself « Millard Fillmore’s Bathtub:

[...] Joe Klein finally jumped in, and called the report “nonsense” on his Swampland blog, and the blogger who thought the hoax was real also apologized. [...]

Oct 25, 2009 - 9:27 am 157. Conservative Bloggers: Beware of :

[...] [...]

Oct 25, 2009 - 9:47 am 158. Javelin:

So much for the new media and their alleged professional and moral superiority over the old media. When you are a big dog in the business, it shows basic integrity to check on any story like this unless being foolish, slanderous and dishonest is what you aim for. Rush didn’t verify because he has no integrity and his fans really don’t care so he can get away with it time after time.

Oct 25, 2009 - 10:10 am 159. jim:

Your Doublethink is showing.

What’s the point of apologizing to the POTUS when you malign him in the same post with “it’s plausible”? Such faux-decency only fools the foolish.

Oct 25, 2009 - 10:15 am 160. Lincoln:

It’s only ‘plausible’ for those of you devoid of any sense of reality.

And no, I’m not an Obama supporter. I’m just someone who’s sick of the idiot infestation.

Oct 25, 2009 - 10:19 am 161. shank predila:

The point of satire is to create the ridiculous to deliver a point. Apparently Mr. Ledeen did not an appropriate or capable set of professors in college. The type that encourage people not to memorize blindly, but to actually think. Unfortunate.. But at least we know there is nothing to be learned from his posts. Nothing that can’t be found quicker and more accurately at snopes.com.
To correct the Ditto heads… Fascist is right wing…hitler/mussolini/etc communist is left wing stalin/castro… You cant be extreme fascist and an extreme communist. Just doesn’t work that way

Oct 25, 2009 - 10:22 am 162. bloo:

GWB wouldn’t have had a thesis because he barely got his BA, right?

Oct 25, 2009 - 10:33 am 163. Magic Dog:

Where is GW Bush’s thesis?

Bush was an affirmative action student, and therefore didn’t have to write one.

Oct 25, 2009 - 10:40 am 164. James Bond:

Gosh I wish these neocons would check their facts and sources before they post. The least they could do is read the article closely. The venom and vitriol in their brain makes them pounce without thinking. That’s why I quit watching Faux news. I wish they would call it Fox Poragana and please remove the “fair and balanced” label. I was a member of the Republican party, but since the wing nuts took it over (A drug addled gas bag called Rush is now their leader), I’m done with it. I’d like my old party back please so I have a choice.

Oct 25, 2009 - 10:48 am 165. tracy abors:

You can almost find a thesis in the comments on this article. The fact that some still believe it despite his applogy shows something about the hardened opinions that some have. But then, some people still think 9/11 was started by Iraq, so there you go.

Oct 25, 2009 - 10:48 am 166. James Bond:

Whatever happened to fact checking and checking sources before publishing articles? I guess the vitriol and poison in the brains of these people have mitigated their thinking skills and makes them pounce before they think. The Republican party needs a real leader, not a drug addled gas bag named Rush.

Oct 25, 2009 - 10:58 am 167. Moho:

unless being foolish, slanderous and dishonest is what you aim for.

Please see the previous undocumented rumor that Ledeen was pushing just a day or two earlier.

http://pajamasmedia.com/michaelledeen/2009/10/24/noah/#comment-14

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/Special/2009/10/19/Khamenei-talks-unity-after-health-rumors/UPI-16101255976815/

TEHRAN, Oct. 19 (UPI) — Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei described unity for the Islamic world as a priority for Iran, discrediting some of the rumors regarding his health.

Khamenei met during the weekend with Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade to discuss the economic relationship between the two countries.

His comments follow rumors circulated last week that suggested Khamenei had slipped into a coma or even died.

But who was responsible for these rumors?

Fox News said Ledeen, a scholar at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said a bulletin from the reformist opposition to Khamenei’s regime reported “widespread rumors in the Tehran Bazaar that Khamenei has died,” and described an “abnormal atmosphere” in the streets of Iran’s capital, possibly implying an increased security presence.

That was just earlier in the week. Two unsubstantiated rumors in seven days? No coincidence. He retracted the Obama one to avoid litigation, but like his other mendacities, he’ll never mention the Khamenei one again. This is his job, folks. The man is a professional hoaxster and liar.

Oct 25, 2009 - 11:03 am 168. Jim:

He made a mistake and apologized. Case closed.

Oct 25, 2009 - 11:03 am 169. Chris R:

Wikipedia and the BBC are worse sources of information than FOX. Wikipedia manipulation is what lead to the false racist quotes attributed to Rush, quotes many still believe are accurate. The BBC openly conspires with Palestinians to spread ant-Israeli propaganda.

Oct 25, 2009 - 11:10 am 170. Hoax about Obama fools Limbaugh (A fake college thesis supposedly by the president makes it to Rush Limbaugh’s show) | THE AUDACITY OF HYPOCRISY | Media Lies | ObamaLies.com | Exposing Mainstream Media Hypocrisy and Lies:

[...] Joe Klein finally jumped in, and called the report “nonsense” on his Swampland blog, and the blogger who thought the hoax was real also apologized. [...]

Oct 25, 2009 - 11:10 am 171. kai:

I have never seen such a Pathetic Bunch of Race haters in my entire life. Get over it people, Obama is Brown, yes he is the president. He is trying to help so many Americans from all walks of life which says more about his character than most of the Demon Seeds who post on these Blogs! You people, your hatred is going to send you on a straight one way path to Hell! Many hope that your path there will be hastened as the world can do without Demons like you in our midst!!!

Oct 25, 2009 - 11:20 am 172. Mac Fuller:

Below is the content of an email I sent today, Sunday, correcting my assertions to friends and some local press Saturday which I based in Mr. Ledeen’s post regarding the “college thesis” hoax. Everything I assert in today’s email is very well documented and I have written on a number of these points myself in the past. And they are just a few of far, far too many concerning President Obama.

“When I’m wrong, I’m wrong.”

Yesterday I sent an email containing Mr. Michael Ledeen’s [a former advisor to the United States National Security Council, the United States Department of State, and the United States Secretary of Defense] report that an alleged college thesis of now-President Obama contained early, written expression of similar views actually expressed and recorded later in Mr. Obama’s life and career as a community activist, ACORN lecturer and attorney, Wood’s Fund and Chicago Annenberg Challenge boards’ member with “small ‘c’ Communist” friend William Ayers which funded hard line Maoist Mike Klonsky’s “education” efforts with a $175,000 grant in 1995 and later nearly $2,000,000 for his program to spread Marxist ideological “social justice” in public schools; as an Illinois State Representative where for four years he single-handedly blocked legislation which would have prevented documented infanticide then-occurring in Illinois hospitals and abortion clinics of babies born alive despite their having been aborted (the BAIPAct) on the “constitutional” ground that the mother’s “rights” were superior to the child’s life; and as a U.S. Senator – as well as by his current crop of presidential advisors: for instance Mr. Obama’s handpicked “Manufacturing Czar,” Ron Bloom’s statement last year that “capitalism is nonsense”; his choice of self-described Communist Van Jones as his “Green Jobs Czar”; or his appointment of Carol Browner of Socialist International’s, “Commission for a Sustainable World Society,” which calls for “global governance,” to a position in the White House.

But like Mr. Ledeen, I was wrong about Mr. Obama’s alleged college “thesis.”

Oct 25, 2009 - 11:20 am 173. KT Watts:

@ post #10 Lord Valve

I wish they had email addresses, so I could email you the racist quotes from Limbaugh. instead I’ll just link it here so all can see.

http://newsone.com/obama/top-10-racist-limbaugh-quotes/

Oct 25, 2009 - 11:38 am 174. Linval Maragh:

I see Rush Limbaugh is psychic, obama didn’t say or write this which he admits to, but Limbaugh knows this is what obama is thinking? lmao. no doubt he is one of todays “worst persons in the worldddd” lol

on a good note maybe the military can hire him to find terrorists, and make this the new advance interrogation technique.

Limbaugh psychic interrogation techniques, now water boarding is only done for fun. And for more severe punishment you get to listen to 30days of one 5 min clip, of Limbaugh in a loop.

Oct 25, 2009 - 11:39 am 175. kai:

How Pathetic you people are and you know who you are! Get a freakin life for a change! Its downright pitiful that people like you on blog after blog have nothing better to say or do than to sit on your fat a$$e$ and peruse the internet for some thesis reportedly written umpteen years ago by the president just to have something to spew your hatred about. You pathetic bunch of Losers!!! What rock did you racist douche bags crawl out from under? Get a life for goodness sakes!!! Who the hell cares whether any president or any person for that matter doesn’t believe in every single law written in the constitution, so friggin what! There are so many more important things that you need to concern yourselves with: Jobs, lack of health care and thousands are dying by the year because of it, air pollution, water pollution, cancer causing pesticides in the foods you eat daily, whether or not you’ve done enough good in your life to help those less fortunate for a hopeful path to heaven instead of Hell, more than likely where you’ll be going! Get a Grip people, life is too short to be blogging like blitthering idiots over a piece of paper. Sheeeeeesh! Never in all my years, what a Pitiful, Pathetic Racist Bunch of Losers you people are!

Remember reading this one quote from revelation and until lately could never understand what it meant. ‘The Mountains Shall Be Falling Down About Man, Yet Man Still Shall Not Repent’ Believe me this quote applies the same for women. Maybe some of you might get it, for the rest of you, you’ll most likely never get it until its too late. Believe in evolution if thats your bag, but believe me, there is a God and we all will be held accountable by him for the things we say and do in this lifetime! So just feel free to keep spewing all of your racist hatred with the time you have been allowed to be here as many of us know you are the Godless of this world!

Oct 25, 2009 - 11:51 am 176. OldGuyInOC:

Let’s all agree on a few things.
The election ended. Obama won by a substantial margin. The U.S. and the world are suffering from a multitude of conditions that existed long before the last election. Our problems are not bipartisan. The present administration has acknowledged the enormous challenges facing us and is putting their efforts towards solving some of them. The capable, competent, rational, socially responsible adult U.S citizens among us share in the responsibility for shaping our destiny and the destiny of future generations. If not us, who ? If not now, when ? I urge the haters to put some of your efforts toward finding a solution, rather than using your words against one. Working toward a common good will cause your hate and fear to dissipate. Your self esteem, your dignity and your life will improve. Life is short. At the end, you will want to know you did the right thing.

Oct 25, 2009 - 12:05 pm 177. Ingy:

Shame on you for posting this in the first place. It’s anti-American sentiment like this that is tearing our country apart. To make up for this, I urge you to begin posting articles about how you’re going to HELP our country going forward, instead of tearing it apart.

Oct 25, 2009 - 12:06 pm 178. dggriffi:

You fell for it because, much like many conservatives, your view of reality is myopic and warped. Your expectations of reality differ from reality itself and thus you are easily fooled by anyone telling you what you already want to hear. The best example of this is the Iraqi WMD debacle.

Oct 25, 2009 - 1:28 pm 179. CELEBRITIES IN THE NEWS « Cedar Creek Voice:

[...] Joe Klein finally jumped in, and called the report “nonsense” on his Swampland blog, and the blogger who thought the hoax was real also apologized. [...]

Oct 25, 2009 - 2:49 pm 180. nagarjunary:

allow me a moment to enjoy this:

haaaaaa haaaa haaaaa haaaa haaaaa haaa!!!!!

now on to serious matters. Cherry-picking evidence to suit one’s preconceived notions of what is and isn’t has a way of biting one in the butt, particularly when one cries wolf a few too many times.

That said, to then suggest that the evaluation of the satire may as well be true, as Rush suggests, is to disavow any culpability in the most dishonest and disingenuous way possible. It’s like the child who kills his parents and then seeks pity because he’s an orphan

You want the president to fail so badly, you can just taste it, can’t you? You get that visceral high just thinking about it, just waiting for that one piece of news that fulfills your dark desires to humiliate and destroy this man who represents everything you hate.

Only you don’t even realize that this very hate that you bring to the table is eating you up, shriveling you up from the inside until all that is left is a mere shell of a person who will believe anything.

Oct 25, 2009 - 2:54 pm 181. Twisted_Colour:

Mr. Ledeen,

Why were you apologising to Rush Limbaugh. If I read your “Obama and the Constitution; He Has His Doubts” post correctly (and I did) you made a snarky comment about fake quotes from Rush.. In effect you were defending him, so why apologise?… and why not mention the racist comments he did make? Y’know, the quotes that normal people actually have issue with…. If you did then Rush could get angry at you, and you could be just like a Republican politician and apologise to him for being honest.

Oct 25, 2009 - 4:37 pm 182. Pudding:

After seeing this article, I spent five minutes on Google and found this: http://deepbackground.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/07/24/1219454.aspx

Obama never wrote an independent thesis at Princeton. What he incorrectly called a thesis was a term paper for a political science class. It was an analysis of the nuclear dickering between the US and the Soviet Union at the time (1983). Obama has said that he does not have a copy of it. His professor says that he does not have a copy of it. The university doesn’t have one, either. They asked through the Princeton newspaper for anyone to come forward if they did have a copy; no one did.

For someone who claims to be a member of the media to not even take that few minutes before posting something they found on some blog as unassailable fact is incompetent. To try and shrug off the blame for your miserable failure to fact-check because “it seemed like it might be true” is pathetic.

Oct 25, 2009 - 6:21 pm 183. josefina:

I may be mistaken but according to a google search, M. Ledeen has not objected to the Doughy Pantload’s citation and enthusiastic endorsement of the “Ledeen Doctrine”—

http://www.google.com/#hl=en&source=hp&q=%22ledeen+doctrine%22&aq=f&aqi=&oq=&fp=b8148470ea1f7ec2

Are we allowed to count the Ledeen Doctrine used in justification of the invasion of Iraq as one of Ledeen’s mistakes? Yeah, he said (or didn’t deny saying) this more than two years ago — but the war he wanted has no such time limit.

http://www.google.com/#hl=en&source=hp&q=iraq+afghanistan+deaths&aq=1&aqi=g2&oq=iraq+afghanistan+dea&fp=b8148470ea1f7ec2 have been killed

Oct 25, 2009 - 7:49 pm 184. Maggie Wilde:

Dear Mr. Ledeen,

Too little, too weak, too late. Did you really believe that Obama wrote this? I for one know that he is too bright and too literate to have written such pulp prose, and having graduated from Columbia I know it wouldn’t have passed as a thesis.

Do you realize that the semi-literate Limbaugh listeners have internalized this as TRUTH? He ranted to those who receive his words as “truth” for over an hour and then scarcely mentioned the fact that it was a satirical article before proclaiming the “truth” of it all. Damage done. Undo it, please, to the best of your abilities.

I think a little bit more than “oops” is called for. This is slander and it is intellectually lazy of you to have propagated it.

Oct 25, 2009 - 8:31 pm 185. Carlos:

Ledeen and Limbaugh didn’t believe this was true. They could care less if it’s true.

They pushed this thing knowing full well they’d be taking it back. So what? Like Ledeen and Limbaugh had any credibility to lose.

But the lie got out there, which is the point.

Oct 25, 2009 - 11:20 pm 186. Rush Limbaugh was NOT Duped! | Conservative American:

[...] a satire blog. So it’s one of these sites like ScrappleFace or The Onion or some such thing. So I shout from the mountaintops: “It was satire!” But we know he thinks it. Good comedy, to be comedy, must contain an element of truth, and we know [...]

Oct 25, 2009 - 11:31 pm 187. 1 Boring Old Man » backsliding…:

[...] Update: Please read The Obama “thesis” hoax.) [...]

Oct 26, 2009 - 12:02 am 188. jb:

Your credibility is zero. Get a real job.

Oct 26, 2009 - 1:52 am 189. Graz:

Isn’t it sad how far true, impartial journalism has fallen in this country. Opinion stated as fact, journalists taking an unverified rumour and running with it as gospel and the public eats it up. Although they do have some responsibility, too many people remember a time when journalists drove for the truth and could be usually trusted. Commentators nowdays can state the wildest things and people take the bait, hook, line and sinker because they have no critical thinking skills. “It worked because it’s plausible”. You should be ashamed. Obama isn’t trying to turn the country into a marxist nation and Bush wasn’t the anti-christ, no matter what anyone says. And saying Rush had any “wise” things to say about anything just proves that you’re falling for his con game. His only concern for the common person is that they continue to listen so he can make his $400 mil.

Oct 26, 2009 - 2:53 am 190. skylark:

Michael Ledeen @76 said:

“That fraudulent post, or satire, was up for more than two months … .”

So let’s get this straight. You knew this had been out there for TWO MONTHS, yet no Klein article was to be found during that entire time. Didn’t that tip you off to SOMETHING, Mr. Ledeen?!

Seriously, all your protestations about your journalism training just look silly in light of your quite obvious failure to even confirm the most basic premise of this so-called story.

You wonder why you are being ridiculed? Seriously?

Oh and please. That whole “it’s plausible because we know so little about Obama’s academic career” business is nonsense. I don’t believe anyone’s published the college papers of GWB, Clinton, GHWB, or Reagan etc. – do you think an unsubstantiated “excerpt” on an obscure blog would qualify as “plausible” for that reason?

Again, you wonder why you are being ridiculed?!

Oct 26, 2009 - 2:59 am 191. Joe Smith:

Magic Dog-

Keep up the good work! Every time you name call, and foam at the mouth, you point out to more and more people that there is nothing from Obama’s academic career to review… Prove me wrong. Post an article that he wrote during his tenure as a student or as a professor.

Stop foaming for a moment, and produce something other than name-calling. How about a fact, instead of an endless stream of diversions?

And- Consider a name change to Rabid Dog.

Oct 26, 2009 - 6:11 am 192. Georgei Boy:

Rush has done it again!
He knew what he was doing!
(Rush)So I shout from the mountaintops: “It was satire!” But we know he thinks it. Good comedy, to be comedy, must contain an element of truth, and we know how he feels about distribution of wealth. He’s mad at the courts for not going far enough on it. So we stand by the fabricated quote because we know Obama thinks it anyway. That’s how it works in the media today.

Oct 26, 2009 - 8:42 am 193. Logician:

“Well the fact that the story was not denied by the Left tells you that it is indeed plausible …”

How the hell could anyone deny it? If nobody has seen the thesis, nobody has any evidence to prove or disprove any assertions about what it says.

Sheesh. Wingnut logic really friggin sucks.

Oct 26, 2009 - 11:23 am 194. njre:

If Obama would just release his college records along with his birth certificate, this would never have been able to even happen!
Everyone needs to ask this question with boldness: why does Obama spend a million bucks to hire attorneys to hide all his vital records/documents? See how everyone is asking:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/20917727/WHOARETHEBIRTHERS4-0

On a related note: Obamacare designed by Obama who refuses to show his real birth certificate: how much can you trust obamacare to do what he claims it will do?
Answer is here:-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpQlTN9kgfo

Oct 26, 2009 - 11:35 am 195. ohio:

What is it they teach journalism students on Day 1?

“If your mother tells you she loves you, CHECK IT OUT.”

I don’t see any exception for “plausibility” there.

Shame on you.

Oct 26, 2009 - 11:39 am 196. Alan K. Henderson:

One question isn’t being asked: how did the satire piece wind up on Ledeen’s Twitter feed?

Oct 26, 2009 - 12:31 pm 197. Rob:

Isn’t the point that, to this day, none of the maccaccas in the media could ever find any of Pres Empty Suit’s academic documents. And/or had no interest in doing so.

Anyone wonder why?

Oct 26, 2009 - 1:09 pm 198. TTN:

“It worked because it’s plausible”
That really says it all… You still think this all makes sense… Unbelievable this guy…

Oct 26, 2009 - 1:37 pm 199. Michael Ledeen:

he went to Columbia, not Princeton. facts? checking?

Oct 26, 2009 - 3:09 pm 200. Michael Ledeen:

I apologized to him and everyone else. I’ve got another ninety comments here to clear, and then Im going to shut down comments on this story. I think everyone’s had a chance to comment by now.

Oct 26, 2009 - 3:11 pm 201. Michael Ledeen:

these have all been denied, and several of them are acknowledged phonies. Rush has responded in detail.

Oct 26, 2009 - 3:44 pm 202. Michael Ledeen:

No. The Green Wave web site said exactly that. and I didn’t retract anything “to avoid litigation,” but because I had made a mistake and wanted to correct it. Finally, I stand by the story of Khamenei’s illness. Time will tell.

Oct 26, 2009 - 3:47 pm 203. Michael Ledeen:

True enough. But lots of people slid back and forth between fascism and communism. And fascism was invented by an Italian radical Socialist, after all.

Oct 26, 2009 - 3:49 pm 204. Michael Ledeen:

honesty, I suppose, is the point.

Oct 26, 2009 - 3:50 pm 205. Michael Ledeen:

just go elsewhere, H. Don’t bother reading things you don’t like.

Oct 26, 2009 - 3:58 pm 206. Jim:

Michael Ledeen has shown his superior research prowess.
Consider this BEFORE you read his books.

Oct 28, 2009 - 7:44 am

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