Andy Martin's Countdown to Minneapolis: Martin says hurricane tragedy may offer GOP opportunity.

Hurricane Gustav may offer Republicans an opportunity for redemption, says anti-Obama leader Andy Martin. The GOP convention in Minneapolis becomes a crisis management center for Senator John McCain.

NEW YORK News Conference: Monday September 1

Hurricane tragedy may bring GOP opportunity

ANDY MARTIN
Executive Editor
ContrarianCommentary.com

“Factually Correct, Not
Politically Correct”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

ATTENTION DAYBOOK/ASSIGNMENT EDITORS

ANNOUNCEMENT OF NEW YORK NEWS CONFERENCE September 1, 2008

OBAMA AUTHOR ANDY MARTIN SAYS HURRICANE GUSTAV MAY OFFER REPUBLICANS UNEXPECTED OPPORTUNITY FOR REDEMPTION

(NEW YORK)(September 1, 2008) The leader of the national anti-Obama movement, legendary Chicago Internet columnist and Obama author Andy Martin, will hold a New York news conference Monday, September 1st to suggest that Hurricane Gustav may offer the Republican Party an unexpected opportunity to redeem itself from the shame of Hurricane Katrina.

"One of the indignities of being an opinion columnist is that you have to watch and read what the 'opposition' is doing," Martin says. "And so I was engaged in mortification of the flesh by watching idiot Keith Olbermann 'interview' moron Michael Moore. I was stunned by Moore's claim that Hurricane Gustav might be some sort of divine retribution against Republicans. But what can you expect from someone such as Moore with the brainpower of a mosquito? http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/2008/08/michael_moore_gustav_proof_of.html

"I have now been watching Hurricane Gustav develop over the past several days. And, not surprisingly, ContrarianCommentary.com has come to a contrarian opinion: Gustav may unexpectedly benefit Senator John McCain and offer the Republican Party an opportunity to redeem itself.

"Lynn Sweet of the Chicago Sun-Times has it all wrong. http://www.suntimes.com/news/sweet/1137496,CST-NWS-conv31.article

"For the past three years we have been forced to endure the finger-pointing and scapegoating over Hurricane Katrina. Obviously, errors were made. Equally obviously, local leadership was totally incompetent. If the Mayor of New Orleans and then-Governor of Louisiana had been competent and prepared, there would have not been the catastrophe we witnessed. Notwithstanding the Democrats' protestations, the President of the United States is not the nation's chief hurricane officer.

"But this is 2008, not 2005. President Bush is preparing for the potential disaster of Gustav. Luckily for Republicans, Bush will be on the Gulf Coast and not in Minneapolis. Convention-goers in Minneapolis are preparing to aid in the rescue and recovery. McCain is prepared. http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/2008/08/mccain_changes_convention_for.html

"There may be a horrible storm, but there will not be a leadership disaster and management collapse. Even the hapless Mayor Ray Nagin is prepared.

"And so, Gustav may offer Republicans an unplanned opportunity to show they learned, and they made corrections and improvements. McCain gets to show he is a leader that puts the people first, not the party and politics. All in all, Republicans get to redeem the reputation for competency in public administration that they lost in 2005.

"Far from being a disturbance for the Republicans and McCain, Gustav may offer a golden, if tragic, opportunity to show they are again capable crisis managers. Since the public will forget 2005 as memories of 2008 are implanted, Republicans have an opportunity to erase 2005 with a competent response to Gustav. The Democrats may have an unexpected political problem on their hands: a competent Republican response to a major weather tragedy focuses attention on McCain and eclipses Senator Barack Obama."

NEWS CONFERENCE DETAILS:

WHO:

National anti-Obama leader and Internet Columnist-Author/Editor/Andy Martin

WHAT:

National anti-Obama leader Andy Martin says Gulf Coast hurricane could offer GOP unexpected opportunity

WHERE:

909 Third Avenue, public sidewalk in front of FDR Station, New York

WHEN: Monday, September 1, 11:00 A. M.

MEDIA CONTACT: (866) 706-2639; CELL (917) 664-9329

TO PURCHASE BOOK: http://www.OrangeStatePress.com

ANDY E-MAIL: AndyMart20@aol.com
----------------------------------------------------------
Readers of Obama: The Man Behind The Mask, can rest assured it is the only gold standard and practical handbook on Barack Obama's unfitness for the presidency. Buy it.
Book orders: http://OrangeStatePress.com. Immediate shipment from the publisher or Amazon.com is now available.
----------------------------------------------------------
FULL DISCLOSURE: I have decided to oppose Barack Obama's election and have become Executive Director of The Stop Obama Coalition, http://StopObamaCoalition.com. By default, I have become the national leader of the anti-Obama movement. I am not acting as either a Democrat or Republican. I have had no contact whatsoever with the McCain Campaign. The views expressed are entirely independent of McCain. I am not a member of any political organization. I am acting as an American citizen who sincerely believes Obama is not the man we need in the Oval Office. We are running a very dynamic and aggressive campaign against Obama. We know how. We are the recognized experts in the field. I will, however, continue to write my columns for ContrarianCommentary.com. /s/ Andy Martin
---------------------------------------------------------
Andy Martin is a legendary Chicago muckraker, author, Internet columnist, radio talk show host, broadcaster and media critic. Andy is the Executive Editor and publisher of www.ContrarianCommentary.com. © Copyright by Andy Martin 2008. Martin comments on regional, national and world events with over forty years of experience. He holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Illinois College of Law. His columns are also posted at ContrarianCommentary.blogspot.com; contrariancommentary.wordpress.com. Andy is the author of Obama: The Man Behind The Mask, published in July 2008, see http://www.OrangeStatePress.com. MEDIA CONTACT: (866) 706-2639 E-MAIL: AndyMart20@aol.com [NOTE: We frequently correct typographical errors and additions/subtractions on our blogs, where you can find the latest edition of this release.]

Obama author Andy Martin comments on John McCain's vice president

"McCain's choice of a woman as his running mate is a game-changing decision," says Obama author Andy Martin. McCain will collect sufficient Democratic votes, particularly former Hillary Clinton supporters, to win the White House." Martin is the author of Obama: The Man Behind The Mask, the bestselling book on Barack Obama, http://OrangeStatePress.com

NEW YORK NEWS CONFERENCE: today, Friday, August 29, 2008

Obama author Andy Martin's exclusive insight on John McCain's choice of a running mate

ANDY MARTIN
Executive Editor
ContrarianCommentary.com

“Factually Correct, Not
Politically Correct”

AMERICA’S #1 POLITICAL
BLOG ON THE 2008 CAMPAIGN

-------------------------------------------------------------
We’re not always first because we’re #1;
We’re #1 because we are always first.
-------------------------------------------------------------

ATTENTION DAYBOOK/ASSIGNMENT EDITORS

ANNOUNCEMENT OF NEW YORK NEWS CONFERENCE Friday, August 29, 2008

IS SHE THE ONE?

OBAMA AUTHOR ANDY MARTIN REACTS TO THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE REPORT ALASKA'S GOVERNOR HAS BEEN CHOSEN AS MCCAIN'S RUNNING MATE

(NEW YORK)(August 29, 2008) The leader of the national anti-Obama movement, opinion columnist Andy Martin, will hold a New York sidewalk news conference Friday, August 29th to comment on the expected choice of Alaska's governor as John McCain's running mate.
I can now safely report and predict that John McCain is going to be the next President of the United States. The Chicago Tribune is reporting that Senator McCain has chosen a woman as his running mate.

Earlier this week in Denver at the DNC, I noted that John McCain could make a game-changing move in his campaign against Barack Obama: McCain could choose a woman for the White House. There are some indications McCain has now done just that.

Later today (August 29th) we will comment on the impact of Barack Obama's convention speech.

In the meantime, why is the choice of a woman so critical? I teased Democrats in Denver by saying Obama should have chosen Governor Sebelius of Kansas as his running mate. Why? My unscientific opinion: "She dresses like a Republican woman." I was only party being facetious. But if you saw Susan Eisenhower support Barack Obama Thursday night you know what I mean.

The first African-American president is going to be a Republican, and the first woman president or vice-president is going to be a woman. Why is that? How counterintuitive. The nature of the Republican Party makes it open to social change, but only social change that is channeled within broadly acceptable norms of public policy.

McCain is thinking strategically. He sees that there is disaffection among Democratic woman. Many Clinton supporters are up for grabs. The presidential race is close. Which voters are open to switching their allegiance? Democratic women who supported Hillary Clinton. That is the largest "uncommitted" block of voters available to either McCain or Obama. (Blue collar Democrats are a close second in the "uncommitted" column, but they will find a conservative woman as vice president very acceptable.)

McCain has chosen to seize the initiative and go after the Clinton vote. McCain's decision shows that he is a brilliant tactician and strategist. Obama lacked the confidence to choose a woman, because he was afraid of offending the Clintons. McCain suffers from no such inhibitions. His decision is going to throw Barack Obama back on his bottom and evaporate the "bounce" out of Denver.

By this afternoon (Friday), McCain will have seized the news cycle and devastated Obama's post-Denver appeal. People do watch TV and listen to the radio on Labor Day weekend; McCain will have a monopoly on that coverage going into his convention.

Media types do not really understand McCain; in my opinion I do. I once had a roommate who was a navy fighter pilot. I know Navy fighter pilots. They are bold, decisive and have guts to spare. I have not been stinting in either my praise or criticism of McCain in the past, and no doubt I will have critical comments in the future.

But in his choice of a running mate, I can only say, McCain you were my roommate. Bold, decisive, gutsy and clear thinking. We've just landed on a carrier; in the meantime, Barack Obama's campaign has come to a complete and abject stop.

You are going to see the polls shift in McCain's favor, radically and immediately. By mid-September the liberal news media will be in a mega-funk. Women voters in both parties will be ecstatic.

Welcome aboard, Governor.

Now this indeed will be a historic election. The first woman as vice president.

My money is on the Republicans. Yours should be too.

John McCain just became the next President of the United States.

NEWS CONFERENCE DETAILS:

WHO:

Opinion columnist and Stop Obama Coalition, Executive Director Andy Martin

WHAT:

National anti-Obama leader Andy Martin comments on John McCain's apparent choice of a woman for vice president

WHERE:

Sidewalk in front of Marriott Residence Inn, between 38th and 39th Street, 1033 Sixth Avenue, New York

WHEN: Friday, August 29, 1:00 P. M.

MEDIA CONTACT: Cell (917) 664-9329; Office: (866) 706-2639
---------------------------------------------------
In the meantime, readers of my book, Obama: The Man Behind The Mask, can rest assured my work is still the only gold standard and practical handbook on Barack Obama's unfitness for the presidency. Buy it.
Book orders: http://OrangeStatePress.com. Immediate shipment from the publisher now available.
---------------------------------------------------
FULL DISCLOSURE: I recently decided to oppose Barack Obama's election and became Executive Director of The Stop Obama Coalition, http://StopObamaCoalition.com. By default, I became the national leader of the anti-Obama movement. I am not acting as either a Democrat or Republican. I have had no contact whatsoever with the McCain Campaign. I am not a member of any political organization. The views express are entirely independent. I am acting as an American citizen who sincerely believes Obama is not the man we need in the Oval Office. We are going to run a very dynamic and aggressive campaign against Obama. I will continue to write my news and opinion columns for ContrarianCommentary.com. /s/ Andy Martin
----------------------------------------------------------
Andy Martin is a legendary Chicago muckraker, author, Internet columnist, radio talk show host, broadcaster and media critic. He is currently based in New York selling his new book, Obama: The Man Behind The Mask. Andy is the Executive Editor and publisher of www.ContrarianCommentary.com. © Copyright by Andy Martin 2008. Martin comments on regional, national and world events with over forty years of experience. He holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Illinois College of Law.

His columns are also posted at ContrarianCommentary.blogspot.com; contrariancommentary.wordpress.com. Andy is the author of Obama: The Man Behind The Mask, published in July 2008, see http://www.OrangeStatePress.com.

MEDIA CONTACT: (866) 706-2639 or cell (917) 664-9329
E-MAIL: AndyMart20@aol.com [NOTE: We frequently correct typographical errors and additions/subtractions on our blogs, where you can find the latest edition of this release.]

Andy Martin on the Denver protests that caused Barack Obama to blink

Until Wednesday, prostitutes outnumbered protesters in Denver.
Denver under protective occupation bears a striking resemblance to the security measures at the Beijing Olympics.

DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION DOINGS: PART FOUR

Andy Martin on the Denver protests that caused Barack Obama to blink

ANDY MARTIN
Executive Editor
ContrarianCommentary.com

“Factually Correct, Not
Politically Correct”

AMERICA’S #1 POLITICAL
BLOG ON THE 2008 CAMPAIGN

-------------------------------------------------------------
We’re not always first because we’re #1;
We’re #1 because we are always first.

-------------------------------------------------------------

Until Wednesday, prostitutes outnumbered protesters in Denver

The only violence at the Democratic National Convention has been perpetrated by local police

Denver under protective occupation bears a striking resemblance to the security measures at the Beijing Olympics

Democrats remain oblivious while Secret Service operatives try to "lock down" American politics.

Protesters have been peaceful; they have been harassed under dubious pretexts. The Democratic National Convention has become a "bubble" controlled by the Secret Service.

(DENVER, CO)(DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION)(August 28, 2008)
Denver has been a city under siege this week: by police. The normally tranquil and laid-back municipality has found itself under virtual occupation by local and area police forces, as well as goon squads of the Secret Service. The goal: lock down any sign of protest at the Democratic National Convention.

Downtown Denver was under a smothering nighttime occupation. There were police on bicycles, police on foot, police in Humvee-style vehicles, police everywhere. The only life on the city's streets came after the convention adjourned while people briefly returned to their hotels.

The Federal Reserve Bank also looked under siege. It was eerie.

I'm not sure whether Denver officials copied the Beijing Olympics, or Beijing copied Denver, but the police state atmosphere in both cities was strikingly similar. Americans made fun of "protest areas" in Beijing that were far away from the Olympics. In Denver, the approved protest areas were also far removed from the convention. One group of pro-Hillary Clinton demonstrators was required to protest at a park that was so distant it was not on downtown maps along 16th Street.

We as Americans like to look down on the Chinese for prohibiting dissent while proclaiming free speech. We need to take another long, hard look at ourselves. We too proclaim free speech while steadily eliminating any traces of meaningful dissent. All in the name of "security."

Until Wednesday night's demonstrations, prostitutes outnumbered protesters in the city. "Working girls" always follow any convention, and they especially love the carousing Democrats, who are big spenders when it comes to companionship-for-hire. By comparison, Republicans are staid and bad for business. ContrarianCommentary.com did the research and determined there were more "professionals" in Denver than protesters. Until Wednesday evening.

Wednesday's marchers approached the perimeter of the Pepsi Center. Before a riot could break out--and one was imminent--Barack Obama blinked and sent his operatives to accept a missive from leaders of the parade. This is what passes for approved "protest" in America today. Thursday night will bring closed highways and 75,000 Obamabots, but again no protesters within hearing or seeing distance.

Monday night I debriefed police officers who had assaulted demonstrators that the police claimed were "thinking" of marching down city streets. I am not aware of any legal doctrine that allows police anywhere to arrest people before they actually commit a criminal act. Even the crime of "attempt" requires an overt act. "Thought" is not a crime; neither is verbal hyperbole.

Tuesday, there was video of an unprovoked police assault on a demonstrator for protesting another arrest.

As a society we have to ask ourselves whether we still want to conduct national politics in the open, or whether we want conventions and mass meetings to be conducted in hermetically-sealed "bubbles" that are manipulated and controlled by the Secret Service.

Monday night I witnessed the absurdity of a Secret Service goon (and he was a goon) threatening someone for taking a picture of "security procedures," namely a gate into the convention area; the Center was perhaps a third of a mile away. You could barely see the Pepsi Center from the perimeter that the police had created to immunize delegates from any evidence or sound of protest.

Perhaps smaller cities can no longer host massive conventions. But even New York Police were forced to pay millions in damages for excessive police tactics in 2004, including the use of plain clothes police officers as provocateurs.

With each passing election cycle politics becomes more remote from the people, and more under the control of the Secret Service, a politicians' private protection force. The Secret Service is not interested in democracy, and only cares about "protection." But protection can reach the point where it becomes a racket, where politicians are screened off from reality and meaningful protest is asphyxiated.

Barack Obama already operates under a more extensive security "bubble" than President Bush. Can anyone foresee how massive that bubble will become if Obama is actually elected? You will need permission to enter Washington, DC, which will become a walled city comparable to the Beijing Olympiad.

The last presidential inauguration prompted lawsuits claiming that demonstrators were forced away from Pennsylvania Avenue. In the name of "security." While a court recently ordered protesters closer to Pennsylvania Avenue, no doubt Obama will challenge that ruling on the grounds of, you guessed it, "security."

How far are we willing to deflect democracy? The question needs to be asked. And Answered. By the American people. Not the Secret Service. It's time to prick the bubble.
----------------------------------------------------------
Andy Martin is a legendary Chicago muckraker, author, Internet columnist, radio talk show host, broadcaster and media critic. Andy is the Executive Editor and publisher of www.ContrarianCommentary.com. © Copyright by Andy Martin 2008. Martin comments on regional, national and world events with over forty years of experience. He holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Illinois College of Law. His columns are also posted at ContrarianCommentary.blogspot.com; contrariancommentary.wordpress.com. Andy is the author of Obama: The Man Behind The Mask, published in July 2008, see http://www.OrangeStatePress.com. MEDIA CONTACT: (866) 706-2639 E-MAIL: AndyMart20@aol.com [NOTE: We frequently correct typographical errors and additions/subtractions on our blogs, where you can find the latest edition of this release.]

Andy Martin on Barack Obama's obsession with security in Denver

The "Emperor Obama" arrives in Denver--and closes an interstate highway. Andy Martin makes an appeal to Senator John McCain to "remain one of us, not become one of them," and criticizes Obama for excessive security at the Democratic National Convention.

DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION DOINGS: PART THREE
The "Emperor Obama" arrives in Denver--and closes an interstate highway
ANDY MARTIN
Executive Editor
ContrarianCommentary.com

“Factually Correct, Not
Politically Correct”

AMERICA’S #1 POLITICAL
BLOG ON THE 2008 CAMPAIGN

-------------------------------------------------------------
We’re not always first because we’re #1;
We’re #1 because we are always first.
-------------------------------------------------------------

BARACK OBAMA BELIEVES HE IS AN AMERICAN EMPEROR, CALLED TO RULE HIS SUBJECTS FROM A GIANT SECURITY BUBBLE

DEMOCRACY IS DYING IN AMERICA, AND OBAMA WILL BE THE DEATH OF DEMOCRACY

THE PEOPLE NO LONGER RULE, THE "SECRET SERVICE" DOES, SAYS ANDY MARTIN

MARTIN MAKES AN APPEAL TO SENATOR JOHN MCCAIN

(DENVER, CO)(DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION)(August 28, 2008) The area surrounding the Pepsi Center where Democrats are meeting in Denver is a vast, lifeless moonscape for most of each day. Protesters are penned like hogs. Roads distant from the Center are closed because of "security concerns." Spontaneity is absent. "Secret Service" police terrorize even innocent visitors to distant areas of the arena perimeter.

And later today the Emperor Obama will close I-25 because he is concerned about "threats" to his security.

Democracy is dying in America, and Barack Obama will be the death of democracy. Like some African dictator, an American Mugabe, Obama is obsessed with his security. He demanded Secret Service protection over a year ago, based on "threats" that were never proven and never ripened into any criminal accusations. He was just scared.

And, as if on cue, this week began with reports of a "White Supremacist" plot to threaten Emperor Obama in Denver. I suspected the plot would disappear after the election in November. But it took only 24 hours for the escapade to dissolve into some sort of drug-addled expedition having not the remotest threat to Obama. The United States Attorney was forced to admit evidence was lacking, after the sensational publicity of the "White Supremacist Plot" had been widely broadcast.

I don't expect presidents to return to the days when President Harry Truman could walk along the streets of downtown Washington, but something is drastically wrong with the way we protect our presidents and presidential candidates.

In my opinion, Obama has a character flaw that compels him to equate differences of opinion with threats to his personal security. He has manipulated the Secret Service into a form of Soviet secret police. To protect him from his imaginary demons.

Dana Milbank of the Washington Post wrote recently that Obama now has a "security bubble" larger than President Bush's. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/roughsketch/ Obama only became the official candidate this week. Milbank aptly called Obama the "presumptuous candidate." The bubble will no doubt grow. If Obama is elected--heaven forefend--the bubble will in time come to encompass all of downtown Washington. Who knows what threats could lurk beyond the horizon against a "President Obama?" Better to lock down America than risk Obama.

Fear is now the driving force in presidential politics and the presidency. No security measure is too extreme to merit rejection by the Secret Service. Our leaders become more and remote from the led. Is this healthy?

When you combine Obama's paranoia about threats to himself, with his equally self-destructive passion for control and secrecy, we have the making of America's first dictator. An African-American version of Richard Nixon. Democrats were the party that battled President Bush over FISA, but Obama defected from his party and voted for FISA amendments that gave greater power to U. S. intelligence and security agencies, and the president himself.

Is it really necessary to shut down an interstate highway in Denver so that Obama can give a speech au naturel or al fresco? Did anyone contemplate or calculate the disruption inherent in closing down a vital highway for hours, all so Barry Obama can blather on about "change" and "hope?" Is there no limit, no concern for others, in his mania for photo-ops? (I am not even writing at this time about the paper maché Greek temple that he is apparently using as a backdrop, and what that says about Obama's convoluted psyche.) http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i3338808b4eeae51f84e7543dc4be403a

Ironically, it is the Republican candidate, a former military man, Senator John McCain who recognizes the threat posed by the Secret Service to American democracy. McCain refused Secret Service protection even after it was clear he would be the Republican Party nominee. His refusal to accept a Secret Service bubble triggered a contretemps in Congress.
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/04/03/mccain_has_not_requested_secre.html
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2007/11/18/mccain_entry.html

Sadly, the controversy over McCain's refusal of Secret Service protection forced him to accept the "bubble." http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/04/04/mccain.secret.service/index.html

What did McCain realize that Obama doesn't? Maybe they should both ask Hillary Clinton.

The Secret Service "bubble" destroyed her politically. Because American taxpayers apparently will subsidize every aspect of her life for the rest of her life, Clinton became a desiccated candidate who withered in the bubble while trying to campaign among the "people." She didn't have to pump gas for a car she was driving, or perform any of the other functions which normal Americans perform every day (New York's Mayor Michael Bloomberg rides the subway to work, even though he is a billionaire).

And, while the liberal media were only too happy to condemn Senator McCain for the lavish lifestyle he enjoys, Keith Olbermann was noticeably silent about the lavish lifestyle enjoyed by the Clinton family, for life, at the taxpayers' expense. No one pays for McCain's services. Clinton even has Secret Service doolies to pump her gas. I hope and pray John and Cindy, not the Secret Service, pump gas for themselves.

Had Clinton lived an everyday life, and interacted with everyday people on normal basis, she would have developed the personality that could have propelled her to the Democratic nomination. Sadly, she lacked the "common touch" until she started losing primaries. It was only then that Senator Clinton recognized she had to get out among ordinary people, kick back and be one of the guys (girls?). And she was pretty good at meeting and greeting people once she tried it.

Obsessive security by security services eventually leads to electoral dictatorships. That is, people still get to "vote," but the governed become a backdrop for the media and government functionaries, instead of being the prime movers in the political life of the nation.

I can't appeal to Barry Obama to rethink his obsessive, paranoid security demands because he wallows in the thrill of being protected from all those "White Supremacists" that he imagines want to do him harm. No doubt he also considers ballot boxes instruments of white supremacy.

But I do appeal to Senator John McCain.

Senator McCain, please rein in the Secret Service. We all know threats exist, and we all know that presidents need to be protected. But the balance between risk and security must be recalibrated and tilted towards risk, in order to maintain closer contact with people. I can’t say for sure, but I would believe that had George Bush been closer to the people, he might have avoided some of the fiascoes of the past eight years.

Imbibe of the wisdom of Joe and Jane Sixpack on a regular basis. Trust the people. Do not succumb to the paranoia of the security services. By all means make them do their jobs. But don't let the Secret Service interfere with you doing your job. Stay close to us, the American people. Listen to what we have to say.

The "Imperial Presidency," or in Obama's case the "Imperial Candidacy," that destroyed presidents in the past, and that we thought had been dismantled, has once again come back in the modern age with even more arrogance and obsessiveness. The "Imperial Presidency" brought down presidents who lost touch and wanted to be insulated from the people. In time it will bring down Obama.

Please don't let Obama-style pretensions to imperialism destroy your candidacy or future administration. We need a president who will retrace the steps of Harry Truman. Not Richard Nixon or Barack Obama.

Be the president of all the people, not just the president of the Secret Service. And thank you Senator McCain, for remaining one of us and not becoming one of them.
---------------------------------------------------
Readers of, Obama: The Man Behind The Mask, confirm the book is the only practical handbook on Barack Obama's unfitness for the presidency. Buy it.
Book orders: http://OrangeStatePress.com. Immediate shipment from the publisher now available.
---------------------------------------------------
FULL DISCLOSURE: I have decided to oppose Barack Obama's election and have become Executive Director of The Stop Obama Coalition, http://StopObamaCoalition.com. By default, I have become the national leader of the anti-Obama movement. I am not acting as either a Democrat or Republican. I have had no contact whatsoever with the McCain Campaign. The views expressed are entirely independent of McCain. I am not a member of any political organization. I am acting as an American citizen who sincerely believes Obama is not the man we need in the Oval Office. We are running a very dynamic and aggressive campaign against Obama. We know how. We are the recognized experts in the field. I will, however, continue to write my columns for ContrarianCommentary.com. /s/ Andy Martin
----------------------------------------------------------
Andy Martin is a legendary Chicago muckraker, author, Internet columnist, radio talk show host, broadcaster and media critic. Andy is the Executive Editor and publisher of www.ContrarianCommentary.com. © Copyright by Andy Martin 2008. Martin comments on regional, national and world events with over forty years of experience. He holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Illinois College of Law. His columns are also posted at ContrarianCommentary.blogspot.com; contrariancommentary.wordpress.com. Andy is the author of Obama: The Man Behind The Mask, published in July 2008, see http://www.OrangeStatePress.com. MEDIA CONTACT: (866) 706-2639 E-MAIL: AndyMart20@aol.com [NOTE: We frequently correct typographical errors and additions/subtractions on our blogs, where you can find the latest edition of this release.]

Pedicure politics comes to the presidential campaign

Is Barack Obama the first metrosexual candidate for president?

Andy Martin says Barack Obama should look at his own feet before he criticizes John McCain's shoes

DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION DOINGS: PART TWO

Barack Obama: The first metrosexual candidate for President of the United States

Feet and shoes take center place in Andy Martin's web-footed analysis of the left's effort to demonize Senator John McCain

ANDY MARTIN
Executive Editor
ContrarianCommentary.com

“Factually Correct, Not
Politically Correct”

AMERICA’S #1 POLITICAL
BLOG ON THE 2008 CAMPAIGN

-------------------------------------------------------------
We’re not always first because we’re #1;
We’re #1 because we are always first.
-------------------------------------------------------------

BARACK OBAMA SHOULD STAY AWAY FROM SENATOR JOHN MCCAIN'S FEET, OR HE RISKS GETTING THE BOOT FROM THE AMERICAN PEOPLE

COMMENTS BY KEITH OLBERMANN DO GET THE BOOT FROM ANDY MARTIN

METROSEXUAL DEMOCRAT OBAMA SHOULD TREAD LIGHTLY ON MCCAIN'S SHOES

"PEDICURE POLITICS" ENTERS THE PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN

WILL OBAMA RAISE TAXES TO INSTALL A "SPA" IN THE WHITE HOUSE?

(DENVER, CO)(DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION)(August 25, 2008) Who'd a thunk it? Feet and shoes taking center place in a presidential campaign?

And, finally, our long national nightmare is over?

America has a metrosexual candidate of the United States: Barack Obama.

Feet and shoes are no minor matter, mind you. Jesus washed his disciples' feet as a show of humility. We talk about "getting the boot," and in Britain they use the expression "putting the boot into" somebody. "Shoeless" Joe Jackson entered baseball history, www.shoelessjoejackson.com. Putting your foot in your mouth is a common expression. I often hear someone "hoofing it" in a hurry. "Barefoot" Sanders' ran for office and became a federal judge.

I have heard the expression to "bigfoot someone." Well, come to think of it, Maybe MSNBC's Keith Olbermann is obsessed with ole Big Foot. After all, a phony "Big Foot" was recently featured on Olbermann's program. Suckerrr.

Olbermann and some of his fellow travelers in the mainstream media have recently been obsessed with Senator John McCain's shoes. Seems they are too expensive for Olbermann's taste. Olbermann may get a paycheck from NBC, but he might as well be on Barack Obama's payroll. So what gives with the shoes?

Obama is trying to demonize McCain by showing him as wealthy and out of touch. Obama attacked McCain's homes and left Olbermann, always the yapping attack dog, to attack McCain's shoes. But, if anything, soft shoes keep you in touch, not out of touch.

The media's obsession with John McCain's shoes over the past few weeks got me to thinking. Hmm. If Obama and Olbermann, as well as Olbermann's TV wife (nee Maddow) are obsessed with McCain's Ferragamo loafers, maybe they should take a look down at their own feet. Especially Obama's.

Obama is the first metrosexual candidate for president.

Obama receives pedicures for his dainty little toes.

In places like New York and Los Angeles, women flock to manicurists and pedicurists. Nail salons are on every corner. "Madge" the manicurist was a TV advertising staple. When I told a good friend about this column she said "I wish I had the money to go." Ahh, class warfare. Rich vs. poor?

But few men, other than apparently fellow African-American Bryan Gumbel, receive pedicures on a regular basis.

Senator Obama thus qualifies as the first metrosexual candidate for president.

Is there a pedicure gap? In the battleground states?

How many men in Ohio and Pennsylvania, and Illinois for that matter, have ever had a pedicure? How many struggling voters in battleground states are going to vote for a "pedicure candidate" for president, Mr. Obama? Not many I suspect. Is Obama going to raise taxes to cover the costs of installing a spa in the White House?

The irony is, of course, that Mr. McCain may need a pedicure as well, because his shoulders were crippled by North Vietnamese torturers at the Hanoi Hilton. He has difficulty reaching over.

And, so we close with the age-old admonition, Andy Martin's law of pedestrian politics: Before you walk in another man's shoes, check your own feet. If you don't, you might get stomped. With Ferragamo loafers.

FULL DISCLOSURE: I am in Denver for the Democratic National Convention. I am only wearing New Balance running shoes. Approximate cost $140.00. I do not own an expensive pair of shoes.
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Readers of, Obama: The Man Behind The Mask, confirm the book is the only practical handbook on Barack Obama's unfitness for the presidency. Buy it.
Book orders: http://OrangeStatePress.com. Immediate shipment from the publisher now available.
---------------------------------------------------
FULL DISCLOSURE: I have decided to oppose Barack Obama's election and have become Executive Director of The Stop Obama Coalition, http://StopObamaCoalition.com. By default, I have become the national leader of the anti-Obama movement. I am not acting as either a Democrat or Republican. I have had no contact whatsoever with the McCain Campaign. The views expressed are entirely independent of McCain. I am not a member of any political organization. I am acting as an American citizen who sincerely believes Obama is not the man we need in the Oval Office. We are running a very dynamic and aggressive campaign against Obama. We know how. We are the recognized experts in the field. I will, however, continue to write my columns for ContrarianCommentary.com. /s/ Andy Martin
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Andy Martin is a legendary Chicago muckraker, author, Internet columnist, radio talk show host, broadcaster and media critic. Andy is the Executive Editor and publisher of www.ContrarianCommentary.com. © Copyright by Andy Martin 2008. Martin comments on regional, national and world events with over forty years of experience. He holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Illinois College of Law. His columns are also posted at ContrarianCommentary.blogspot.com; contrariancommentary.wordpress.com. Andy is the author of Obama: The Man Behind The Mask, published in July 2008, see http://www.OrangeStatePress.com. MEDIA CONTACT: (866) 706-2639 E-MAIL: AndyMart20@aol.com [NOTE: We frequently correct typographical errors and additions/subtractions on our blogs, where you can find the latest edition of this release.]

Denver book signings by anti-Obama author Andy Martin

Democratic National Convention outpost for anti-Obama author Andy Martin. The only book on Barack Obama that Barack Obama is afraid of is available for signings in Denver: Obama: The Man Behind The Mask


orange
state
press


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 25, 2008

ANTI-OBAMA AUTHOR ANDY MARTIN IS IN DENVER TO SIGN COPIES OF HIS BESTSELLING BOOK "OBAMA; THE MAN BEHIND THE MASK"

(DENVER)(August 25, 2008) Andy Martin, the author of "Obama: The Man Behind the Mask," is in Denver to sign copies of his bestselling book. Martin is also continuing his efforts as Executive Director of the Stop Obama Coalition to defeat Senator Obama. www.StopObamaCoalition.com

Martin will be signing books at his news conferences, locations in downtown Denver to be announced, at the Democratic National Convention outside the Pepsi Center, and on a free-lance basis," Orange State Press Managing Director Linda Smith announced in New York.

"Andy will be signing books Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Thursday he returns to New York for more personal appearances. We have made books available to satisfy the demand in Denver for impartial information and commentary on the Senator's history. We are handing signings informally. People who want a book signed can just call Andy and chat, or go to one of our arranged sessions.

"Andy is the gold standard by which all other Obama authors are judged for accuracy and integrity. His book is the only one that Barack Obama cannot challenge or attack for accuracy. The fact that serious questions have been raised about competing authors, and the fact that no questions or attacks have been directed at our book, give us confidence that Obama: The Man Behind The Mask will be the most influential book with voters in November. Our research shows that Obama: The Man Behind The Mask is attracting Democrats, Republicans and independents. Andy's tone is different. He's more believable because he's more accurate than his competitors. And, he is only Obama author personally in Denver to mix it up with supporters and opponents. Andy's not afraid.

"His book, moreover, is the only one by a Chicago-based author who understands the unique culture of corruption in which Senator Obama has flourished. Andy broke the extent of the Rezko story in 2006, not 2008. Andy was the first to focus on the 'sleaze factor' in Obama's rise to power.

To reach Andy Martin in Denver: cell (917) 664-9329
Hotel suite: Denver North Doubletree, Tel. (303) 427-4000 Suite 332,
8773 Yates Drive, Westminster, CO 80031

Book orders: http://OrangeStatePress.com. Immediate shipment from the publisher or Amazon.com now available.

Who was first with the facts on Barack Obama and Tony Rezko? Chicago's Andy Martin

Andy Martin's blockbuster book OBAMA: THE MAN BEHIND THE MASK was first with the facts. Every author of a new book on Barack Obama bases his writing on Andy Martin's original research and commentary. Why read the copycats when you can read the original? Available through Amazon.com or http://OrangeStatePress.com OBAMA: THE MAN BEHIND THE MASK The one bestseller Barack Obama does not want you to read.


orange
state
press


August 22, 2008

MCCAIN CAMPAIGN OPENS ATTACK ON OBAMA FOR REZKO LINKS

WHO WAS FIRST WITH THE FACTS? CHICAGO'S ANDY MARTIN

READ ANDY MARTIN'S BESTSELLER, OBAMA: THE MAN BEHIND THE MASK, FOR THE EXCLUSIVE STORY ON THE OBAMA/REZKO SCANDAL

(New York)(August 22, 2008) When Tony Rezko was indicted, Barack Obama played "pretend" and asked "Who he?" On November 16, 2006, while Chicago's mainstream media were asleep, Andy Martin went to the U. S. Grand Jury for the Northern District of Illinois with the full story about the Obama/Rezko connection.

Every author of every new book on Obama has based their writing on Andy Martin's original research. Why read the copycats when you can read the original?

Andy Martin's book, Obama: The Man Behind The Mask, has a provocative new analysis of the Obama/Rezko relationship. And, oh, you can also read Andy's November 16, 2006 release alerting the Department of Justice to Obama's lies (Chapter Five, p. 94) . Where was the Chicago Tribune? Sleeping. Chicago Sun-Times? Asleep. ContrarianCommentary.com was first with the facts on Obama/Rezko. Just ask the copycat authors where they got their information: Andy Martin.

OBAMA: THE MAN BEHIND THE MASK The only book that Barack Obama's attack dogs have not been able to slime for factual errors. Is Obama the candidate that didn't bark? He won’t attack Andy's book because Obama is afraid to take on the truth. Obama is afraid of the facts. OBAMA: THE MAN BEHIND THE MASK.

Only Andy Martin knows Chicago; only Andy Martin was first with the facts. Why read any other book? Order now; get the facts. That's where John McCain gets his.

Order through Amazon.com or http://OrangeStatePress.com
ANDY MARTIN; IN DENVER FOR THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION Reach Andy at (866) 706-2639 or (cell) (917) 664-9329

Andy Martin on conditions in Pakistan and the Caucasus

August 19: Andy Martin on Al-Jazeera English

ANDY MARTIN
Executive Editor
ContrarianCommentary.com

“Factually Correct, Not
Politically Correct”

AMERICA’S #1 POLITICAL
BLOG ON THE 2008 CAMPAIGN

Andy Martin on Al-Jazeera English, today, August 19th

Obama author and American foreign policy expert Andy Martin will be a guest on Al-Jazeera English's program "Inside Story," discussing the impact of Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf's resignation and the invasion of Georgia on the balance of power in South Asia

(NEW YORK)(August 19, 2008) American foreign policy expert Andy Martin will be a guest on the Al-Jazeera English program "Inside Story" Tuesday, August 19th. Martin has extensive experience in Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan, as well as the Middle East, where he served as Baghdad Bureau Chief in 2003.

Andy is currently working on a series of articles about the Conflict in the Caucasus and its impact on the 2008 U. S. presidential election.

Andy Martin is the author of the controversial bestseller Obama: The Man Behind The Mask. http://OrangeStatePress.com or Amazon.com.

Al Jazeera English is available with live streaming on the Internet, http://english.aljazeera.net/watch_now/. Some Al Jazeera English programs are also available on YouTube.com.
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Andy Martin is working on a new book of his collected commentary as a Baghdad Bureau Chief in 2003, as well as his writing prior to the 2003 Iraq invasion. "Andy Martin in Iraq" is planned for publication in 2009.
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Andy Martin is a legendary Chicago muckraker, author, Internet columnist, radio talk show host, broadcaster and media critic. Andy is the Executive Editor and publisher of www.ContrarianCommentary.com. © Copyright by Andy Martin 2008. Martin covers regional, national and world events with over forty years of experience. He has almost forty years of experience in the Middle East, and is regarded overseas as America’s most respected independent foreign policy, military and intelligence analyst.

He holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Illinois College of Law. His columns are also posted at ContrarianCommentary.blogspot.com; contrariancommentary.wordpress.com. Andy is the author of Obama: The Man Behind The Mask, published in July 2008, see http://www.OrangeStatePress.com. MEDIA CONTACT: (866) 706-2639 E-MAIL: AndyMart20@aol.com [NOTE: We frequently correct typographical errors and additions/subtractions on our blogs, where you can find the latest edition of this release.]

Soros attacks spell sales for Andy Martin's Obama book

George Soros' attacks send sales "Soaring" for Andy Martin's anti-Obama book, Obama: The Man Behind The Mask. Is Soros smearing Martin's book because Andy is not part of the "right-wing echo chamber?" Do leftists fear Andy's crossover appeal to Democrats and Independents?

Soros attacks trigger huge sales for Andy Martin's book on Barack Obama
ANDY MARTIN
Executive Editor
ContrarianCommentary.com

“Factually Correct, Not
Politically Correct”

AMERICA’S #1 POLITICAL
BLOG ON THE 2008 CAMPAIGN

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We’re not always first because we’re #1;
We’re #1 because we are always first.
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George Soros' attacks send sales "Soaring" for Andy Martin's anti-Obama book

Is Soros smearing Martin's book because Andy is not part of the "right-wing echo chamber?" Do leftists fear Andy's crossover appeal to Democrats and Independents?

(NEW YORK)(August 18, 2008) The attacks by George Soros' proto-fascist attack group Media Matters have sent sales "Soaoring" for Andy Martin's Obama: The Man Behind The Mask.

"It's just amazing," says Andy Martin. "Every time George Soros' attack dogs smear me with lies and distortions on national television, my book sales skyrocket. Amazon.com can't keep my book in stock. My publisher keeps shipping and Amazon keeps selling. (Books can also be ordered directly from the publisher at: http://OrangeStatePress.com). For Soros to smear me on national television three times in one week means they take my book very seriously. There are a number of reasons why.

"First, although my competitors lead in overall sales, my book is selling comparably with them where actual buyers are making their own individual purchasing decisions. Sales for my competitors have been hugely inflated by massive bulk buying/selling to the 'right-wing echo chamber.' My book is only selling with single sales. There have not been any bulk sales of my book that I am aware of. Excluding bulk sales, my book is on a par with its competitors.

"Secondly, my two principal competitors are indeed members in good standing of the 'right-wing echo chamber,' or worse. They are selling to their own 'base' that has never been in play for Barack Obama.

"My book, however, is not a right-wing screed and is a more 'fair and balanced' (where have I heard that before?) study of Obama. I am the only writer with actual knowledge of and experience in the cesspools of Chicago politics. So, unlike my competing authors, I am the only one who knew the 'Obama story' personally and who wrote with credibility and authority.

"Obama's 'defense, 'Unfit for Publication,' has the same layout and concept as prior Soros publications.

"Soros has not been able to find any factual errors in Obama: The Man Behind The Mask, so he has launched desperate smears on me based on quarter-century old litigation. That's the equivalent of me smearing Soros for betraying Jews in Budapest in WW II. The accusation has nothing to do with the 2008 election.

"My book is a real book; that is why Soros is pulling out all the stops to suppress the book and suppress me. They realize that Democrats and Independents, as well as Republicans, are buying my book. The Democrats who buy my book are potential Obama voters. That is why Obama and Soros have unleashed their proto-fascist attack dogs on me. Have at it George. Just get ready for me to strike back.

"In the meantime sales of Obama: The Man Behind The Mask keep going up. My experience proves that when you are under attack by George Soros, it's good for business. We are evaluating whether to sue Soros and his lackeys for defamation," Martin said. "America should be warned. A vote for Obama is a vote to put George Soros in power."
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UPDATE: We are planning to issue a response to the media hysteria triggered by Barack Obama's latest pamphlet of lies, titled "Unfit for Publication," attacking one of my competing authors on Monday evening August 18th. I don't make a habit of supporting my competitors because they are, after all, taking money out of my pocket. Proceeds from my book all go to the anti-Obama movement, not my personal enrichment. But because Obama's "defense" against "lies" is a new set of his own lies, I feel I should respond.
In the meantime, readers of my book, Obama: The Man Behind The Mask, can rest assured my work is still the only gold standard and practical handbook on Barack Obama's unfitness for the presidency. Buy it.
Book orders: http://OrangeStatePress.com. Immediate shipment from the publisher now available.
---------------------------------------------------
FULL DISCLOSURE: I have decided to oppose Barack Obama's election and have become Executive Director of The Stop Obama Coalition, http://StopObamaCoalition.com. By default, I have become the national leader of the anti-Obama movement. I am not acting as either a Democrat or Republican. I have had no contact whatsoever with the McCain Campaign. I am not a member of any political organization. The views express are entirely independent. I am acting as an American citizen who sincerely believes Obama is not the man we need in the Oval Office. We are going to run a very dynamic and aggressive campaign against Obama. I will continue to write my columns for ContrarianCommentary.com.
----------------------------------------------------------
Andy Martin is a legendary Chicago muckraker, author, Internet columnist, radio talk show host, broadcaster and media critic. Andy is the Executive Editor and publisher of www.ContrarianCommentary.com. © Copyright by Andy Martin 2008. Martin comments on regional, national and world events with over forty years of experience. He holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Illinois College of Law. His columns are also posted at ContrarianCommentary.blogspot.com; contrariancommentary.wordpress.com. Andy is the author of Obama: The Man Behind The Mask, published in July 2008, see http://www.OrangeStatePress.com. MEDIA CONTACT: (866) 706-2639 E-MAIL: AndyMart20@aol.com [NOTE: We frequently correct typographical errors and additions/subtractions on our blogs, where you can find the latest edition of this release.]

"Captain" McCain sinks "Ensign" Obama at Saddleback Church

Andy Martin's exclusive insight on the Saddleback "debate" and its impact on the DNC

ANDY MARTIN
Executive Editor
ContrarianCommentary.com

“Factually Correct, Not
Politically Correct”

AMERICA’S #1 POLITICAL
BLOG ON THE 2008 CAMPAIGN

-------------------------------------------------------------
We’re not always first because we’re #1;
We’re #1 because we are always first.
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FIRST JOINT APPEARANCE SHOWS CAPTAIN MCCAIN, NOT ENSIGN OBAMA, IS IN COMMAND

WHAT THE CABLE TV BOBBLEHEADS MISSED WAS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE DEBATE ON THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION

WAS THE FORUM AN UNFORESEEN PRE-CONVENTION BLUNDER FOR OBAMA?
(NEW YORK)(August 17, 2008) Last night I watched the joint appearance of Senators Obama and McCain, held at the Saddleback Church in California. Frankly, I was stunned by the contrast.

In two words: McCain was crisp and confident; Obama was ethereal and tentative. There is not much new in my insight. I think the general cable TV bobblehead consensus was that McCain was surprisingly strong and poses an unexpectedly powerful challenge to Obama in joint confrontations. The contrast was stark. Captain McCain vs. Ensign Obama.

Both men are trying to solidify their base while poaching independent voters for their cause. McCain won the exchange. The mainstream media always make a big issue of Obama seeking to appeal to "moderate" Republicans and independents. Indeed he is.

But the media ignore the companion impact of Obama's poaching, namely that when Obama acts "conservative" he legitimizes "Reagan Democrats" moving towards McCain. The shift of voters is a two-way street.

David Gergen of CNN delivered the slimiest low blow of the night. Gergen said the forum showed McCain was trigger-happy. Personally, I hardly find pursuing Al Qaeda to be a trigger-happy position.

On balance, McCain presented himself as a strong and decisive leader. He was concise and focused. Obama was nuanced. The event solidified McCain's base, but may have diffused Obama's.

During the forum Obama continued to misrepresent his record and distort reality. Asked about his most difficult decision, he said that "opposition to the Iraq war" was his biggest crisis in life because, he suggested, he was a candidate for the "senate." Obama has relentlessly misrepresented his status in 2002, when he was a candidate for the Illinois state senate, not the U. S. Senate, from an ultra-liberal Democratic district overwhelmingly opposed to invading Iraq. Cable TV bobbleheads always ignore Obama's distortion and misrepresentation on his status and role in 2002.

Fact-checkers will tell you that (i) Obama was not a candidate for U.S. Senator in 2002; (ii) Democrats overwhelmingly opposed the war in 2002 and (iii) Illinois Senator Dick Durbin voted against the war. So being "against the war" hardly represented the "life crisis" that Obama claimed. On the contrary, he would have had a crisis if, as Senator Clinton did, he supported the war. The man is not capable of giving an honest answer. (I was also against the war in 2002, and that was an unpopular position among my Republican friends.)

Now for our exclusive observations on the post-debate impact.

Obama obviously agreed to participate in the forum some time ago; I don't remember the exact date. He probably thought the appearance was an opportunity to raid McCain's base. He may have miscalculated and ignored an unforeseen aspect of the meeting. Indeed, Obama may have ended up raiding his own base on Saturday night.

I believe the Saddleback appearance is going to "cost" Obama at the Democratic National Convention. You heard it first at ContrarianCommentary.com.

First, liberal Democrats are going to continue to be outraged at Obama's rush to the muddled middle. The DNC is, after all, a convention of Democrats, not independent voters. The "base" will be boiling.

Second, Obama's flaccid performance is going to energize both the actual Hillary Clinton delegate population and the independent pro-Clinton movement in Denver. Double trouble.
My opinion: Obama made a serious blunder in agreeing to a joint appearance with McCain one week before the DNC. The Saddleback forum should have been foreseen as an event that would pull Obama towards the center, or even conservative end of the spectrum. The last thing Obama needed to do was appear moderate or conservative on the eve of the national convention. Of course, Obama may be planning to reprise the paper mache conservative role at Invesco Field on August 28th. Who knows?

The bottom line: Obama's views as expressed at Saddleback energized his intra-party competition and opposition, and demoralized his most fanatic supporters. On balance: a net loss for Obama on the eve of the national convention. I would have advised him to schedule the Rick Warren forum after both candidates had been nominated, not just before he was going to appear before his most rabid supporters.

Obama is now sailing in uncharted territory for him, and he is clearly not an expert navigator, let alone triangulator. Paris Hilton may have noted that Captain McCain has a few wrinkles, but then we are electing a captain for the fleet, not a junior ensign to supervise the mess. Captain McCain proved he could be a gladiator in the political arena; Ensign Obama proved something, I'm not sure what.

Even Democrats are demanding specificity. Gauzy nostrums such as "change" and "faith" are not going to cut it. Independent voters are not going to accept generalities. Yet, Obama is at his weakest when he speaks both without a teleprompter and when he is asked to make specific responses. His hesitations and intonations when he appears without remarks prepared by a speechwriter can be irritating. He has a sort of guttural, slippery "yuhknow" that he repeats constantly, even more often than McCain's equally irritating "my friends." Both men need public speaking coaching.

But, on balance, Captain McCain's crisp and confident responses clearly made him the winner. Ensign Obama's appearance before a conservative group, where he tried to triangulate on the eve of the Democratic National Convention, was a major blunder. He will pay a price in Denver.
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UPDATE: We are still working on a response to the media hysteria triggered by Barack Obama's latest pamphlet of lies, titled "Unfit for Publication," attacking one of my competing authors. I don't make a habit of supporting my competitors because they are, after all, taking money out of my pocket. Proceeds from my book all go to the anti-Obama movement, not my personal enrichment. But because Obama's "defense" against "lies" is a new set of his own lies, I feel I should respond.

In the meantime, readers of my book, Obama: The Man Behind The Mask, can rest assured my work is still the only gold standard and practical handbook on Barack Obama's unfitness for the presidency. Buy it.

Book orders: http://OrangeStatePress.com. Immediate shipment from the publisher now available.
---------------------------------------------------
FULL DISCLOSURE: I have decided to oppose Barack Obama's election and have become Executive Director of The Stop Obama Coalition, http://StopObamaCoalition.com. By default, I have become the national leader of the anti-Obama movement. I am not acting as either a Democrat or Republican. I have had no contact whatsoever with the McCain Campaign. I am not a member of any political organization. The views express are entirely independent. I am acting as an American citizen who sincerely believes Obama is not the man we need in the Oval Office. We are going to run a very dynamic and aggressive campaign against Obama. I will continue to write my columns for ContrarianCommentary.com.
----------------------------------------------------------
Andy Martin is a legendary Chicago muckraker, author, Internet columnist, radio talk show host, broadcaster and media critic. Andy is the Executive Editor and publisher of www.ContrarianCommentary.com. © Copyright by Andy Martin 2008. Martin comments on regional, national and world events with over forty years of experience. He holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Illinois College of Law. His columns are also posted at ContrarianCommentary.blogspot.com; contrariancommentary.wordpress.com. Andy is the author of Obama: The Man Behind The Mask, published in July 2008, see http://www.OrangeStatePress.com. MEDIA CONTACT: (866) 706-2639 E-MAIL: AndyMart20@aol.com [NOTE: We frequently correct typographical errors and additions/subtractions on our blogs, where you can find the latest edition of this release.]

PUMA CONFERENCE PROMPTS LEFT-WING, RIGHT-WING CONTROVERSY

ANDY MARTIN WITH EXCLUSIVE ANALYSIS

The PUMA conference and its aftermath: renewed reform in the Democratic Party

ANDY MARTIN
Executive Editor
ContrarianCommentary.com

“Factually Correct, Not
Politically Correct”

AMERICA’S #1 POLITICAL
BLOG ON THE 2008 CAMPAIGN

-------------------------------------------------------------
We’re not always first because we’re #1;
We’re #1 because we are always first.
-------------------------------------------------------------

OBAMA AUTHOR ANDY MARTIN ATTENDS A "PUMA" CONFERENCE AND FINDS A NASCENT REFORM MOVEMENT IN THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY

ANTI-OBAMA LEADER MARTIN SAYS PUMA PACKS PUNCH IN THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY; JUST WAIT AND SEE

(NEW YORK)(August 15, 2008) Last weekend I spent three days at a conference sponsored by a maverick group of dissident Democrats. The "PUMA" conference was held in a nondescript Washington suburban motel. I was writing a new essay on the history of reform in the Democratic Party over the past 80 years; the PUMA's appealed to me as exemplars of reform and dissent (the column is still not finished). I was asked not to write about the conference until after the proceedings were completed and I complied with that embargo.

Little did I realize that crackpot left-wingers and right-wingers would be attacking this placid and almost tranquil conference as a hotbed of radicalism. Nothing could have been further from the truth. The Huffington Post also sent one of their acolytes to attend; she was so inept she didn’t even know where the conference was being held. I also became the target of vicious and irrational attacks from people who were not there.

On reflection, the desire of the organizers to close the meeting to news media appears sensible. I was happy to be the only media presence in attendance.

I am now convinced the PUMA movement is morphing into something vastly more influential than I realized, all due to the hysteria of the left and right. Here's a little background.
Every day we get hundreds of e-mails from all sorts of sources. Our job at ContrarianCommentary.com is to make sense of this mélange, and to sort the wheat from the chaff. We do a pretty good job of doing just that. As a result of being fair to both conservatives and liberals we also receive input from all types of sources and channels. The result is that we are usually a week to ten days ahead of our competitors in the mainstream media.

For example, the now legendary cell phone video of Hillary Clinton seeking to have her name placed in nomination for "catharsis" reached my desk within hours; it took the mainstream media ten days to get the same material and realize its significance. I attended the PUMA conference in a spirit of inquiry.

Some writers have sought to ridicule the meeting for a variety of perceived failures. On the contrary, the meeting was an extraordinary event and highly successful.

First, the meeting was national. People came from across the United States. It's not easy to create a national movement overnight. PUMA's have accomplished something very challenging when they convince people from coast to coast to assemble in one place.

Second, the PUMA movement provided "cover" for the ultimately successful efforts to have Hillary Clinton's name placed in nomination. PUMAs were even more successful than any Clinton supporter could have predicted.

Third, as in the case of most political meetings, much of the "content" was boring, organizational, and basic politics. Although David Shuster (sitting in on MSNBC's Hardball) tried to suggest PUMA was a Republican "front," I saw no evidence of that fact. The attendance was primarily, though not exclusively, composed of women who had hitherto been loyal Democrats.

Fourth, although hostile bloggers have criticized the TV presence of PUMA representatives, the PUMA media techniques are not a concern. The people involved are amateurs. They are not professional politicians and they are not professional media types. They are going to have rough edges. They are not going to be smooth and polished.

Fifth, the Democrats are taking "women" for granted because of some of the loonier planks of the Republican Party platform. But in an election where Democrats are likely to retain congress, Democratic women maybe much more inclined to stray to McCain when they know he will be hemmed in by a solidly Democratic congress. The women I saw at the PUMA conference are being discounted and underestimated, and they don’t like it.

I attended my first Democratic National Convention forty (40) years ago, in Chicago. I saw the chaos on the streets. Today, the Internet, cell phones, digital cameras, blogs and the paraphernalia of the i-pod generation have largely supplanted street protests. But people are more powerful in 2008 than they were in 1968. I have not seen anything since 1968 with the gathering storm potential of 2008.

Well, what is happening and what does PUMA represent?

First, PUMA activity is a quintessential example of the "aggregating" power of the Internet. People across the United States are linked in a network that, however rudimentary and preliminary it may appear to outsiders, is gaining strength and managed to assemble a national turnout.

Second, there is a nascent reform movement in the Democratic Party. The "outsiders" may ridicule PUMA, but something happened this week to afford Clinton a name on the convention ballot as well as a prime-time speaking engagement. Dick Morris on Hannity and Colmes called these concessions an Obama disaster. Why did Obama's people give in? They realize that there is sustained opposition out there. PUMA's may not have the internal party power to have a conventional impact, but they can act as a focal point for others to concentrate their own energy and opposition.

Third, the PUMA movement is going to be extraordinarily well-organized and powerfully connected in Denver. The right/left wing bloggers and mainstream media may claim that PUMA's are "small in number." That's not a problem. Small groups can function with lethal impact. Just ask the Green Beret (12-man) "A" teams.

Fourth, PUMAS are going to Denver to be heard. I will also be in Denver to observe and report. I was initially a little concerned about spending three days in Washington; now that I have seen the developments of this week, I am absolutely glad I attended.

Fifth, with time and exposure and experience, amateurs become more professional and more effective. That will no doubt happen with the PUMA movement. It has happened to every party reform movement in the past.

Sixth, the process by which Barack Obama claimed the nomination, namely a skewed delegate system that underweights big states and overweights small states, is a disgrace to democracy. The caucus system is rife with corruption and cronyism. There is no way Obama would have won in a race where Ohio and Pennsylvania had the proportional impact with Idaho and Kansas. The current proportional allocation system leads to an undemocratic and disproportionate result. There will be reform of the Democratic Party; PUMA activists could help spearhead it.

My audience and influence have grown exponentially during 2008 because of my impartial commentary and cutting edge investigation. Those who criticize me are merely expressing sour grapes. If the best people can do to smear me as a columnist is to dig up 25 year old litigation I handled, they are worse sickos and more desperate than anyone can imagine. And they are all funded and controlled by Barack Obama and George Soros.

My record of writing on Obama since 2004 and Clinton since 2008 has proven prescient and unerringly accurate. My new book, Obama: The Man Behind The Mask, details much of this research and commentary. http://OrangeStatePress.com. I will keep telling the truth, and keep driving both the extreme left and the extreme right crazy.

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UPDATE: We are working on a response to the media hysteria triggered by Barack Obama's latest pamphlet of lies, titled "Unfit for Publication," attacking one of my competing authors. I don't make a habit of supporting my competitors because they are, after all, taking money out of my pocket. Proceeds from my book all go to the anti-Obama movement, not my personal enrichment. But because Obama's "defense" against "lies" is a new set of his own lies, I feel I should respond.

In the meantime, readers of my book, Obama: The Man Behind The Mask, can rest assured my work is still the only gold standard and practical handbook on Barack Obama's unfitness for the presidency. Buy it.

Book orders: http://OrangeStatePress.com. Immediate shipment from the publisher now available.
---------------------------------------------------
FULL DISCLOSURE: I have decided to oppose Barack Obama's election and have become Executive Director of The Stop Obama Coalition, http://StopObamaCoalition.com. By default, I have become the national leader of the anti-Obama movement. I am not acting as either a Democrat or Republican. I have had no contact whatsoever with the McCain Campaign. I am not a member of any political organization. The views express are entirely independent. I am acting as an American citizen who sincerely believes Obama is not the man we need in the Oval Office. We are going to run a very dynamic and aggressive campaign against Obama. I will continue to write my columns for ContrarianCommentary.com.
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Andy Martin is a legendary Chicago muckraker, author, Internet columnist, radio talk show host, broadcaster and media critic. Andy is the Executive Editor and publisher of www.ContrarianCommentary.com. © Copyright by Andy Martin 2008. Martin comments on regional, national and world events with over forty years of experience. He holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Illinois College of Law. His columns are also posted at ContrarianCommentary.blogspot.com; contrariancommentary.wordpress.com. Andy is the author of Obama: The Man Behind The Mask, published in July 2008, see http://www.OrangeStatePress.com. MEDIA CONTACT: (866) 706-2639 E-MAIL: AndyMart20@aol.com [NOTE: We frequently correct typographical errors and additions/subtractions on our blogs, where you can find the latest edition of this release.]

Chicago Tribune: John McCain's "church riot" in Hanoi

A Chicago Tribune story on John McCain no one should miss

ANDY MARTIN
Executive Editor
ContrarianCommentary.com

“Factually Correct, Not
Politically Correct”

AMERICA’S #1 POLITICAL
BLOG ON THE 2008 CAMPAIGN

OBAMA AUTHOR ANDY MARTIN EXPLAINS WHY EVERY AMERICAN CAN FEEL COMFORTABLE SUPPORTING JOHN MCCAIN

ANTI-OBAMA LEADER MARTIN SAYS MCCAIN PROVED WHAT HE WAS MADE OF UNDER THE MOST EXCRUCIATING CONDITIONS

(NEW YORK)(August 15, 2008) It's not often that reading a Chicago Tribune news story brings tears to my eyes, but a report today in the Chicago Tribune on John McCain in Viet-Nam is a must-read article for every American. It's also a reminder why any American, Republican, Democrat and Independent can feel comfortable voting for McCain.

Just a few days ago, we had the obscene spectacle of General Wesley Clark saying "McCain's being shot down was not a qualification for president," or words to that effect. I agree. The act of being shot down, standing alone, is not a qualification for anything except landing safely in one piece.

As a young ROTC cadet at the University of Illinois in the "advanced corps" on a path for a commission in the Air Force, we were lectured and taught survival training. The men teaching us had dropped bombs on Berlin, and survived. Thousands of other young men had not. We were also taught that SAC (Strategic Air Command) pilots might be making a one-way trip to the Soviet Union. John McCain no doubt received the same training at Annapolis, and later at flight school as a carrier-based pilot.

But "survival" is an abstract concept until you see your life about to slip away. At that moment, and only then, does death seem real. I also come from a military and clandestine operations family, so the concept of service to the nation was embedded in me at an early age, just as it was in McCain.

I had never heard the Hanoi "Church riot" story that appears in today's Tribune (maybe it has been published before) about McCain and the other POW's defying their captors to conduct church services. I had never read of the added punishment they endured. And I had never read about their religious observances and spiritual resistance.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-john-mccain-religion,0,1583353.story

During those dark days in captivity, McCain stared into his soul. He had to ask himself what he was made of. Like most veterans, and especially those who have seen combat, McCain is not a "rah rah" type of man. That's why the "church riot" story is so unusual. And so inspirational.
Insight and wisdom do not alight on our souls by accident. They usually appear when we least expect, in times of utter despair and desperate need. The experience of helplessness and hopelessness, and the will to survive under those conditions, made McCain the strong character he is today.

Please read the Tribune story and let me know what you think. McCain passed the test in Hanoi; he is ready to pass the test in the White House. He honored us then; he will honor us in the future. I don't agree with all of McCain's views, and in fact I disagree with many of them. But on the overarching issue of protecting the United States, and our future, I will sleep well when he is in the White House.

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UPDATE: We are working on a response to the media hysteria triggered by Barack Obama's latest pamphlet of lies, titled "Unfit for Publication," attacking one of my competing authors. I don't make a habit of supporting my competitors because they are, after all, taking money out of my pocket. Proceeds from my book all go to the anti-Obama movement, not my personal enrichment. But because Obama's "defense" against "lies" is a new set of his own lies, I feel I should respond.

In the meantime, readers of my book, Obama: The Man Behind The Mask, can rest assured my work is still the only gold standard and practical handbook on Barack Obama's unfitness for the presidency. Buy it.

Book orders: http://OrangeStatePress.com. Immediate shipment from the publisher now available.
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FULL DISCLOSURE: I have decided to oppose Barack Obama's election and have become Executive Director of The Stop Obama Coalition, http://StopObamaCoalition.com. By default, I have become the national leader of the anti-Obama movement. I am not acting as either a Democrat or Republican. I have had no contact whatsoever with the McCain Campaign. I am acting as an independent American citizen who sincerely believes Obama is not the man we need in the Oval Office. We are going to run a very dynamic and aggressive campaign against Obama. I will continue to write my columns for ContrarianCommentary.com. Because I have had no contact with any aspect of the McCain campaign, the views expressed herein are my own and only my own.
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Watch for an Andy Martin exclusive on the PUMA Hillary for President movement. August 15th (evening edition) Exclusive to ContrarianCommentary.com and nowhere else.
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Andy Martin is a legendary Chicago muckraker, author, Internet columnist, radio talk show host, broadcaster and media critic. Andy is the Executive Editor and publisher of www.ContrarianCommentary.com. © Copyright by Andy Martin 2008. Martin comments on regional, national and world events with over forty years of experience. He holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Illinois College of Law. His columns are also posted at ContrarianCommentary.blogspot.com; contrariancommentary.wordpress.com. Andy is the author of Obama: The Man Behind The Mask, published in July 2008, see http://www.OrangeStatePress.com. MEDIA CONTACT: (866) 706-2639 E-MAIL: AndyMart20@aol.com [NOTE: We frequently correct typographical errors and additions/subtractions on our blogs, where you can find the latest edition of this release.]

Andy Martin's book on Barack Obama is the only one Obama is afraid to attack

Only one anti-Obama book has not been attacked by Obama's supporters. Andy Martin's book, Obama: The Main Behind The Mask, remains the gold standard for fairness and accuracy, and the only handbook for the anti-Obama movement, both Democrats and Republicans.

Obama's attack dogs can't debunk Andy Martin's book

ANDY MARTIN
Executive Editor
ContrarianCommentary.com

“Factually Correct, Not
Politically Correct”

AMERICA’S #1 POLITICAL
BLOG ON THE 2008 CAMPAIGN

ONLY ONE OBAMA BOOK HAS NOT BEEN CHALLENGED FOR MISSTATEMENTS AND FACTUAL ERRORS; BUY THIS BOOK NOW

OBAMA'S ATTACK DOGS IN THE MEDIA HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO DEBUNK ANDY'S MARTIN'S BOOK ON OBAMA

"OBAMA: THE MAN BEHIND THE MASK" IS THE ONLY BOOK ON OBAMA STILL STANDING, AND THE ONLY BOOK WRITTEN BY A CHICAGO AUTHOR

ANDY MARTIN WRITES ABOUT THE FIRESTORM OF CONTROVERSY ENVELOPING HIS COMPETING AUTHORS

(NEW YORK)(August 14, 2008) Obama sycophants in the media have launched an all-out attack on my competing authors with Obama books. Each book has been subjected to massive dissection by the taxpayer-financed left-wing media assault teams financed by George Soros. Only my book has not been attacked.

Why is that?

First, I am the only author who has written about Obama from a Chicago perspective. If you don't know Chicago and where the waters run in the political sewers of the Daley Machine, where Obama flourishes, you have no business parachuting in with a cut-and-paste book about Obama's career.

As someone who confronted the first Mayor Daley forty years ago, in 1968, I am the only anti-Obama author who has the Chicago experience to make intelligent decisions on how to write the Obama Story.

Second, I was the first writer to highlight Obama, starting exactly four years ago in August 2004. An author who knows his subject and is familiar with the record is less likely to make mistakes, than someone who is trying to stick a "book" in a cash machine for a fast payoff.

While my competing authors have added their own embellishments, and larded their material with footnotes, they have not discovered any facts or episodes about Obama that I did not write about or was not planning to write about. Indeed, some of my competitors quite properly cite me as their source.

Almost all of the original research that has ever been done on Obama was work that I did. It's not surprising my competitors took my writing, changed it here and there, and stuck their own names on the cover. Copycat journalism is alive and well.

Third, I have always tried to be fair with the facts. I always examine factual allegations against Obama with my law school education in the background, looking for potential errors or erroneous conclusions. I may not be perfect, but I try to be scrupulously honest and accurate with the facts. That's why my opinions are usually on target as well.

Fourth, although I am a Republican, I am a traditional, mainline conservative, not a hit man out to smear Obama with exaggerated claims. When I write political commentary about either Republicans or Democrats, I put partisanship aside and usually cite the Dragnet credo, "Just the facts, ma'am," as my standard.

Both Democrats and Republicans can read my book and feel comfortable the author was striving for accuracy, not sensationalism.

One of my competing authors, who writes disparagingly about Obama's mother, opens the door to counterattacks by Obama own hit men. Barack Obama's mother was a curious individual, and she obviously had some role in her son's development. But attacking her morals was, in my judgment, a mistake in judgment. As I wrote and rewrote Obama: The Man behind The Mask, I softened my attacks on Stanley Dunham, the candidate's mother. Obama's mother did not make Barack Obama a craven soldier in Daley's army. Barack should be held accountable for his own misdeeds, not his mother's life style.

And so, as readers of my book are already aware, Obama: The Man Behind The Mask, is still the only gold standard and practical handbook on Barack Obama's unfitness for the presidency. My competitors may wither under the attacks launched by the Obamabots, but Barack Obama is afraid to attack me. Like the "little engine that could," we keep publishing facts and raising serious questions about Barack Obama. My competitors can’t say the same. They have made their money; they'll move on. I will still be writing the truth about Obama. He knows that. Now you do too.

I will keep searching and striving for truth and accuracy; even Obama's partisans have to admit I come the closest to achieving it.

Buy the book and see for yourself.

Book orders: http://OrangeStatePress.com. Immediate shipment from the publisher now available.
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Watch for an Andy Martin exclusive on the Hillary for President movement. August 14th (evening edition) Exclusive to ContrarianCommentary.com and nowhere else.
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Andy Martin is a legendary Chicago muckraker, author, Internet columnist, radio talk show host, broadcaster and media critic. Andy is the Executive Editor and publisher of www.ContrarianCommentary.com. © Copyright by Andy Martin 2008. Martin comments on regional, national and world events with over forty years of experience. He holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Illinois College of Law. His columns are also posted at ContrarianCommentary.blogspot.com; contrariancommentary.wordpress.com. Andy is the author of Obama: The Man Behind The Mask, published in July 2008, see http://www.OrangeStatePress.com. MEDIA CONTACT: (866) 706-2639 E-MAIL: AndyMart20@aol.com [NOTE: We frequently correct typographical errors and additions/subtractions on our blogs, where you can find the latest edition of this release.]

Jakarta school record reemerges to cause Barack Obama problems

Andy Martin on the reappearance of an old Obama document. If the reappearing Obama school report from Jakarta is authentic, Obama faces major problems, serious questions about adoption, loss of citizenship and more.

Reemerged document may upset Obama's applecart on American citizenship

ANDY MARTIN
Executive Editor
ContrarianCommentary.com

“Factually Correct, Not
Politically Correct”

AMERICA’S #1 POLITICAL
BLOG ON THE 2008 CAMPAIGN

OBAMA AUTHOR ANDY MARTIN ON THE EMERGENCE OR REEMERGENCE OF A "DOCUMENT" ABOUT BARACK OBAMA'S PAST

MYSTERY SCHOOL RECORD ON OBAMA RESURFACES—IS IT GENUINE?

IF THE OBAMA SCHOOL REPORT IS AUTHENTIC, OBAMA FACES MAJOR PROBLEMS, SERIOUS QUESTIONS ABOUT ADOPTION, LOSS OF CITIZENSHIP AND MORE

(NEW YORK)(August 14, 2008) When I prepared my new bestselling book "Obama: The Man Behind the Mask" (http://OrangeStatePress.com) I made clear on the back cover that the book was a "work-in-progress."

ContrarianCommentary.com received a mysterious document from various sources this morning, August 14th. The document purports to be an Associated Press photograph of Barack Obama's school register at the Assisi School in Jakarta. http://www.daylife.com/photo/01u33pL9Ns06D. In some iterations, the document comes with a translation. http://blog.changeandexperience.com/2008/08/barack-obamas-indonesian-registration.html

If the document is authentic, and there are reasons to believe that it may not be, the Jakarta school report could torpedo Senator Barack Obama's quest for the presidency by raising questions about his constitutional eligibility to serve as president. At a minimum, Obama could face challenges and even lawsuits questioning his constitutional eligibility to serve as president.

ContrarianCommentary.com has been working on a major story about Obama's constitutional eligibility; this is not that story. Rather, the sudden and unexplained—and very belated—appearance or reappearance of the Associated Press document raises questions as to why the AP never covered the document extensively in 2007.

There is some evidence the document was available in 2007, and that the Chicago Tribune and possibly other media wrote about the school record at that time, see e.g. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0703250340mar25,0,4122936.story

Nevertheless, even an old document can acquire new meaning if the text is reviewed and reinterpreted in light of what is now known about Obama's murky family history.

A simple search indicates the school record is spreading like wildfire across the Internet. By the 14th (later today) or 15th, mainstream media may even be asking questions of the Associated Press or the Obama campaign. (Note: The mainstream print media collectively and substantially own the Associated Press as a "cooperative." See: http://www.ap.org/pages/about/about.html)

Here are the obvious questions. Is the "AP photo" genuine? When did it come into AP's possession? Did the AP write a story at the time, in 2007? Why has the document surfaced or resurfaced at this time in 2008? Who released it or re-released it and when? Where?

Here is the stinker: if the AP photograph is genuine, in light of what we have learned since 2007 it is likely that Obama's step-father Lolo Soetero indeed adopted the young Obama and made him an Indonesian citizen. That seems to be what the document says. The Tribune story (above) seems to blindly assume the document is ineffective and inaccurate. Not so fast.

From what we now know of the extensive "family" arrangements between Soetero and Mrs. Soetero-Dunham-Obama, if Soetero actually adopted Barack Obama, then the fact of his birth in Hawaii is meaningless or irrelevant. He would have had to apply to become a naturalized citizen after being adopted.

A great deal has been made in the past about Obama's religion and whether his parents "chose" Islam for him as a child. These questions can be debated insofar as religion is concerned. In that respect I have no quarrel with either the Tribune story or questions about the reemerged school record.

But there is no question that parents can change a child's citizenship, and allow him to be adopted by a foreign individual. Once a child is adopted, the old citizenship is terminated and the adoptee becomes a citizen of his or her new country. Thus, in a practical sense, a mother or father can "choose" their child's citizenship if they permit an adoption by a non-U.S. citizen.

The Tribune and other media at the time appear to have simply rejected or ignored the possibility that there had been an adoption, and that the school document was indeed accurate.

If the document is genuine, and if the Associated Press' photographer vouches for the document as to its origins, or renews vouching for the authenticity of the document, then the school record raises a rebuttable presumption that Obama was adopted by Soetero and became a citizen of Indonesia. Obama is therefore not eligible under the U. S. Constitution to be a candidate or hold the office of president.

The confusion over Obama's adoption may also explain his reluctance to either probe his mother about his origins, or to disclose the result of any such conversations in his two books. Rather, he suggests in "Dreams From My Father" that his mother died before he could ask her difficult questions. That is a peculiar stance for a 34 year-old man.

Finally, even if the "AP Photo" is a forgery or a photoshopped confection, there will still be an Internet fever and a new round of paranoia about the school record and its origins, even if the document's significance was partially ignored or obscured in 2007.

Stay tuned.

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Book orders: http://OrangeStatePress.com. Immediate shipment from the publisher now available
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I want to acknowledge the assistance of my Internet research assistants in preparing this story on very short notice. We have research assistance from the "sandbox" ("Iraq") to the sandlots, to the sandy beaches, and they are an invaluable part or ContrarianCommentary.com. Thanks team.
Watch for an Andy Martin exclusive on the Hillary for President movement. August 14th (evening edition) Exclusive to ContrarianCommentary.com and nowhere else.
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Andy Martin is a legendary Chicago muckraker, author, Internet columnist, radio talk show host, broadcaster and media critic. Andy is the Executive Editor and publisher of www.ContrarianCommentary.com. © Copyright by Andy Martin 2008. Martin comments on regional, national and world events with over forty years of experience. He holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Illinois College of Law. His columns are also posted at ContrarianCommentary.blogspot.com; contrariancommentary.wordpress.com. Andy is the author of Obama: The Man Behind The Mask, published in July 2008, see http://www.OrangeStatePress.com. MEDIA CONTACT: (866) 706-2639 E-MAIL: AndyMart20@aol.com [NOTE: We frequently correct typographical errors and additions/subtractions on our blogs, where you can find the latest edition of this release.]

Alan Colmes (Fox News) throws Andy Martin into a right-wing catfight.

Andy Martin at the center of controversy and competition involving Obama books

Andy Martin's book, Obama: The Man Behind The Mask, is the only gold standard and practical handbook on Barack Obama's unfitness for the presidency.

ANDY MARTIN
Executive Editor
ContrarianCommentary.com

“Factually Correct, Not
Politically Correct”

AMERICA’S #1 POLITICAL
BLOG ON THE 2008 CAMPAIGN

EVERYONE DISAGREES ABOUT EVERYTHING INVOLVING THE CURRENT ANTI-OBAMA BOOKS—EXCEPT ONE POINT: ANDY MARTIN IS THE SOURCE OF ALL THE ORIGINAL RESEARCH ON BARACK OBAMA

WHY BUY THE COPYCATS WHEN YOU CAN READ THE MASTER? ANDY MARTIN, OBAMA: THE MAN BEHIND THE MASK

(NEW YORK)(August 13, 2008) Am I in the middle, or what? I don’t usually watch a lot of TV, but recently I have had to monitor Fox News and MSNBC, the two enfants-terrible of left-right-wing mainstream media.

You can imagine my surprise when August 12th Alan Colmes of Hannity and Colmes attacked copycat author Jerome Corsi for "citing Andy Martin." Colmes used such a tone of derision I was left wondering what was going on in his mind.

The two prominent right-wing books on Obama are virtual carbon copies of my own prior pathfinding work on Obama.

There is not much you can do when someone appropriates your research and stamps their own name on it. I am flattered that Colmes realizes that Corsi is merely a high-class plagiarist.

I have asked Colmes to invite me on his program (see below following this story). What are Hannity & Colmes afraid of? Hurting the book sales of their buddies? Ironically, I was an occasional guest when Hannity and Colmes originally launched their TV show in 1996.

Colmes' attacks on Corsi for using my research reflect that there is obviously a deep undercurrent of conflict and competition in the current three-way race for book sales.
The only thing not in dispute is that Corsi and Freddso, another Obama-author wannabe, all based their own work on my original research.

In the meantime, readers of my book, Obama: The Man Behind The Mask, can rest assured my work is still the only gold standard and practical handbook on Barack Obama's unfitness for the presidency. I'd be happy to have any of my readers comment.

Book orders: http://OrangeStatePress.com. Immediate shipment from the publisher now available.

CONTRARIANCOMMENTARY.COM
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Headquarters mail:
Post Office Box 1851
New York, NY 10150-1851
Tel. (866) 706-2639
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Web: ContrarianCommentary.com
E-mail: mailto:andy@AndyMartinWorldwide.com

Andy Martin, J. D.
Professor of Law (Adj.)
Executive Editor

August 13, 2008

Alan Colmes
Hannity & Colmes
Fox News Channel
Hand deliver

Dear Alan:

I was a little stunned last night when you attacked Jerome Corsi for "citing Andy Martin." You said it at least twice. Corsi's book, of course, is a cut-and-paste of my own work with a few footnotes added to bestow legitimacy on Herr Doktor Corsi's stenciled work.

But I wasn't sure if you were attacking my research or attacking Corsi's plagiarism.

My research has never been impeached or undermined in any form or fashion. That's why every right-winger (and increasingly Democrats as well) use my material as their source book, and then add their own exaggerations for effect.

My own book, http://OrangeStatePress.com, is not a screed, and is selling to Democrats as well Republicans precisely because I avoid exaggerated accusations or factual misstatements.

A point you seem to have missed: Your co-host is promoting a book by an author (Corsi) who is committed to defeating Republicans (Corsi is an opponent of McCain) and who is devoted to electing Obama (by voting for the Constitution Party). Could Corsi be a double agent? (How's that for a dollop of paranoia?)

Which raises my final question: If I am the source material for Corsi and Freddoso and God-knows-who-else, why haven't you invited me on your program to discuss my book? I am the only anti-Obama author who takes a "balanced" approach, which is why my book is the only one relied on by Democrats as well as Republicans.

When you started your program 12 years ago I was an occasional guest expert and you had no reason to quarrel with me then. What’s the rub now?

I'll be in Denver for the DNC, reporting on opposition to Obama.

Watch for my latest exclusive column, later today or tomorrow at the latest, reporting on the Hillary for President movement.

When may I expect an invitation to your program?

With all best wishes,

ANDY

AM:sp

P.S. Hannity has a copy of Obama: The Man Behind The Mask. Would you also like a copy?
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Watch for an Andy Martin exclusive on the Hillary for President movement. August 13th (evening edition) Exclusive to ContrarianCommentary.com and nowhere else.
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Andy Martin is a legendary Chicago muckraker, author, Internet columnist, radio talk show host, broadcaster and media critic. Andy is the Executive Editor and publisher of www.ContrarianCommentary.com. © Copyright by Andy Martin 2008. Martin comments on regional, national and world events with over forty years of experience. He holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Illinois College of Law. His columns are also posted at ContrarianCommentary.blogspot.com; contrariancommentary.wordpress.com. Andy is the author of Obama: The Man Behind The Mask, published in July 2008, see http://www.OrangeStatePress.com. MEDIA CONTACT: (866) 706-2639 E-MAIL: AndyMart20@aol.com [NOTE: We frequently correct typographical errors and additions/subtractions on our blogs, where you can find the latest edition of this release.]