Anti-Kerry book's co-author apologizes for criticizing Muslims and Catholics

AP via kvoa.com ^ | 8/11/04 | Jennifer C. Kerr

[Maceman]

WASHINGTON One of the authors of a new anti-John Kerry book has apologized for his comments in an Internet chat room describing Muslims and Catholics as pedophiles and Pope John Paul as senile.

As he prepared to launch the book "Unfit for Command," Jerry Corsi said his postings on the Web were meant as a joke and he never intended to offend anyone.

In a chat room entry last year, Corsi accused Muslims of being pedophiles, wife beaters and killers of infidels.

The book's co-author is John O'Neill, who also is spokesman for the group that began airing an ad last week attacking Kerry's Vietnam service.

A Kerry campaign spokesman says President Bush should condemn what it calls a "sleazy book written by a virulent anti-Catholic bigot."

[Maceman]

If this has already been posted, I apologize. Can't do a search because this AP article appears under different headlines in different newspapers. In this morning's Boston Herald, the story appeared on page 2 under the headline: "Author 'unfit' to pontificate.'

What a frickin' hatchet job.

[2banana]

In a chat room entry last year, Corsi accused Muslims of being pedophiles, wife beaters and killers of infidels.

That is no joke. And I was there in Afghanistan for 8 months.

[MadIvan]

The last time I checked, Mr. Corsi wasn't running for President, Kerry is. The last time I checked, Kerry hadn't come up with a good answer to the evidence presented by the Swift Vets.

In England, this is known as "playing the man, not the ball" - since they can't attack the content of what is being said, they will attack who is saying it in any way they can. It's a dirty business, really.

Regards, Ivan

[Maceman]

Here is the version from SF Gate that references Free Republic:

---

One of the authors of a new anti-John Kerry book frequently posted comments on a conservative Web site describing Muslims and Catholics as pedophiles and Pope John Paul II as senile.

But as he prepared to launch the book, "Unfit for Command," Jerry Corsi apologized for the remarks in an interview with The Associated Press Tuesday, saying they were meant as a joke and he never intended to offend anyone.

In chat room entry last year on freerepublic.com, Corsi writes: "Islam is a peaceful religion -- just as long as the women are beaten, the boys buggered and the infidels are killed."

In another entry, he says: "So this is what the last days of the Catholic Church are going to look like. Buggering boys undermines the moral base and the lawyers rip the gold off the Vatican altars. We may get one more Pope, when this senile one dies, but that's probably about it."

Corsi, who described himself as a "devout Catholic," said the comments are being taken out of context. "I considered them a joke," said Corsi, who owns a financial services company and has written extensively on the anti-war movement.

In a March posting, Corsi discussed Kerry's faith, writing: "After he married TerRAHsa, didn't John Kerry begin practicing Judaism? He also has paternal grandparents that were Jewish. What religion is John Kerry?"

Kerry and his wife, Teresa Heinz Kerry, are Catholic.

"I don't stand by any of those comments and I apologize if they offended anybody," Corsi said.

The Kerry campaign called Corsi's Web chat postings disgusting.

"President Bush should immediately condemn this sleazy book written by a virulent anti-Catholic bigot. It says something about the smear campaign against John Kerry that it has stooped to enlist a hatemonger," said campaign spokesman Chad Clanton.

Terry Holt, a spokesman for the Bush-Cheney campaign, said neither the president nor his campaign has ever questioned Kerry's military service. "It's shameful for the Kerry campaign to suggest so by falsely associating us with this effort," Holt said.

"Unfit for Command," which goes on sale Wednesday, accuses the Democratic presidential nominee of lying about his decorated wartime record and betraying comrades by returning from Vietnam and alleging widespread atrocities by U.S. troops.

The book claims that Kerry earned his Silver Star not in a barrage of enemy fire, but rather by killing a fleeing Viet Cong teenager. It also questions the three Purple Hearts that Kerry earned, saying that none was for serious injuries and two wounds were self-inflicted.

According to medical records from his naval service, Kerry still has shrapnel in his thigh from a war injury.

"I think it's important the country have the facts about John Kerry so that they can reach a reasonable decision," said co-author John O'Neill, who succeeded Kerry in command of a swift boat. O'Neill also is spokesman for Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, which began airing an anti-Kerry ad last week.

[crusty codger]

In a chat room entry last year, Corsi accused Muslims of being pedophiles, wife beaters and killers of infidels.

Oh I see. You cannot speak the truth if it offends the evil doer's!

[Lurking in Kansas]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1188906/posts

[Corin Stormhands]

Even if Corsi is discredited (and forcryinoutloud FReepers know the atmosphere and level of discourse here), the score still stands like this.

Kerry + Rassmun = 2

Swift Boat Vets - Corsi = 59

The RATS (and their media buddies) KNOW that Kerry has been discredited on the Cambodia story...Actually they know he LIED...so they're trying to deflect the attention.

It's not gonna work.

[lafroste]

Corsi accused Muslims of being pedophiles, wife beaters and killers of infidels.

Excuse me, but what in that statement is false? Truth hurts, why is it worse for Mr. Corsi to express this opnion than it is for islam to be the backwards and repressive ideology that it is?

[wideawake]

In a chat room entry last year, Corsi accused Muslims of being pedophiles,

According to the Hadiths which Sunni Muslims accept as being the true history of Mohammed, Mohammed consummated a marriage with a pre-teen girl.

In modern-day America, we call that pedophilia. In modern-day Islam they call that one of the many righteous acts of God's last prophet.

wife beaters

The Koran spells out the rules for when and how hard you can beat your wife. It's in the book.

and killers of infidels.

Anyone who can't trust the evidence of the nightly news can read the relevant passages from the Koran that advocate this behavior.

[rebel_yell2]

Hatchet job or not, it is accurate. He never should have "outed" himself on the website. Otherwise, he wouldn't be vulnerable to the "nuts and sluts" defense that seems to be Kerry's supporters' only defense against the Swifties' charges. The lefty press is trying to tar the entire group of vets with the supposedly anonymous postings of one man. Pathetic, but this is the way the politics of personal destruction are wages. Or as TahRAHZah would say, SHOVE IT your republicans.

[AD from SpringBay]

It would be nice if the press would use such scrutiny in 99.9999999% of all the OTHER NEWS STORIES they supposedly cover. Instead, they will continue to define what is news and what is not. That's why they don't like this internet news things, or the FOX news thing, or the whole talk radio thing - they are not longer defining the news.

[NRA1995]

Hmmmmmmm.....I thought Democrats had cornered the market on being sleazy anti-Catholic bigots

[Guillermo]

Well, AREN'T Muslims pedophiles, wife beaters and killers of infidels?

(Lord help me if I ever run for office and they find out my screen name)

[Toespi]

"in an Internet chat room"

Wouldn't you consider FR a little more than a chat room?

[Old Sarge]

In the hearts and minds of The Sheep, Corsi just neutralized himself and the Swift Vets. The Right-Wing-Hate-Speech label has just been slapped across his mouth.

Because this is all that The Sheep will see - the MSM will see to it.

[Guillermo]

When they have nothing, they always "play the man." Smear, and smear some more when you have nothing else.

It's an age old tactic.

[BadAndy]

The operatives of the Jackazz party condemn hatchet jobs, unless they are holding the hachet.

[P-Marlowe]

In a chat room entry last year, Corsi accused Muslims of being pedophiles, wife beaters and killers of infidels.

What did he say that was untrue?

Well, not every Muslim is a pedophile, just their founder. And female and unmarried male muslims aren't wife beaters.

[ArrogantBustard]

Folks, in case you were wondering:

FreeRepublic is a public forum.

Anything anything you say here is googleable. Anything you say here could end up being published far beyond the borders of this forum.

Don't send love notes by email, unless you're OK with having them posted on the restroom wall.

Don't make inflammatory comments in public discussion fora, unless you're OK with having them splattered on the front page of the Washington Pest.

That is all. Carry on.

[MadIvan]

It's an age old tactic.

It's extremely transparent in this instance. It may be the Kerry folks are reading this, to them I say: oh do try harder, you lot, you're beginning to bore me. This is far too easy to spot.

Regards, Ivan