Posted on 09/29/2011 5:07:02 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum
WASHINGTON - Author Joe McGinniss says some of the people quoted by name in his controversial book on Sarah Palin have been threatened since its release last week.
"A couple of them have already gotten some blowback," McGinniss said Thursday in a telephone interview from Toronto, where he was in town promoting "The Rogue: Searching For The Real Sarah Palin."
"One guy was even told he'd better watch his back because it's going to be a long winter; he might not see the end of it because he has such a big mouth."
After months spent fending off similar threats when he moved next door to the former Alaska governor last year while researching the book in Wasilla, Alaska, McGinniss suspects Todd Palin and his pals.
"Todd really is a bully," he alleges with a sigh.
Indeed, allegations about the vindictive, strong-arm tactics of Palin and her coterie of protectors, husband Todd in particular, are a central theme of "The Rogue," a tawdry, gossipy and sometimes side-splittingly funny book delving into the "Jerry Springer" nature of Alaska's most notorious political family.
For his part Todd Palin has said the book is full of "disgusting lies, innuendo and smears.''
Sarah Palin is threatening to sue over McGinniss's accusations that she's a negligent mother in a miserable marriage overseeing a dysfunctional clan of five children.
Portraying the 2008 Republican vice-presidential nominee as a machiavellian, controlling politician far more consumed with fame and fortune than either governing or mothering, the book also questions whether it's possible the Palin did not, in fact, give birth to her fifth child but adopted Trig for nefarious political reasons.
"The Rogue" also suggests she once slept with Glen Rice, an African-American NBA star, and contains allegations that the Palins used to snort cocaine in the 1980s.
Although Palin has dismissed the book as defamatory and warns she will sue, Crown Publishers says it stands by the book and its author, while McGinniss says he's not worried.
"Anybody can have a lawyer write a letter threatening to sue," he said. "To actually sue is a very different business and you open yourself to a discovery process."
Not surprisingly, the book has also infuriated Palin's passionate following of right-wing supporters, just as it has from its very inception.
McGinniss was called a stalker and a pervert for renting the house next door when it was offered to him by a Wasilla realtor. There were so many threats of violence against him, in fact, that he was given around-the-clock police protection, with the mayor of Wasilla even asking him: "Do you want a gun?"
The fury has been kicked back into overdrive this week.
In the comment sections of blogs and websites, the Palin warriors have been out in full force. McGinniss threw dog feces over the Palins' fence while living next door, one asserted. Another insisted he went through the Palins' garbage.
Neither allegation is true, McGinniss says with a laugh. He was the model neighbour during his months living next door to the Palins, he insists.
"As I said to Todd: 'I know you're upset, but the one thing you don't have to worry about as long as I'm here is your privacy; I'm not going to invade your privacy,'" McGinniss recalled.
"I even told him: 'If I should ever happen to hear or see anything just by the accident of my living next door, I guarantee you and I promise you that I will never mention that in the book.' And I didn't."
But the criticisms of "The Rogue" haven't just been restricted to right-wingers. McGinniss has been criticized for his use of anonymous sources in "The Rogue," something relatively customary in political exposes. Even Keith Olbermann, the left-wing pundit who's no fan of Palin's, has snubbed and assailed him.
McGinniss says there are about 70 people quoted by name in "The Rogue," including Gary Wheeler, the onetime state trooper whose recollections of Palin's years as governor are among the most compelling in the book.
Wheeler remembered how Palin quickly got rid of an official driver, preferring to chauffeur herself around the state.
"She didn't want us around," he told McGinniss.
"She didn't want anybody to follow her to Nordstrom's when she went shopping every day.... she didn't want anybody to know that she wasn't coming in until 10 a.m. and then leaving by 3 to go home."
McGinniss is unapologetic in the face of criticisms that he approached his subject matter with a bias.
"She's basically a clown," he said.
"To write a ponderous book about her political philosophy _ that would have been not only unconvincing, but it would have been dishonest because the phenomenon is all about image. It's all about what's projected, not what's really there behind it .... She doesn't have any weight in the world of policies or ideas."
McGinniss admits he'll be glad to stop talking about Palin and her brood, adding he hopes his next book will be a biography of someone he actually admires.
"I have had it with Sarah Palin," McGinniss said with a chuckle. "Oh man, am I fed up."
The security guy’s comments are debunked by the emails that the media insisted on having released. There are outgoing emails dealing with state business from 6:00 am, 5:00 pm and maybe later. Undoubtably got rid of a lot of security for the same reason she got rid of the chef.
So, speaking as a former creepy-ass stalker type, he knows creepy-ass stalking when he alleges it from others.
Good.
Now, now, you're being too hard on them. I don't think they're too cheap, I think they can't read!
Finally! Something you and I agree on! ;)
“Actually” is a strong word. He likes to deal more in hearsay.
I love his quote: “...some guy...”. Yeah, that’s investigative journalism at its finest!
He’s only upset because 2 people bought his piece of crap of a book. I wouldnt even wipe my butt with it. Yeah he’s fed up with her, more like obsessed with her, he is pissed off because Sarah won’t go out with a baboon like that. Hey Joe just keep on talking, your digging deeper and deeper
Another headline from this unbiased journalist:
“With rise of Tea Party, Republican primary voters more extreme than usual”
Lee-Anne Goodman, The Canadian Press Sep 27, 2011 20:15:00 PM
“The Rogue” also suggests she once slept with Glen Rice, an African-American NBA star,
..........................................................
If she did sleep with him she did it before she was married and they were both consenting adults.
However what does Glen Rice have to say about this?
“Well, the hunter has become the hunted. Sometimes kinda cool when that happens.”
Now, Now GBC, Our fearless reader has admonished us against such rhetoric and we should never....O hell, when you’re right, you’re right ;)
Even if Sarah Palin wasn’t the best person to elect president, I’d still like to see her win just to piss off all the right people.
McGinnis has nothing to worry about because
Soros probably funded this little “project”.
My question is... who is going to buy this
book?
McGinniss is disgusting. Anyone quoted in his book would have one chance to explain that the quote was invented and then would be shunned for life. McGinniss has conducted himself in a disgusting manner; even Obama doesn’t deserve to be stalked like this scum stalked the Palins.
)
I say BS.
McGutless, you could get a number of people to say they were threatened.
I hope they ‘were’ threatened with a ‘lawsuit’.
Go crawl back under your rock.
The PDSers on FR have officially driven me over the edge the last few days. Now, I only want her to announce solely to watch them either slink off into oblivion or make fools of themselves trying to explain away the fact they were wrong.
“How about those Red Sox, Joe?”
Now you cut that out-——we are numb here in MA.
:-)
Joe McPenis should know by now, that being sued in the past has cost him several hundred thousand dollars. If not, methinks he is about to relearn what he forgot.
Depends on him being a (D) and if 0 has contacted him.
From: Joe McGinniss To: Jesse Griffin Sent: Thursday, January 27, 2011 6:15 PM Subject: I have to ask you for help Jesse– Legal review of my manuscript is underway and here’s my problem: no one has ever offered documentation of any of the lurid stories about the Palins. . . . [Y]ou write frequently that you know things you can’t yet post, but that soon “all will be revealed.” This has been going on since I first became aware of your blog, but as far as I know you haven’t substantiated a single claim or provided verification for a single rumor that you’ve posted about Sarah’s personal life, or the personal lives of any Palin family members. . . .
Neither from you, the Enquirer, AlaskaWTF, palingates.com or anyone else, have I seen a credible, identified source backing any of the salacious stories about the Palin family. Thus — as Random House lawyers are already pointing out to me — nothing I can cite other than my own reporting rises above the level of tawdry gossip. The proof is always just around the corner, but that’s a corner nobody has been able to turn. . . .
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