I learned over the weekend why the Republicans who have seen the tape of Michelle Obama ranting about “whitey” describe it as “STUNNING.” I have not seen it but I have heard from five separate sources who have spoken directly with people who have seen the tape. It features Michelle Obama and Louis Farrakhan. They are sitting on a panel at Jeremiah Wright’s Church when Michelle makes her intemperate remarks. Whoops!! When that image comes out it will enter the politcal ads hall of fame. It will be right up there with the little girl plucking daisy petals in the famous 1964 ad LBJ used against Barry Goldwater… One source described how this tape was acquired. Let’s just say that one of the republican candidates who is no longer in the race, but had a dandy oppo research capability, uncovered this gem. If Republican poohbahs have their way the tape will remain on ice until October. But when it comes out, Barack will be permanently branded with the Nation of Islam.
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Weak.
JammieWearingFool on June 2, 2008 at 9:18 AM
If there is no proof then he should not be putting it out there. Nor should HotAir give it the time of day.
“I have a friend who has a friend who said a friend of her friend saw a tape where Michelle said the word “whitey”.
(Another friend, though, said her friend’s friend said she thought Michell just sneezed.)
I hate this crap. Obama is bad enough as it is without increasing the sympathy vote for him. In addition, if this is true, it only weakens the impact if or when it does see the light of day,
Rod on June 2, 2008 at 9:30 AM
I had a dozen e-mails about Johnson’s post yesterday and the Roger Stone clip talking about it on Geraldo and didn’t mention any of it. Even liberal bloggers are writing about it. There’s a fine line between not wanting to spread unfounded rumors — and there have been plenty about Obama that I haven’t mentioned — versus not wanting to ignore something that’s broken through to the mainstream and which people are talking about.
Allahpundit on June 2, 2008 at 9:33 AM
Other than considering the Obamas’ connections as we know them to be indicating that it’s quite possible that this is true, until the video is out there, it’s really not worth commenting on.
Connie on June 2, 2008 at 9:34 AM
This makes conservatives look bad — shut up Larry, and leave the punditry to others.
Richard Romano on June 2, 2008 at 9:34 AM
Larry Johnson isn’t a conservative. He’s a diehard Hillary supporter, and before he took aim at Obama conservatives were his enemy of choice.
Allahpundit on June 2, 2008 at 9:39 AM
Yeah, but in order to do the ‘I won’t air this tape as a commercial, but you reporters can see it to judge how good I am for not showing it’ thing you have to actually show it to somebody.
James on June 2, 2008 at 9:40 AM
Ripley is rolling over in his grave.
Dusty on June 2, 2008 at 9:40 AM
Oh, and incidentally, Ed has already mentioned the Michelle O “whitey” rumor in a post — with appropriate skepticism, just as I have here. Where was the outcry over that?
Allahpundit on June 2, 2008 at 9:40 AM
And to think I’ve been reloading a search on YouTube all day trying to get a copy of it…. I’m sure it’s done wonders for Johnson’s traffic. You can’t even get into his site.
Carl in Jerusalem on June 2, 2008 at 9:40 AM
@Richard
Larry is no conservative.
The sad thing about this thing is that this kind of video isn’t outside the realm of possibility. It’s not that unreasonable to think that Michelle would bash Whitey.
p0s3r on June 2, 2008 at 9:43 AM
I know he isn’t — but it looks like conservatives are eating this up…doesn’t look good.
Richard Romano on June 2, 2008 at 9:45 AM
Sad? If it come out after Obama gets the nomination, it would be a Godsend.
Carl in Jerusalem on June 2, 2008 at 9:45 AM
Allah handled this well with the “Surprise: still no…” headline.
I share the annoyance at this getting noticed, though, because even though Johnson is a Hillary supporter, this garbage serves to insulate and protect Obama from any legitimate concern over his hypocrisy.
G. Charles on June 2, 2008 at 9:46 AM
That’s the real story. The wife of a presidential candidate bashing whitey is eminently believable. It’s the “stupid enough to do it on tape” part that people are debating.
misterpeasea on June 2, 2008 at 9:49 AM
Now that explains a lot. How could any serious person risk losing his readership and reputation by lying? My feeling now is that this is like TNR–just another site not to click on.
JiangxiDad on June 2, 2008 at 9:53 AM
No one is picking on you, AP. I just don’t feel comfortable ranting about something I haven’t seen yet.
Connie on June 2, 2008 at 9:53 AM
That sums it up nicely.
Quisp on June 2, 2008 at 9:57 AM
For those complaining about HA noting this, this rumor has been flying around for quite some time. It’s newsworthy to the extent the wholly discredited Johnson has been promoting nonstop, likely to drive traffic to his site.
Anyone who thinks he’s in any way connected to the GOP or is a conservative needs to do a little research on the guy.
JammieWearingFool on June 2, 2008 at 9:59 AM
I’m not giving him the traffic.
To quote Robert Stack from 1941, “That is the craziest SOB I’ve ever seen.”
DrSteve on June 2, 2008 at 10:03 AM
I didn’t know that. Haven’t been to the site. Thanks.
Connie on June 2, 2008 at 10:06 AM
While Larry fills up the balloons with pig’s blood………
Limerick on June 2, 2008 at 10:06 AM
“How could any serious person risk losing his readership and reputation by lying?”
This is the guy who wrote the oped in the New York Times in July, 2001 , on “The Declining Terrorist Threat”. The start of the oped:
“Judging from news reports and the portrayal of villains in our popular entertainment, Americans are bedeviled by fantasies about terrorism. They seem to believe that terrorism is the greatest threat to the United States and that it is becoming more widespread and lethal. They are likely to think that the United States is the most popular target of terrorists. And they almost certainly have the impression that extremist Islamic groups cause most terrorism.
None of these beliefs are based in fact.”
He lost what little reputation he had quite a while ago.
Realist on June 2, 2008 at 10:10 AM
Haha, well to further build his credibility!
Now, I am really going to take him seriously.
Spirit of 1776 on June 2, 2008 at 10:10 AM
I’m with you on this, AP. There’s nothing wrong with you posting this the way you did:
You put as much (or more) focus on Larry Johnson’s not providing hard proof as you did to the rumor.
Red Pill on June 2, 2008 at 10:13 AM
Folks, Larry Johnson is a certifiable idiot.
–Larry C. Johnson, “The Declining Terrorist Threat,” New York Times, July 10, 2001. Johnson, a former CIA officer, was deputy director of the U.S. State Department’s Office of Counterterrorism from 1989 to 1993.
Mike Honcho on June 2, 2008 at 10:13 AM
And perhaps this is off-topic, but this could insulate Obama from challenges to his judgment. Further off topic: My historical memory is not 100%, but I don’t recall Obama’s “superior judgment” saying that the intellegence of CIA and other countries was wrong about Iraq; but that given they were true, there still was not enough reason to go to war. How is that good judgment–shunning war regardless of intelligence reports?? That is not judgment, that is an appeaser getting lucky that the intelligence was overstated. Obama’s judgment was that even if the CIA was right about the threat, we should have stayed home. Obama’s judgment was that a surge up to 30,000 troops would make no difference,…that his selective echo-chamber military connections were the only ones worth listening to…that we should have embraced a gradual “defeat with honor” (paralleling VietNam) instead solidifying a victory…that Ayers is a good neighbor and good political connection…that Wright and Pfleger were good spiritual guides for himself, wife and kids for 20 years…etc.
Or am I “misremembering”?
G. Charles on June 2, 2008 at 10:14 AM
In my case I didn’t see the earlier post.
I admire you and have see that in many cases you’re dammed if you do and dammed if you don’t. You’ve an unenviable job that I am sure does not pay near what it’s worth.
Also, I wanted to mention, as G. Charles did, that you did well with posting it with raised eyebrow. This makes the post as much about this Larry fellow as it is about Michelle.
And I’m happy to see that, so far, the comments here take this dubious “revelation” for what it’s worth: absolutely nothing at this point. Tells me I’m in good company here.
Rod on June 2, 2008 at 10:17 AM
I love how this fraud says, (paraphrasing) “I didn’t rip it (the info on Nation of Islam members Cynthia K. Miller and Jennifer Mason working for Obama) off from Debbie Schlussel,” when he did. And if he really knew what he was talking about–which he doesn’t, since he just lifted that info from me–he’d know that Cynthia K. Miller no longer “works” for Obama and that she never really “worked” for him. She was treasurer of his U.S. Senate campaign.
And this guy worked for the CIA? No wonder that agency is an incredible failure. They can’t even get the info they rip off, right.
Debbie Schlussel on June 2, 2008 at 10:18 AM
So far it’s been typical for republicans, the “show me then we’ll talk about it” compared to the democratic’s “let’s talk about the rumor, it’s got to be true” just proves to me that we are a more fact based group.
rich801 on June 2, 2008 at 10:24 AM
“So far it’s been typical for republicans, the “show me then we’ll talk about it” compared to the democratic’s “let’s talk about the rumor, it’s got to be true” just proves to me that we are a more fact based group.”
The D’s are a lot more scared of any remaining skeletons in O’s closet…
Realist on June 2, 2008 at 10:41 AM
If there was a panel discussion at Trinity with Farrakhan and Michelle Obama, wouldn’t there be a paper trail?
bnelson44 on June 2, 2008 at 10:51 AM
Isn’t the premise here something like this?
A Hillary supporter claims the republican party has an October surprise video of Mrs. BHO spewing racism from the pulpit. This in and of itself is the reason to anoint HRC the Dem Prez candidate, before it’s too late.
This sounds so much like the VRWC of years past now suiting HRC’s needs.
Oh those evil republicans.
swami on June 2, 2008 at 10:58 AM
I seem to remember that the Democrats’ standard was that the “seriousness of the charge” trumps the truth.
Apparently that standard only applies to selected cases: all of them involving Conservatives.
landlines on June 2, 2008 at 11:06 AM
For those who have visited Crazy Larry’s site, what’s his excuse for not producing?
DrSteve on June 2, 2008 at 11:09 AM
Anybody else remembering the guy who swore that Karl Rove was *JUST THISCLOSE* to being indicted in the Plame case?
Well-Armed Lamb on June 2, 2008 at 11:11 AM
Last I saw he wasn’t claiming to have the video, but that he had spoken with people who had spoken with people who had seen it.
mikeyboss on June 2, 2008 at 11:33 AM
This guy is less credible than Scott McClellan
funky chicken on June 2, 2008 at 11:42 AM
funky chicken on June 2, 2008 at 11:43 AM
Put up or shut up, Johnson.
Sekhmet on June 2, 2008 at 11:49 AM
Ed’s an alpha. We’re afraid to pick on him.
Al in St. Lou on June 2, 2008 at 12:31 PM
And I’ve spoken with people who have spoken with people who saw Elvis on a UFO.
Sekhmet on June 2, 2008 at 12:38 PM
I don’t blame AP for posting this. The story is circulating, and I for one am interested although appropriately skeptical. Especially considering the source.
We rely on our trusted sources to bring us the news we can’t get elsewhere; AP and HA’s approach has been the correct one here IMHO – mention it, but without hyperbole or hysteria.
Gilda on June 2, 2008 at 12:40 PM
Michelle Obama is the mother of children who are 25% white.
I believe she is stupid enough to say these things but is she COLD ENOUGH to do this to her children?
EJDolbow on June 2, 2008 at 12:51 PM
Is this the same Larry Johnson?
We all remember how that worked out for Jason and Larry.
Al in St. Lou on June 2, 2008 at 1:01 PM
Her husband is 50% white.
JiangxiDad on June 2, 2008 at 1:02 PM
I think that quote, not by me either, is perfect for a pundit here at HA. I think he is a Obamabot.
WoosterOh on June 2, 2008 at 1:13 PM
Have not seen or heard the tape so can’t comment. But in my over 45 years of working, before civil rights, women’s rights, etc., and today, I will tell that every group, race, religion have their own “inhouse” words….the African Community can use the word “n….r” among themselves and “whitey” is just another word for “n….r” for them when they describe the caucasian race in this country. Before anyone makes any assumptions (you know what that does), we need to hear and see the tape, know where and when it was taped, by whom it was taped and then listen to it first, before we remember what the woman thinks about this country. Then we can decide.
sharinlite on June 2, 2008 at 1:19 PM
Mike Honcho on June 2, 2008 at 10:13 AM
Johnson also had this to say…
WoosterOh on June 2, 2008 at 1:43 PM
Cookies for you both!
Sekhmet on June 2, 2008 at 1:51 PM
I’m not an expert on racial math, but I think EJDolbow’s point is that with a 100% Black mother (assumption there) and a 50/50 Father, that would make the kids 25% White.
However, I will defer to any experts out there who may know better.
TheCulturalist on June 2, 2008 at 2:05 PM
I’m keeping my powder dry on this one. I have no doubt that she is very capable of saying and believing anything anti-White. Considering the company she keeps. But, was it caught on tape?
Wonder when she gets thrown under the bus?
Obama: I have discussed this at length with… ummm, myself, and we have decided, with much regret, that I have to distance myself from Michelle. She isn’t the woman I married 20 yrs ago.
TheCulturalist on June 2, 2008 at 2:09 PM
Indeed he is and she is railing away at that half, the half that bothered to stick around and raise him.
Which is bad enough but I think doing this to her own children is far worse than doing it to her husband.
EJDolbow on June 2, 2008 at 2:22 PM
Did you know that the President said that the United States Constitution was just a “Goddamned piece of paper?”
And you know that the liberal bloggers reported on that.
Screw them.
wise_man on June 2, 2008 at 3:59 PM
What’s interesting about this business is that if nothing comes out come October, what does this guy do? He can’t just disappear, he’s been using his real name all along.
Typhonsentra on June 2, 2008 at 8:09 PM