Author: David Freddoso
Review by Wendy Ellsworth
Consider this: What if Obama’s birth certificate was the least of one’s worries when it comes to the credibility, capability, and agenda of Barack Obama? The birth certificate issue pales in comparison to well documented facts about Barack Obama that are just as serious. David Freddoso wrote his meticulously documented book because of the unwillingness of the media to examine Obama’s record prior to the 2008 election. Freddoso’s goal was to expose the difference between Obama’s rhetoric and the reality in which he lives, and so Freddoso carefully scrutinized Obama’s record paying close attention to the details.
We should have done the same. The information was out there.
We are facing another election in which Obama could possibly get re-elected, and his record must be carefully examined by every voter. Can this nation survive another four years of Obama’s exorbitant spending and reckless foreign policies? This book cites a clear pattern of behavior even prior to his 2008 presidency. Those policies, detailed in this book, are the same ones that have damaged the American economy and our way of life, undoubtedly for generations to come. Americans live the Obama “hope and change” every day. But it isn’t the dream we hoped. Rather, it has become our nightmare.
In 2007, the media and the public claimed, “We don’t know much about him……” The media knew. They didn’t want the American people to know. So, they hand-picked and fed the public the hype, the charisma, and the oratory.
Freddoso quoted Spike Lee, “It changes the whole world” when Obama became the Democratic nominee. How could one argue? It was historic, and it demonstrated that we truly are living in a post racial world. Little did we realize how prophetic that comment would turn out to be three years later, when we have the highest unemployment rate in decades, a staggering number of home foreclosures, and more people on welfare than ever before. Times are tough, and most Americans are either living it themselves, or are watching close family and friends struggling to make ends meet.
Freddoso references the time when MSNBC’s Chris Mathews said that when he sees Obama, “a thrill goes up his leg.” Then later, Mathews compares Obama to Jesus Christ. Freddoso uses words like “unrealistic,” and “delusional” to describe the absurd madness that goes hand in hand with the Obama movement. He describes Obama’s appeal as “Messianic.”
When Freddoso mentioned he was thinking about writing this book, a close friend threatened that it would “deeply affect” their friendship if he did. When plans of Freddoso’s book became public, hate mail began to pour in.
At an early debate, Hillary quipped, “change you can Xerox,” when she pointed out that many of Obama’s lines had come from someone else’s speech. Most would call that plagiarism, but rather than report about that, the media reported that the crowds booed Hillary Clinton. Freddoso points out that the media had effectively “shut down public discourse.”
Obama literally could do no wrong.
Who exactly is Barak Obama? More importantly, how did he get to where he is? I had already heard and read much of what is in this book. But I admit that reading all of it in chronological order, each fact and story, one upon another, was alarming.
• His many long term associations with Leftist radicals, including the terrorist William Ayers, who remains unrepentant for his role in a police station bombing that killed one and injured two. Ayers only regret was not setting off more bombs.
• How he used his clout as a U.S. senator to save the corrupt Cook County Political Machine when reformers of both parties tried to challenge the entrenched political bosses.
• The multi-million dollar contracts awarded to his long-time supporter Tony Rezko, who was later convicted of 16 felony corruption charges.
• Saul Alinsky training as a community organizer/agitator for ACORN.
• Large government largesse to the radical Father Michael Pfleger, Obama’s “moral compass,” who infamously threatened a gun shop owner, “We’re going to snuff you out! You’ve got to hide like a rat”!
• Blocking Born Alive legislation, thus leaving infants surviving abortions to die slow, agonizing deaths in hospital trash heaps.
• Union pay-offs instead of helping K-12 students in Chicago schools.
• Voting “present” 130 times during his 8-year career as an Illinois state senator, thus avoiding “controversial” votes.
• 20-years of listening to the lying, race-baiting, hate-filled sermons of Jeremiah Wright.
What has happened to our political system that we would allow a candidate with such radical ties and nearly zero experience to run for the highest office in the world, much less elect him?
Freddoso explains that Obama learned early in life that he “could never fully trust white people” from “a poet named Frank” who was most likely Frank Marshall Davis, a communist poet in Hawaii. He also urged him to be careful in college, “lest he become a traitor to his race.” Obama has always been taught that the “whites” were out to get him.
Obama himself has admitted an aversion to religion throughout his life, but as Freddoso reveals, in his work as a community organizer, Obama was viewed by religious leaders as an outsider who wanted to use their congregations for his own political purpose. Obama is an opportunist who does what he must with political purpose in mind, as long as necessary. In an attempt to further his cause, Obama went looking for support from these congregations. Being a church-goer helped him with his base. Obama finally severed ties with Jeremiah Wright during his run for president, when Wright’s hate-filled sermons leaked out to the public. The pastor had become a political liability.
Even “Toot,” Barack’s white grandmother whom he was admittedly very fond of, got thrown under the bus, when Obama compared her to demagogue Jeremiah Wright, judging her “cringe-worthy remarks” equal to Wright’s “God Damn America.” She was friends with blacks and on many occasions defended them. Obama’s statements about her had to be the ultimate betrayal of this woman who he professed to love.
Freddoso describes how Obama paints himself as a reformer. It sounds good, especially in an anti-politician environment where so many have strong feelings toward politicians on both sides of the aisle not doing their job. However, Freddoso is quick to point out; it is an “undeserved reputation.”
For example, Obama claims to be dedicated to education. Yet in 2005 Obama went to a youth town hall meeting where the students voiced concerns about violence in school, the lack of equipment, and concern that their school day was only 5 ½ hours because all the school funding went to pay teachers’ cushy salaries. The average teacher in Thornton at the time made $83,000 a year. That isn’t the worst of it, 25% of teachers were making well over $100,000 a year. Chicago already spends 20 percent above the national average per student. Yet the 4-year graduation rate is as low as 54 percent in Chicago public schools. Only 31 percent of Chicago high school juniors meet or exceed state standards on the Prairie State Achievement Examination.
The teachers union, CTU, was an Obama endorser, thus, Obama has “vigorously resisted attempts to increase instruction time.” In 2003, they agreed to increase instruction time by 15 minutes a day, but then they cut the school year by 7 days. Teachers are guaranteed a pension and job security regardless of their performance, raises in salary regardless of the economic conditions, and the kicker is the teachers hardly have to teach much more than ½ what their peers teach across the country. Freddoso quotes Obama in his own words as saying, “I owe those unions.”
To understand Obama’s cold-bloodedness, consider his views on infants who survive abortions. One day Jill Stanek, a nurse at Chicago’s Christ Hospital, found herself comforting a tiny infant whose mother had decided to abort it. The baby survived a second-trimester procedure. He was tossed away like trash, with no intention of trying to save him. Ms. Stanek held him while he managed to live about 45 minutes struggling for every breath. Sometimes these babies lived for only a few minutes, sometimes for hours. Stanek turned to her Senator for help. Freddoso describes in-depth the process of getting a solid bill passed, which it did–unanimously, only to have Obama kill the bill in committee.
On 3/30, 2001, Obama spoke out against recognizing the personhood of premature babies who survive abortions. Terence P. Jeffery said, “Obama is the most pro-abortion candidate ever.” Obama doesn’t just vote for abortion, he uses it to excite his base and as a fundraising opportunity. He also uses it promising new ultra-liberal judges and legislation.
Freddoso also writes about how the Obama’s talked as if they were living in poverty. They made $316,962 dollars in 2005, while the median household income was only $37,192. Obama complained about the Bush tax cuts for the “rich,” but in reality, he has an issue with lowering taxes for anyone. He demonstrated that clearly when he voted to raise taxes on incomes over $32K by 3% while he was U.S. senator.
Freddoso describes Obama’s radical ideas and how he uses the Saul Alinsky model of community organizing. The Alinsky-trained organizer persuades members of the targeted community (usually low income, minority groups) to realize common problems and to embrace the organizer’s answers to these problems. Then, the organizer/agitator manipulates the groups to put pressure on the authorities and thus change a community’s situation. “The key is to agitate, aggravate, educate, and organize.”
We also learn that in spite of Obama’s denials he ever did anything for Tony Rezko, Freddoso reported he wrote letters on Rezko’s behalf to secure 14 million dollars of taxpayer money to build apartments for senior citizens. Rezko, along with many others, have all been beneficiaries of Obama’s “kindness and generosity.” Freddoso asks the question, “Why is Obama surrounded by developers?” While the answer to that question is not entirely clear he says, “the paper trail suggests…the developers financed his political career.”
Obama has spent his life crafting an image that reflects only what he wants portrayed, while inwardly, he calculates, manipulates and continuously makes plans on how to elevate his importance.
It was interesting to see what Freddoso wrote in a book published 4 years ago describing Obama’s naïveté about foreign policy during the cold war, and his continued inexperience and inconsistency. In 2002, Obama stated regarding the Iraq war, “Now let me be clear, I suffer no illusions about Saddam Hussein. He was a brutal man. A ruthless man. A man that butchers his own people to secure his own power. He has repeatedly defied UN resolutions…he was a bad guy. The world and the Iraqi people would be better off without him.”
Yet, we have seen him scrape and bow to foreign dignitaries, dictators, and many others. Ashamedly, he stood by while the people of Iran cried out for help, rioting in the streets, begging for the United States to help them. Obama did nothing while Iranians were brutally murdered at the hands of Ahmadinejad.
But in Libya, forces were dispatched to assist the people to over throw the government, and later, troops were put on the ground. Why?
As the election of 2012 rolls around in less than a year, I would highly recommend that every voter read this book. Each of us has a duty to inform ourselves about each candidate. Whatever they have done and stood for in the past is the best indicator of their future behavior.
We are not “informed” by watching the news. Rather, we are frequently misled. We must be proactive and think for ourselves.
This book reveals Obama’s associations, his rise to power, his goals, and ultimately, his insatiable desire to stroke his own importance. We have Chicago style politics in the White House, and a master-manipulator at the helm. Arguably, he is a dangerous man with dangerous ties, and does not have America’s best interests at heart. This November, it is time to vote for change we can really believe in.
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Gilbert Watch gladly welcomes Wendy Ellsworth as a new citizen journalist. She has lived in Gilbert for 5 years, and in Arizona for 20 years. Both of her grandparents served in the Navy, so the values and importance of military men and women and the exceptional American way of life have always been an integral part of her life. Wendy and her husband Tyler have 8 children ranging from ages 2 to 17. Wendy has always had an interest in history and politics and has followed both State and National trends closely. Watching the deterioration of our liberties, freedoms, and education over the last decade has created an intense desire to serve her community. After meeting some amazing people during the Gilbert Town Council elections, Wendy volunteered to get involved with government on a local level as a new Precinct Committeeman for LD22. She has also returned to school full time to pursue a Journalism/Political Science Degree. Besides being a full time student and mother, Wendy is also a member of the Editorial Board for the Gila River Review.