The Man Behind the Obama Smears

I don't normally listen to Sean Hannity, nor did I watch his Fox News special on Sunday, "Obama and Friends: The History of Radicalism." But I did read the transcript. To make their case against Obama, conservatives like Hannity are relying on a highly discredited cast of characters.

Take the example of Andy Martin, the "author and journalist" Hannity quotes extensively in his segment. "I think a community organizer in Barack Obama's case was somebody that was in training for a radical overthrow of the government," Martin tells Hannity. In Martin's view, Obama is just a puppet of radicals like Bill Ayers and Louis Farrakhan. "If you love the Cuban revolution and Castro and if you love what's happening in Venezuela with Hugo Chavez, you'll love Barry Obama--Barack Obama, as he calls himself--in the White House," Martin says.

So just who is Andy Martin? Well, for starters, he's the originator of the "Obama is a Muslim" lie circulating around the Internet, as my colleague Chris Hayes first reported last year. Here's a brief backgrounder on Martin, from Hayes' article, "The New Right-Wing Smear Machine":

During a 1983 bankruptcy case he referred to a federal judge as a "crooked, slimy Jew, who has a history of lying and thieving common to members of his race." Martin, who in the past was known as Anthony Martin-Trigona, is one of the most notorious litigants in the history of the United States. He's filed hundreds, possibly thousands, of lawsuits, often directed at judges who have ruled against him, or media outlets that cover him unfavorably. A 1993 opinion by the US Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, in Atlanta, described these lawsuits as "a cruel and effective weapon against his enemies," and called Martin a "notoriously vexatious and vindictive litigator who has long abused the American legal system." He once even attempted to intervene in the divorce proceedings of a judge who'd ruled against him, petitioning the state court to be appointed as the guardian of the judge's children.

The New York Times mentioned Martin's background in an article today, but left out a few pertinent and damning facts.

"In his past, Martin also has expressed anti-Semitic views," the Chicago Tribune wrote in 2006. "When he ran for Congress in Connecticut in 1986, the name of his congressional campaign committee included the phrase 'to exterminate Jew power in America,' Federal Election Commission records show."

Martin wrote in a personal bankruptcy case in 1983, "I am able to understand how the Holocaust took place, and with every passing day feel less and less sorry that it did, when Jew survivors are operating as a wolf pack to steal my property."

Martin's had numerous run-ins with the law, in Connecticut, Florida, Illinois and elsewhere. The South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported today:

In 1996, while running for a Palm Beach County state Senate seat, Martin was arrested after attacking a WPTV-Ch. 5 camerman during an attempted interview at the station's headquarters, while the cameras were rolling. In jail, he went on a hunger strike, claiming to be a 'political prisoner.' And after the election ended, he was given a one-year sentence and ordered to attend anger management classes."

Ten years later, Martin attempted to run for Governor of Illinois as a Republican. Here's what the St. Louis Post-Dispatch wrote about him at the time:

There is the Andy Martin who touts to the media a long list of impressive, if vague, credentials: attorney, political reformer, consumer advocate, foreign policy expert and major player in the current political field.

And then there is the Andy Martin of official record: perennial candidate and lawsuit plaintiff; pegged by the U.S. Selective Service as mentally unstable; barred from a law license by the Illinois Supreme Court for irrational behavior toward the legal system; jailed on several occasions for his antics in court and on the campaign trail.

The Associated Press added:

The Illinois Supreme Court denied [Martin] a license because he sent several profane letters to members of the bar committee and filed abusive court pleadings, documents show. The court also noted his Selective Service file showed Martin suffered from a "moderately-severe character defect manifested by well-documented ideation with a paranoid flavor and grandiose character."

The Chicago Sun-Times reported that Martin claimed he found Saddam Hussein before the US military did. "The Near North Side resident was relating how he spent most of 2003 scouring holes in Iraq with two dogs--and pinpointed Saddam Hussein's whereabouts a full two months before US troops," the Sun-Times wrote in 2006.

Now, Martin claims, he has been "the pathfinder on Barack Obama for over four years." On October 15th, Martin plans to "launch the first investigative strike force in Hawaii directed at researching Barack Obama's 'hidden Hawaiian history.'"

"As always, our goals will be factual accuracy and fairness."

Based on his past work, I'd expect nothing less.

Comments (22)

1. Such are the whack-jobs the right parades before us as "experts".

   Posted by Balrog at 10/07/2008 @ 2:10pm

2. At least the other stations 'try' to be fair but FOX news is just way out there. The hard- rights are finally heard somewhere I suppose.

   Posted by psahome at 10/07/2008 @ 2:15pm

3. egadest!

   354.4

   192.6

   Posted by frosty zoom at 10/07/2008 @ 2:24pm

4. A nutty anti-Semite...as an 'expert'?

   OH, that IS good! The Boy Blunder (youthful ward of Fat-man)...aka Sean...does it again!

   Posted by Maskdelta at 10/07/2008 @ 2:39pm

5. >>>Martin wrote in a personal bankruptcy case in 1983, "I am able to understand how the Holocaust took place, and with every passing day feel less and less sorry that it did, when Jew survivors are operating as a wolf pack to steal my property." <<<

   How could FOX give this guy ANY airtime with these extreme racist views against Jews?

   This guy is WORSE than Farrakhan, and it is therefore incredible that the Jewish community is not up in arms over this blatant anti-Semite.

   Maybe the ADL should do a letter writing campaign to FOX to kill the Sean Hannity show and blackball him from the entertainment business like they did to Arsenio when he invited Farrakhan on his show many years ago?

   WHERE IS THE OUTRAGE?

   Posted by Metteyya at 10/07/2008 @ 3:11pm

6. It would be easier to list their "experts" or anyone on fox news for that matter who aren't wack jobs. Short list. Maybe some of you could help me out here.

   Posted by bascaville at 10/07/2008 @ 3:55pm

7. This is their "expert"? Jesus. I am sure someone will come here from the right to defend this guy as a crusader. I suppose it won't be LVL because this guy is an anti-semite but you never know with LVL. This guy is just nutty though. This is who the right is accepting the "truths" about Obama from? Gah I would be better off accepting the headlines of the tabloid news papers that are saying Palin is cheating on her husband with a new man.

   Posted by Cccomfo1 at 10/07/2008 @ 4:09pm

8. >>>As I have posted on other threads, there are certainly a cast of radical communist, anarchist, and other domestic extremists behind the Obama political rise from the time he announced his run for the state Senate in Illinois.<<<

   But if you look at Obama's RECORD from the Illinois Senate, it is clear that the "radical communist" views you attribute to these people had NO effect on Barack's public policy positions that he fought for during his 8 years as a state senator.

   Whether it was death penalty reform, ethics reform or women and children's health care, Barack Obama is about as mainstream as it gets, so this "association thing" is obviously a desperate attempt by McCain to change the subject from the economy that most Americans say they care about.

   Posted by Metteyya at 10/07/2008 @ 4:40pm

9. Posted by lvliberty1 at 10/07/2008 @ 4:31pm

   Rove's little secret is out - he is a "one trick pony" with no other tools in the election strategy toolbox but "divide and distract".

   The problem with this tool is that is worn out and only works if the public is unaware that you are trying to distract them from the issues they really care about.

   Posted by Metteyya at 10/07/2008 @ 4:48pm

10. Posted by lvliberty1 at 10/07/2008 @ 4:48pm

    If these so-called radical individuals were not able to influence Obama during his 8 years as a state senator or during his 3 years as a US Senator, what makes you think they will have "greater" influence over him once he is president?

    Where is this influence and power supposed to come from - osmosis?

    Posted by Metteyya at 10/07/2008 @ 4:52pm

11. The Wikipedia compilation of Martin's candidacies for public office:

    U.S. Senator from Illinois, 1978 (Democratic primary), U.S. Senator from Illinois, 1980 (Democratic primary), U.S. House from Connecticut, 1986 (Republican primary), President of the United States, 1988 (Democratic primary), Governor of Florida, 1990 (Republican primary), U.S. House from Florida, 1992 (Republican primary), Florida State Senate, 1996 (unsuccessful Republican nominee), U.S. Senator from Florida, 1998 (Republican primary), President of the United States, 2000] (Republican primary), U.S. Senator from Florida, 2000 (unsuccessful independent candidate), U.S. Senator from Florida, 2004 (Republican primary), Governor of Illinois, 2006 (Republican primary), U.S. Senator from Illinois, 2008 (Republican primary)

    Hannity's expert is the conservative wingnut version of Pat Paulsen (Slogan: "If elected, I will win")

    Posted by warn_this_person at 10/07/2008 @ 4:55pm

12. Posted by Cccomfo1 at 10/07/2008 @ 4:09pm

    The Right (even LL, as noted above) will casually "look the other way" if somebody is a bit "controversial" (short hand for bigoted)...

    if they're useful politically. Martin is....so they'll disregard his anti-Semitism to help bolster their case against Obama.

    It's pure pragmatism...they threw principles out a long time ago.

    Interestingly, LL will accept help from an anti-Semite...but feared (to the point of threatening to go 3rd Party)....a Mormon!

    LOL

    Posted by Maskdelta at 10/07/2008 @ 4:56pm

13. Posted by lvliberty1 at 10/07/2008 @ 4:31pm

    How about Palin and the Alaska Independence Party? Why is it when we bring that up or all the things she has done you are quick to write that all off? How about McCain's judgement during the Keating 5 incident? Oh yeah you write that off to. Seems you are quick to excuse your folks. Why is it Palin can be apart of a group that wants to secede from the United States and that's ok but if Obama is a part of a Communist party it's not?

    Posted by Cccomfo1 at 10/07/2008 @ 5:01pm

14. Posted by lvliberty1 at 10/07/2008 @ 4:48pm

    If these so-called radical individuals were not able to influence Obama during his 8 years as a state senator or during his 3 years as a US Senator, what makes you think they will have "greater" influence over him once he is president?

    Where is this influence and power supposed to come from - osmosis?

    Posted by Metteyya at 10/07/2008 @ 5:18pm

15. I use to be a conservative until the party went south and left me in the worst dilemma that can happen to a member of a political [party. I''m seventy two years old and I belonged to the party of Eisenhower and Margaret Chase Smith. This new Republican party is the party of plutocrats and fascist. People like Sean Hannity leave much to be desired as member of the human race. he also seems to be working for people and with people t exude the stench of racism and xenophobia. They are not, generally, a very attractive group intellectually.

    Posted by lachatte at 10/07/2008 @ 7:53pm

16. Posted by lvliberty1 at 10/07/2008 @ 5:13pm |

    LL, you spend a total of ONE sentence "distancing yourself" from Martin...

    and then proceeded for paragraphs parrotting the attacks he (and Hannity) used.

    Just saying "I don't know the guy nor would defend him"...doesn't buy you CYA for spouting the guy's crap.

    Posted by Maskdelta at 10/07/2008 @ 8:19pm

17. I just graduated w/ a degree in Poli. Sci. and you will get laughed out of class for quoting these people. It's sad that people buy into this crap.

    Posted by xista78 at 10/07/2008 @ 8:57pm

18. These herd/follower guys like LV who adore whitey-Cheney and whitey-Hagee and whitey-Palin just can't reveal what they're for -- so they do the Clear Channel Swiftboater dance.

    Posted by winyahn at 10/07/2008 @ 10:36pm

19. Gee. Lot's of people from the church I grew up in on the South Side know Barack Obama, including my adopted mother who worked in the Developing Communities Project with him. Wow, those people at Pullman Christian Reformed Church sure are radical! Christian school teachers, a social worker, a hospital adminstrator... I shudder to think about how they are all plotting to overthrow the government and how she bred me, a radical who had a counter-terrorism MOS in the Army. So radical.

    Posted by krisirizarry at 10/08/2008 @ 12:38am

20. Andy martin atleast comes out openly, but sean Hannity , this conniving bastard attacks from behind. Sean takes the whole nation on a wild goose chase. I doubt Sean's upbringing his mother could be the most hated lady in the neighbourhood or maybe Sean is a victim of child abuse! Nobody can be so abnormal and a hypocrite like him. I simply feel sorry for this man, he is simply pathetic and a low lifer. Why cant he invite people with credibility -for once??????????? He is the most crooked journalist around the globe with sheer double standards to his credit each day everyday. I rejected fox news channel in totality, who wants to be misled. How he strode off the sets when Colmes pointed out about McCain's infidelity!!!

    Sara palin, and the Fox's lot are all from the same club of Dick cheney - the low lifers.

    Posted by aleemsyed at 10/08/2008 @ 08:29am

21. It is interesting to observe that the one thing the far-right pro-McCain militia/white supremacist-friendly sector has in common with the far-right pro-McCain pro-Israel sector is their shared hatred for Senator Obama. (I refer to Lieberman and Co along with their friends at the Committee On the Present Danger, the American Enterprise Institute, etc. who have also tried to link Senator Obama with "the Arabs".) So much for the idea that these guys can't play nice together. Shades of Yitzhak Rabin.

    Posted by Infokronea at 10/08/2008 @ 2:10pm

22. GupDog, Change the name of Obama to Bush and you've described the Republican Party!

    Posted by Mercado at 10/12/2008 @ 08:25am