Freedom Line Blog

Pulitzer Prize-winning historian David Maraniss’ new book, Barack Obama: The Story documents nearly three dozen instances where the President misstated facts about his life in Dreams From My Father.

Among other defenses of Obama’s deliberate misstatements reported by Fox News’ James Rosen, this one takes the cake:

Gerald Early, a noted professor of English literature and African-American studies at Washington University in St. Louis, agreed. “It really doesn’t matter if he made up stuff,” Early told Fox News. “I mean, after all, it’s like you going to a psychiatrist and you make up stuff, and the psychiatrist can still psychoanalyze you because they’re your lies.”

My only regret is that Professor Early didn’t tighten up his argument so it can fit on a bumper sticker because it perfectly captures so much of what’s wrong with modern liberalism’s catechism.

Then again, maybe “It really doesn’t matter if Obama made up stuff…” could be understood to mean:

“…since he already got elected.”

“…because he can count on the Supreme Court to bail him out.”

“…because comprehensive health care reform is a BFD.”

“…since voters don’t care about integrity, just a President who can slow jam the news.”

Three cheers for textualism rang out when an Illinois state appellate court ruled former Obama White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel ineligible to run for mayor of Chicago.  CFIF previously highlighted Emanuel’s dubious residency claims.  Then, it was obvious Emanuel did not meet the 1 year Chicago residency requirement because he had been living in Washington, D.C.

Tellingly, no one disputes this now.  Instead, Emanuel’s defenders (including the Chicago Board of Elections) support the theory that a candidate’s intent to return should be read-in (i.e. judicially legislated) as an exception to the residency requirement.  The state appeals court had none of it.  In a straightforward opinion, a 2-1 majority ruled for textual integrity and struck Emanuel’s name from the ballot.  Of course, he’s appealing it to the state supreme court, but that shouldn’t deter that body from applying the same plain meaning of the statute to his situation.

No one is saying that Rahm Emanuel can never run for mayor of Chicago, just that he must comply with the legal standards for assuming the office.  If that’s too much to ask of Rahm, then maybe it would be too much to expect a faithful application of other laws once he’s in office.