Members of the news media, including from publications such as Time and Newsweek, have reacted harshly to the announcement of the No. 1 non-fiction book in America, which investigates President Obama, with multiple reporters sending expletive-laden e-mails to the author's publicist saying they did not want to receive a copy.
"The Manchurian President: Barack Obama's Ties to Communists, Socialists and other Anti-American Extremists" officially was released Monday.
Amazon.com lists Klein's book as the No. 7 overall best-seller. Amazon lists the book in its No. 2 position for non-fiction, but in reality, it is No. 1, since the item mistakenly listed in the top spot is a free download of the fictional classic, "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland."
With more than 800 citations, the brand-new title from WND senior reporter and WABC Radio host Aaron Klein bills itself as the most exhaustive investigation ever performed into Obama's political background and radical ties. Klein's co-author is historian and researcher Brenda J. Elliott.
As is customary in the run-up to the release of a new title, Klein's publicist, Maria Sliwa, last week sent a press release to key media contacts announcing the forthcoming book.
Sliwa, who has represented dozens of best-selling titles, has cultivated a list of reporters to whom she regularly sends releases.
Sliwa, however, said she was stunned by what she described as "unprecedented" e-mail replies she received regarding the "The Manchurian President" announcement.
"Ridiculous crap," retorted John Oswald, news editor for the New York Daily News.
"Never, ever contact me again," wrote Time Magazine senior writer Jeffrey Kluger.
Newsweek deputy editor Rana Foroohar quipped,"This is sensational rubbish that is of no interest to any legitimate publication."
"Absolute crap," replied Evelyn Leopold, a Huffington Post contributor who served for 17 years as U.N. bureau chief for Reuters until recently.
Nancy Gibbs, editor-at-large for Newsweek, fired, "Remove me from your list."
David Knowles, AOL's political writer, responded, "seriously, get a life."
Ben Wyskida, publicity director for The Nation, claimed Klein's book is "so offensive" and "so far afield."
The reporters rejected the thoroughly documented book before receiving review copies of the title.
Sliwa noted that when reporters are not interested in her releases, they normally do not reply. She said in her 10 years of working in public relations, she never has received the kind of response from reporters provoked by publicizing "The Manchurian President."
Sliwa, who identifies herself as liberal, teaches journalism at New York University and lists Robert Thurman, Ghandi and Malcom X as her heroes. From 1999 to 2005 she publicized the genocide and slavery in Sudan. In 2005, she started her present company, M. Sliwa Public Relations.
She said her goal in publicly exposing the e-mail responses to "Manchurian" is not to embarrass the journalists, but she believes it is important to "call them out on their duty as members of the press to leave their biases where they belong – at the door."
Klein, the book's author, said he is not surprised by the emotional response.
Stated Klein: "Future historians will have to grapple with the fantastic phenomenon of the U.S. news media's having, as a class, almost completely abdicated their traditional responsibility when it comes to investigating Obama's background." READ MORE...
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