According to Rusty Humphries, writing at Big Government, Bill Ayers’s claim that he wrote Dreams from My Father is a “blockbuster story.” I say it’s an interesting story, but a mistake to take Ayers’s claim at face value, as Humphries appears to do.
Incidentally, Humphries calls Obama’s memoir Dreams of My Father; he doesn’t even get the title of the book right. Let’s just say that attention to the text does not appear to be one of his strong points. Humphries has posted his interview with Anne Leary concerning her strange encounter with Ayers at Reagan National Airport on Monday during which Ayers purportedly claimed to have written Obama’s Dreams.
At his Pajamas Media blog, Ronald Radosh considers Leary’s encounter as well as Ayers’s similar statement to Will Englund of National Journal. (Radosh also cites my own thoughts on the subject.) He issues a warning to those who take Ayers at face value: “[T]his certainly sounds like a shtick that Ayers has decided to run with.” In addition, Radosh notes the uncertainty that Christopher Andersen has introduced to the subject.
As the old Latin saying has it, let the buyer beware.
UPDATE: Rusty Humphries producer Rich Davis writes:
Saw your post this morning and would like to extend an invitation to appear on Rusty’s show today….We have studied the Ayers-Obama book issue in considerable detail and despite the “of/from” error, that particular “detail” is superficial.
We do, indeed, believe the issue of authorship to be blockbuster. And that conclusion is based on studying Jack Cashill’s work and Christopher Andersen’s recent book. Please accept our invitation to explore further with you. As you know, the show is a fan and a big supporter of Power Line. We actively promote your web site for its good works.
I appreciate the kind words and will be trying to work out a time to talk tonight.
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