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Key Part of JFK-Obama Myth Not True
March 30, 2008 9:37 AM
Key Part of JFK-Obama Myth Not True
Our friend Michael Dobbs, the Fact Checker at the Washington Post, takes a look today at the claim by Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, wrapping up his existence in the hagiography of Camelot.
The basic notion is this: the Kennedy family, led by then-Sen. John Kennedy, D-Mass., funded an airlift of 81 Kenyan students to the United States.
Among those 81 Kenyan students -- Barack Obama Sr., who then met and married a young woman named Ann Dunham, from Kansas.
And on August 4, 1961, Barack Obama, Jr., was born.
As Obama said to voters in Alabama last year: "What happened in Selma, Alabama and Birmingham also stirred the conscience of the nation. It worried folks in the White House who said, 'You know, we're battling Communism. How are we going to win hearts and minds all across the world? If right here in our own country, John, we're not observing the ideals set fort in our Constitution, we might be accused of being hypocrites.'
"So the Kennedys decided, 'We're going to do an air lift. We're going to go to Africa and start bringing young Africans over to this country and give them scholarships to study so they can learn what a wonderful country America is,'" Obama continued. "This young man named Barack Obama got one of those tickets and came over to this country. He met this woman whose great great-great-great-grandfather had owned slaves; but she had a good idea there was some craziness going on because they looked at each other and they decided that we know that the world as it has been it might not be possible for us to get together and have a child."
What a great story, right?
Reporting on Caroline Kennedy's decision to endorse Obama, Newsweek's Jonathan Alter wrote that "One intriguing element of Obama's family history that resonated with Caroline was a long-buried story that was brought to her attention last summer. It drove home for her how history replays itself, how two generations of two families — separated by distance, culture and wealth — can intersect in strange and wonderful ways, and how people have no idea that their good deeds may come back to them someday."
A key part of this for Caroline, Alter writes, is that "Two weeks after he was nominated for president in July 1960, then-Senator Kennedy received a visit at his vacation home in Hyannis Port, Mass., from a Kenyan educator, Tom Mboya, who told him that more than 200 African students had received scholarships to American universities through the African-American Students Foundation but did not have the $100,000 for air transport."
For whatever reason, the Eisenhower State Department would not pay for what "the African airlift."
So then-Sen. John F. Kennedy "quietly tapped his family's Kennedy Foundation, which agreed to raise the necessary funds privately," Alter writes. "The airlift money came through from the Kennedy Foundation, and the students arrived. Barack Obama Sr. went to the University of Hawaii, where he met and married a young white woman from Kansas. Their son, born the following year, arrived in the United States Senate in early 2005 and found that the antique desk he had been assigned on the Senate floor had once belonged to JFK, whose initials were carved inside. Obama learned only recently how his father's dream of studying in the United States had been fulfilled."
When Obama secured the endorsements of Caroline and Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., he referred to the airlift that brought his father over to the U.S., saying, "part of what made it possible for him to come here was an effort by the young senator from Massachusetts at the time, John F. Kennedy and by a grant -- and by a grant from the Kennedy Foundation to help Kenyan students pay for travel. So it is partly because of their generosity that my father came to this country. And because he did, I stand before you today inspired by America's past, filled with hope for America's future and determined to do my part in writing our next great chapter."
But here's the rub, writes Dobbs today. "It is a touching story -- but the key details are either untrue or grossly oversimplified."
Because Obama's father was part of the September 1959 airlift -- which the Kennedys did not help fund.
The Kennedys helped fund the September 1960 airlift.
Writes Dobbs: "Obama spokesman Bill Burton acknowledged yesterday that the senator from Illinois had erred in crediting the Kennedy family with a role in his father's arrival in the United States. He said the Kennedy involvement in the Kenya student program apparently 'started 48 years ago, not 49 years ago as Obama has mistakenly suggested in the past.'"
So Mboya secured funding from the Kennedys after Obama Sr. was already studying in Hawaii.
Dobbs reports that "The former executive director of the African-American Students Foundation, Cora Weiss, said some of the money provided by the Kennedys was used to pay off old debts and subsidize student stipends. Even though Obama Sr. arrived the previous year, he and other members of the 1959 cohort benefited indirectly from Kennedy family support."
Doesn't quite have the same ring to it, though, does it?
- jpt
March 30, 2008 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (167)
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Obama will not only lose the presidency, he'll be lucky to win dog catcher after we're finished examining his ties to Farrakhan, Rev. Wright, etc.
Posted by: Jo | Mar 30, 2008 6:43:21 PM
Interesting.. reiterates the annoying mysticism that surrounds the Obama campaign.
And PMC - good post.
Posted by: Brooke | Mar 30, 2008 6:22:49 PM
Jake, thanks for reporting that, I have not seen it anywhere else.
Posted by: Christine D | Mar 30, 2008 6:18:58 PM
Dude, you need reliable sources. FYI, AOL's poll means nothing, uses anyone's computer and is not a scientific sample. Hence, the math and results are not a good representation of anything. Actually, it's closer to the voting on American Idol. I Vote And I Vote Over And Over....
Rasmussen Obama 47. Hillary 42
Real Clear (average of week - and Obama went up strong at end of week) Obama 46, Hil 41. Only Gallup tests Every Day. And his trend is up in all RCP's sources.
Use better media.
Posted by: kravitz | Mar 30, 2008 6:05:49 PM
and jay, that's NBC's methods you're confusing with gallop.
"Hillary’s St. Patrick’s Day Massacre" by Frank Rich has the story on why Obama leads 52 to Hillary's downward trending 42%. And falling by the day. Like every day she lied about BOSNIA....TUZLA....And the lazy press didn't catch for three months. And she acted like she would get away with it.
How can a campaign with a 'war room' not catch such a biggie? Because it was in on the LIE.
Posted by: kravitz | Mar 30, 2008 5:34:00 PM
oh and kids...Obama 52%, clinton 42%. hill's negatives are higher than the mountains too.
Posted by: kravitz | Mar 30, 2008 5:12:57 PM
the worst anyone has on obama is still not much of anything. like the piece on his grandmother and the banking business.
Posted by: kravitz | Mar 30, 2008 5:08:52 PM
Not quite the same ring but the same gist, if you ask me. This is another one of those nit-picky type things that "gotcha" journalists care about much more than real-life voters.
Posted by: drill | Mar 30, 2008 5:07:25 PM
Not quite the same ring but the same gist, if you ask me. This is another one of those nit-picky type things that "gotcha" journalists care about much more than real-life voters.
Posted by: drill | Mar 30, 2008 4:51:34 PM
Just add this to the MANY lies and misrepresentations that Obama has told! Mr. Unity himself! The one so protected and slanted in the media, that we know nothing about him until AFTER we vote, and even then, the media continues to hide the facts regarding Obama and instead, spend 24/7 speaking negatively of Senator Clinton. WHERE IS THE FCC? WHERE IS THE "PUBLIC INTEREST" IN THIS TYPE OF MEDIA SLANT? THE FCC STATES THE "PUBLIC INTEREST" AND THE "RIGHT TO KNOW" ARE AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN GOVERNING THE MEDIA. THE FCC NEEDS TO GET INVOLVED! And now. WRITE THEM NOW!
Posted by: PMC | Mar 30, 2008 4:47:33 PM
maryland writes:
"Well I will never understand why Edwards isn't our nominee"
-----
The most TRIVIAL reason may be that Jonathan Alter was insanely jealous of Edwards' popularity, good looks, and football prowess when Edwards was in high-school. :^)
All the nasty-nice white liberals in the media alternately ridiculed and ignored John Edwards, who was outspent 10-to-1 by Hillobama, the post-partisan "diversity" twins underwritten by the corporate shekels and the Democratic Leadership Council.
Funny thing: while the media was ragging on Edwards for having a big house (built with money Edwards actually MADE by being smart and taking on corporations for ordinary people, rather than class entitlement), they managed to SUPPRESS the more interesting fact that the much-younger, conspicuously-consuming Obamas were inhabiting a mansion made possible by mobsters and corporate largesse.
Funny thing: the media made fun of an Edwards haircut, never said a mumbling word about Obama's new AIRPLANE.
Like that.
Unlike the current brace of "front-runners", Edwards hasn't spent the last year sucking up to John McCain and Bush I. All the same, nobody'd bolt the party because of an Edwards nomination. And the "grassroots" -- badly burned by soldier-cultist buffoon John Kerry, now an Obama handler -- would turn out, not just for rallies, but to VOTE.
The Democrats can throw off the mob and the media and nominate whomever they like. If they want to win the presidency and avoid war in the streets when the Depression hits, they'll nominate John Edwards.
Posted by: Navarro | Mar 30, 2008 4:44:34 PM
In regards to Carolyn Grace's post...It's so sad that she, along with so many others are so blinded by everything that is real and truthful about Barack Hussein Obama. His involvemnent with Rev. Wright, Rezko, his false statements such as this one above, and the list goes on, etc. etc. Still harping on what Hillary said a few weeks back only to make herself feel better about the candidate she backs, who lacks...in clear EXPERIENCE. Hilarious really! What's in your drinking water over there anyway Carolyn? Are you a member of his church? His campaign? Or just one of many who have not done your research and refuse to believe what's real? Jake Tapper's job is to report the truth even if so many people such as yourself Miss Grace,live in clear denial of anything that is "Truth." Maybe if you woke up one day and made a conscious effort to live in the land of reality you would see things for what they really are and not in the fantasy land that you have created for yourself.
Posted by: Mark Richards | Mar 30, 2008 4:42:15 PM
Someone PLEASE!!! look at his books.
There are so many examples where Obama lies and exaggerates. Every story I looked into turned out not to be true (how he met his sister, the Life Magazine photo, etc).
It won't take much digging to find his lies + plagiarism, so I don't understand why no reporter has bothered to look.
Posted by: TRUTH | Mar 30, 2008 4:41:56 PM
I'm glad this story finally broke.
Now, someone should examine his books. They are FILLED WITH EMBELLISHMENTS! Nearly every story, every fact, is an overstatement, to make the story more pretty, and make his accomplishments seem more grand.
This is NOT someone that we could trust.
Posted by: OBAMA EMBELLISHES | Mar 30, 2008 4:37:08 PM
lol But he has great hair
Posted by: maryland | Mar 30, 2008 4:33:28 PM
All of you bloggers should read the article that appeared today in the Honolulu Advertiser about his white grandmother. Finally, her co-workers and people here in Hawaii are speaking out about their knowledge of Mrs. Dunham and her character and reputation. Please rwad it and make up your own minds. Keeping them honest here in Hawaii.
Posted by: ellen | Mar 30, 2008 4:30:21 PM
"Well I will never understand why Edwards isn't our nominee"
It's all a matter of hairdo.
Posted by: Bernd | Mar 30, 2008 4:26:24 PM
"Jo writes:
"I think [Obama] better start to work on keeping his senate seat - he may lose that as well."
mmm... I thought Illinois was the biggest win so far... 104 delegates for Obama, 49 for Clinton... those Illinois folks seemed to know pretty well who they where voting for... our country's next President!
Posted by: Deirde | Mar 30, 2008 4:24:50 PM
Carolyn Grace writes:
"Did you also invent the "internets"."
-----
Nah: that was Al Gore, Joe Klein's new heart-throb. You remember Gore: the guy who couldn't either win his own state OR stand up to the right in Florida, last time around.
Posted by: Navarro | Mar 30, 2008 4:23:46 PM
Gore would never run again because he himself said he has no passion for politics.
Posted by: John | Mar 30, 2008 4:22:55 PM
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