What’s this all about?
‘Swift-boating’ a candidate’s religion?

We just received a curious email announcing a media briefing tomorrow at the National Press Club about a new book set to, and I’m quoting here, “swift-boat” a presidential candidate’s religious identity.

Hmmm.

For the record (once more with feeling):

BARACK OBAMA IS A CHRISTIAN. BARACK OBAMA IS NOT A MUSLIM.

Even if his middle name is Hussein. Even if his father and step-father were nominally Muslim. Even if he spent a couple of his grammar school years in a Madrassa.

Obama is a professing, confessing Christian. I’ve spent time with him talking about his faith and I assure you, inasmuch as anyone can know what truly transpires between another person and his/her Creator, the senator is not bullshitting. Not about this. Not about his faith.

If it’s not Obama who’s about to be swift-boated, I wonder who and what it could be??

For your perusal/amusement, here is the text of the email I received today (Sunday a.m.)titled, “Candidate’s Religion to be Swift-Boated Tomorrow”

Candidate to be Swift-Boated Tomorrow in D.C

Press Advisory

Who: A leading major U.S. Presidential Candidate

What: Eight years ago, George W. Bush’s Presidential campaign was nearly torpedoed by the last-minute “October Surprise” release of factual truth about a decades-old DUI. Four years ago, Bush’s campaign was almost derailed again, by the release of authentic-looking forged documents relating to his National Guard service. Had the documents proved true, Kerry might have become President.

Four years ago, “Swift Boating” entered the Presidential campaign lexicon when Kerry’s candidacy was torpedoed by accusations from men who’d served with him in Vietnam. Kerry was never able to recover, even when the veracity of these accusations became subject to question. In 2004, “Swift Boating” and “Rather-Gate” were action based on “iffy” information. However, in 2008, this “Swift Boating” experience is based on rock-solid, well-sourced and absolutely accurate information.

Why: This years’ Swift-Boating” will occur with the release of a new book published by Revelation Press and available this week at www.revelationpress.com. The author is concerned about the danger of this candidate misleading the American people if they were to become president. Built around irrefutable hard and cold facts – these allegations come from a former TV business news editor, a twice-decorated military veteran who shares this candidate’s party affiliation – and who has known the candidate personally since their college days. This book literally gives “chapter and verse” about this candidate’s less-than-candid candor with the American people. Unlike “Rather-Gate” and the original “Swift Boat” book, this former TV journalist’s book is no fabrication – it is supported by 10 pages of meticulously-researched end-notes citing original source material supporting every factual assertion about the candidate’s failure to shoot straight with the American people, and this breach-of-faith’s implications for the Presidency.

Where: National Press Club, Murrow Room, Washington D.C.

When: 1:30 p.m. January 7, 2008

Why: This years’ Swift-Boating” will occur with the release of a new book published by Revelation Press and available this week at www.revelationpress.com. Built around irrefutable hard and cold facts – these allegations come from a former TV business news editor, a twice-decorated military veteran who shares this candidate’s party affiliation – and who has known the candidate personally since their college days. This book literally gives “chapter and verse” about this candidate’s less-than-candid candor with the American people. Unlike “Rather-Gate” and the original “Swift Boat” book, this former TV journalist’s book is no fabrication – it is supported by 10 pages of meticulously-researched end-notes citing original source material supporting every factual assertion about the candidate’s failure to shoot straight with the American people, and this breach-of-faith’s implications for the Presidency.

Note to Media/Guest Bookers/Producers: Limited conditional signed embargos available on request. Obviously, we can’t tell you more at this point – not without inviting in-advance cover-up from the Candidate’s camp.

Immediately after the press announcement, the author will be available in Washington D.C. and NYC for interviews for broadcast appearances and interviews – ready to answer questions and defend his allegations – with facts. To schedule an interview, please contact:

Daryl Toor
CEO/Chief Awareness Officer
Attention!
1030 Clairborne Drive
Alpharetta, GA 30004
www.attentiongroup.com
[email protected]

A couple of things:
1) The www.revelationpress.com Web site is not loading. My browser says it can’t be found.

2) A search on WhoIs.com for the domain registrant shows that www.revelationpress.com is a protected domain, i.e., the identity of the registrant is hidden.

3) We’re not the only one (obv) trying to figure out who and what this is. A few other blogggers already have thrown their hats in the ring and I’d guess traditional media might not be far behind. The Moderate Voice thinks it’s a planned attack on McCain. But he’s the most irreligious of the front runners in either party. So … maybe not.

4) A Nexis check produced no stories about Revelation Press (apart from the PR release about tomorrow’s press conference and subsequent items about the impending press conference), but the publisher (by name only without any description) is listed among the merchants at a Toronto book festival in 1998 and 1995. But no company dossier was listed for Revelation Press in Lexis/Nexis.

5) The one reference to a book published by Revelation Press I could find on Google was for a limited-edition (300 copies, re-release) run of a book called The Fixer: A Lawson Novel by Jon F. Merz. It’s currently out of print and no pub date was listed. The novel is listed on a horror books web site with the following description: “Call me Lawson. I work out of Boston, where human beings are just another part of the food chain.”Lawson’s a fixer. He’s the guy the Council calls when one of their own gets out of line. This time its a vamp named Cosgrove, a megalomanica with delusions of grandeur. Lawson’s been called in to sanction him – with extreme prejudice. There’s only one problem – last time he tangled with Cosgrove he almost lost his life.”

An Amazon.com search shows that Jon F. Merz has published a number of novels, most of them vampire thrillers, published variously by Pinnacle Books, Maelstrom and Warner Books (an anthology.) He also co-wrote The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Ultimate Fighting (pub date Sept. 2007). Merz’s bio on Wikipedia says, in part: “Prior to embarking on a full-time writing career, he served in the United States Air Force, and worked for the US government and in private sector security.” He has a Web site: www.jonfmerz.com

It’s a Sunday riddle. Yay!
Have fun trying to figure it out …

GG