The two websites Brad O’Leary is using to publicize his new, factually challenged Obama-bashing book, “The Audacity of Deceit” — for instance, he claims that Obama “supported withholding emergency medical aid for babies who survive an abortion!!!!” which we’ve noted is categorically false — have most of the usual things: a profile of the author, a link to buy the book, etc. But one thing is missing — any mention of who published the book.
Could that be because it’s published by WND Books?
Indeed, O’Leary’s blackout of any mention of WND is total: the buy-the-book link on his website goes not to the WND store but to Amazon, and he’s using not WND’s favorite publicist Maria Sliwa, who has promoted previous WND books, but his own direct-marketing company.
For an author like O’Leary to refuse to make use of the major promotional resources of his publisher is unusual. But for O’Leary to utilize a code of silence by not even mentioning who his publisher is is even more so.
What is O’Leary afraid or ashamed of? There are plenty of reasons. This year alone, WND settled a libel lawsuit earlier this year by admitting it published false claims, and it has condoned child abuse in a family of homeschoolers. WND has published articles that are not only arguably anti-Catholic but also favorable toward polygamist cults.
We would point out WND’s publishing of numerous false claims about Barack Obama as one possible reason, but since O’Leary repeats many of those claims in his book, we sadly doubt that’s a factor.
So actual shame may not be a factor — perhaps just a desire not to be too aligned to the right-wing wackos at WND. If so, that’s not exactly a show of gratitude on O’Leary’s part for the company that published his book, is it?