In a Nov. 13 FrontPageMag article discussing criticism of Sarah Palin, Jacob Laksin noted the claim that Palin “did not know that Africa is a continent and not a country” and writes: “Palin has said that her comments about NATO and Africa were quoted out of context. The Africa charge turns out to be a hoax.”
Wrong. In fact, the “hoax” in question was the assertion that purported McCain policy adviser “Martin Eisenstadt” made in an appearance on MSNBC that he was the person who first leaked the Africa claim. “Eisenstadt” and the related “Harding Institute for Freedom and Democracy” are the creations of a pair of hoaxsters who have taken in MSNBC, among others, over the years.
Indeed, the AP article Laksin cited to back up his claim specifically contradicts him: “While Palin has denied that she mistook Africa for a country, the veracity of that report was not put in question by the revelation that Eisenstadt is a phony.”