Slime Alert: "Do Not Feed the Troll: Tell The National Press Club Not To Host Larry Sinclair"

Jane Hamsher (Firedoglake):

Larry Sinclair is one of the most outrageous anti-Obama smear merchants. So why is the National Press Club hosting him this coming Wednesday? Apparently Jeff Gannon wasn't available.

Sinclair's story about having used cocaine and having sex with Obama in 1999 is not credible. As Stoller says, it's another "whitey" style rumor and we all know how quickly this stuff makes the leap from the right wing smear machine to Sean Hannity to Fox News and then alley-oops its way into the AP.

Remember Nedra Pickler's article questioning Obama's patriotism? That one had a nice soft landing. And one in 10 Americans already think Obama is a Muslim.

Larry Sinclair has accused Obama of murdering his pastor. I understand the Press Club regularly rents out their facility to people, but it wouldn't take much effort for them to check his story out and conclude it's demonstrably false. Sinclair also indicates they're sending out a press release on his behalf. Every facility exercises judgment in this stuff. Would they do it for the Klan?

More than anything else, it was the Swift Boaters being treated like they were legitimate by traditional media that allowed them to wreak such havoc on Kerry's 2004 campaign. Reverend Wright's appearance at the Press Club also dominated the headlines for a month. They should be careful about letting their credibility be used to legitimize Larry Sinclair, no matter how marginally.

Sign the petition telling the Press Club not to play host to Larry Sinclair.

Howie P.S.:Steve Benen has more details. Wonkette has a photo of this goon and a plea, as well:
Normally we think petitions are boring, but, well, sign this fucking petition.
H/t to Ari Melber.
Barack Obama