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Was Obama a Member of a Radical Socialist Group?

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    “Radical-in-Chief” author Stanley Kurtz on documents showing Obama was once a member of the New Party, a political wing of ACORN.

  • Duration 5:44
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Our next guest has kicked up quite have -- storm.

With evidence the President Obama became a member of the radical socialist group the new party in 1996.

While running for the state senate in Illinois.

He's obtained minutes from a new party meeting that state quote.

Barack Obama candidate for the state senate.

In the thirteenth legislative district gave a statement to the membership unanswered question.

You signed the new party candidate contract.

And requested an endorsement from the new -- -- also joined the new part.

The Obama campaign and and administration denied outright everything that has it contained in that.

In that.

Element of the -- meetings from a draft new party meeting.

Up from January 11 1996.

Joining us now is a man who discovered these documents.

Stanley Kurtz senior fellow the Ethics and Public Policy -- offer for political biography of President Obama called radical in chief and it's gonna -- -- here.

-- this is.

Remarkable that this has been an allegation who have made it yourself before in your reporting.

But now you have evidence.

That in this case it is the -- well it purports to be.

Of the draft minutes from the new party meeting on January 11 1996 how did you come to have this.

Now all low all these years later.

Well Lou and I you Rhode radical and chief my political biography of President Obama I did a lot of -- search.

But the Wisconsin historical society.

Which holds the archives of Acorn the infamous community organization Acorn.

But when I did ever search in 2009.

-- Acorn records only went up to about as far as 1994.

Our recently I was doing a search on the archives -- Wisconsin I noticed to my surprise.

That the records had been updated the Illinois Iraq Acorn records had been updated and my -- kind of dropped and I said you know this is incredible because that's the period.

That Barack Obama.

How so -- the EU discovered.

These documents in the Wisconsin historical society.

And because of the relationship that is the fact is the new party.

Was -- the political arm of Acorn itself correct.

Exactly that the new party was always deeply dominated by Acorn nationally to a large degree but especially in Chicago.

Where Obama was Acorn really had iron control of the new party.

And so if you're looking at Acorn records -- inevitably looking a new party records and the smoking gun was there let's go back to the picture with -- the senate state senate candidate.

Barack Obama are -- members of the new party.

What -- what you're is that and what -- what does it appear.

Well in 1996.

Barack Obama ran for the first time for public office he was running for state senate.

And the official newsletter.

Of the new party had a picture.

Obama and some of the other candidates that have been endorsed by the new party.

And -- newsletters called him a member of the new party.

So.

This came out some enterprising bloggers published it and -- surged the whole background that I wrote are -- an article.

That said clearly here is evidence that Obama was a member of the new party was just right there in the newsletter I -- a lot of other background.

And at that point the Obama campaign in 2008 attack me.

They said the charge was a crackpot smear -- now this here it is right in the -- saying that he was a member.

But they've denied it up and down they said.

That he had never even sought the endorsement you'd certainly never joined the party.

The head of the new party at the time told reporter.

That that -- party didn't even have members -- all of that is false and I argued the point in 2008.

Only recently was I.

So have you asked and you asked the White House for response.

The president's the president's men if you will.

I I personally haven't -- I I'd probably should but frankly really this is a drug for the White House correspondent someone ought to go to the White House actually Ben Smith the reporter Ben Smith who has good actress Douglas tells us.

-- -- -- to -- today that's no comment right the other he the last time he argued against my claims about the new party.

Today he conceded that I must be at least partially right and he reported.

They've gone to the administration and that they had declined to comment I don't think we can let it rest there I think we have to insist.

That the administration.

Comment.

And -- we should.

-- -- -- David Axelrod was asked my area.

Our bright Bart dot com abroad ports site.

About this and that David Axelrod replied that he did know what they were talking about which is -- which is absurd -- -- -- part correctly made this point at their website.

Axelrod is an expert on Obama's history.

He I think didn't he does know a thing or -- about the back.

Stanley who has everything.

I would like to say first thank you very much for joining us here tonight we're going to be following this and we look forward saying.

-- -- whether or not the national media this time.

Are the steps -- to this story all reports on what you've found that neither.

Corroborates or knocks it down it is great to have you -- thank you Stanley Kurtz.