Organizing for America | Mark Davis's Blog: Strange Bedfellows: Alan Maki & Cliff Kincaid (23-7-08)

Strange Bedfellows: Alan Maki & Cliff Kincaid (23-7-08)

By Kaleokualoha - Jul 15th, 2008 at 1:26 pm EDT

Comments | Mail to a Friend | Report Objectionable Content

Tags: smear

In a blatant misappropriation of Obama campaign resources, "communist" blogger Alan Maki is colluding with "conservative" blogger Cliff Kincaid in a disinformation campaign designed to portray Barack Obama as communist-influenced [1]. Accuracy In Media's Kincaid has been running this redbaiting campaign since he published "Obama's Communist Mentor" [2] in February 2008, in which Kincaid exaggerated the influence of "communist" Frank Marshall Davis (1905-1987) on teenage Obama. "Frank" was mentioned in Obama's "Dreams From My Father.'

On July 3, 2008, Kincaid published "Communist Party Backs Obama" [3], partially based on Alan Maki's deceptive blog on the my.barackobama.com website [4]. Kincaid extensively quotes Maki based on the Frank Marshall Davis connection:

[QUOTE]
"Meanwhile, admitted CPUSA member Alan Maki, writing on the official Barack Obama website, in the "community blogs" section under an "Obama 08" banner, has mentioned the unmentionable. That is the role of CPUSA member Frank Marshall Davis in mentoring Obama during his formative high school years in Hawaii."

"Although fine print at the bottom of the page says that "Content on blogs in My.BarackObama represents the opinions of community members and in no way should be interpreted as endorsed or approved by the campaign," the information provided by Maki is deadly confirmation that a hard-core CPUSA member played a key role in helping raise Obama. It is a story that most media, including some "conservative" news outlets, have shied away from."

"Announcing the "Frank Marshall Davis roundtable for change" on the Obama website, Maki, a Democratic Party activist and casino worker organizer, explained, "Reading Barack Obama's book I learned about his mentor, Frank Marshall Davis." He went on, "Of course, as we all know, Frank Marshall Davis was a Communist and he had a very good understanding of the underlying source of problems which all too often goes unstated and unchallenged and remains hidden because of the high fear-factor level in this country; I am referring to capitalism―a thoroughly rotten system. Frank Marshall Davis also understood through his thorough studies of the situation that socialism provided the only workable alternative to capitalism."

Saying that he has been "active in the Minnesota DFL and the Democratic Party most of my life," Maki still wants to know about the specifics of the "change" Obama is promising."

Maki goes on to say, "There really isn't much for us to learn about 'change' from Obama, but there is quite a bit to be gleaned from the writings of Frank Marshall Davis and I thank Barack Obama for bringing him to my attention… now I can say that Frank Marshall Davis is in many ways my mentor, too."
[END QUOTE]

On July 14 Kincaid confirmed that Alan Maki is not an Obama supporter, thus rendering his my.barackobama.com blog [4] fraudulent. Kincaid published "Was Jesse Jackson a Media Tool for Barack Obama" on the Post Chronicle website [5]. A partial quote:

[QUOTE]
"Veteran Communist and Democratic Party activist Alan Maki tells me that, despite announcing a Frank Marshall Davis discussion group on an official Obama community blog website, he wants it known far and wide that he doesn't support the candidate and wouldn't walk across the street to vote for him. Maki, an organizer of casino workers in Minnesota, thinks Obama and McCain are too close to Big Business, including the casino industry."
[END QUOTE]

As of July 15, Kincaid's "Communist Party Backs Obama" article, partially based on the fraudulent Alan Maki blog, has over 58,000 Yahoo Search hits.

I have found no indication that Davis ever taught radical political or economic theory to Obama. Instead, Obama tells of Davis's attitude towards higher education and race relations. I believe that Maki's motivation is clear: He considers capitalism to be a "thoroughly rotten system," and is exploiting Obama’s good will towards Frank Marshall Davis for his own convoluted purposes.

Through his "Roundtable For Change" proposal, I believe that Maki is attempting to parlay Obama's respect for Davis's social insight into Obama's support for Maki's war on capitalism. Through his "Obama's Communist Mentor" disinformation, I believe that Cliff Kincaid is attempting to parlay Obama's respect for Davis's social insight into Obama's respect for Davis's "communist" inclinations. They both use disinformation. They talk to each other, which suggests mutual interests. Perhaps the left and right wings have met in the depths of hell and forged a compact against Frank Marshall Davis and Barack Obama. Their common interests include:

1. Opposition to Obama.
2. Using Maki’s blog for their own political agendas.
3. Communication with each other.
4. Use of Maki quotes in Kincaid’s reports..
5. Exaggeration of Davis’s influence over Obama.
6. Using conservative blogosphere terms like “mentor” in this context, and falsely attributing it to others.
7. Misrepresenting reality to support their positions.

Their mutual use of “mentor” is especially curious, because I can find no use of it (in this context) that predates the conservative blogosphere. Trevor Loudon apparently used it first in March 2007. Cliff Kincaid uses it in February 2008, and falsely attributes it to CPUSA member Gerald Horne. Alan Maki uses it and falsely attributes it to Barack Obama. False attribution is a common disinformation technique. Since he did not get it from Barack Obama, then he must have gotten it elsewhere. The only other apparent blogosphere sources are conservative bloggers. By the process of deduction, he most likely adopted it from conservative bloggers like Loudon and Kincaid. Therefore, he most likely reads the conservative blogosphere. If Maki reads the conservative blogosphere enough to have known about conservative claims regarding Obama’s “mentor,” then he should have known that Kincaid was strongly anti-communist BEFORE he spoke with him. Holding multiple conversations with him becomes even MORE suspicious. This suggests that Alan Maki willingly entered into this relationship with his putative ideological enemy. He knew (or should have known) that Kincaid would exploit his “Roundtable for Change” blog as ammunition against Barack Obama BEFORE his reported conversations with Kincaid, yet he willingly cooperated with Kincaid. This cooperation suggests a serious conflict of interests for Alan Maki.

I challenged Maki's characterization of my father, Frank Marshall Davis, in the comments of his post [4]. I also challenged his association with Cliff Kincaid, and especially his use of the term "mentor" because it has been used extensively by Kincaid's redbaiting campaign.

Unable to answer my questions, Alan Maki suddenly accused me of engaging in a "racist, anti-Semitic hate campaign," and deleted my (and other) critical comments. He fraudulently attributed their removal as being "Deleted by admin," but contradicted himself in his July 14 post by declaring "I am deleting all of your entries." He thereby implicated my.barackobama.com website administration in this deception.

Fortunately, I saved the first few comments, but not the last, enabling verification that these are in no way part of a "racist, anti-Semitic hate campaign." Website administration for my.barackobama should have access to the full text of the deleted comments.

These are some of the deleted comments that Maki characterizes as part of a "racist, anti-Semitic hate campaign:

[QUOTE]
Shill | Report to Admin
Reply
By Kaleokualoha Jul 11th 2008 at 12:10 am EDT
I am Mark Kaleokualoha Davis, son of Frank Marshall Davis. I take great exception to your remarks. He was not a communist. Neither was he Obama's "mentor." This is disinformation spewed by conservatives such as Cliff Kincaid, from "Accuracy In Media" (AIM). From the tone and content of your post, I suspect that you are actually a shill for Kincaid's disinformation campaign, operating under a "false flag." For an analysis of this campaign, I invite readers to visit by blog at Link

Re: Shill | Report to Admin
Reply
By Nell Jul 11th 2008 at 12:40 pm EDT
I agree with Mark that Mr. Maki sounds suspiciously like a shill for the campaign led by Cliff Kincaid and his surrogates to paint Sen. Obama as a Marxist based, in part, on his childhood/adolescent association with journalist, poet, and social/labor activist, Frank Marshall Davis. From my reading of Mr. Davis's works, it is clear that he both sympathized with the working class and sometimes vehemently criticized the excesses of "robber baron" capitalism, but there is no proof that he was a Communist or that he considered capitalism a "thoroughly rotten system." In fact, for part of his life, he was an entrepreneurial small businessman himself.

It is curious that excerpts from Mr. Maki's blog entry are already being quoted by Kincaid on his website as "proof" of both Davis's ties to the Communist party and Obama's Marxist leanings as a result of guilt by association

Re: Shill | Report to Admin
Reply
By Alan L. Maki Jul 11th 2008 at 10:29 pm EDT
First of all, you are refuting everything in both "Livin' the Blues; Memoirs of a Black Journalist and Poet" and "The Writings of Frank Marshall Davis; A Voice Of the Black Press."
Let me get this straight, you are disowning everything Frank Marshall Davis wrote.
Who cares about the use of the term "mentor?"
Look in any dictionary, you are quibbling about terms that mean the same no matter who uses them.
Quite frankly speaking, I wonder if you are who you say you are or if some party hack isn't up to no good here.
I think if you were really who you say you are you would call me: 218-386-2432.
How come you haven't taken issue with the editor of the books, John Edgar Tidwell and the Publishers, University of Wisconsin Press and University Press of Mississippi.

I think you should contact the editor and publishers and have them either stand behind what has been written or disown it... as you are fully aware, IF YOU HAVE EVER READ either of the two books, the only thing I have done is quote the books and say the same thing the editor has stated.

I call to your attention the article Frank Marshall Davis wrote about one of the most courageous and outstanding lawyers and politicians of the 20th Century, the title: Ben and the Reds, page 94, "The Writings of Frank Marshall Davis.

Now, maybe you are who you say you are, maybe you are not... no matter who you are, you are very dishonest in what you present here; and, in what you say about me without any foundation what-so-ever.

What you are doing is giving the bigots blood to fuel their hate campaign based upon the two most divisive and dirtiest tactics: racism and anti-communism.

What you are saying is that people don't have the democratic right to be communists or associate with communists.

If there is one thing Frank Marshall Davis makes clear is that he had the utmost respect for Communists because of the way Communists fight for the rights of working people and against racism.

Frank Marshall Davis was entitled to his political views--- there is no doubt he joined the ranks of members of the Communist Party USA along with his very good friends Benjamin Davis and Paul Robeson... for you to deny this is cowardly, shameful and disgusting.

Re: Shill | Report to Admin
Reply
By Alan L. Maki Jul 11th 2008 at 11:16 pm EDT
Nell and Mark... I have an idea; why don't we let Barack Obama tell us what he thinks of the writings of Frank Marshall Davis... he is the one that brought all of this up in the first place.

While Barack Obama is at it, perhaps he can answer the questions I have raised which so many people are awaiting answers to.

I find it very interesting that you would try to impugn my motives without responding to one single thing I have written which is directed towards establishing "Frank Marshall Davis Rountables for Change" all over this country.

Is there something wrong with people reading Frank Marshall Davis' ideas in these books and discussing these ideas to see what we might pick up from his writings that will help us in the struggles against racism, for peace and social and economic justice?

What is this, only Barack Obama is entitled to Frank Marshall Davis' wisdom and insight?

Re: Shill | Report to Admin
Reply
By Kaleokualoha Yesterday at 6:11 pm EDT
You have asked a number of questions that I shall address separately:

YOU WROTE: "First of all, you are refuting everything in both "Livin' the Blues; Memoirs of a Black Journalist and Poet" and "The Writings of Frank Marshall Davis; A Voice Of the Black Press."
Let me get this straight, you are disowning everything Frank Marshall Davis wrote.

ANSWER: I am neither "refuting everything" nor "disowning everything." I am, however, refuting your contention that he was a "communist" or Obama's "mentor." If you re-read my comment, you will find that is exactly what I wrote. These contentions serve to exaggerate both his radical background and influence over Obama, in order to exaggerate Obama's radical values. This is dishonesty in action by the conservative blogosphere, aided and abetted by you.

It is an unsubstantiated accusation that he was a communist, That is the message of the disinformation campaign run by AIM's Cliff Kincaid, and wittingly (or unwittingly) supported by you. With you, I believe Kincaid may have added a "Fourth Musketeer" to his disinformation crusade, joining Trevor Loudon and Bill Steigerwald. Steigerwald's "interview" with Kincaid claimed that Davis was a "lifelong member of the Communist Party USA.

He was sympathetic to communists, but that does not make him a communist. He published in their media, but that doesn't make him a communist. He was named ("accused," identified," "confirmed, etc.) as a member by various third parties, but neither the CPUSA nor Davis confirmed his membership. All supplied evidence of his membership is circumstantial. . Repeating a false statement doesn't make it true.
In fact, the most incriminating evidence from either of them is weak indeed: Gerald Horne's comment, recent reported by Cliff Kincaid, that Davis "was certainly in the orbit of the CP - if not a member" (see Link.

Re: Shill | Report to Admin
Reply
By Kaleokualoha Yesterday at 6:14 pm EDT
To continue (#2):
Yes, he was involved in the web of communist-affiliated organizations. Kincaid makes much of the fact that Davis was subpoenaed before the Senate Internal Security Committee on November 27, 1956. He took the Fifth Amendment as was his right under the Constitution but issued a statement on the hearing conducted by Sen. James Eastland of Mississippi. In part, Davis said:
""I do not like being kicked around, nor do I like to see other people get kicked around. For 30 years as a working newspaperman I have fought for civil rights. In this battle for my rights as a Negro American, I have accepted the aid and support of any man of good will who is willing to fight beside me. I do not care about his color, religion or politics. When the octopus of prejudice crushes me with his tentacles, I will welcome the help of the devil himself in order to get loose."

If you consider a communist sympathizer to be "communist," then he may qualify by that standard. If you consider a Soviet sympathizer, even during WWII, then he may qualify by that standard. But if you use the more relevant standard of advocating the replacement of capitalism with communism, then he does NOT qualify.

I challenge you, Cliff Kincaid, and everyone else to produce one shred of his writing that states that he believes the United States should be communist. THAT, my friend, is the true test of an American Communist! Misguided inferences and circumstantial evidence do not qualify.

Re: Shill | Report to Admin
Reply
By Kaleokualoha Yesterday at 6:26 pm EDT
Continued (#3)
YOU WROTE:
What you are saying is that people don't have the democratic right to be communists or associate with communists.
ANSWER:
Negative. That is another unsubstantiated inference. Of course people have the democratic right to be communists and associate with communists. That was not the issue. The issue is if Frank Marshall Davis actually was a communist, not the rights of anyone. No more red herrings, please.

A "paranoid" personality is characterized by suspicion and distrust of others and a tendency to look for hidden meaning behind other people's actions.

YOU WROTE:
I find it very interesting that you would try to impugn my motives without responding to one single thing I have written which is directed towards establishing "Frank Marshall Davis Rountables for Change" all over this country.

ANSWER: I did not respond to your "Rountable" concept because I did not want to insult your intelligence. Now I WILL say it: Communism is an asinine concept for any society larger than a relatively few members because of a fatal flaw: it ignores human nature. People require motivation from personal relationships or material incentives. Personal relationships provide motivation in small communes, but coercion or material incentive is required in larger economies. Capitalism is by FAR the most efficient system for providing the greatest good for the greatest number.

With appropriate regulation in a mixed economy to restrict excesses, capitalism provides the incentive for people to contribute. Adam Smith was right. Both the Russians and Chinese belatedly recognized the value of material incentives. Only fools cannot see the light.

Re: Shill | Report to Admin
Reply
By Alan L. Maki Yesterday at 8:09 pm EDT
Usually the apple doesn't fall far from the tree... in this case Mark, if you are who you say you are... the apple tree must have been planted on the side of a very long steep hill because it rolled quite a ways away to rot.

I would suggest that you take up your concerns with Barack Obama who first brought Frank Marshall Davis to our attention.

Next, get in touch with the editor and publisher and take your concerns to them.

I do find it interesting your post comes from Las Vagas, Nevada... the home of Brownstein/Hyatt/Farber/Schrec k which has been engaged in a vicious smear campaign against me and casino workers trying to organize.

Mark, my friend... you appear to be the real "shill."

Re: Shill | Report to Admin
Reply
By Kaleokualoha Yesterday at 9:46 pm EDT
Sir, I have a few questions for you:

1. How did Barack Obama "first" bring Frank Marshall Davis to your attention? He was only mentioned as "Frank" in Obama's book. His connection with Obama first received widespread attention in the conservative blogs written by Trevor Loudon and Cliff Kincaid, who FIRST claimed he was Obama's "mentor."

2. What is your relationship with Cliff Kincaid? In one of his recent columns, titled "Communist Party Backs Obama," he cites a telephone conversation with YOU! (See Link He quotes YOUR blog on Obama's website. He posts "information provided by Maki is deadly confirmation that a hard-core CPUSA member played a key role in helping raise Obama." Evidently, you are a tool of his disinformation campaign.

3. Your question "Who cares about the use of the term "mentor?" is rather disingenuous. It is important because it seems to have first appeared in the conservative blogosphere, falsely attributed to a CPUSA figure. For a person supposedly at odds with conservative values, you seem to have easily adopted their terminology. Did you adopt it from Kincaid's characterization of my father as "Obama's Communist Mentor," or did you think of it yourself?

If you truly doubt my identify, sir, visit Las Vegas. I can prove it with a birth certificate, family photographs, and a lesson you may not soon forget. I am defending my family honor. Cliff Kincaid is a professional advocate for conservative causes, conducting a disinformation campaign in the highest traditions of Soviet KGB "active measures." You, sir, are but a sheep in wolf's clothing.

Re: Shill | Report to Admin
Reply
By Kaleokualoha Yesterday at 11:13 pm EDT
Alan,
If you decide to visit Las Vegas, I believe that a couple of Frank Marshall Davis's grandsons might also volunteer to help you understand our family tree. They would have to fly in from Hawaii, so they might be a bit cranky. Please advise if such clarification is necessary. I assure you that after your visit, no further validation would be necessary.
[END QUOTE]

References:

1. http://www.aim.org/
2. http://www.aim.org/aim-column/obamas-communist-mentor
3. http://www.aim.org/aim-column/communist-party-backs-obama/
4. http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/alanmaki/gG5GqK/commentary#comments
5. http://www.postchronicle.com/commentary/article_212158054.shtml

Show 7 Reader Comments	Comments RSS
Comments are closed for this post.

Content on blogs in My.BarackObama represents the opinions of community members and in no way should be interpreted as endorsed or approved by the campaign.