TAMPA — On the best-seller list is Regnery’s “Obama’s America.” Author Dinesh D’Souza is a passionate patriotic American. Born in India, he worked for Reagan in the White House, and is president of King’s College in New York.
Last night in Tampa he screened his brand-new, 90-minute documentary “2016.” Also about Obama. Also not complimentary. It is at this moment playing in 1,800 theaters.
I now quote him exactly, word for word:
“Obama has a third-world mentality. An anti-American socialist, he believes capitalism is a system for the wealthy. Larger countries became rich because colonialism stole from smaller countries. Since taking their raw materials is really stealing, it’s not yours. The government’s right is to take it back.
“He wants America made not special, but like everyone else. That it’s unfair America is so powerful. That we’d be better with a smaller economy, smaller footprint, smaller nuclear pile, less energy — and that’s what he’s doing.
“He has a powerful philosophy. People should not try to understand him as opposed to Romney. They must understand who he is. I have written the American dream versus the Obama person. He is a damaged man.”
In John Catsimatidis’ private plane, 35,000 feet over Georgia, no way to get away from this man, who then said:
“His half-brother, George, lives in the slums in Nairobi on $5 a month. He receives not one penny from Barack, who keeps saying, ‘We are our brothers’ keeper,’ yet does not keep his brother who lives in poverty. When George’s sick child was hospitalized he called me for money. I sent it and said, ‘Why me? Why not call Barack?’ And he said his brother would do nothing for him.
“I’ve visited George. His brother despises him because he’s a bit conservative, politically incorrect and considers him a sell-out.”
After interviewing many from the president’s formative years, he says: “He hated his mother. When she was dying in Hawaii he never showed up. He only met his father once. His mother, who loved third-world men, married two of them and stayed in Indonesia while shipping this little boy off to the US.
“So, abandoned by his father, he was then abandoned by his mother at age 10. When she was ill he returned the favor.”
Over tuna sandwiches, ham wraps, salad, cole slaw, cookies and sliced watermelon from Gristedes, which is owned by Catsimatidis, who believes “the danger in aviation is starvation,” Dinesh D’Souza then explained the father.
“Philanderer. Four wives. Eight kids. A drunk. Involved in driving accidents. Killed a man. Not a good guy. And anti-American. But Barack revered him. And has since taken his father’s dream, which was the title of his first book.”
Then: “What I’ve written explains his formative years, and I’ve made the documentary with ‘Schindler’s List’ producer Gerald Molen because people must know this is a bad guy.”
Any complaints from the White House?
“No. My earlier book was so explosive that they went ballistic. With this already on the best-seller list and the documentary now going across country, at this precise time they choose to not call more attention to it.”
MEANWHILE, back at Convention Center, are these groups in straw hats, painted sneakers, human rear ends the size of Escalade rear ends and GOP buttons larger than Kim Kardashian’s 38C’s good for local business? Per one busboy: “Naaahh. Republicans are cheapos.”
Tampa. Florida. In summer. Nice. The GOP convention’s only cool air comes from smacking into one lonely Biden supporter.
A good feature is no hurricane. The town has zero dampness. Some say, zero culture. I, naturally, would never say such a thing. I may think it, but I would never say it. Restaurants, good. Skipper’s Smokehouse offers local Cajun/Creole/Caribbean fare for $18. Cheaper than a cab to the nearest E.R.
And the clean streets are wonderful. Unlike New York, you don’t see the air. However, besides sun, there’s not lots to look at. The highest structure around is a palm tree.
Besides Medicare, Social Security, abortion, immigration, unemployment, war, poverty, comes the personal battle. Donna Brazile, once Al Gore-for-president’s campaign manager, now a CNN contributor, worries this hurricane will again decimate her New Orleans family. They barely survived Katrina. Now comes Isaac.
“I have to protect them. I must move them away from low land. I need to get them to higher ground. I can barely think about anything else.”
And on the convention floor, I heard this one: “The meaning of ‘intaxication.’ It’s the euphoria at getting a tax refund, which lasts until you realize it was your money to start with.”
Meantime, everyone’s running around. GOP fund-raiser Georgette Mosbacher, who was front and center when McCain was front and center, is busy with tomorrow’s breakfast, where they’re pulling out Mrs. Vice President-nominee Jana Ryan to speak.
Today Giuliani does CNN’s Soledad O’Brien 7 a.m. At 7:30, Fox-TV’s “Good Day New York” with Rosanna Scotto. 8 a.m., Charlie Rose. 8:45, “Fox and Friends.” 10 a.m., Bill Ritter on WABC, 11:10, some radio thing for somebody someplace. 12 noon lunch with Chris Christie, who, I was informed, has written, rewritten and rerewritten his speeches more often than Lincoln juiced up his Proclamation.
Only in Tampa, kids, only in Tampa.