September 28, 2009
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Today, radio host Mancow Muller arranged for Cashill to question Andersen about the book.
Andersen described how Obama was "hopelessly blocked" in writing his book then turned to Ayers for help.
When Cashill inquired about the sources for the book, Andersen said he had two separate sources "within Hyde Park" but would not elaborate. Andersen insisted he made no claim Ayers wrote "Dreams," but he did not deny Ayers' deep involvement.
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Andersen wrote how for four years Obama failed to finish "Dreams," then "sought advice from his friend and Hyde Park neighbor Bill Ayers."
Andersen said Obama had taped interviews of many of his relatives, then, "These oral histories, along with his partial manuscript and a truckload of notes, were given to Ayers."
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Andersen, in "Barack and Michelle: Portrait of a Marriage," writes that Obama was faced with a deadline with the Times Books division of Random House to submit his manuscript after already having canceled a contract with Simon & Schuster. Confronted with the threat of a second failure, his wife, Michelle, suggested he seek the help of Ayers.
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Andersen concludes, "Thanks to help from the veteran writer Ayers, Barack would be able to submit a manuscript to his editors at Times Books."