Disgrace is No Biggie, to Glenn Beck

TPM’s Casey Michel has an excellent report today on the declining reputation of right-wing author David Barton, at least in the estimation of serious historians, even ones that are observant Christians. As reported last week by Publishers Weekly, Barton’s latest book, The Jefferson Lies: Exposing the Myths You’ve Always Believed about Thomas Jefferson, with a Foreword by Glenn Beck, has been discredited for “factual inaccuracies and historical misrepresentations,” with Christian publisher Thomas Nelson pulling 17,000 copies from distribution and canceling publication. According to an August 10 Publishers Weekly story by Lynn Garrett, “Nelson confirmed it has severed its publishing relationship with Barton and reverted the rights to The Jefferson Lies to him. ‘Thomas Nelson does not expect to publish his works in the future.’”

Unfortunately, Michel, who wonders near the end of the TPM story if “Thomas Nelson’s decision will merely gird Barton’s supporters, rather than hurt his reputation,” already needs to update the article. Publishers Weekly reports today that Barton has bought all the recalled copies from Thomas Nelson and is “in negotiations to publish a new edition of the book with Mercury Ink, Glenn Beck’s publishing arm in partnership with Simon & Schuster.” According to Publishers Weekly, Barton added, “the new edition ‘will not include any substantive changes.'”