Fingers Point to McCain Ex-Aide as “O” Author

Friday, 28 January 2011 | by Pat's Picks

Who is…Mark Salter. The New York Times rounds up the speculation and makes an educated guess about who the anonymous author of “O,” a new fictional account of President Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign, is. Salter, a former aide to John McCain, declined to comment on the guess. But notably, he did not issue a denial that he’s the author of the book.

Several prominent columnists had already singled out Salter as the man who created the book’s “arrogant” Obama character. But the Times says because “O” has already been panned by critics, it’s unlikely the real author will dare to stand up any time soon.