(CNN) - Republican VP candidate Sarah Palin has been uninvited from attending a rally against Iran President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad next week in New York, one day after Hillary Clinton nixed her appearance at the event because the Alaska governor was slated to be there.
“In order to keep the focus on Iranian threats and to ensure that this critical message not be obscured, the organizers of the rally have decided not to have any American political personalities appear,” the organizers, which include several Jewish groups, said in a statement.
In a statement, John McCain expressed disappointment over the decision.
"Governor Palin was pleased to accept an invitation to address this rally and show her resolve on this grave national security issue, regrettably that invitation has since been withdrawn under pressure from Democratic partisans," he said. "We stand shoulder to shoulder with Republicans, Democrats and independents alike to oppose Ahmadinejad's goal of a nuclear armed Iran. Senator Obama's campaign had the opportunity to join us. Senator Obama chose politics rather than the national interest."
A spokesman for the event, Glen Rosencrantz, would not confirm a Politico report that several high-profile Jewish Democrats had pressured the organization to nix Palin from the event.
But in a conference call with reporters Thursday, Ira Forman, the Executive Director of the National Jewish Democratic Council, said his group strongly disapproved of Palin's invitation to the event.
“We have a presidential election where the McCain-Palin ticket want to use what’s supposed to be a very, very bipartisan-type of operation to, again, use it as a campaign event," he said.
The organizers announced earlier this week that both Clinton and Palin would be "keynote speakers" at the event, along with Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel. But aides to Clinton announced Wednesday the New York senator had been unaware Palin would also be attending, and as a result would not appear at the event after all.
The McCain campaign quickly criticized the move and suggested it came at the behest of the Obama campaign, though did not provide evidence that was the case: “Senator Clinton has since withdrawn from the engagement, presumably at the behest of the Obama campaign, and according to news reports, Senator Obama's campaign may be leaning on organizers to disinvite Governor Palin as well lest the rally appear partisan," McCain spokesman Michael Goldfarb said.
UPDATE: Obama campaign spokesman Tommy Vietor has issued a statement reacting to McCain.
"This is another dishonorable lie from John McCain. The Obama campaign had planned to send a surrogate to the rally," he said. "The truth is, John McCain had a real opportunity to stand up for Israel's security yesterday, but he refused to stand up to his allies in Congress who blocked Barack Obama's bipartisan divestment bill that would have increased pressure on Iran. So while Senator McCain uses the 'Stop Iran' rally to issue dishonest political attacks, he has refused to join with Barack Obama in supporting the kind of sanctions that could actually stop Iran from getting a nuclear weapon."
– CNN's Martina Stewart contributed to this report
From CNN Politics
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The stench of dishonesty and incompetence has apparently wafted all the way from Alaska to the east coast.
Hey did anyone read the latest CNN info on Palin: Palin's hometown legacy left trail of legal bills. Sounds like she only knows how to create debt. Check it out. There are other stories on other websites.
Palin = A true American ZERO!!!
This lady scares me. Not only would we have a co-presidency, like Bush and Cheney. We'll have a tri-presidency because Sarah doesn't know anything. So it will be McCain, Palin, and now Lieberman. That's getting a little crowded.
Well, California is still in the blue column for Barack, I hope the other states will come through.
Obama/Biden 08
Can't stand Obama-I'm sure he's behind this somehow-
NO WAY NO HOW NOBAMA!!!
Hey, where can I sign up to join WASP (women against sarah palin)?
That's the difference between Obama and McCain… Obama picks someone who he can learn with and get real advise from and work with. McCain picks someone that he can lead around and be his yes-man.. or yes-woman in this case. Other than the fact that she's a woman… what can she possibly add to his campaign? Obama picks people based on merit… If he wanted the "sure fire win",.. he could've picked Hillary. But he's not looking for who's the most popular… he's looking for who's the best person for the job. Once again… McCain's personal ambitions are shown to be more important than the good of the country.
We don't need Palin or the Republicans to show up at this rally with an AK47 and scream fight, fight, fight. We need diplomacy.
OBAMA/BIDEN '08
wow palin has so much drama.. so now i hear that she built the sports center in her city without owning the title to the land..she built anyways and city got sued for over 1.5 million dollars.. when the land didnt cost 166k.. ya thats what we need...NOT!! the sport center costs 900k to run a year.. her city only pays 100k of that..sounds like special intrests!! hockey mom??? how is she not in prison? she cost her city over million dollars making a hockey ring for her kids... wow...
What news reports mccain? Show us the beef you pathological liar.
Maybe they have just been watching and hearing what she has been say the last week, A bunch of Lies Lies Lies.
She means nothing to anyone but McCain.
So Sarah please go to a few more events for the GOP, Because no one shows up unless your there? What must that feel like? Sad for McCain I guess but he can't do it with out you. Some pair huh.
Well, what would she contribute? She can't see Iran from her house.
Love it!
Demorcats forever and ever! Never ever Repugs!
Typical that Caribou Barbie and Daddy War(over)bucks make unsubstantiated accusations against the Obama/Biden campaign, but not surprising as this is their M.O.!
The McCain campaign is so sad. They try to make every decision made by individuals as an Obama campaign ploy. It's so pathetic . And this is the person that so many Americans want as their President, really! Lies and excuses. So sad!
Obama / Biden ... landslide 2008.
Hardly a surprise after Paliar's church's view that Palestinian terror attacks on Israel are "Payback from God" to the Jewish people for their religious beliefs.
Please McCryBabies. Enough of the accusations with ZERO basis in fact.
Those folks wanted the real woman there (Hillary), i was a Hillary supporter. Obama was the nominee, and guess what: he's my nonimee. NOW THOSE LIARS WANTS MORE DRAMA!
More distortions from the McCain camp. They fabricate statements and have no evidence or proof to back them up. Palin knows nothing about the Iran crisis. She's being tutored right now in international affairs so she would have nothing substantive to say anyway. We don't need beauty queen remarks like I can see Russia from my home state at an international rally. I agree that Palin should not be there so that the rally won't be tainted with lies from the Republicans. No less than five former secretaries of state have come out in favor of Obama's policies on Iran. McCain stands alone on the opposite side of the issue.
oh im sorry this is the 2nd democratic convention. hahahhahahahahahahhahahahahahahahhahahahahhaha
A BUCKET OF FLUFF= PALIN
Well we can see the organizers of this rally certainly have an agenda.
She's a nice lady, but way out of her league.
Obama/Biden 08
Boy the McCain camp really does seem to view Obama as a Messiah with all the power they attribute to him. I suppose we will now hear Palin add the original invitation to her foreign affairs experience.
Are McCain and Palin still going to the meet and greet session at the UN? Will Spain be included?
What a sad joke the McCain camp has become!
Yeah, like Gidget would have something intelligent to add!