Palin blasts Obama for ties to Palestinian professor
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/images/10/29/palin6.jpg caption=" Palin's criticized Obama's ties to Palestinian professor Rashid Khalidi."]
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio (CNN) - Sarah Palin thrust Barack Obama’s relationship with a Palestinian academic into the national spotlight on Wednesday at a rally in Ohio - a tactic reminiscent of her repeated attempts to tie Obama to former radical William Ayers.
Palin kicked off her rally in Bowling Green by stressing, as she always does, that “it is not negative campaigning to call someone out on their record.” In recent weeks Palin has used that line to open up an attack on Obama’s tax plans. On Wednesday, she tried something different.
“It seems that there is yet another radical professor from the neighborhood who spent a lot of time with Barack Obama going back several years,” Palin said. “This is important because his associate, Rashid Khalidi, he, in addition to being a political ally of Barack Obama, he's a former spokesperson for the Paliestinian Liberation Organization.”
Khalidi - whose name Palin mispronounced - is currently a leading scholar of Middle Eastern Studies at Columbia University, and was a contemporary of Obama’s while on faculty at the University of Chicago.
Khalidi has been a stern critic of United States foreign policy towards Israel and has accused the country of “occupying” Palestinian territories, but he has denied acting as a spokesman for the PLO.
The Los Angeles Times reported in April that Obama praised Khalidi at a 2003 going-away party for the professor when he left Chicago. The McCain campaign has pressured the Times to publicly release a videotape of the event, but the newspaper has refused, citing the request of a source.
Palin said the public has a right to know what Obama said at the event.
“And the twist here is that there's a videotape of a party for this person, back in 2003, a celebration of him, and Barack was there, and we know some very derogatory things were said there about Israel and America's support for that great nation,” Palin said.
“And among other things, Israel was described there as the perpetrator of terrorism instead of the victim. What we don't know, what we don't know is how Barack Obama responded to these slurs on a country that he now professes to support, and the reason is the newspaper that has the tape, the Los Angeles Times, refuses to release it.”
Palin accused the Times of being Obama’s “pet newspaper” and said the paper would win a Pulitzer Prize for “excelling in cow-towing.”
The Republican vice presidential nominee was joined at her Ohio rally by Joe Wurzelbacher, known to the world as Joe the plumber. It was the first time the celebrated small business owner has appeared with Palin on the stump.
Palin described Wurzelbacher as “a fellow Alaskan” because he once lived near Fairbanks.
Go away Palin
Sarah how about your connection with the witchcraft pastor. And how you palling around with a convicted falon. I dont think you have any room to talk. As you would say it will be a task of god to let you and John loose this election. How about John commiting adultry twice. And how about you with your abuse of power. I dont think the americans want the likes of you two in the white house.
What about casting out witches and praying away homosexual. I think you got some explainin to do.
what garbage from palin not a good look at all for the republicians
McCain/Palin have the worst connection of all. Their philosophy of government is the same as those of George Bush and the Republican party. George Bush has created a complete fiasco. McCain will contintue the same failed policies hoping for a different result. I don't think America should take that risk. When you see McCain/Palin, remember George Bush and vote for OBAMA!
Joe the Plumber is not a small business owner. He is a tax dodger. And Palin's negative campaign logic shows what a complete air-head she is.
Another thing.. ..While people are losing their jobs, houses and 401k's this is the trash that they want to talk about. So sad and shows how low they really are!! Nobody even listens to them anymore. If this was so serious you should have brought it up a long time ago. This just shows they know what's coming....Obama/Biden 08/12
So Palin is saying it's wrong to even listen to someone who you don't agree with? Or worse yet, someone whose views don't gell with her scant knowledge of. . .well. . .anything. But I forgot, this is also the woman who has taken it upon herself to divide the country into anti- and pro-American. She needs to go back to Alaska and busy herself burning books.
What really surprise me is that she had done wrong doing during the Trooper Gate? But the press haven't pressed the issue nor has her citizens of Alaska have impeached this woman.
Anything to divert our attention away from the economy, Iraq, etc, McCain and Palin?. God forbid we talk about these issues.
Palestine and Isarel need to find a way to peacefully co-exist.
It's just she is not interested in intercultural exchanges. Her mind is close as a clam and she cannot formulate a straight thought without using stereotypes. That is why she hangs out with Joe the Plummer, so that she can have ameaningful conversation with somebody at her cultural level! the bad thing for americans is that she has a constituency here in the USA!! And some of them are actually looking for somebody more ignorant then them to rule the Country! Just another form of suicide for a country unwilling to change its destiny. Good luck!! I do not think you guys even deserve somebody like Obama, he would be a waste for this country!
come on now. If anything the fact that Obama has Colleagues across the map should be a plus and not a minus. it gives him a wider perspective which is more than i can say for the repubs narrow view of the world. look into the crowd of an Obama/Biden rally and you see a rainbow. look into the crowd of Mccain/Palin rally and what do you see?...snow.
Palin needs to get her facts straight and do some homework on her own just like the others should do who are going to vote for you. Did they work together? Yes Did he attend a party for the dude going away? Yes Was Palin or McCain there to witness what was being said? No So who are either one of them to speculate or throw their opinion out there as FACT? Didn'd know that socializing with someone meant that you were FRIENDS and shared the SAME VIEWS!
The only time McCain and Palin lie is when thier lips are moving!
GO VOTE!!!
doesn't palin not only know but openly support Alaskan seccessionists? I guess she is a supporter of anti American groups. Not very patriotic.
Unbelievable. How many of you know every single thing about every single person you work with or even go to an event with. You can respect a person for pieces of their being without respecting or agreeing with their entire being. And by you I mean you Bible Spice, McSame, and all your cronies.
Perhaps it is time to take off the gloves. Let's dive into McCain's relations with Khalidi. BTW, how on earth does McCain know him? How about Keating? How about Fife Symington? How about Cindy's drug theft? How about Joe the Plumber's familial ties to Keating? How about Shi Sheng Hao? Don't know who he is? Check out the story in the Chicago Tribune today.
Remember what our mama's said – "if you don't have anything nice to say then don't say anything at all". I would like to update it to say "if you don't have anything truthful to say then don't say anything at all". Then I wouldn't have to wait 6 more days to hear either of their voices again or hear "my friends" one more time.
Concerned in MA:
Do some research.
McCain led a group who funding this man for almost a half million. At his old age, he must have forgot. The facts don't seem to get in the way of Palin and McCain's one speech they repeat day after day.
John should take that marker he wants to make everyone famous with, and remind himself just who he interacted with before coming out with these ridiculous comments day after day.
And your connection to a convicted crook like Sen. Stevens, your supposed mentor? Hmmmm....
Sarah Palin has done her party no good with her "paling around with terrorist" "socialism" now this.
Most people will not take her or McCain serious any longer.
They have become the throw the kitchen sink at him and maybe something will stick. Truth doesn't matter, more misleading comments the better.
This is so pitiful.
What about the Alaska Independence Party, Sarah? Did Todd just give up his membership because you had political aspirations? Are you for them or against them, Sarah. I think that's a valid question the media has avoided asking her. Why does she get preferential treatment, and Obama get's the kitchen sink, CNN?
This coming from someone who seems to be academically challenged. I'm surprised shes not linking him to the tainted milk in china. C'mon get a life. I know lets go hunting then maybe you will get a clue.
Racism is now official GOP national policy.
To "Concerned in MA" it's apparent that your vision is impaired and I'd say it's all because you're looking through a narrow tunnel and all you choose to see is Sarah Palin. If you are truly concerned then allow yourself an unbiased look at the real truth and that is for the most part, Sarah has no idea what she's talking about and she's not ready to serve at the bottom and definitely not the top of the ticket.
John McCain and Sara Palin will NEVER get out of the hole they and the Republicans have dug for themselves! Just a "last-ditch" effort to "scare" Americans! Sorry!! We won't take the bait this time!! As one grateful and thankful American to be alive, I would like continue my life! John McCain and Sara Palin will destroy this planet completely! I can only imagine what Washington would be with Sara Palin sitting in the "driver's seat"! She probably would fantasize the possibility of seeing Russia, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, North Korea, Syria, Israel, and who knows who else right from her office in Washington! And we, the taxpayers, would be paying for per-diem child care for her to take her children to work, and a "special office" for her husband! No doubt about it, we would get "two Presidents" for one! I'll be sooooooooooooooo happy to see these McCain/Palin defeated! The Republicans have shown America what they are really about, and it isn't "Christian values" as they would like to have everyone believe. In my lifetime I never would have predicted that the Evangelistic, Bible-based, Christians would have such a mind-set! What a disappointment!
McCain/Palin....When does it dawn on them that they are doing serious harm to the country and themselves that will linger on AFTER they lose?
I didn't think Joe owned the business.I thought he was just thinking about buying the business.