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.
You know if we all were to make up stuff about the other canidate we could spin a yarn too. How a aviator being held in a prison camp was mindwashed by agents of THRUSH and converted to work on THRUSH domination. If you check the writings of Napolean Solo you will see how diabolical THRUSH can be. Even SPECTER is not as cunning and viscious as the minions of THRUSH. Soon we all well be forced to buy swamp land in Florida or sell the Deed for the broklyn Bridge our parents left us.
Palin's bigot red sweatshirt supporters lap up lies like this! But then they come back to reality and realize that they're still 300 lbs and their car is still up on stilts in the front yard and they've been slapped with a paternity suit from the bloodhound down the road.
Aren't they called the "occupied territories" because they are held by Israel against UN rule? Why must Neocons be so against truth and education?
So Sarah Palin knows that derogatory things were said at the 2003 dinner for this professor. How does she know that? Was she there? Did anyone she knows attend that dinner? Rashid Khalidi is a scholar of Middle Eastern studies at Columbia University.
McCain and Palin are almost too much to bear. They will do ANYTHING TO WIN and God help us if they do because of their smear campaign. McCain needs to retire completely and Palin needs to go back to Alaska forever.
At least she's AWAYS been a proud American!!! Go saRAH! Go saRAH! Go saRAH!
What about your ties to Joe Vogler?
Only 6 more days until this person can go home and hunt moose, caribou, or wolves. Remember people, only 5 more days until the tyrannical reign of the current facist regeim is over and a new era is ushered in. SO, GO VOTE!
How can anyone believe her?
This Bozo is all talk! When they find her guilty again for abuse of power will she step down as she is calling for Stevens to do? My dog is better qualified to be vice president than this so-called mouth piece.
What about MCCAIN TIES????. PALIN is an idiot and needs to go back to Alaska
palin is a nutcase pure and simple. from AIP to her abuse of power, to her sleazy lies I am soooo sick of both of them. I was one in Germany and so does that make me a international scholar?
Gimme a break palin, stick a fork in yourself and see if you are
done!
McSame just put the last nail in it. Is this the best that the Republicans could do? This man is a nut case. Please vote Obama/ Biden people.
I hope when all of this is over they have a huge defamation of character and slander law suits against them. Stop this campaign of fear and smear! Tell us your plans for America.
why are mccain and palin so negative??? It's pathetic. Any real campaign knows they can just sick their zombified supporters on the other candidates and direct the blame from themselves. Thats why my hero, Lord Obama, has such a positive platform.
They don't have a message.
They don't have ideas.
They don't have a plan.
They are just trying to distract people and scare them out.
Go away, Palin. (No, I will no longer give her any respect as a Governor.)
You disgust me with your accusations and willingness to go to any lengths to win an election.
You are not worthy of ANY office let alone the one you're seeking.
YET ANOTHER DAY MCAIN DOES NOT TALK ABOUT THE ECONOMY !!!!!! Instead its Obama is a terrorist….Democrats are Godless…Obama is a Communist….Democrats are Anti-American….Obama is a Socialist….Obama supporters are Brainwashed….Obama is a Murderer….Democrats are Evil….There is a "Real America" and a "Fake America"….I Know I Am But What Are You?….Cootie Shot….Nah Nah Nah Boo Boo….Waaaaah!
NOTE TO VOTERS: If, in the last few days before an election, you learn that a candidate used to play poker with Satan on the weekends, or that he/she voted 200 times against puppies flowers and rainbows – IT'S A LIE! There is a reason this crap only comes out at the absolute last minute….
SSDD, My friends. Had enough of the kindergarten nostalgia yet? VOTE FOR THE GROWNUPS! Obama/Biden/Straight Dem Ticket. My first straight ticket EVER
I can easily understand the motivations behind throwing around these allegations. What I cannot understand is how stupid one must be to buy them!
Do you have ANY gray matter in your brain? Then USE it!
And I heard there's video of John McCain "paling around" with a sociopath who escaped from an institution.
My apologies. I was just told the video in question was Brian Williams' interview with McCain and Palin. Understandable mistake.
Gov Palin:
Please explain why the windfall oil profits you spread around to Alaskan citizens is not 'Socialism" or "spreading the wealth around"?
Anytime you're ready.
GOVENOR PALIN..
WHY DON'T YOU ASK YOUR RUNNING MATE HIS TIES TO THIS MAN? I MEAN COME ON...
WHAT ABOUT YOUR HSUBAND'S TIES, WHAT ABOUT YOUR TIES TO "WITVH MINISTER" COME ON...THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE INTERESTED HOW THE ECONOMY IS GOING TO BE DEALT WITH...
NO WONDER YOU AND MCCAIN ARE BEHIND...WE ARE SICK OF THE HATEFUL SMEARS....
Totally ridiculous! Palin only spews the divisive junk they feed her. I'm sure Palin has no understanding of Palestinian/Israeli issues and probably hasn't read anything about this man before someone fed her these lies. Do some research before you shoot off your mouth! It just shows that his campaign is only try into be divisive and scare people. Palin and McCain are running the most horrific campaign of lies and smears. Stop suggesting that all Arabs and Muslims are all terrorists because this is the farthest from the truth. By the end of this election, everyone will know that Palin/McCain are just angry, hateful people. I hope they'll be able to live with themselves after this is over.
Can she be charged with defimation of character? At this point she is getting out of countrol and to me getting really close to crossing the line about being political to about being unlawful.
Mrs. Diva agian??
WHO CARES IT IS THE ECONOMY STUPID