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.
NOBODY IN RECENT HISTORY HAS DONE MORE TO HURT
THIS NATION THAN THE BUSH REPUBLICANS & MCBUSH.
I'm going to miss Sarah, she's been a laugh a day!
"cow-towing"? Brings up a very interesting visual!
I believe that Palin used the word "kowtowing".
she needs to be blasted for lying everytime she opens her foul mouth.
Apologies to any Oakland Raider fans: Just Wink, baby.
Nothing of substance once again.
"Khalidi — whose name Palin mispronounced"....that's par for the course for the fake hockey mom, unfortunately. She should know that her running mate also contributed money to the gentleman as well.
She did have a great spot in Obama's latest ad that just accentuates the fact that she is so unqualified. Not now, not ever.
I will pray for her to find her way into being a good Christian that she claims to be.
Shut up already Palin. We just might have to get ahold of your AIP buddies and introduce them to the voters.
This woman has set women back in politics by 20 years. All she is, is a gossip smear peddler, with no learned contribution to her champaign, no desire to read and educate herself, and only the need to spread smear after smear after smear.
To all the educated politicians, I apologize for her, because she never will.
McCain and Palin are praying that people are stupid. If there was an appropriate tape to make their case they would have it. All those two need is four words strung together in some way that they can shape how they want. They don't have anything what so ever therefore now they are just saying they do. Unbelievable. And they say they are not more of the same. Just like the WMDs.
Palin works on dividing Americans. Now she is dividing the party. It is Palin's way or she turns on you. McCain knows that now.
The statement "It was the first time the celebrated small business owner has appeared with Palin on the stump." is incorrect. Joe is NOT a small business owner. Please check your facts.
More of Palin "going rogue," as the McCain campaign likes to put it, and whipping up racist crazies. The campaign has descended into hate speech and racist rallies. It's a good thing it will be over in another week, because they're about a week and a day away from burning crosses.
If McCain can't manage his own campaign, how can we expect him to manage the country and its multitude of crises?
This simply disgusts me. Barack Obama is a good man, a good American, and all Sarah Palin and John McCain can spend their time on, is trying to dirty his reputation. What a waste of time. America is in real trouble, and we are looking for a positive leader with real goals and real truths for our country. Once again, Sarah Palin disappoints, and let's not hear her saying she didn't really want to say this stuff later-you said it, you live by it, forever!!!!!!
Sarah, Sarah, Sarah, put a sock in it. Your desperation is not very flattering; in fact, it's disgusting. How do you even sleep at night?
May laryngitis follow you home.
Obama/Biden 08
Here we go again! Give it up McCain and Palin. You two don't even have insight into what his relationship was with this person- it's only because they are Palestinian that you are even making a deal out of it by trying to scare our Jewish voters. THis is sick and you two need to stop it! John McCain, you adopted a daughter from Bangledesh- do you think it's fair to tie your family to any and every Bangeledeshian that has done something others don't agree with? I think not. Oh, and don't even get me started on Sarah Palin- I can't wait until the straight talk express drops her off back in Alaska for good!
Vote early everyone, it will make you feel so much better.
I think Sara Palin is as dangerous as a cocked cannon. no one is saying anything about her husband being in the group wanting Alaska to succeed from the US> and she spoke to that group after she became governor. talk about redistributing the wealth, she took from the major oil companies and now residents get money from that. double standards here or what! when Obama talks about spreading the wealth, they need to look at what he means by that. although, he has explained it over and over. People that can't get it, when it's being explained, put one hand over your other ear so it won't keep going out and hopefully you can retain what he is saying! Obama "08!
Neither Obama nor his wife ever tried to take Alaska out of USA. Ms. Traitor, you do not deserve to be a Vice President.
Yet McCain pledged hundreds of thousands of dollars of support to an organization that had Khalidi as a member.
McCain, you must stop the deperate mudslinging as it is making you much less presidential. I think it is much too late though.
“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.
That right so letting the American people know about you involvement with the ALASKAN INDEPENDENCE PARTY IS FAIR GAME.! I can tell these last few days is going to get nasty!
probably because he can see Alaska from his house 'also'. Palin needs to educate her self on world affairs before contributing to a conversation. I guess this was in the notes the campaign sent to her on the plane. IDIOT!!
Yet McCain funded him with $500,000 in grants.
This is the McCain camp tryin to paint nothing to nothing and using the same old Republican tactics of smear, smear, smear. Yet McCain hasnt told us where he differs from Bush on the economy. Hurry up John there's only 6 days left! Think of something quick!
I already voted in Michigan for Obama! We will be blue!
How many people did Obama come in contact in his life time?
"Ayers", "Joe the plumber", "Khalidi " Who will be next ?
Sarah Palin is getting all 'mavricky' again? This poor confused woman, I am starting to feel sorry for her, (sort of).
Please go back to Alaska and Hibernate for the Winter
As scary as this may sound,..... John and Sarah have lied so much, the campaign so deep in denial, so erratic and full of hypocrites,... Who would listen to them now?
I Sooooo do not care.
tell me again what are you going to do for the country? tax cuts for the rich? continued presence in Iraq? war with Iran? protecting fat cats on Wall street? no health care reform?
THANKS BUT NO THANKS!!!
That One/ That Other One '08!!!!
It's time for Palin to shut-up and release her medical records. They will show that she was 1-month pregnant when she got married. What a hypocrite!
Actually, I think its a shame, when you think of the qualified women McCain could have picked, that the first female presidential/VP candidate in a generation is so unqualified and personally offensive.