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.
HERE WE GO AGAIN...
IDIOT..I CRING EVERYTIME SHE OPENS HER MOUTH...
How can anyone in their right mind consider voting for McInsane and Peelin' Palin? The bottom line is that they have ruthlessly attacked Obama on everything but the actual issues. They have continuously used below-board tactics and have failed to offer any policy discussions of substance. What a sorry bunch of losers!
I also would pose this question to anyone considering a vote for McInsane and Peelin' Palin; how can you envision the US being successful with Palin in the president's seat?
Finally; (whether or not you think it is a socialist-leaning policy), how can this country let our people go hungry, homeless and without healthcare? We are the richest nation in the world and we provide aid and relief to those in other countries under the guise of humanitarian behavior – yet we let our own die from hunger, homelessness and lack of health care. We need programs that take care of our own rather than someone else's responsibities.
Sarah has a lot of dirt on those high-heels of hers. People need to investigate.
Yes Canadian POV having Joe the Plumber (who again did nothing but ask a question while all you Obamabots destroy him) shows how she relates to people of this country.
And by the way, did you ever think that maybe the problem with education in this country is that we allow anyone to teach. Weatherman Underground members, PLO members, yea thats great!
I love the way Liberals come here and try to rip apart Palin and Joe the Plumber while they DEFEND people like Bill Ayers, and Rev Wright(who lives in a mansion by the way so how about that "rich white man theory Rev.?), and a former PLO member.
Get some clues and stop the Bias!
I'd ask if the McCain/Palin campaign could get anymore stupid but I'm getting afraid of the answer!
Dole calls her opponent Godless! McCain/Palin have their knickers in a knot about some other college professor...
Now "Joe the plumber" (who doesn't have a license and didn't pay his taxes last year) is now an Alaskan! Bettcha Palin can still see Alaska for her home...
Ignorance can be cured but stupidity goes on forever ... pathetic and desperate – not what America needs!
If McCain does not win the Whitehouse, it will be in part due to conservative radio talk show hosts. For the message, McCain campaign depends on the conservative talk shows who engage their mouths instead of their brains.
This leads to inconsistency and incoherency as message changes from week to another. My friend, the lack of message discipline is very telling, but hilarious. When the finger pointing begins in few days time, please do not forget to blame the conservative radio talk show hosts for driving McCain-Palin into the sideline. Who cares what was said in someone farewell party? Why would anyone expect an invited guest to be the master of ceremony? Seriously, conservative radio hosts are clueless. By the way, where is the whitey tape?
DESPERATE!!! What about the real issues carabou barbie?
How do you know that Sarah is lying? The lipstick is moving!
I doubt that they is anything beneath her to do or say so that she can get into the White House. IF she does, God help us all.
I can't wait for Tuesday when this idiot and her grandfather president wannabe lose. Then maybe she will shut that pie hole on her face and run back to her igloo crying about how her life is ruined.
Please got to Harpers.org to get the real facts about Khalidi. Some really interesting reading and it seems McCain has closer ties than Obama. McCain & Palin fiction at its best.
So Ms. Palin...since you're so concerned about Khalidi.......why don't you talk about McCain giving him a large grant for his pro-Palestinian studies? I think that's more significant than a toast at a party...
And by the way, why aren't we talking about your husband's rather lengthy membership in a group that wanted Alaska to secede from the United States???? Somehow I find that issue more relevant than some party Obama attended.
Stop being such a divisive hypocrite........
where were all these people crying socialism when we got a $600 check from the government this past summer? i didn't hear a peep about socialism then.
OBAMA/BIDEN '08
six more days and hopefully she will go back to Alaska and they will impeach her. remember her new home, done with the same people who did Sen. Steven's, and te same way, cheap.
Surprise, surprise. How about the AIP, Ms. Palin? How about your husband, Ms. Palin? How about Volger and Steven and that creepy guy in Wasilla that you helped get on the city council, Ms. Palin?
This woman makes me feel like I am drowing in her filth. Everytime I see or hear her, I have to shower.
Check out McCain's ties to Chalabi (Saddam's bag man) and to G. Gordon Liddy who advocated shooting federal agents in the head and firebombing a Washington think tank.
Also look up the definition of Terrorist in the dictionary – everything in that definition fits the McCain campaign.
CNN, please post this comment,
I could be a friend of some one while I have different view and value.
Do I have to be friend of the people who looks like me, agree with me, and speak the same language as me??
How can we change the world, if we secluded ourselves from those who are different?
How can we challeng them and tell them they are wrong or right if we do not talk with them??
That's because she has nothing else to say. She has truly become pathetic. I was curious to learn more about her when she first stepped into the spot light but time and again she has proven she is not remotely the right person to be the VP or Pres of this country. She clearly has no morals, is a hypocrite, is unethical and a liar. How anyone can support this ticket is beyond me. Clearly we have a lot of uneducated or hateful (or both) people in this country who seem to believe their lies and spread their message of hate. All I have to say is: Karma... someday this woman (and the people of the McCain/Palin campaign) will be very, very sorry b/c Karma will come back to bite them HARD.
Omama/Biden 08/12
Palin is vindictive woman with an evil agenda,next one will be
Fidel Castro
Seriously, if you believe anything the GOP says, you're a total moron. McCain has actual ties to this man, Obama knows him. These 2 are just gross to watch. And seriously McCain/Palin supporters, grow a brain you fools!
He'll never admit it, but I'm sure McCain would re-think his choice as V.P. Too little too late huh John?
I am tired of this woman. God, someone shut her mouth.
Dont worry Palin, terrorists only bomb the UNAMERICAN parts of the country where all those educated elitists live.
Why are we not hearing anything in the news about Palin, her husband, and the Alaskan Independance Party? Why is that not being investigated along with other allegations? If she is so willing to fling out accusations as though they are truths, where is the truth about her? Anything she says about Obama can be answered because he has been vetted. She has not. Not in the least. We know nothing about her. She has not had time to be vetted properly. Out of everything that we have heard about we know answers only to troopergate. So the one thing we do know is that she abused her power and was unethical in her behavior. That is all I need to know. After the last eight years how can anyone think that she is acceptable? HOW?
Let's have Sister Palin explain this: According to tax returns the McCain-chaired IRI funded the organization Khalidi founded and served on to the tune of $448,873 in 1998 as first reported by Seth Couter Walls at HuffPo.
My vote is for Obama.