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.
Sara you are scum!!! How do you call yourself a christian? How do you sleep at night knowing that John McCain is using you to throw his dirt. You are a evil woman who can spew off at the mouth with prepared speeches and don't have any substance when you are in a one on one conversation with a reporter.
Haven't you learned yet that the people are sick of these tactics? If Obama's camp comes back on you – we hear cries of sexism. Same old tatics, fears & smears. It won't work this time. I already voted for Senator Obama.
The Republicans are the most hateful people on the planet. So now everyone in America who is not White is to be shunned and cast aside? Why do Republicans hate Muslims, Palestinians, Blacks, Latinos, and Gays?
One more example of how in a McCain/Palin world anyone who isn't a white american is not worthy and therefore should be questioned. What a disgusting woman and campaign. I feel sorry for Alaskans...
Besides, NONE of us are who were were 5 years ago. Not even you. America has spoken and is speaking louder and louder every day. We're sick, tired, broke, busted and disgusted because of what's been going on in our beloved country in the last 8 years. When the party in charge fails to lead, they get voted out. This is not a monarchy. This is not tenure here. N E X T ???!!!!
Please leave my state.
Palin once again slinging the mud fast and furious!
Give it up please, even though I am a democrat it really breaks my heart how you have came from what I consider another country and have destroyed the republican party and I am mad at McCain because he was Ignorant enough to let you now if he goes back to the Senate you can believe it will not be the same for him because he has destroyed relationships between friends and colegues in the process.
Obama/Biden 08
The more we hear about this man, the more we dislike about him.
It's no wonder he's pushing for early votes. Can't take those back, now can we?
Sorry, liberals... he just cannot be trusted.
Make this woman stop......this story has been out since April and now, all of a sudden, it is an issue? please....not to mention the fact the McCain himself funded Khalidi's studies with almost 1 half a million dollars....
GO BACK TO ALASKA
OBAMA-BIDEN 2008
Palin,
I call on you to release your recruiting video for the AIP. Now I don't know how you reacted when they said those slurs about the united states of america but i'm sure the country would like to know. Now is there really a video? I don't know Sarah you tell us.
80% of those of us outside the US see Obama as the best choice.
It still continues to amaze me that many voters actually believe McCain's lies, smears and outright mischaracterization of Obama.
And how can McCain suggest that Obama is a socialist when McCain's tax policies also redistribute wealth!!
And how can McCain suggest that Obama is a socialist when it was Bush who spearheaded distribution of rebate cheques this past Spring?
And how can McCain suggest that Obama is a socialist when it was Bush's administration who initiated the bailout of AIG, the bailout of Lehman Brothers, the bailout of other banks and the $700B bailout for Wall Street??
And how can Palin suggest that Obama is a socialist when she taxed the oil companies and gave over $3,000 dollars to each person in Alaska?
Lord please help her.
This confirms, yet again, Obama's ties to extremists. And the Obamabots are blindly following him!!! Why?!!
DESPERATE. Not going to work, Ms Hateful!
excelling in cow-towing? oh, you mean kowtowing? yup, sarah's now a certified idiotic ignoramus. what else is she going to throw out into the wind next? i truly can't wait for this election to be over as i can't stand the sight of her and of mccain.
McCain is also linked to Khalidi. He is a Professor! We all remain igmorant if we refuse to TALK!
Carol. Koolaid drinker.
I am now forced to take to heart Sarah Palin's promise that she would be an advocate for special needs children but it is now very obvious that she herself has "special needs".
The public also has a right to know the real Sarah Palin.....
socialism anyone??
"And Alaska—we’re set up, unlike other states in the union, where it’s collectively Alaskans own the resources. So we share in the wealth when the development of these resources occurs. … It’s to maximize benefits for Alaskans, not an individual company, not some multinational somewhere, but for Alaskans." ~ Sarah Palin
Source: Letter from Alaska | The State of Sarah Palin | The New Yorker
Snore.
When one thing doesn't stick, throw something else, huh?
These tactics are ridiculous. Stick to the issues that people actually want to hear about.
Obama/Biden '08
Also...Sarah Palin has NO RIGHT to call Senator Obama "Barack". She needs to shut the hell up!
Trust me, that videotape will get released. And that will signal the end of the Obama campaign, and not a moment too soon!
It's time to face facts America, Obama is a SERIOUS RADICAL. and has no right near the Presidency.
Regarding Obama's "infomercial" He's doing that because he can control the discussion, he can't take questions from anyone slightly critical, just ask Joe the Plumber.
I'm glad he's finally getting exposed for what a flake he is.
Peter – Since when did "Joe the Plumber" actually become a small business owner? Last we heard, he was just "looking to buy" a business.
Palin accused the Times of being Obama’s “pet newspaper” and said the paper would win a Pulitzer Prize for “excelling in cow-towing.”
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Here in the "lower 48" we call in "kowtowing" which is actually a godless socialistic Chinese term. I have no idea what cow-towing might be. Maybe it's similar to cow-tipping, or maybe it's an Alaskan thing you do after you shoot your caribou.