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.
What happened to the results of the depositions that she and her husband gave last week? Does anyone remember that she has broken the ethics laws that she swore to uphold? Does she plan on going to church this Sunday. They need to put some really thick pillows beneath those knees because she will be there a long time asking for forgiveness for the lies that she has told these 7-9 weeks.
It is so obvious that the Mccain/Palin team islosing. What they don't know...they make up.
Take a little bit of truth, add a bunch of lies...stir...and you've got their "facts".
It's pathetic.
I would vote Palin for 3008!!!
Yes, it is not a typo – it is 3008 ............3008
She is for the next century – 🙂
now I ask you pray tell what does all of THIS have to do with poor "Joe the Plumber"?? Come on John and Sarah you guys are getting off topic again.
I can't wait for the election to be over.
All this "blasting"and "slamming" is rediculous.
Whatever happened to journalism?
man oh man!
The McCain camp isn't very smart..the more attacks they make, the bigger the lead Obama gets in swing states and national polls.
I guess McCain and Palin want Barack to win because they are making themselves look worse and worse. They don't even talk about how they're going to solve the nation's economic problems.
All attack, no substance.
no skeltons in her closet ? lets bring up the ties she and her husband had with Volgler or is that off the table?
what about her husbands ties to a group that's anti government and wants to take Alaska out of the U.S.? what about the "keep up the good work" speech she gave to them recently?
This is so funny!!
The McCain camp isn't very smart..the more attacks they make, the bigger the lead Obama gets in swing states and national polls.
I guess McCain and Palin want Barack to win because they are making themselves look worse and worse. They don't even talk about how they're going to solve the nation's economic problems.
All attack, no substance.
Would somebody please talk about the Palin's connections to the AIP???????
Oh...make it stop. I wonder if Palin has a shed of understanding of international relations and the harm she is doing. Go away, please, Sarah. Do America a favor and start shopping again at that favorite consignment shop of yours.
John McCain touts a country first mantra, then 'picks' the most
unqualified venom spewingwoman to be VP. How are they going to protect us? How is
SHE going to protect us? The qualifications for Vice President are the
same as the qualifications for President. Sara Palin is not qualified for
either position. Goodness help us if McCain is captured AGAIN while
he is asleep in the white house. His judgement did allow him to crash
three planes after all. How will they protect us. People who vote for
Palin would be aiding and abetting the destruction of our country. At
least Obama and Biden have been properly vetted.
Democrats 08
It's over for McCain I'd say.
Perfect. She doesn't even know what a Palestinian is.
Obama/Biden
So let me see if I have this right…….
McCain funded Khalidi's Organization in the amount of half a million, he embraces Watergate criminal Gordon Liddy as a friend, his Transition Chief William Timmons aided Saddam Hussein in Lobbying efforts, he was involved in the Keating scandal, and continued to receive campaign contributions over the years from Keating. Sarah Palin has been found guily of Ethics Violations of Abuse of Power and has more Ethic complaints filed against her in the state of Alaska, and her husband was a AIP member and she is an AIP supporter.
. . . . And they call themselves Christians?
So when will Sarah present her plan to help the economy? Trashing the opponent and constantly digging for more dirt is not the way to promote your party. We want to hear some positive plans in detail about how she plans to operate when/if she and McCain are chosen to lead this country. Maybe she and McCain aren't communicating enough to talk about it!
Did I read it right that Joe is a small busibness owner? Where the -– does CNN get their information he is not small business owner. Like otther people he works and is not a liceneced plumber (Well according to them they do not need a licence it is another way Govt controls them)
The McCain Plan:
Let's throw all the crap we can come up with against the wall and see if any of it sticks....
Can we question Palin about her WITCH DOCTOR
Wait! When did Joe the Plumber a. k. a Joe the Fool become a "small business owner"?. Did McNasty buy him the business or is this a mistake ?.
It used to be Todd Palin behind her in campaign speeches .Now it is changed to Joe the Plumber .Wow!!!
There are simply no more words to describe this scurge. Palin is the most radical politician ever allowed to have access to a microphone. Everything about her is crap! We're sick of her!
If McCain and Palin get elected will we see a purge of academics, libraries, and universities? The Khmer Rouge and Mao's China did just that. It seems like the Republicans value ignorance over knowledge. Just an observation.
i wonder how much "joe the fake plumber who lived in alaska is collecting from the RNC?
after all...mccain did imply that "joe" is a rich man for doing his part for mccain