About the tape...

Ben Smith at Politico says the McCain campaign, via Michael Goldfarb, is suddenly demanding that the LA Times release a videotape of a going away party that Barack Obama attended in 2003 for Rashid Khalidi. Khalidi is a Palestinian activist and also a professor at Columbia University.

Peter Wallsten's article in the Times described the party and said, "The event was videotaped, and a copy of the tape was obtained by The Times."

The McCain campaign had previously not made any noise about this but apparently is now quite indignant that, "A major news organization is intentionally suppressing information that could provide a clearer link between Barack Obama and Rashid Khalidi."

Again with the guilt by association: the conservative blogs, and presumably the McCain campaign, have been focusing on this little bit:

At Khalidi's 2003 farewell party, for example, a young Palestinian American recited a poem accusing the Israeli government of terrorism in its treatment of Palestinians and sharply criticizing U.S. support of Israel. If Palestinians cannot secure their own land, she said, "then you will never see a day of peace."

One speaker likened "Zionist settlers on the West Bank" to Osama bin Laden, saying both had been "blinded by ideology."

As if Barack Obama has any control over what is said at the going away party of a friend. You can't even conclusively prove that Khalidi actually approves of these comments. Unless you are a Republican and assume that the mere presence of someone in the midst of such a speech automatically associates them forever with that view.

The LA Times should, if they are able, and don't, as Ben Smith points out that they could, have any restrictions on their acquiring the tape, release the tape. This all sounds pretty stupid. Let's get it out in the open and let it dissipate on it's own.

Rashid Khalidi is pretty moderate as far as Palestinian activists go. That doesn't mean that his views are particularly palatable to the pro-Israel lobby though. However, just because Obama is friend with him doesn't mean that he agrees with him! For Beetlejuice's sake! I have several friends who think that George Bush and John McCain rule! Lord knows I don't agree with them and no one I know would think I did! It certainly doesn't mean I have to stop being friends with them though.

In the meantime, since the McCain campaign continues to insist on this guilt by association thing, I invoke the name of John Hagee:

If that means you guys are going to bring out Jeremiah Wright, I say: Have at you!

UPDATE: Oops! It seems that John McCain too has ties to Rashid Khalidi! HuffPo is reporting that a group John McCain chaired was responsible for giving hundreds of thousands of dollars to a group founded by Khalidi! Do they actually vet anything before spewing it?

Comments welcome,

Pat McGovern

It's got electoral votes. It's what politicians crave.