Here's the deal: In 2003, Obama attends a dinner for a Palestinian scholar named Rashid Khalidi. It appears the Obama had some nice things to say about Mr. Khalidi--while he is no terrorist, he is unabashedly pro-Palestinian--and perhaps not a staunch defender of Isreal.
The LA Times broke the story--8 months ago. Didn't seem to have much traction then because, after all, Khalidi is NOT a terrorist.
But wait,there's more: It seems there was video of the dinner, which the LAT is sitting on. The McCain campaign, via Drudge and Fox, demand I repeat demand the videotape be released.
But wait, there's more: Turns out that the International Republican Institute, under McCain's leadership, gave Khalid's Center for Palestinian Research a grant worth $448,000 in the early 90s.
Wups.
Lemme see-Obama goes to a banquet and says nice things about him "Terrorist!"
McCain gives him almost half a million bucks: Diplomacy.
OK ,then.
UPDATED: Drudge has scrubbed the website of any reference to Khalid.
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2 comments:
The Obama campaign and their supporters can't tell the truth, much less the whole truth.
The International Republican Institute isn't a "McCain organization". Under Reagan, Congress authorized the National Endowment for Democracy , which essentially disburses funds, more accurately our tax dollars, through four sub groups, one Republican, one Dem, one Labor, and one private enterprise. And yes, as a Republican legislator McCain has been involved with the IRI, and whether McCain made it or not, I might support the decision to "fund" Khalid's group. They were hired to do polling in the West Bank. The fact that the Obama campaign doesn't understand that, when polling in a nest of terrorists, you either deal with terrorist supporters or don't do the polling. Same goes for distributing aid. Lots of bad guys cash our checks. That's the real world, if you want Goldilocks you need Obamaland. In his double super secret plan to take out bin Ladin, who does the Senator think he'll be dealing with, Nancy Pelosi?
Toasting the spokesman for a terrorist and wishing him well, perhaps validating his opinion that Israel shouldn't exist, is quite another thing.
I will stipulate that it is a near-certainty that Obama made remarks at the dinner which would probably damage his efforts at convincing Jewish voters that he will not sell out the State of Israel.
The IRI donation to Khalid's group versus Obama's comments strikes me as a distinction without a difference: Consider the reaction if the grant had been made by the Annenberg Foundation.
Having said all that, the unvarnished "truth" is that neither campaign is viable without a commitment to Israel and they both know it. Beyond the transparent effort by both sides to win Florida, Israel has enough friends in Congress to shape US policy in the Middle East no matter who is in office.
cheers,
DD
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