The Khalidi Tape and the LA Times Posted by: McQ
on Wednesday, October 29, 2008
The McCain campaign is accusing the LA Times of bias in its refusal to release a tape in its possession which covers a going away party in 2003 for Rashid Khalidi which Barack Obama attended and at which he apparently spoke. It is alleged the tape contains speeches by others containing anti-Israeli and antisemitic statements by other speakers, and praise for Khalidi by Obama.
"The Los Angeles Times did not publish the videotape because it was provided to us by a confidential source who did so on the condition that we not release it," said the newspaper's editor, Russ Stanton. "The Times keeps its promises to sources."
After reading that article, I'm more interested in some other revelations pertaining to Obama's character than the apparent fact that he has pro-Palestinian tendencies.
But to the other point, yes, the article lists some anti-Israeli and possibly antisemitic quotes from the party. And yes, Obama warmly praised the man who had acted as a spokesman for the terrorist group the PLO. But hey, we gave Trent Lott the benefit of the doubt when he said nice things about Strom Thurmond at his birthday party didn't we?
No, the thing that caught my eye was again proof that Obama will say or court just about anything or anyone to get elected. From the April LA Times article:
In interviews with The Times, Khalidi declined to discuss specifics of private talks over the years with Obama. He did not begrudge his friend for being out of touch, or for focusing more these days on his support for Israel — a stance that Khalidi calls a requirement to win a national election in the U.S., just as wooing Chicago's large Arab American community was important for winning local elections.
Getting the big check mark on the list of required "leanings" to be elected. Yet he still sometimes allows the mask to slip, only to have it spun away by his handlers:
Last year, for example, Obama was quoted saying that "nobody's suffering more than the Palestinian people." The candidate later said the remark had been taken out of context, and that he meant that the Palestinians were suffering "from the failure of the Palestinian leadership [in Gaza] to recognize Israel" and to renounce violence.
But is what he's saying really what he believes about the situation? Indications are it is not:
Abunimah, in a Times interview and on his website, said Obama seemed sympathetic to the Palestinian cause but more circumspect as he ran for the U.S. Senate in 2004. At a dinner gathering that year, Abunimah said, Obama greeted him warmly and said privately that he needed to speak cautiously about the Middle East.
Abunimah quoted Obama as saying that he was sorry he wasn't talking more about the Palestinian cause, but that his primary campaign had constrained what he could say.
National Jewish leaders are skeptical for an entirely different reason:
Nationally, Obama continues to face skepticism from some Jewish leaders who are wary of his long association with his pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr., who had made racially incendiary comments during several sermons that recently became widely known. Questions have persisted about Wright in part because of the recent revelation that his church bulletin reprinted a Times op-ed written by a leader of Hamas.
One Jewish leader said he viewed Obama's outreach to Palestinian activists, such as Said, in the light of his relationship to Wright.
"In the context of spending 20 years in a church where now it is clear the anti-Israel rhetoric was there, was repeated, . . . that's what makes his presence at an Arab American event with a Said a greater concern," said Abraham H. Foxman, national director for the Anti-Defamation League.
But for a media which was knee-deep in trying to find out where George Bush was for a few weeks in the '70s and accusing him of being AWOL when they couldn't, this is simply not very important.
So I have to ask - why is McCain making such a big deal about this? The media's not going to cover it anyway, and, unfortunately, at this point, so much Kool Aid has been imbibed, it probably wouldn't matter if they did.
At this point Obama could probably say, "Hymies suck," and the MSM either wouldn’t report it, or the public would ignore it. Jewish friends of mine who, after Obama was nominated, told me this would be the first presidential election they would vote Republican, are now wavering. I guess Jewish-liberal-guilt trumps loyalty to Israel.
Look, the message will still get out to a few, and everyone is needed at this time. In addition, he’s driving yet another nail into the media coffin, and that’s as much a public service as anything.
Bilwick - As a rule, NY Jews would vote for neo-nazis if they ran with the (D).
Saw a clip from the tape. Reason we can’t release it is because statements Obama said to rile audience up during toast. He congratulates Khalidi for his work saying "Israel has no God-given right to occupy Palestine" plus there’s been "genocide against the Palestinian people by Israelis."
It would be really controversial if it got out. Tha’s why they will not even let a transcript get out.
Wouldn’t that just kill the election chances in Florida and make Sarah Silverman upset.
If not to release the contents, what could they possibly want w/ it? I wonder if they would protect sources w/ the same diligence if it was something that would make McCain look bad?
Obama doesn’t want the Los Angeles times to release the video tape of Obama praising Khalidi. Palestinian phone banks raised money for Obama. Obama has refused to disclose where about 300 million dollars of his donations have come from. Speculation is that it came from foreign countries. Muslim mosques have raised money for Obama. Obama spent TWENTY YEARS with with Jeremiah Wright’s church, which gave a lifetime achievement award to Jew Hater Louis Farrakhan. Every Muslim leader supports Obama. But, in order to get elected, Obama assures American Jews that he supports Israel. I don’t trust Obama. And, as the election approaches – and you consider Obama’s economic plan ... remember the wise words of Abraham Lincoln
* You cannot help the poor, by destroying the rich.
* You cannot strengthen the weak, by weakening the strong .
* You cannot bring about prosperity, by discouraging thrift.
* You cannot lift the wage earner up, by pulling the wage payer down.
* You cannot further the brotherhood of man, by inciting class hatred.
* You cannot build character and courage, by taking away men’s initiative and independence.
* You cannot help men permanently, by doing for them what they could and should, do for themselves.
So I have to ask - why is McCain making such a big deal about this?
It’s a pointless move.
It would hurt the LA Times more to release the tape than it would to suppress it. They’re not going to release it, not while their subscriber base is shrinking and they’re laying off people. The vast majority of readers are stone-cold Obamaniacs who would cancel their subscriptions faster than Obama disowned Rev. Wright.
I don’t know if there’s anything on that tape or not. I do know that we have a RIGHT to find out. Since the LA Times refuses to release it, we have little option but to force them to do so.
If you live in LA or subscribe to the LA Times, I strongly encourage you to:
a.) Cancel you subscription — TODAY! b.) Make sure the newspaper knows why you cancelled. c.) Grab a copy of the paper and make sure that their advertisers, especially the big ones, know that you’ve cancelled and why. d.) Make sure the newspaper knows you’re talking to their advertisers. e.) If you can spare some time, picket/protest the LA Times offices. f.) Encourage your friends, neighbors, coworkers, family, etc. to do the same. g.) Copy this message to every BLOG you visit.
If we hit them hard enough on their bottom line, they WILL release the tape.
