The Khalidi Gambit: McCain Attacks Obama for Connection to Palestinian Activist Whose Work McCain Helped Fund

So I've read the comments and I am so struck by the seething,lashing out of the McCain supporters who even blame the messenger, Jack Tapper, demonize Rashad Khalidi who is a US born citizen who has always talked of peace and is against terrorism, and defend McCain no matter what he does. You do realize that McCain doesn't give a crap about you??? He thinks we ALL ARE "Joe the Plumber"! What has he done in the Senate that is so great? Have you LOOKED at his record? Have you REALLY LOOKED at Obama's? No, you just watch Fox and listen to Rush and O'Reilly and never venture out of your bubble because you want to believe what you want to believe. If I didn't live in and love this country I would wish for John MCCain and Palin to win, just to teach you a lesson (which apparently you didn't learn when you voted Bush in office) If you think Bush was bad, you ain't seen nuthin' yet. Get REAL.

Is the United States governed by Israel? No! To place such importance on ONE alliance is to put our country in jeopardy. To allow ONE country other than ours to dictate our foreign policy in such a way is to allow intrusion into our very foundation of government. To place such importance on this alliance as to negate the importances of other alliances is to jeopardize our national security.

I am part Jew, part Native American. You know how I see this? I see a Palestinian people sequestered into poverty just like the Native American. I see Israel as the Europeans coming to America. The Palestinians DESERVE their own land, their own pride, and their own LIBERTY. The Israelis also deserve as much. But for the Israelis to ignore this basic FUNDAMENTAL right as a human being and to keep pushing Palestinians off of land they once lived is an act of violence on the Palestinians.

It is more complicated than Christians wanting to preserve this land for the second coming so that God will kill the Jews and elevate the Christians to heaven (hypocrisy/heresy) - Fairy tales shouldn't be the founding source for our foreign policy, especially one that is so sickening as the Christian "prophecy." The only reason why Christians want the Jews to have that land is so the sacrificial Jew will be there to fulfill that bloody disgusting prophetic ritual of sacrifice.

As soon as we quit letting religion - of any sect - rule what we do as nations is when we may actually have peace.

To have someone like Obama who is willing to talk to both sides to find common ground is something I want for the country I live in. This indifference to the plight of the Palestinians is what is causing all these deaths. Once we realize this and wake up from the delusions is when we can finally take a step forward.

SHALOM! E Lo Hi No!

I just have to wonder is it that McCain is too old to remember his relationship with Khalidi or does he think we are all so stupid we never question anything he says? Either way, he is not who I want for President and the brain fart of picking Palin for a running mate is further proof.

McCain is my Senator and I know he cares nothing about Vets, Seniors, Education or the Environment. He starts stuff about Immigration, but never finishes anything.

Go to Project Vote Smart to see his voting record.

He is 4 more years of the same crap. Senator Obama is not what McCain and Palin have tried to present him as. Their lies have constantly been debunked.

Obama/Biden 08

Marythedesigner,

Give one example of Senator Obama throwing anyone under the bus. What a load of you know what.

Jake

Before you jump on this bandwagon again;

Let's see the proof that Khalidi was part of the CPRS. Next, that he was part of the CPRS in 1998 when the money was given.

Geez.

I am so ready for this election to be over so that America can focus on issues that are relevant to our success as a nation. The hypocrisy in politics is exhausting and quite frankly I am looking forward to the end of the Karl Rove Republicans divisive and hateful way of getting people elected. The cheap name calling and innuendo is generally 95% false and misleading. Since when is a progressive tax policy "socialism"? John McCain doesn't believe it but know that he can make Joe the Plumber believe it. I thought John McCain's hero was Teddy Roosevelt, who initiated the progressive income tax. John McCain knows that Obama is not a terrorist, but let's the innuendo boil. The GOP calls Obama a "rock star" and then turn Sarah Palin into a "rock star". And McCain heads an organization that contributes $400,000+ to a Khalidi organiztion and then criticizes Obama. George Bush and his buddies have stuck their heads in the sand in any attempt to understand what is going on in the world. I am ready for a President with some intellectual accuity and understanding of the rest of the world instead of somebody who believes that power will always prevail. We have experienced a shoot from the hip cowboy President for eight years, who just doesn't take thought and learning seriously, despite a privileged education and Harvard and Yale, that he squandered. Similarly, John McCain was given a privileged education at the Naval Academy and played hard and graduated 5th from the bottom of his class. Barrack Obama had to work hard, get scholarships, and be intellectually active to become Editor of the Harvard Law Review. People who are intellectually active, have conversations with people of all kinds. People like George Bush, Sarah Palin, and John McCain only have conversations with people who think like they do. That becomes incestuous - ie Rumsfeld and Chaney, and change and progress is not possible. Let's get our heads out of the sand and away from sound bites and personal attacks and bring this country together.

The media bias is the most extreme I have ever seen. McCain may have ties to the CPRS but not to Khalidi in the direct way that Obama does. The IRI (chaired by McCain), gave money to CPRS because it is, surprisingly enough, a non-partisan think tank based in Nablus that has never been accused of radical activities. Palestinians are in the midst of building governing institutions and an infrastructure. This process receives a boost through the delivery of objective information and views provided by the Center for Palestine Research & Studies (CPRS), a CIPE partner organization based in the West Bank city of Nablus. Despite the ebb and flow of the Middle East peace process, CPRS has been producing consistently reliable analyses and policy recommendations that have helped to give direction to the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), the Legislative Council, and business institutions.
Founded in 1993, CPRS is an independent, non-partisan think tank that monitors developments in the West Bank & Gaza and assesses the impact of these developments on the Palestinian people, CPRS states that it “does not adopt political positions other than advocating free, democratic exchange and expression.”

To Realist:

I've been watching and following the presidential elections on a daily basis since January of this year. I don't need anyone to spin or tell me what I watched on T.V. or read from various sources. If I go on these blogs it's because I find it very entertaining and interesting to read other people's opinions, not to engage in a shouting or pi$$ing contest. Also, it's nice to see my comments posted. I have read some of the most informed, funniest and stupidest comments.

Personally, I think Obama supporters act as if they're hipnotized who idolize Obama and see him as a messiah, that if Obama asked his followers to commit suicide, many of them would.

Obama supporters were the first to attack Hillary's supporters, calling them racists and all kinds of names if they did not vote for Obama. Now it's against McCain supporters. I'll even admit that my three sisters and I contributed to Hillary's campaign when we've NEVER been fans of hers, we don't even respect her, because she doesn't respect herself, but we were so disgusted with Obama's disrespectful, sexist, arrogant, and cynical attitude towards Hillary and women.

All media with the exception of FOX have been so biased in their favorable reporting of Obama from the very beginning, trying to decide for voters. I was deeply saddened and disappointed when Gov. Bill Richardson backstabbed the Clintons for endorsing Obama because he needed someone to retire his debt, and a possible consideration for VP. Colin Powell's endorsement of Obama did not affect me at all, but I thought he was above that. I had never seen so many Democrat and Republican backstabbers going against the people who made them the political figures they became.

No matter who wins, our country is going to need alot of healing, and I hope we act as responsible and law abiding citizens. Let us not make a spectacle of our great country. The world is watching us! If McCains wins, I hope Barack Hussein Obama concedes without calling for civil unrest as he advised his cousin Odinga in Kenya, and where many people died. I know McCain will concede if he loses.

Retired USAF Hispanic Female for McCain/Palin 2008

It's interesting. The LA Times article ran six months ago and mentioned the videotape. Obama got the Dem nod in June. So why has McCain spent the last five months running ads on Paris Hilton, et al., but not a single mention of this "scary" Palestinian who he gave a half million to? McCainiacs, your man is a fraud . . . .

Pan out, folks, I'm really sorry to do this but I must once again recommend Brigitte Gabriel's books.
There are so many wonderful Americans on this blog. They are so full of the right ideas of tolerance and freedom.

You all deserve to prevail and keep on arguing about your wonderful country.
But, Ms. Gabriel explains how, it's an ugly world out there. RELIGION, not politics is the driving force, and pure/fundamental Islamics believe that GOD is helping them rule over ALL of US, in our diversity. They don't believe in diversity. And moderates are siding everywhere in the world right now, with more extreme views,to promote their culture ,as on Sharia Law, building of mosques and teaching/outreach of Islam, etc.
You must understand this and take it into account, or all the other reasoning falls apart. You must decide what you want, a Western culture or an Islamic one. All degrees of diversity will be swallowed up by one or the other as they struggle world-wide.
To reject the West, from which the idea of Democracy came, as "racist" or "white" will mean the end of life as we know and cherish it - our freedoms, rights, and diversities.
I believe Obama is conflicted about this large issue. This is what worries many people. World peace depending on how far ONE MAN has evolved PERSONALLY. A global-scale psychological drama. It seems unreal and abnormal, either positively or negatively, according to your ideas, BECAUSE IT IS abnormaland deeply disturbing. We need a NORMAL candidate, not pin all hopes on one messianic figure who may have deep flaws.Unifier-peacemaker-lightning rod-element of chaos....
Try to think more deeply, folks.
Again, let us pray and hope for a good outcome.

Ana,

Where is your justification that Obama listened sympathetically to Rashid's ideas? And which would ideas would those be? The ones that condemn suicide bombings of civilians? The ones that criticize Hamas? The ones that recognized Israel's right to exist as a sovereign nation? Heck, I would listen sympathetically to those ideas.

How about your justification that Obama has "close ties" to radical Left groups?

As for your other assertions regarding Obama's ties--my friend Omar has strong ties to Islam, since he's Muslim. He's also a great dad, a youth soccer coach, an excellent cook, and apparently a very good industrial engineer. He is one of the vast majority of peaceful Muslims, not one of the tiny minority of violent Muslims. Similarly, my friend Jenny is a devout Christian, a great mom, a terrible cook, and a very good project manager. She is one of the vast majority of peaceful Christians, and does not believe that Christians should be bombing abortion clinics or killing abortion doctors.

Your entire post is simply conjecture and opinion, assertions without support, and illogical conclusions.

Ana, I know Brigitte Gabriel. But what does she have to do with Rachid Khalidi?

Diana,

We can agree on one thing--I hope that we all behave ourselves and accept the election's results regardless of the outcome. And while Obama has a big lead right now, it's not over.

Now, on to the other items...

1. Obama was not mocking the Bible. He was mocking the people who advocate basing broad policy decisions on the Bible. I watched the video of the speech in question. His point was that in a country with freedom of religion and separation of church and state, we should no more base policy on the Bible than on the Quran or the Torah. Parts of the Old Testament promote slavery and advocate stoning as punishment for a variety of seemingly minor offenses (wearing garments of 2 different cloths, for example). Would you advocate policy based on these Biblical tenets?

2. Obama not saluting the flag--as a Navy veteran, I can say with some authority that there are rules for saluting our flag. Only soldiers in uniform and veterans salute the flag. As for him not placing his hand over his heart--Title 36 of the US Code specifically refers to "Patriotic and National Observances." The event in question was a steak fry. And it was the national anthem, not the Pledge of Allegiance. At ball games, I have absentmindedly forgotten to put my hand over my heart during the anthem, but nobody has ever accused me of "refusing" to do so.

3. Pledge and National Anthem--see above, and also the Washington Post's award of four Pinochhio's for this lie.

4. Flipping off Hillary--he didn't do it. He was just scratching. See the post here from the person that was there.

I think the issue is your sources, and whom you choose to believe even in the face of overwhelming and irrefutable evidence to the contrary.

The AAAN has never had any connection to terrorism. It's a local Chicago community services organization. Part of its emphasis is on helping new immigrants adapt to life in America, including improving their English language skills, and to provide education and support to women in the community, especially victims of domestic violence.

The Woods Fund gave a total of $75,000 in grants to the AAAN for the services of a community social worker. Neither Obama nor Ayers chaired the Woods Fund board - there were a dozen members who met four times a year. Obama served as a board member for three consecutive years. During the two years the Woods Fund granted the $75,000 to the AAAN, they disbursed nearly $7 million in grants to other, similar organizations and effort. The AAAN received one of the smallest gifts because they only applied for a small gift to cover the social worker's salary.

By contrast, McCain chaired the IRI when it gave a total of nearly $900,000 to the Center For Palestianian Studies which Rachid Khalidi founded and ran at the time of the donations. And nothing wrong with that, either. They do important work.

Of course it doesn't matter to low-information types that Khalidi is a US-born American citizen, a moderate, has consistently denounced terrorism/suicide bombings, the Hamas government and its refusal to recognize/deal with Israel - that he has also headed up inter-religious organizations with Christians and Jews, has many friends in Israel (and warm things to say about selected Israeli leaders) and promotes only passive/peaceful forms of protest and resistance. Of course, none of that matters because he has Palestinian blood and a Palestinian name. He has dared to very occasionally criticize Israel for some of its policies (funny, when Noam Chomsky or Gideon Levy do it, they don't get called "terrorists"), and tried to help the Palestinian delegation get a decent deal out of the peace process.

But it's par for the course. The British called Gandhi a "terrorist". Hoover called Martin Luther King a "terrorist". The apartheid government in South Africa called Nelson Mandela a "terrorist". And King George III called our nation's Founding Fathers "terrorists". Yet Khalidi has not marched or protested or gone on hunger strike or thrown crates of tea into a harbor. All he has done is teach, research, write books and answer questions.

oh, these lists of curses and insults...they are not enlightening !

Let's try a little reason.
Rep.and Dem.both contribute to lots of things.
For different reasons.
a. It does not appear McCain has had personal sympathetic connections with PLO sympathizers or groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood. It does appear that the Rep.group is trying to keep it's EAR TO THE GROUND vis a vis Arab groups in the US and support those that appear moderate. A good initiative, it would seem.
b. It does appear that Obama has gone beyond political dancing, and listened sympathetically to Rashid's ideas and had a quasi-personal relationship based on his personal feelings and family background. (All provable) Also, Obama has OTHER semi-close ties to Islam as well as Radical Left groups. All in the name of peace and justice, surely. It's a free country.This behavior might be OK for a college student "finding their way" BUT IT IS SHOCKINGLY INNAPROPRIATE for the COMMANDER IN CHIEF OF THE ARMED FORCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. The problem comes when you examine the agenda of even "soft" islamic leaders in the U.S. or abroad.
Both parties are into "understanding and appeasement"which is a diplomatic dance. But Obama seems more sincere about it. Good ? Actually, no. This could be VERY dangerous. WHY ??
For details, I refer you to "They Must Not Win" by Brigitte Gabriel, a terror surviver and U.S.professional writer.

I must object to Joe Benevides' comment that the PLO is legitimate these days. Condoleeza Rice may like them quite a bit, and may have been able to give them over $600 million of our tax dollars this year alone, but they're still in the business of killing Jews.

Readers should note that when Obama was working with Ayers at the Woods Fund, they funded the Arab American Action Network in Chicago which was founded by Rashid Khalidi and presided over by his wife, Mona Khalidi. The Woods Fund also awarded sizable grants to Jeremiah Wright's Trinity United Church of Christ and (surprise!) ACORN.

Jake Tapper should know better than to draw a false equivalence between the CPRS, which does polling of Palestinian public opinion, and the Khalidis' AAAN, which celebrates the "nakba" -that is, the catastrophe- of the restablishment of the nation of Israel.

Obama has said that no one suffers like the Palestinians, and his associates fall heavily into the Jew-hating category. He also says he would talk with Ahmadinejad who could have a nuke aimed at Israel within the year. Even though Obama stated four different positions on Jerusalem in four months, American Jewish liberals like to believe that he's supportive of Israel's security. That's quite an astounding hoax the Obama campaign has going there. I wonder if they pay Tapper to keep it going, or if he only does so out of allegiance to the party?

The world hasn't seen such blind loyalty since the Nazis rose to power in Germany.

Rashid Khalidi was never a spokesperson for the PLO. He was for a very brief period an advisor to the Palestian delegation at the 1991 Madrid Summit. He is also a pre-eminent Middle Eastern scholar so has been asked for his opinion many times over for press articles.

The smear campaign against Khalidi began in earnest after Obama declared his intention to run for POTUS. It originates with a vicious and false op-ed published in the Brooklyn-based Jewish Press and was more widely published on the right wing Israeli-owned and operated World Net Daily site.

This was followed by one of the most poorly researched and nonsensical articles I have ever read in The Washington Times. The authors' claims are nothing but speculation, i.e. "He gave effuse thanks to the Palestinian Authority for allowing him access to its archives for research for a book he was writing. We think that means he is an Arafat acolyte" and "In Madrid when asked how he felt about the prospects of moving the peace process forward, he said "We hope we are successful". Notice he said "we", so that must mean he is a member of the PLO".

His kids went to the Lab school where my kids go as well.

____

Is that the same school where Axelrod claimed Ayer's (adult) kids go as well?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Of course!! :wink: :wink:

Michelle Obama just went to one of Khalidi's children's wedding!!

But, of course they're all in school together....Ayer's are in college, Khalidi's are married and Obama's are in GRADE SCHOOL.

Obama lies.

If the tape is NOT damning then why don't you guys just ask Obama to have the LA Times release the tape.

Sick of the ignorant drivel of these GOP maniacs. You all simply refuse to use your brains. You Fly off the cliffs, chasing the stupid and unsubstantiated nonsense spewing from your candidate, NEVER delving into his past relationships and under handed dealings. DO YOU JUST NOT WANT TO KNOW?
Is it easier to just close your eyes to all of McCains backroom shenanigans and elect the worst possible answer to America's problems? Step up and become AMERICANS who care about this country. ACT as if you care about AMERICA and not the need to be devisive, and yes racist. Isn't it time you people embraced all of AMERICA instead of spreading lies and protecting your corrupt candidates'anti-AMERICAN views.