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

Obama has many associations with esteemed university professors, political activists, politicians, and other important people. No big deal unless one of them is named Rashid Khalidi. Oh no! An Arabic name! Run for your life! Must be a terrorist! Obama is palin’ around with another terrorist!

Holy crap! Khalidi was a spokesperson for the PLO! Never mind that the PLO is a legitimate Palestinian organization these days; recognized by Israel and supported by the United States. They were the bad guys. . . 30 years ago! But still!

What?! In the more than ten years that John McCain has been the Chair of the International Republican Institute they’ve given Khalidi’s Center for Palestine Research several hundred thousand dollars for “civic consciousness and engagement and the development of democratic values in the West Bank"? CRAP! Ummm! CRAP! Ummm! Never mind! Just forget it. Hey, Rick Davis. . . get Palin’s people on the phone! Tell her to shut up on the Khalidi thing! John gave him buckets of money. Damn it!

That’s right; more McCain campaign race baiting! At her campaign hate festivals, evil, racist Caribou Barbie is using someone with an Arabic name, who happens to be one of Obama’s many political and intellectual contacts, as another bigoted ploy to cast Obama as having an association with a ‘terrorist’. Then McShame brings up Khalidi alongside Bill Ayers’ name in an interview. Wake up grandpa! The committee you chaired in the ‘90s gave Khalidi’s organization nearly HALF A MILLION DOLLARS in 1998. Did you forget about that?! Was he a terrorist then?! What’s happened in the last 10 years to make him a terrorist now?! Oh, that’s right; his name. It’s Arabic. It’s race. It’s RACISM! It’s Republithugism!

We need CHANGE, go ahead and CHANGE this country and the world as our candidate said . No more rich people.Every body should be equal, he just said "We all are going to be one people" Yes that's CHANGE. Health care for everybody (don't forget that) yes tha's CHANGE. Money from the goverment to middle and lower class , yes , that's CHANGE.
The worse crime of all this is to "Lie to the people with a noble idea"

This is kind of strange sometimes I wonder if there is even a tape. It has been discovered that the reporter that wrote the article wasn't even at the dinner but supposedly saw this "video". Of course hearing the possiblity that Obama went to a farewell party where these comments were made McCain hopped all over it. Then almost automatically it is released that McCain gave this Professor nearly a million dollars. So if this tape really does exist and if what they say is on it is true it looks worse for McCain because he funded a terrorist. Being at a dinner party where things got out of hand doesn't seem so bad when the other guy GAVE the terrorist money. McCain is truly desperate to say Obama has strong ties with a terrorist for having a dinner but knowing full well he gave this man all this money. This story wasn't even on a full day before the story about him giving this guy money is out. The Republican Death March continues!!

What a blunder by Obama. Doesn't he know he has to swear a blood oath to protect the nation that all US Senators, Congressmen, and every President has sworn to protect more than any nation on earth....Israel.
Honestly, I'm sick and tired as an American that our politicians go out of their way to completely please the nation of Israel, from both the Democrats and Republicans, yet they could care less about satisfying us Americans. I was just researching and we give Israel an avg of $4 billion in grants (don't have to paid back) per year...you'd think we would have them saluting us, but it's the tail that wags the dog here. I'm told they're our only friends...with friends like that...well you know the rest.

Diane in CA,

I was actually in attendance at the "Obama gives Hillary Clinton the bird" you asked people to Google. There. In person. In the front section.

Mr. Obama didn't flip off Mrs. Clinton. It did not happen. The man scratched his face, but folks like you who dream up conspiracy theories dreamt this one up to in some ridiculous effort to discredit a candidate you did not like.

Well, Madame, Google up

John McCain Cindy Trollop

and let us know what you find.

I can't believe how some people can read Huffington Post, Arriana Huffington is so full of hate that she even wished that Nancy Reagan would die. I only went into that source once, and never went back.

I used to watch news on ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, MSNBC but now I only go to CNN to watch Lou Dobbs, now I'm a fan of FOX, C-Span, and read the news from various sources on the internet. The liberal media has lost all credibility because of the way they trashed Hillary Clinton throughout the primaries, and are now trashing Gov. Palin and her family. The liberal media has behaved so irresponsibly, like a bunch of unleashed rabid dogs against Gov. Palin, her family since her selection as VP, and they've been almost as mean against Sen. McCain and his wife Cindy. This has been the most divisive elections in my lifetime, thanks to the candidate of hope, unity and change. Yeah right!

I sincerely hope that there is no civil unrest and that we all act as responsible law abiding citizens and accept the elections' results no matter who wins.

McCain/Palin must think people are stupid. I guess McCain really doesn't know anything about the internet, because he obviously doesn't realize that anyone can get on the internet and see how McCain gave this guy's organization lots of money.

Sarah Palin has been a poison to McCain. All Palin does is talk hate and lies, and now McCain just can't seem to help himself but follow. Sad. I used to really like McCain.

To Realist:

Just google the following:

Pastor Jeremiah Wright or Trinity Church of Chicago;
Obama mocking the Bible;
Obama not saluting the flag;
Obama and the National Anthem;

And since you're already googling check out:
Father Michael Pfleger of St. Sabine Church;
Louis Farrakan calling Obama the messiah;
Obama giving Hillary Clinton the bird;
Michelle Obama saying for the time in her adult life is proud to be an American;
Michelle Obama saying that America is a downright mean country.

You can find everything you want on the internet, also google Larry Sinclair.

McCain has been the chairman of the International Republican Institute that gave a $448,873 grant to Khalidi's Center for Palestine Research and Studies for work in the West Bank. So his latest tantrum is pure hypocrisy!

Diane,

Can you post links to the videos you reference? I can't find them anywhere.

The rest of your post...wow. I've met people with a tenuous grip on reality, but you really take the cake! Did you read Richard Clarke's book (I'm assuming that's who you are referring to who transferred the files to Bush and his team)? He details all the things Clinton *did*, and all the things that Bush *didn't do* before 9-11, then all the things that Bush did after 9-11 that were EXACTLY what Clinton did while in office.

History will accurately and correctly reveal Bush as by far the worst president we have ever had.

TJ said: "Please please. First try to know the difference between guilty-by-association and someone cheerleading and subscribing to Bush's philosophy."

Don't get all unhinged, you liberal looney you. I know the difference between the two concepts, its the hypocrit 0bama who seems to be having trouble with his double standards.

TJ said: "There was no evidence at anytime that Obama was supporting the views of Ayers, Wright or Khalidi."

Only 0bama's own words and photographic EVIDENCE as proof that he deliberately chose anti-semities as his friends and preferred their company so as not to appear like a sell out. Its only been since he started campaigning to be president that he has started giving LIP SERVICE to supporting Israel, evidently just so he can get elected according to Ali Abunimah, another of 0bama's pro-Palestinian/anti-Israel friends.

TJ said: "On the other hand, McCain proudly proclaimed on video that is happy to side with Bush 90% of the imte,..."

Nice desperate spin. What McCain actually said was "I have agreed with President Bush far more than I have disagreed". The "90%" was somebody else's claim NOT McCain admission by any stretch of the imagination. Keep to the truth why doncha ya!

"...not to mention that he himself is associated with Khalidi in the past." - TJ

According to Tapper's update those funds were reportedly "de-obligated".

Besides which Khalidi, himself, reportedly removed himself from the organization he helped found. Tapper's report doesn't specify whether the funds were awarded while Khalidi was still with the organization or not or whether Khalidi had revealed his pro-Arafat/anti-Israel leanings when the organization received the funds.

No need to thank me, it was a total pleasure correcting your lies and unspinning your spin!!!

Rashid Khalidi is a scholar indeed. CPRS was a research center that did descent work. They are not really the issue here. But the issue is that it seems having any ties to Palestinians is in itself a crime. Does not that remind you of the 1930s and 1940s in Europe, the 1950s in the US, Stalin's USSR...etc. What national or ethnic group is next? Going down this road means that in no time, candidates will have to be completely insolent from the world and must have been grown in a bubble with no contacts with the real world.

If Obama didn't do anything unbecoming, HE should demand that the tape be released and he'll crush McCain in 6 days (plays into the "too old/desperate/erractic meme perfectly). IF, however, the tape shows Obama in a bad light (which is likely - otherwise why the secrecy) then he's in trouble b/c this will not play well over the weekend. Think Bush '00 DUI x 10. Kind of lends new credence to Hillary's "he[O] can't be elected" assertion.

If Obama was willing to stoop as low as McCain: Is this the pot calling the kettle black? From Huffington Post (exceprt from much longer article):

"A 1998 tax filing for the McCain-led group shows a $448,873 grant to Khalidi's Center for Palestine Research and Studies for work in the West Bank. (See grant number 5180, "West Bank: CPRS" on page 14 of this PDF.)

The relationship extends back as far as 1993, when John McCain joined IRI as chairman in January.

You people are so blind,the facts that are readily available to you are ignored. In 2001 and 2002 as board members of the woods fund Obama and Ayers gave 75000 to the arab american action network a group that has been linked to terrorism. Obama fundraiser Hatem El Hady ran an organization called Kindhearts that was shut down by the fbi in 2006 for funding Hamas in Lebanon. In 2006 Obama used tax payer money to travel to Kenya, where he was critized by the Kenyan government for his support for Raila Odinga's quest for the presidency of Kenya. Odinga lost the election and his supporters burned christians alive and 500,000 were forced from their homes. I would be shocked if one of you had the courage and honesty to check any of these facts by checking periodicals or newspapers such as the Wall Street Journal and Investors Business Daily that has covered much of this.

If McCain thinks Khalidi is so bad, then why did McCain agree to give Khalidi's Palestine group a hefty $440,000 grant?

McCain's desperation is painful to watch. He tried to whack Obama with this Khalidi event and ended up whacking himself instead.

Third story on this!!!!!!!!!???

It seems to me that timing on the CPRS grant by IRI and other and the vetting /involvement of "moderates" like Khalidi may be critical. Mid 90s was a time that Clinton and mainstream foundations were working on a Palestinian Israel settlement.
Other organizations that reportedly gave funding to CPRS include the National Endowment for Democracy, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Center for International Private Enterprise, the Ford and Rockefeller Foundations, the Japanese Embassy, and Germany’s Friedrich Naumann Stiftung. IRI’s relationship with CPRS ended in 2000, and we understand that it no longer exists.”
ENDED IN 2000 is key. That's when the Clinton Peace Plan fell apart, Thats the Second Intifada. Thats Yassir last stand until he handed over Mahmoud Abbas. All Fatah hands on deck - and "moderates" suddenly changed their tunes to fit in and well, that they and their family would keep their heads and limbs all together.......
NOW 2003 (not old news and 1 year before Obama entering US Senate!!), we have a "farewell" party of a radical professor going to another university to spread his nonsense and anti semitism was in the air. I ask again, would McCain have sat there and ate his mashed potatoes. I dont think so!!!

For those commenters posting about Obama's drugs, I want to set you straight on what I learned about drugs, I am 65 years old but when young, I not only did every drug available, I did them off and on for about 10 years. They didn't effect me then and they certainly don't effect me today. So let me ask you, do any of you know anyone who has NEVER tried illegal drugs when young? I have a feeling no one can tell me that they don't "know "someone. I don't know anything about drug availability today, but back then {1960 -1970] drugs were prevalent and everyone alive did some type of drug [btw, I was a professional working for the government}. So illegal drugs cut through all socio-economic levels. But what I am trying to get at here is that "who gives a d*mn who did what drug when they were young"? It just doesn't matter. It was done in youth! All that really matters is that we woke up one day and decided that the fun was not worth the money nor the risk and stopped drugs forever. At least Obama was honest in saying he had 'used'!

However, the greater story here is about Palistine and Isreal. The primary reason I wanted Obama to become POTUS is because I see him as someone who will listen to all sides of an issue before making any statement or decision [problems like this 'challenge' his mind and he intellectually enjoys the banter which help in his attempts to weigh and solve all issues. I also believe that is the primary reason why Rev Wright was so important to him since he too has a first rate, superior intellect and a great sense of humor]. I would like someone to tell me how the Palistinians can even have a speck of 'hope' to keep their own land and be treated as "human beings" [rather than the animals Isreal wants to believe they are] if there is no respect or even humanity shown to them by Isreal? By the same token, this 'SAME treatment MUST absolutely apply' to the Jews in Isreal. It has to be a give and take by both sides so they both can live together harmoniously, as well as PROSPER. They MUST BE ABLE TO "CONVERSE" or a 'lasting peace accord' will never be achieved. I can't help but believe that Obama is the right person who can help them achieve a 'permanent' peace largely due to his conversations with his friend Khalidi [and everything he learned from him] along with all his knowledge of Isreal. If Isreal does NOT want to live in peace, then someone has to find out 'why' they are so 'adverse to peace' so it can once, and for all, be rectified.

For anyone to 'fault' Obama for trying to understand issues about other cultures is absolutely WRONG. It also does NOT mean that Obama accepts either one side or the other.

WHY should we listen to or believe anything Goldfarb has to say about McCain's connection with Khalidi and IRI when McCain 'should be forced' to speak for himself on this topic? Goldfarb is NOT McCain, and on this subject, he should NOT be speaking 'for him or in lieu of him'. McCain supported Khalidi's IRI group with financing all these years knowing its purpose, so perhaps McCain can NOW explain 'his reasons for that support'.

But McCain traveling down this road today to publicly point out that Obama has QUESTIONABLE AND SUSPICIOUS BAD BLACK AND FOREIGN RADICAL FRIENDS? Because McCain wants to make certain he cuts deeply into Obama's leads in all the 'RED' states that he 'took for granted' because after all his good buddy Bush won them, so why couldn't he just 'assume' those RED states would automatically support him.

I also believe that McCain is just ENVIOUS! Obama has raised so much money from 'ordinary citizens' who support him and can afford to be on all cable stations tonight at a heftu price and McCain can't do the same- that's called "jealousy" or "green with envy"!

I also want answers about McCain's friends such as; G. Libby felon/terrorist, Phil Gramm lobbyist, Rick Davis lobbyist, Steve Schmidt lobbyist, to name but a very few. We need to INSIST the MSM do an indept investigation on his 'friends' because they too are HIGHLY SUSPECT and QUESTIONAL!

I am so SICK OF McCAIN'S, PALIN'S AND SUPPORTERS BS I could SCREAM! Palin did a GOOD JOB once again "MEMORIZING" HER POLICY SPEECH today, but let's NOT KID ourselves, if she couldn't "memorize" speeches or talking points, she'd be up a creek without a paddle because she can't construct a concise sentence and speak 'out loud'.

Tuesday night just can't get here soon enough!

“Professor Khalidi is seen as a moderate . . . having decried suicide bombings against civilians as a ‘war crime’ and criticized the conduct of Hamas and other Palestinian leaders."

He did however state Palestinians have the right to resist Israeli occupation and he was critical of U.S. policy as biased toward Israel.

If Khalidi is Palestinian then he is an Arab. If he is an Arab he is a semite. If he is anti-semitic then...oh but wait I should have checked my logic at the door. Being anti-Zionist does not an anti-semite make. Do you people realize the many Orthodox Jews are anti-Zionist? Could they possibly be anti-semitic?

Another question: Is it better for me to an anti-semite or anti-American? And what if I were pro-American and anti-semitic? Is it possible to be one and not the other? As an American can I be anti-Zionist? Or must I be a Zionist to be a good and patriotic American? And if Al Qaeda committed a terrorist act by "boat-bombing" the USS Cole did Isreal commit an act of terrorism by bombing the USS Liberty? And if McCain can go to Viet Nam and forgive his captors the same ones responsible for the actual killing of over 58,00 Americans whay isn't it acceptable to meet with a leader of a country that hasn't even come close to that number. For that matte why can he go to Viet Nam a communit country with American bloob on it's hands and then still want to enforce and embargo on Cuba. A country where not one American soldier has been killed. Oh that's right there was the Spanish-American Wat and San Juan Hill and all that, but isn;t Spain and ally now?