Politico: We Would Have Released Video Of Obama Toasting PLO Operatives

• October 29, 2008

As many of you know by now, the LA Times has video of Barack Obama toasting and praising Jew-hating PLO operative (and Yasser Arafat henchman) Rashid Khalidi at a 2003 event. As many of you also know, the LA Times is refusing to release the video.
Ben Smith at The Politico is puzzled by the Times’ decision, saying that Politico would have made it public.

The paper hasn’t explained its unwillingness to release the video, and Peter Wallsten, who found the tape and wrote about it, declined to discuss it with me last night. He forwarded an e-mail that the paper has sent readers who have complained as conservative blogs raise the issue.
“Over six months ago the Los Angeles Times published a detailed account of the events shown on the videotape. The Times is not suppressing anything. Just the opposite — the L.A. Times brought the matter to light,” wrote the readers’ representative, Jamie Gold.
L.A. Times spokeswoman Nancy Sullivan wouldn’t discuss the decision not to release the tape in detail.
“When we reported on the tape six months ago, that was our full report,” she said, and asked, “Does Politico release unpublished information?”
The answer to that question is yes — Politico and most news outlets constantly make available videos and documents, after describing them in part, which is why the Times’ decision not to release the video is puzzling. My instinct, and many reporters’, is to share as much source material as possible.

The Times is now claiming that they can’t release the Khalidi tape because they promised their source they wouldn’t. Which just raises more questions. What’s on that tape that the Times’ source doesn’t want the public at large to see?
And on top of all of this, who could imagine the Times sitting on a similarly inconvenient video for John McCain? Can anyone imagine the Times letting the wishes of some source get in the way of releasing a video that could damage John McCain? Or Sarah Palin?
Of course not.

Tags: Domestic Issues, Politics

http://Array Hannitized

Hannitized would have had no problem with releasing the tape had it been of John McCain toasting some spurious right-wing radical creep.

You mean like Rod Parsley and Pastor Hagee???

Yeah, like the media really covered that.
http://bullwinkleblog.com/ Bullwinkle

Maybe the LA Times won’t release the tape because of the other guests who were there at another dinner. Just some people Obama doesn’t really know, just some people from his neighborhood.

I believe that Wallsten contacted Abunimah about the photos and learned of the other AAAN annual banquet dinner (at which Abunimah, Obama, Ayers, Dohrn, and Khalidi were all in attendance), and that Abunimah is his source for the video.
dawneyr

I don’t imagine that the LA Times makes a fortune selling subscriptions. Therefore, this is when those who so choose, recognize and walk away from those who advertise in the Times to bankroll their tilted support of selective censorship. That’s when competition kicks in and the LA Times eventually fizzles into nonexistence. Or at least it eventually exposes their last waning supporters for what they really are. Maybe that’s why Obama is a socialist advocating communist–the killing of competition facilitates in the killing of free speech. Looks like the Obama bubble supports not only the killing of babies, but also the killing off of competition and free speech. Just ask Joe.
Bat One

The level of hypocrisy among the leftwing media is simply astounding. When the subject was a communications intelligence program with the very highest national security classification, a program that had been almost immeasurably effective in providing information on our sworn enemies, the drive-by media was positively gleeful in justifying the fact that they ignored the government’s entreaties not to publish, despite the fact that doing so not only harmed the national interest, but was a direct violation of federal law on spying and treason.

And when a story was thought to be an embarrassment to conservative Republicans, such as the faked Texas Air National Guard “documents” about young George W. Bush, there was no second thought about publishing. “Fake, but accurate” was the meme.

But now, when full disclosure would be an obvious embarrassment to “The One”, now the MSM and the LAT in particular, suddenly are sanctimoniously concerned with some unnamed party’s request not to publish? Excuse me while I choke on my make-believe gullibility!

No wonder the newspaper business is hurtling in a steady spiral toward irrelevance.
Hannitized

For god sakes. Look at what was in the link from Politico;

The Times described the going-away party for former University of Chicago professor, and Obama friend, Rashid Khalidi, in a story in April. The story reported that Palestinians thought they might have a friend in Obama because of his friendships in that community, despite the fact that his positions have never been particularly pro-Palestinian.

and.

Khalidi is a controversial figure, reviled by pro-Israel activists, though not a marginal one. A former professor at the University of Chicago, he’s now Edward Said Professor of Arab Studies at Columbia, and respected by many in academia. He’s been criticized most for saying that Palestinians have a right to resist Israeli occupation and has been described as a former P.L.O. spokesman, a label he has denied.

So by the Politico’s own story Rob is lying and/or distorting.
Hannitized

If Khalidi is as innocent as you describe, and innocuous as you imply, then there is simply no justification for not releasing the video of the Khalidis dining with the Obamas.

Except for it being taken out of context and ran continuously around far right loon websites.

I can understand why an Obama supporter would not want to give it to those would take things out of context either. Just report it. The report is good enough.
Hannitized

No links, no sources. Odd, that.
RebTex

While there may be a concern that releasing the tape so close to the election might sway the election, to NOT release the tape also sways the election.
.
.
But here’s the real question…..
Why is this so late coming out?
Was it buried that well or is it just plain incompetence in the mc cain campaign?
Where were those charged with cross-vetting obama?
Just like the person that spent the enormous amount on clothes for Palin, those that were supposed to look into obama should come forward.
THey failed completely & should take responsibility.
Hannitized

That’s the very same excuse you tried to use when Jeremiah Wright’s “God damn America!” video surfaced.

90% of Wrights statements are not racist, just stupid and controversial.

Wright makes larger points that are overlooked and often taken of context. Yes.
http://bullwinkleblog.com/ Bullwinkle

You do know that the times has it’s own video site, don’t you, lying Marxist turd?
JazzyKat

Obama is not offering anything new. He’s just repeating the same old change offered by FDR and Jimmy Carter. If any of you care for individual liberty, freedom and the right of self-determination to make free choices in the pursuit of happiness and prosperity…then you will vote for McCain/Palin. If on the other hand, you’re like Hannitized, and would prefer Government hold your hand, direct your steps, pay your way and make your decisions for you, then you will vote for Obama/Biden. It’s as simple as that – freedom or control! As for me, I choose Liberty!
http://bullwinkleblog.com/ Bullwinkle

Obama disagreed with Khalidi? The L.A. Times didn’t quite report it that way.

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.”

Obama adopted a different tone in his comments and called for finding common ground. But his presence at such events, as he worked to build a political base in Chicago, has led some Palestinian leaders to believe that he might deal differently with the Middle East than either of his opponents for the White House.

“I am confident that Barack Obama is more sympathetic to the position of ending the occupation than either of the other candidates,” said Hussein Ibish, a senior fellow for the American Task Force on Palestine, referring to the Israeli presence in the West Bank and Gaza Strip that began after the 1967 war. More than his rivals for the White House, Ibish said, Obama sees a “moral imperative” in resolving the conflict and is most likely to apply pressure to both sides to make concessions.

Palestinian leaders didn’t think he disagreed with Khalidi either. Apparently only lying Marxist turds are saying that he did.
pparets

Of course, Hannitized would have had no problem with releasing the tape had it been of John McCain toasting some spurious right-wing radical creep.
http://insanereindeer.blogspot.com/ Kenny

Except for it being taken out of context and ran continuously around far right loon websites.
I can understand why an Obama supporter would not want to give it to those would take things out of context either. Just report it. The report is good enough.

Or not.

One, if the video shows Obama disagreeing with this guy, I want to see it. It will improve Obama’s standing in my mind.

Two, if they have more information, they should release it so everyone can verify what they said is true…that’s what journalism is.

Three, if people want to take the quote out of context, they will. By your own charge, Rob already has. Refusing to release it on these grounds is partisan and trying to help Obama. And is, as such, pure Bull.

On the other hand, Rob, I have searched Politico and cannot find the article you are sourcing. I’d like a link to it as well.
Hannitized

The reason you won’t link the story is because the LA Times story clearly states that Obama had indicated that Rashid had challenged Obama.

That means they didn’t agree.

Khalidi’s relationship to Barack Obama has come under increasing interest due to the U.S. Presidential race of 2008. Obama made one of the presentations in praise of Khalidi at a 2003 farewell dinner on the occasion of Khalidi leaving the Chicago Area. The dinner was a celebration of the Chicago area Palestinian community. Obama’s remarks alluded to the numerous dinners that he had in the home of Rashid Khalidi. During the 2008 election race, opponents of Barack Obama suggested his relationship with Khalidi was evidence that Obama would not maintain a pro-Israel foreign policy if elected.[22] The Obama campaign’s Fight the Smears website has posted an entry on Khalidi in order to rebut what was said elsewhere about their relationship, for instance, it denies that Khalidi is or has been one of Obama’s foreign policy advisors.[23]

In May of 2008, Barack Obama spoke at a synagogue at an event in Boca Raton, Florida and the question of his relationship with Khalidi was brought up. In response, Obama stated that “[Khalidi] is Palestinian. And I do know him and I have had conversations. He is not one of my advisors; he’s not one of my foreign policy people. His kids went to the Lab school where my kids go as well. He is a respected scholar, although he vehemently disagrees with a lot of Israel’s policy... To pluck out one person who I know and who I’ve had a conversation with who has very different views than 900 of my friends and then to suggest that somehow that shows that maybe I’m not sufficiently pro-Israel, I think, is a very problematic stand to take…So we gotta be careful about guilt by association.”[24]

Who was Rashid Khalidi? Here is a little info on this “bad apple”, heh.

Rashid Khalidi (born 1950), an American historian of the Middle East, is the Edward Said Professor of Arab Studies at Columbia University, and director of the Middle East Institute of Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs.

Khalidi was born in New York. He received a B.A. from Yale University, where he was a member of Wolf’s Head Society,[1] in 1970,[2] and a D. Phil. from Oxford University in 1974[3] and spent many years as a professor and director of both the Center for Middle Eastern Studies and the Center for International Studies at the University of Chicago before joining the Columbia faculty. He has also taught at Georgetown University, Lebanese University, and the American University of Beirut.

Khalidi is married to Mona Khalidi, Assistant Dean, Student Affairs; Assistant Director of Graduate Studies, School of International and Public Affairs[4] He is a member of the National Advisory Committee of the U.S. Interreligious Committee for Peace in the Middle East, which describes itself as “a national organization of Jews, Christians and Muslims dedicated to dialogue, education and advocacy for peace based on the deepest teachings of the three religious traditions.”[5]

He is member of the Board of Sponsors of The Palestine-Israel Journal, a publication founded by Ziad AbuZayyad and Victor Cygielman, prominent Palestinian and Israeli journalists.

He is founding trustee of The Center for Palestine Research and Studies.
Princeton University let it be known that it was considering hiring Khalidi in 2005.[6] However, a controversy developed over Khalidi’s political involvements and no job offer was made.[7]

And he wasn’t an Operative, he was accused of being a spokesperson;

Allegations of PLO connections

Khalidi has been accused of having ties to the Palestinian Liberation Organization, based on his work for Wafa in the late 1980s, and later serving as an advisor to the Palestinian delegation during the Madrid Conference of 1991.[17][18] Khalidi denied the allegation that he served as a PLO spokesman.[19] Khalidi explained that he often spoke to journalists in Beirut, and was usually cited, without attribution, as a well-informed Palestinian source. He also said that he was unaware of any misidentification as a PLO spokesman.[17]

The claim received renewed attention in 2008 when it was raised due to a reported friendship between Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama and Khalidi’s family when Khalidi taught at the University of Chicago. Articles by Aaron Klein and John Bachelor, writers respectively for World Net Daily and Human Events, were referenced by rival political campaigns and reprinted in wider-circulation media.[18][20][21][19]
http://bullwinkleblog.com/ Bullwinkle

Fun! Heh. I did that it under 30 minutes. Call me a putz again and I’ll show you just how serious this can get. You dickless Marxist turd.

Give youtube a few minutes to process it.
Bat One

I can understand why an Obama supporter would not want to give it to those would take things out of context either.

H,

That’s the very same excuse you tried to use when Jeremiah Wright’s “God damn America!” video surfaced. Got anything more… uh… believable?
sayanything-2407

The report is good enough.

????

In this time of such biased and fawning reporting, you are trying to sell that the report in itself is good enough?

How about the report and the video for confirmation?

After rob wrote his piece, din’t you say…

No links, no sources. Odd, that.

Well then, what is good for the goose is good for the gander. Most, and I do say MOST, Conservative blogs, backup what they write with links to sources that they are getting thier information from. The Times has the source available that they are writing from, BUT fail to link or allow viewing of the source to backup what they are writing about.

Let me guess, we should just take thier word for it, right?
http://bullwinkleblog.com/ Bullwinkle

That is true, but i think it is less damaging then if a dishonest person were to take that video and let some 527 hack it up and make lies from it.

– Hannitized, repeating the lamest ever lie he ever told, one that was already shot down.

Hannitized, you lying Marxist piece of shit. I already shot that lie down once today. The LA Times has its own video site so nobody can alter the video without being caught. Stop lying, you pathetic piece of shit.

BTW dickless, it’s “less damaging THAN” not “then”. You corrected my typing today so I’m sure you won’t mind me repaying the favor, insignificant Marxist punk.
Hannitized

Three, if people want to take the quote out of context, they will. By your own charge, Rob already has. Refusing to release it on these grounds is partisan and trying to help Obama. And is, as such, pure Bull.

That is true, and also, it might even be made out to be worse if it is not released when you have guys like Rob running around.

That’s true Kenny.

But we live in an age of YouTube, and these clips are being manipulated and lazy, unthoughtful people formulate most of their opinions form edited clips that distort context.

So I think the damage can be minimized by keeping this on black and white. It is how we lived before the day of television. We don’t have to have everything.
Hannitized

I already shot that lie down once today.

Yeah you think you shot it down, but it’s clear that you are not too bright when it comes to technology. Just because LATimes has its own site doesn’t mean you can’t extract and copy the data to use it for your own purposes.

And I didn’t correct your spelling today, you whiny little putz. You got me confused with someone else and allowed your mind to play tricks on you. Dope!

And don’t you ever get tired of calling everyone a lying, marxist piece of shit? You sound like a baby with tourettes.
http://bullwinkleblog.com/ Bullwinkle

And I didn’t correct your spelling today, you whiny little putz. You got me confused with someone else and allowed your mind to play tricks on you. Dope!

For once you’re almost right, Marxist liar. As a matter of fact it was yesterday.

What was that Bullshtinkle? i could not quite make out what it is you said in all of that “intelligent banter”.

Seriously pet, if you want to insult someone’s intelligence, you could at least pretend as if you have half a brain cell.

And you keep lying about lies. Why are you the lying, liar who lies his lying face off? You lying, fascist, drunken Cheny apologist.

Having civil discourse with someone who is capable of it, is markedly different than trying to have civil discourse with a guy like you, who is a lying, liar and fascist.

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Example: Republican Dirty Trick

Hannitized on October 28, 2008 at 09:42 pm

But back to the topic: If someone tries to do what you claim they will end up looking the fraud you try to claim Rob is. You know that, or would if you weren’t an idiot.

You don’t the video made made public for other reasons, you lying Marxist turd. You are afraid it won’t support the Times’ reporting and make you and your Marxist comrade Obama both look like the liars you are.

BTW, dickless, I haven’t ever lied about your lies. Ever. No need to lie when you are so willing to do it as often as you do.

Whiny little putz? I’d think twice about calling me names it I was you, especially if the pics you posted here are really you.

Keep it up though if you want to. We can have some real fun, dickless Marxist.
http://bullwinkleblog.com/ Bullwinkle

I can only imagine what he would do if he had an edited tape.

– Hannitized

The Times can post it on their own website. Any other site that tries to show an edited version would be proven a sham site in no time at all.

Nice try, Marxist turd, but there’s no reason not to make the video public.

Any versions that don’t match the Times’ version would be obvious fakes.

Someone who claims to be as smart as you do would know that already.

Are you stupid or lying?

Your worries about it being edited are like every other claim you make, PURE BULLSHIT.
Hannitized

I mean hell. Look at Rob distort already. I can only imagine what he would do if he had an edited tape.
sayanything-2407

So I think the damage can be minimized by keeping this on black and white.

I don’t know hannitized, not reeasing it looks like they are hiding and protecting Obama from something.

It doesn’t take much to convince someone that something is going on (even if nothing is), and journalists, which have been notoriously biased and not even hiding thier support of Obama, suddenly don’t want to show a video that they reported on.

It makes people wonder why, and the first question comes to mind is, what are they hiding.
HG

H,

I think not releasing it may be more damaging (although I don’t think at this point it will do a lot) than releasing it. That is unless there is something so surprising as to be game-changing which I doubt.

While I disagree with much of what Obama says, I don’t think he has the influence or ability to get half of what he has campaigned on passed. At least not with a vocal electorate. He’ll likely be a whole lot of talk and not much action, especially given his record of just that. The concern I have is the courts and hopefully the conservatives will hold on for 4 years. I don’t see this guy getting re-elected, especially after his history comes to light.
HG

Except for it being taken out of context and ran continuously around far right loon websites.

As opposed to what the left would do on the nightly news if the shoe were on the other foot.

/sarcasm.
tothststars2

In one 1981 interview, Khalidi referred to the exiled PLO’s growing standing among Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza, saying “we have built up tremendous links with the Palestinians â€˜on the inside’ in different ways. We can render them services … we’ve never been stronger there, and the trend is continuing.”

Just what is the meaning of “we” here?

http://www.cnsnews.com/public/content/article.aspx?RsrcID=38326
Hannitized

I don’t know hannitized, not reeasing it looks like they are hiding and protecting Obama from something.

That is true, but i think it is less damaging then if a dishonest person were to take that video and let some 527 hack it up and make lies from it. People believe lies they see on video more than they believe rumor and speculation.
http://bullwinkleblog.com/ Bullwinkle

Obama, in his toast, indicated that they disagreed.

It was reported that they disagreed. The video to back the reporsting up isn’t being made available.

Either the video proves the reposting was a lie or it doesn’t. If what was reported is the truth then nobody should or would mind the video being released.

It’s very unlikely the video shows Obama disagreeing with Khalidi.

Most likely the video shows the exact opposite.
Hannitized

Don’t buy into Reb. It’s just more disinformation.

Obama didn’t toast PLO operatives.

1. There was only one guy, Rashad Kahlidi (not several)

2. Rashad Kahlidi was an American professor who taught as several prominent US universities.

3. Rashad was only accused of being a PLO spokesman. A charge that never stuck.

4. Obama, in his toast, indicated that they disagreed.

This is how disinformation and spin works. A propagandist and partisan hack deliberately gives bad information in the hopes that sheep will carry the message and sway the election in the way he wants.

Rob does this on a daily basis. He should be ashamed.
Bat One

If Khalidi is as innocent as you describe, and innocuous as you imply, then there is simply no justification for not releasing the video of the Khalidis dining with the Obamas.
Hannitized

More lies and spin from Rob. And if it wasn’t a deliberate lie, it was sheer stupidity on his behalf to call him a PLO operative.
sayanything-2407

Didn’t see the exact wording of the article, but did find Bill Smith’s article that says most of whjat was reported on by Rob.

http://mobile.politico.com/blog.cfm?blogid=24866&bloggerid=4

http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/1008/McCain_camp_demands_LA_Times_video.html?showall

Even Hotair has a link to it and discussion:
http://hotair.com/archives/2008/10/29/politico-we-would-have-released-the-khalidi-tape/

Not hard to find.
JazzyKat

Obama has so many bad associations that this one is just icing on the enormous cake. He always disassociates himself when one comes to light. That is the hypocrisy of this man…but it speaks to the fact he has been in bed with terrorists, communists, Marxists, racists, and extremists his whole adult life. Now we’re suppose to believe he doesn’t think like the people he’s always associated with??? You are so niave and dense Hannitized!

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