Terrorists, Secessionists, Sarah Palin and Guilt by Association

I was appalled (and annoyed) this weekend by the newest wave of hypocrisy to come spewing perkily forth from the ever-smiling, ever-smirking, perfectly lipsticked mouth of Governor Palin. I'm actually starting to enjoy (for comedic reasons only) her interviews that are nothing more than disconnected prepositional phrases laced with stock GOP pablum. But accusing a sitting U.S. Senator of "palling around with terrorists" is crossing the line.

Finally informing us what she reads, Palin said that yesterday, while leafing through her daily copy of the New York Times, she came across a story on Senator Obama and William Ayers, the 1960s militant and member of the Weather Underground, the radical and violent anti-war group. And faster than you can say "Darn right!"she saw her opportunity - and her duty. Clearly, she must inform an unknowing nation that Obama is guilty by association with Ayers.

You, Governor, should know better. As I and many journalists have noted, you have strong ties to the Alaska Independence Party. While it was finally revealed that you technically were not a card-carrying member of the AIP, it was discovered that the First Dude, between his life of high adventure in helping you rule your northern fiefdom, his competitive snowmobiling and fishing, was a member of the organization for many years.

Yes, it is a free country. You get to associate or marry whomever you want, no matter how distasteful. Yes, Senator Obama served on a board with William Ayers, a former member of the Weather Underground and now a college professor and activist in Chicago. However, Senator Obama has clearly distanced himself on numerous occasions from Professor Ayers' actions in the 1960's. This is a non-issue. Perhaps that is why you have decided to focus on it -- better a non-issue than having to learn and think about real problems that affect everyday people, like health care, the economy and education. Those, I suppose, are just too gosh darned hard.

All snarky comments aside, I do have a concern, Governor. A big one. You have never distanced yourself from a radical secessionist movement aimed at the breaking up of the Federal Union. You, Governor, have never stated a single time that the AIP is not only wrong-headed, but outright dangerous. Instead, you have videotaped welcoming comments for their annual conventions. Instead, you have a "close association" with a known former member of a radical, right-wing, well-armed and well-funded political party whose founder damned the United States as virulently as Reverend Wright did. While Reverend Wright enjoyed his 15 minutes of fame, and was rightly slammed for his vitriol by patriotic writers on both Left and Right, the AIP happily continued along its way, spewing anti-Americanism more in line with something Fidel Castro would say on a May Day celebration in Havana.

And you stood there Governor, like a caribou caught in the headlights. And you still stand there, but now with the audacity to stand at the top of your glass castle throwing rocks at other people. There is a big, big difference between a limited association with someone who had committed a crime 40 years before, and being married to a man who supports the destruction of the United States.

Who has the closest terrorist association, Governor? Who? If you believe Senator Obama to be the buddy of terrorists, don't make an unsubstantiated claim. Call the FBI and demand an investigation. If you are just grandstanding for a crowd of racist isolationists who fear the idea of a successful black man who worked his way up from nothing to become a success--a modern day Horatio Alger story if there is one--you should be deeply ashamed of yourself. Look to your own house before you start throwing rocks Governor. For who among us can cast the first stone? Seem like you can Sarah, seems like you are the only exception to the Scripture since about 32 AD.

I am a loyal American. When Election Day happens, and if the GOP wins, I want to know that the person who is literally a heart beat away from the Presidency is a person I can trust to do the right thing. Someone who will place national well-being above some perverted concept of secessionism, who will not associate with people who are worse, far worse, than a liberal college professor who was immensely foolish -- and wrong -- in the 1960s.

Yes Governor, I question your patriotism and your loyalty to this Republic. And I have a hell of a lot more evidence to question your loyalty to the Republic than you do to question Senator Obama's.

Comments

[Kyler]

This might be the smartest position she has!

If Alaska was smart it would succede before the Federal Government craps this country totally down its leg!

Its got a ton af natural resources a small population to provide for, It would be a boon for them to break off, and what the heck if times got tough they could just cry to the US and I'm sure we would give them foreign aide, we give every other country a chunk if they deserve it or not.

Inflation

[Rekih]

How does Palin get a security clearance? Her associations clearly make her a security risk. I'd love to hear a public opinion on this from Valerie Plame. Can someone try to make this happen?

[ladyv]

I'm familiar with clearance procedures, and if either of the Palins were subject to an SSBI, this particular association would almost surely cause them to be denied. This is exactly the sort of association the investigation process is supposed to ferret out.

[Philly Gadfly]

Governor Palin would rather spout nonsense instead of keeping her word and getting back to Katie Couric.

[stella801]

If you are a member of Digg, digg this. That is one way to get this out to more people and het the article more exposure. I don't know when the magazine is coming out, but I think it is next week. Let's get it to the forefront before then.
Digg!

[criquet]

I like your approach.
Obama does not need to go negative but say that if Gov Palin has evidence that he , as a sitting US Senator , is palling around with terrorists let the FBI know and investiagte him. Challenge her to put up or shut up.
No negative attack but call her out.

[TallGrrl]

HuffPost's Pick

Everyone who reads this article should contact CBS, ABC, NBC, CNN...and FOX and ask them why aren't they covering Palin's Terrorist Connections.
Plus, they should contact the McCain campaign.
Why not flood their offices and e-mail boxes with this? Why not shut down their servers with requests for information?
Send this story to friends, along with the e-mail and phone number contacts for the networks and the McCain campaign.
Call in to talk shows, say whatever you need to to get past the screeners, and give this information, and ask why no one is talking about it.
We have the tools at our finger tips. We don't have to sit by and let this pass.
Stop whining and DO SOMETHING NOW.

[stella801]

Agreed! Also, call them out on the fact that they ARE NOT DOING THEIR JOB!!!!!!! Sorry for yelling, but I'm beyond civility on this.

[rlyons]

MSM didn't cover? Nah!
First heard about this 2 weeks ago on CNN when a pundit wondered when the GOP would bring it up this old news.
And if Palin was reading about it in the New York Times, isn't that "mainstream?"
And now Palin has challenged AP as being wrong. Never challenge the AP. They check their facts. This should be fun!

[MarinCOUSA]

WTF hasn't this story broke big time. It as absolutely OUTRAGEOUS!
Tanks for the post

[mona212]

I have been updated to the fact on Monday, October 6th, the Obama campaign will launch a multi-media campaign regarding Sen. McCain's involvement with "The Keating Five". The campaign and all the surrogates appearing on radio and television will be discussing Sen. McCAin's connection to this scandal that closely resemble the current financial scandal and how his "poor judgement" played a factor. Next, we need to emphasize Gov. Palin's rise to political fame...the administrator she hired who handled all the mayoral duties of Wasilla because Mrs. Palin is just a "hockey mom" with no real political appititude. Let's challenge this "Expert on Energy" experience she touts, where might she have gained this experience, sitting on a board doesnt exactly count. Her reformer credentials also should be challenged...she revealed political corruptness in her party, used it to advance her career, replaced the good ole boys with a new set of good ole boys.

[PrairieDog]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwvPNXYrIyI
Here, I gotcha some.

[darker]

TO PALIN:

A quote from Ben Franklin: "people who live in glass houses, shouldn't throw stones!".

AMEN.

[stella801]

The fact that all of this in not being reported in the MSM leads me to a huge question. Were is the leadership in our media? Our press has a responsibility and a duty to bring to front all issues and let the public decide. Our media is treating Palin like she is a viable contender. Huh? Look at her statements in the written word. She is totally lost and dysfunctional when it comes to forming a complete thought then processing it into a complete sentence. GMAB! That in itself turns me off about her. Is anyone calling her out? So far Maureen D. is the only one. Sorry...don't have the link but it is at NYT and also at Digg.

I challenge our media to do a better job in this election.

[mona212]

If Sean Hannity, through FOX News, can have a prime time special Obama & Friends: A History of Radicalism, Huffington Post or some other media outlet should be able to do some type of "six degrees of separation" piece on the "friendly" associations between John McCain or Sarah Palin to radical domestic terrorist. I was appalled at the lengths Mr. Hannity went to in order to loosely connect Sen. Obama to almost every domestic radical. The timing of this broadcast, along with Gov. Palin's recent remarks, Sen. McCain's assertion that "...he's turning the page..." on this campaign along with the declining poll numbers smell of desparation. FOX news always maintains they are fair & balanced,but that is the biggest lie.

[Interested Party]

Why is her husband being a member of the Alaskan Succession Party NOT a huge story? Because MSM don't want it to be. It should have been a question from Gwen Ifil but then she was effectively silenced as we say, she should have stepped aside and had another journalist in her place. EVERYONE protest Brokaw for Tuesday night, notice how the Obama campaign doesn't play the refs, well they should this time!! Oh yes, watch Morning Joe say how wonderful she is and how this is valid and how awful the Rolling Stone story is....

[SaltySaltillo]

Because it is a sophisticated story that requires sophisticated people to understand what is wrong with the story. By the way, the AIP is not just a secessionist party - it is also the state affiliate of the Constitution Party, a party whose theocratic platform is to make American law more "Biblical".

[MrHankey]

As a former Alaska resident who's actually spoken on several occasions with members of the AIP, they're the biggest bunch of Ruby Ridge wannabe, automatic weapon owning, camouflage wearing, soldier of fortune magazine subscribers you'll ever meet. The main stream media should run a couple of interviews with some of their members. They probably wouldn't speak to anyone now, but there's gotta be some interesting old videotape around of their leaders talking about how they're going to rise up and kick the federal government out of Alaska.