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.
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They need to hit her with that secessionist stuff. I don't know what they're waiting for.
Obama is honestly trying to run a clean campaign, and there are places they just don't want to go, but I think the media really want to keep it a close race for the sake of higher ratings. If McCain-Palin should win, then they would pursue the story.- Did that sound cynical? I do apologize!
AMEN ROBERT!
THANKS. GREAT POST!
The Obama camp should not engage in this attack. It shoud come through the media. It should come via surrogates. I think the articla is great except that your last sentence is maybe worded a little strangely. We need to get AP, the NYT, somebody to do more investigating and demonstrate how their association with this organization may have affected Sarah's governance...
On target. Palin and Joe McCarthy seem to have something in commen.
So I've been trolling around some Republican sites and the meme from there is that Obama should apologize and drop out of the race because of this disgraceful past association.
I find that hilarious on so many different levels:
1. They want Obama to drop out because obviodusly their guy is getting "taken to the woodshed" in this campaign. The sites reak of desperation.
2. They have some sort of cognitive dissonance regarding the Keating-5, AIP, G. Gordon Liddy, and the host of other questionable affiliations from McCain/Palin
3. They are desperate for any sort of movement in the polls away from Obama and seem to be looking for any association, no matter its validity, to grab on too.
The tide has turned and we are going to be riding a great blue wave in November.
well, it seems the army is gearing up to take care of "Terrorists" sooner than we think.
In my AZ paper today there was an article from Ann Scott Tyson of the Washington post saying that the army is shifting its focus from warfare. The Armys new Stability Operations Field Manual is a document that "bridges from conflict to peace," the US military "will never secure the peace until we can conduct stability operations in a collaborative manner" with CIVILIAN government and PRIVATE entities at HOME(!!!!) and abroad" (Lt Gen. Willian Caldwell)
Er, Isn't this kind of important to be on MSM??
Blackwater has said its getting out of the war business. Wonder what its going to do next.
the irony that she represents the party of Lincoln, who died for a united country
The Republican party has not been the party of Lincoln since the use of the "southern strategy".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_strategy
A RESPONSE TO PALIN COMMENTS THAT I WISH BIDEN HAD SAID:
Waving the White Flag on the Iraq War: "You sound like our world leaders playing a game of Risk with American lives. But American soldiers shouldn't have to lose their lives so that your party can save face. Its a war we shouldn't be in, not one that should be won at any cost!"
Obama and Bill Ayers: "You want to compare your family's long time association with the Alaska Independence Party to Obama's temporary association with Bill Ayers to raise funds to support our nation's schools?! Who should we trust? Someone who wants to support America's future versus one who'd rather abandon their country? You need to sit down and rethink your logic, Governmor Palin!"
And finally, "Governor Palin, every word you speak shames this great country of ours. Please be so patriotic as to shut up!"
well said!
I really enjoyed the article, but we cannot let McCain change the narrative. All Senator Obama needs to do is stay on message and hammer McCain on the economy ad nauseum and this is over. I have been happy with Senator Obama's strategy so far and they have been pro-actively attacking McCain on the issues which is the best way to go. Her ties to the AIP, Troopergate and everything else will resolve itself when she crawls back to Alaska with her tail between her legs on November 5th.
I agree on that. Moreover I DO agree that she will "crawls back to Alaska with tial between her legs on November 5th". Let me me just add that I think her political career is over. She will be indicted on this Tropergate and etc... No one will be able to remember Sarah Palin 5 years from now!
What's the name of that bird which flew to clos to Sun again???
Wonderfully succinct with razor-sharp insight, Mr. Mackey.
Thank you for keeping this on the front burner.
GObama/Biden '08/'12!
Good sharp shooting here. I am sure the Obama campaign will call this association into question along with keating 5 and Gordon Libby and of course Palin's "Hold Me Accountable" troopergate.
Obama needs to come out and say in the harshest of terms what a disgrace this woman is in her insinuations.
Shame! on Sarah Palin. Maybe she was told to do this as a political tactic. Governor do you ever use your own judgement? or do you simply follow instructions in this desperate bid to climb (sorry claw) your way up. I know it is tough for a woman out there but get over it and stand tall for us women out here who are actually competent and compete on an even intellectual level with our opponents.You are single- handedly taking women back 50 years!!! Spruce up!!!!!
T
Obama's camp must be pacing themselves on many retorts. I doubt they'll let this one go without a peep.
Magnificently said, Mr. Mackey.
Yes. Brilliant.
But why isn't it being said in other venues? Why is that not a top news story? Who is keeping this out of the mainstream? This woman is a manchurian candidate if ever there was one and the points are not being made to the people who need to hear it. I doubt the Fox followers read here.
Get on a news show Mr. Mackey. Ask the Obama campaign's support network to pay for an ad. Get a slot on an NPR show. Contact Rachel Maddow for a possible interview. Publish a pamphlet. Ask the Anchorage Daily News for an op-ed and made sure the major papers from the lower 48 know about it. I don't know. Something. Somewhere. Soon.
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