LAT Tells McCain To Bugger Off - Will Not Release Tape - "The Times keeps its promises to sources."

[jefferson_dem]

McCain campaign accuses L.A. Times of 'suppressing' Obama video

The Times says its promise to a source prevents the paper from posting the video, which shows Barack Obama praising Palestinian activist Rashid Khalidi at a 2003 banquet. The story first appeared in April.
By a Times staff writer

6:01 PM PDT, October 28, 2008

John McCain's presidential campaign today accused the Los Angeles Times of "intentionally suppressing" a videotape it obtained of a 2003 banquet where then-state Sen. Barack Obama spoke of his friendship with Rashid Khalidi, a leading Palestinian scholar and activist. The Times first reported on the videotape in an April 2008 story about Obama's ties with Palestinians and Jews as he navigated the politics of Chicago.

The report included a detailed description of the tape, but the newspaper did not make the video public.

"A major news organization is intentionally suppressing information that could provide a clearer link between Barack Obama and Rashid Khalidi," said McCain campaign spokesman Michael Goldfarb. " . . . The election is one week away, and it's unfortunate that the press so obviously favors Barack Obama that this campaign must publicly request that the Los Angeles Times do its job -- make information public."

The Times today issued a statement about its decision not to post the tape.

"The Los Angeles Times did not publish the videotape because it was provided to us by a confidential source who did so on the condition that we not release it," said the newspaper's editor, Russ Stanton. "The Times keeps its promises to sources."

http://www.latimes.com/news/la-na-video29-2008oct29,0,4761103,print.story

[BrklynLiberal]

1. wow.. I am impressed.

[babylonsister]

2. LA Times? McCain? Distraction?? No way! nt

[mucifer]

3. shit! we don't need this.

[Tesibria]

7. old news they're trying to recycle ... more of the last week kitchen sink ~ eom

[Drunken Irishman]

8. Need what?

[tanyev]

9. Uh...neither does McCain.

McCain Funded Work Of Palestinian His Campaign Hopes To Tie To Obama

During the 1990s, while he served as chairman of the International Republican Institute (IRI), McCain distributed several grants to the Palestinian research center co-founded by Khalidi, including one worth half a million dollars.

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. Foreign Affairs noted in September of that year that IRI had helped fund several extensive studies in Palestine run by Khalidi's group, including over 30 public opinion polls and a study of "sociopolitical attitudes."

Of course, there's seemingly nothing objectionable with McCain's organization helping a Palestinian group conduct research in the West Bank or Gaza. But it does suggest that McCain could have some of his own explaining to do as he tries to make hay out of Khalidi's ties to Obama.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/28/mccain-funded-work-of-pal_n_138606.html

[mucifer]

4. delete

[Skink]

5. Issue a subpeona!

[KewlKat]

6. Doesn't McLiar have connections to Rashid Khalidi?

I thought I read that somewhere. so, what's the deal? Now they'll just "imply" that there's something going on...........he's such a rat ba$tard.

[Alhena]

12. Yes, here's a Daily Kos diary I posted about it .... link

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/10/28/193350/11/648/645157

This is huge news- we need to make sure it gets out there.

[Cali_Democrat]

10. The reich wing is going crazy over this tape

They think this is their precious little October surprise if only the mean old LA Times would just release the tape. :cry:

[tuvor]

11. Wikipedia: Obama relationship

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 race, opponents of Barack Obama suggested his relationship with Khalidi was evidence that Obama is anti-Israel while several pro-Palestinian leaders stated that Obama is more sympathetic to the Palestinian cause than John McCain or Hillary Clinton. <22>

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 “ 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.”<23>

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rashid_Khalidi

[bluestateguy]

13. They better keep that tape in a locked vault

Even newsrooms have Freepers with sticky fingers walking around.

[KewlKat]

14. I found this at the orange place

In a stunning development, HuffPost's Seth Walls has uncovered that McCain himself has an extensive relationship with Khalidi, including providing his group with hundreds of thousands of dollars in grant money. For some strange reason, Drudge pulled his Khalidi story shortly after the HuffPost article appeared. I think McCain's camp is running scared -

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/10/28/193350/11/648/645157

[davidpdx]

15. McSame and the terrorist angle gets old

They should try actually talking about the issues.

[Union Thug]

16. Oh no, communicating with a Palestinian! Those evil, evil Palestinian people...

another nasty, dimwitted, racist ploy to smear Obama and stir up hate for the Palestinian people.

[LynnTheDem]

17. John McCain gave HALF A MILLION DOLLARS to that "radical Islamicist" Khalidi.

Through the International Republican Institute.

Let's discuss that, Johnnie.

[wanpete]

18. this Obama the Terrorist Lover line is getting real old and I think people are sick of it and this.

McCain is desperate and his desperation is really starting to stink up the joint. I really think most could care less about this stupid stuff. And it looks as if McCain would have some explaining to do regarding his relationship with this person as well.

[malik flavors]

19. Apparently you're safe in the hands of the LA Times.