Liberals are doing everything possible to link John McCain with former PLO spokesman and Obama acquaintance Rashid Khalidi:
But McCain has his own connection to Khalidi.It's not the same and those who read the piece can see that clearly.
In 1993, McCain became chairman of the International Republican Institute. He still chairs that respected organization.
That same year, Khalidi helped found the Center for Palestine Research and Studies, self-described as “an independent academic research and policy analysis institution” created to meet “the need for active Palestinian scholarship on issues related to Palestine.” (Its archived website is HERE.)
Khalidi was on the board of trustees through 1999.
According to tax returns the McCain-chaired IRI funded the organization Khalidi founded and served on to the tune of $448,873 in 1998 (click HERE to see the tax return)* as first reported by Seth Couter Walls at HuffPo.
The IRI continued to give money to the CPRS after Khalidi left the group as well.
If Obama and his supporters want to play it straight, let's have both candidates lay it all out. Have Obama call for the release of the video and have McCain discuss any meetings he may have had with Khalidi. Lay everything bare.
The problem is McCain was in a business relationship (it's not clear if he ever met Khalidi) and Obama was at a social function and seemed quite friendly. At that function, some anti-American and anti-Israeli rhetoric was flying and it would be interesting to see if any of it came from Obama.
This is a problem for Obama and his campaign is trying to tamp it down yet it will raise some issues and will change some votes. That video will be released.
Posts
