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Over the past few days, the presidential campaign has become even more negative. Now, hot on the heels of the Senator Barack Obama campaign’s announcement that they would play up Senator John McCain’s part in the Keating Five, Marc Ambinder of The Atlantic reports that McCain’s campaign has a new target: Columbia professor Rashid Khalidi.
For several years, Khalidi has been a controversial figure both at Columbia and in New York City for his views on the Israeli-Palestine conflict. Before coming to Columbia in 2004, Khalidi knew Obama during the latter’s years in local Chicago government, which overlapped with Khalidi’s time the University of Chicago. Khalidi and his wife held a fundraiser for Obama in 2000, and Obama spoke at a goodbye party for Khalidi in 2003. The relationship has already drawn enough questions on the internet to merit several citations in Khalidi’s Wikipedia article, but this is the first time that the McCain campaign plans to mention it.
As for the substance of the attack, Ambinder writes that the McCain campaign will try to paint Khalidi as a former Palestine Liberation Organization spokesperson, a charge that has been made several times before, with little evidence to back it up. Khalidi denies ever having been a spokesperson, though he was an advisor at the Madrid Conference of 1991.
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11 Comments
@Babs Where does McCain get off even mentioning Obama knowing Khalidi as if that’s a bad thing?
Has McCan’t forgotton his friendship with Khalidi in the 90’s? What a lying jerk.
OBAMA/BIDEN ’08!
@What about the fact that Sarah Palin is a fucking Pentecostal. I think that’s far, far scarier than some tangential half-assed, fabricated link to the PLO.
I really don’t get how intelligent Republicans can stand up for what Mccain is doing. It’s sickening that you would put party loyalty ahead of loyalty to the nation. And yes, in this case, the two are NOT aligned. Would you really want to risk your country ever, potentially, being in the hands of this woman?
@what about that? I’m glad that most people in this country still consider a Pentecostal to be less worrisome than an incontroveribly vocal supporter, if not member, of the PLO, notwithstanding the current anti-incumbent climate.
@so every candidate should be held liable for the every single person that vocally supports them? they need to keep count of who says what and make sure the wrong person doesn’t say they believe in them?
because pat robertson certainly isn’t a vocal supporter of john mccain nor is he a bigot or a believer in the notion that the people of New Orleans brought Katrina on themselves?
i mean really, this is getting ridiculous. there are radicals on both sides of the table, and those radicals who support their respective candidates will have minimal impact on the executive decisions made by those candidates.
this is a non-issue. let’s stop playing “six degrees of barack obama” and focus on the real issues at hand.
@well if you think the Lord will heal healthcare, the economy, etc. and that non-Christians should be subject to an Ann-Coulter-esque crusade, then that’s fine. But it’s ironic that your fight against Religious Extremism doesn’t extend to your home country.
@strange. When did I ever say that I’m a Pentecostal or that I have anything complimentary to say about Ann Coulter?
@What About Cindy? I feel like after the terrorist fist-jab comments, they should really bring up the fact that McCain’s wife was an embezzling drug addict who robbed (her own!) charity to feed her habit.
@fuck this shit even bollinger (that outspoken, vigorous supporter of the PLO) has gone on record emphasizing khalidi’s neutrality, legitimacy, etc.
and we all know how often bollinger stands up for our professors
@PLEASE HELP Would it be creepy to ask for Stephan’s autograph if I’m a sophomore?
Any help would be appreciated.
@aww this is sad. he’s a great professor and only 4’11” (i think).
@i miss khalidi. his class was amazing.