Concealing evidence of Obama’s radicalism
Posted by Richard on October 29, 2008
Speaking of media bias, would a major metropolitan newspaper withhold from the public material evidence regarding the character, beliefs, and associations of a presidential candidate? It's happening right now, according to Andrew McCarthy:
Let’s try a thought experiment. Say John McCain attended a party at which known racists and terror mongers were in attendance. Say testimonials were given, including a glowing one by McCain for the benefit of the guest of honor … who happened to be a top apologist for terrorists. Say McCain not only gave a speech but stood by, in tacit approval and solidarity, while other racists and terror mongers gave speeches that reeked of hatred for an American ally and rationalizations of terror attacks.
Now let’s say the Los Angeles Times obtained a videotape of the party.
Question: Is there any chance — any chance — the Times would not release the tape and publish front-page story after story about the gory details, with the usual accompanying chorus of sanctimony from the oped commentariat? Is there any chance, if the Times was the least bit reluctant about publishing (remember, we’re pretending here), that the rest of the mainstream media (y’know, the guys who drove Trent Lott out of his leadership position over a birthday-party toast) would not be screaming for the release of the tape?
Do we really have to ask?
So now, let’s leave thought experiments and return to reality: Why is the Los Angeles Times sitting on a videotape of the 2003 farewell bash in Chicago at which Barack Obama lavished praise on the guest of honor, Rashid Khalidi — former mouthpiece for master terrorist Yasser Arafat?
At the time Khalidi, a PLO adviser turned University of Chicago professor, was headed east to Columbia. There he would take over the University’s Middle East-studies program (which he has since maintained as a bubbling cauldron of anti-Semitism) and assume the professorship endowed in honor of Edward Sayyid, another notorious terror apologist.
The party featured encomiums by many of Khalidi’s allies, colleagues, and friends, including Barack Obama, then an Illinois state senator, and Bill Ayers, the terrorist turned education professor. It was sponsored by the Arab American Action Network (AAAN), which had been founded by Khalidi and his wife, Mona, formerly a top English translator for Arafat’s press agency.
Is there just a teeny-weenie chance that this was an evening of Israel-bashing Obama would find very difficult to explain? Could it be that the Times, a pillar of the Obamedia, is covering for its guy?
McCarthy excerpted at length from the "gentle story" about the event that the Times published in April and put that information into perspective. Read the whole thing.
Perry Nunley said
This is delicious! As long as the LAT keeps holding out, McCain will benefit!
Mo'thanskin (Roosevelt) said
There has been a flagrant mainstrem media bias for Barack Obama and against whomever he is running against. The “powers that be” who control the mainstream media obviously want Obama to be their next President! So be it! I will be voting for Ralph Nader, the anti-war and anti-corporatist candidate for President, because those are my major issues.
rgcombs said
Perry, I hadn’t thought of it that way, but you may be right (assuming enough voters hear about this, of course). The more the LAT stonewalls, the more people will be inclined to suspect the absolute ”worst” about the contents of the videotape. Their suspicions about the contents may be worse than what it actually contains! Great thinking! A twist on the old saw that “the cover-up is worse than the crime.”
Mo, I just did a quick search to find out Nader’s ballot status and was surprised to learn that [http://www.salon.com/politics/war_room/2008/09/18/nader/ he’s on the ballot in 45 states]. The media have totally ignored him, compared to previous elections. I suspect that’s very deliberate.
If I shared your values, I think I’d be with you on this. I’m surprised that more principled leftists aren’t bothered by Obama’s ties to the corrupt Chicago machine, one of whose leaders, State Senate President Emil Jones, bragged that “I’m gonna make me a U.S. Senator.” (See this TalkLeft post.)