From The Road
October 5, 2008 1:56 PM

Palin: Obama Began His Political Career In Terrorist's Living Room

By
Scott Conroy
Topics
Sarah Palin
(CBS)
From CBS News' Scott Conroy:

(SAN FRANCISCO) Before her campaign plane took off for a Sunday fundraiser here, CBS News asked Sarah Palin to respond to an analysis by the Associated Press that concluded her attempts to establish a friendship between Barack Obama and Weather Underground member William Ayers were "unsubstantiated and carried a racially tinged subtext that John McCain himself may come to regret."

"The Associated Press is wrong," Palin said. "The comments are about an association that has been known but hasn't been talked about, and I think it's fair to talk about where Barack Obama kicked off his political career, in the guy's living room."

Palin was referring to an event that Ayers hosted for Obama early in the Illinois senator's career. But the AP notes, "No evidence shows they were 'pals' or even close when they worked on community boards years ago and Ayers hosted a political event for Obama early in his career."

In what the AP called "a deliberate attempt to smear Obama" in a way that was "exaggerated at best if not outright false" and at a time when the McCain campaign has been losing ground in the polls, Palin on Saturday told an enormous crowd in Carson, California, that Obama "sees America as imperfect enough to pal around with terrorists."

Palin repeated her string of highly personal attacks against Obama's character and judgment at two private fundraisers throughout the day, even as she lamented that CBS News' Katie Couric asked her questions in a series of interviews that made her think, "C'mon, let's start talking to the American people about the issues you guys want to know about."

Palin on Saturday painted Obama as someone who "is not a man who sees America as you and I see America," and on Sunday, Palin did not back down an inch in hammering the Democratic nominee.

"And he, of course, having been associated with that group, a known domestic terrorist group, it's important for Americans to know," she told CBS News. "It's really important for Americans to start knowing who the real Barack Obama is."

The AP analysis noted that the McCain/Palin campaign's decision to raise the issue of Obama's "otherness" is one that the Arizona senator may come to regret, if not on a political level, than on a personal one.

"John McCain occasionally looks back on decisions with regret," the AP wrote. "He has apologized for opposing a holiday to honor Martin Luther King Jr. He has apologized for refusing to call for the removal of a Confederate flag from South Carolina's Capitol.

"When the 2008 campaign is over McCain might regret appeals such as Palin's perhaps more so if he wins."

  • Scott Conroy

    Scott Conroy is a National Political Reporter for RealClearPolitics and a contributor for CBS News.

Add a Comment See all 823 Comments
by win1746 October 8, 2008 2:47 PM EDT
docjohn52''s posts illustrate something important. At a time when the US economy has been imploding as a direct consequence of years of Republican-inspired deregulation of the financial industry, a time when the US is immersed in a trillion-dollar occupation of a country that didn''t attack us on 9/11 even as we are losing the war in the country that shielded bin-Laden and his comrades, a time when the "unitary executive" has made a mockery of the Constitution in the name of its own aggrandizement, and a time when support for George Bush stands at 22%, the hard right has nothing left in its quiver but slander.

It really wouldn''t have mattered who the Democratic nominee was, the hard right would have invented rationales for hating him or her with all their hearts, because hate is what they do best. Hillary Clinton? Psst, she''s a lesbian! She killed Foster! And she''s the biggest Liberal in America! John Kerry? He was no hero, he was a coward in Vietnam! He flip-flops on everything! And he''s the biggest Liberal in America! Barack Obama? He''s a Secret Muslim! He''s pals with terrorists! (Psst, he''s Black!) And he''s the biggest Liberal in America! (Whoever won the Democratic nomination would have immediately morphed into the biggest Liberal in America, by definition.)
Reply to this comment
by win1746 October 8, 2008 2:17 PM EDT
docjohn52''s posts illustrate something important. At a time when the US economy has been imploding as a direct consequence of years of Republican-inspired deregulation of the financial industry, a time when the US is immersed in a trillion-dollar occupation of a country that didn''t attack us on 9/11 even as we are losing the war in the country that shielded bin-Laden and his comrades, a time when the "unitary executive" has made a mockery of the Constitution in the name of its own aggrandizement, and a time when support for George Bush stands at 22%, the hard right has nothing left in its quiver but slander.

It really wouldn''t have mattered who the Democratic nominee was, the hard right would have invented rationales for hating him or her with all their hearts, because hate is what they do best. Hillary Clinton? Psst, she''s a lesbian! She killed Foster! And she''s the biggest Liberal in America! John Kerry? He was no hero, he was a coward in Vietnam! He flip-flops on everything! And he''s the biggest Liberal in America! Barack Obama? He''s a Secret Muslim! He''s pals with terrorists! (Psst, he''s Black!) And he''s the biggest Liberal in America! (Whoever won the Democratic nomination would have immediately morphed into the biggest Liberal in America, by definition.)
Reply to this comment
by alaskavoter1 October 8, 2008 6:57 AM EDT
ALASKA GOVERNOR Palin = RECALL!!!
I am a Alaskan life voting Republican. This 2008 Election, I will [with pleasure] vote Democrat! This Alaska Governor has Destroyed and continues to attempt to Destroy "MANY GOOD ALASKAN PEOPLE(s) Professionally and Politically during her "VERY SHORT" term position as Mayor in a small community Wasilla, Ak (Approx 5,000 + residents during her reign) and current Alaska State Governor.(of approx. twenty months). Whenever Palin is confronted with a question that she does not know, does not have a clue or simply does not want to answer, her indignation which turns to...ANGER...is unquestionably familiar!......McCains'''' V.P. selection Sarah Palin unequivocally has NO business being the Alaska Governor, let alone, a USA candidate for Vice President.... Maverick??..... ****AMERICA SHOULD BE FEARFULLY CONCERNED****. I voted for Sarah Palin in Alaskas 2006 Governor Election. MISTAKE!.... Never Again%u2026 I repeat-NEVER AGAIN!!...Alaska Governor Palin is an absolute Embarrassment to the Alaska People(s) and "IS" proven to be an insatiable Liar!! How can she possibly ASSUME the to possess the ability to clean up America, when she cannot clean the ''MESS" she has created in Alaska. Yes,--- A Mess FOR Alaskans to Clean-Up!!!!!!............ MCCAIN, you should be ASHAMED of yourself!!!! This victim (palin)has no business in this Presidential Arena.

[read Alaska News-Politics adn.com]
Posted by AlaskaVoter
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by timesupreps October 7, 2008 2:06 PM EDT
BYE BYE NEOCONS!!! CHECK THE LATEST FROM THE RCP (REAL CLEAR POLITICS) POLL OF POLLS. TIME IS UP AND THE PARTY IS OVER FOR YOU RIGHT WING FACISTS. THIS MUDSLINGING IS ALL YOU HAVE AND IT IS NOT WORKING. HAHAHA!!
Reply to this comment
by nanchb47 October 7, 2008 12:39 PM EDT
I have to wonder about the competency of Sarah Palin when I saw the famous Island in Alaska that you can see Russia from. These people were living in the dark ages, and barely knew she was, if at all. According to them she has never visit the island. My question, "Who is Sarah Palin". Let''s look as close for her as for Obama and any others running.
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by szapper08 October 7, 2008 1:10 AM EDT
THE GRASPING AT STRAWS IS SOOOOO UNBELIEVEABLE. THE NAMES MCCAIN & PALIN MAKE ME SICK TO MY STOMACH. I CAN''T WAIT FOR NOV. 5TH, WHEN OBAMA/BIDEN ARE IN THE WHITE HOUSE AND MCSAME RETIRES TO THE NURSING HOME IN ARIZONA, AND PALIN LEAVES FOR ALASKA WITH A SNOWSHOE UP HER A..
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by docjohn52 October 7, 2008 12:26 AM EDT
You are listening to your own press, drink the koolaid and stand in line over there facing the cliff...

I''ll watch you bounce from here ...
(wink!)
Reply to this comment
by tommyd6041 October 6, 2008 11:42 PM EDT
wahwahwah, the liberal media is for Obama and so are the majority of Americans! Nobodody likes us because of the liberal media! Shut up and take the loss. Your ticket stinks this year and so does the campaign they chose. Blame yourselves, not the consensus.
Should have went with Gulianni you dummies!
See ya in four years!(wink)
Reply to this comment
by docjohn52 October 6, 2008 11:39 PM EDT
------Palin throws stones at Obama for simply serving on the board of a community organization with a rehabilitated felon. -------

Bwaaahahahahaha!

A genuine pipe bomb throwing white domestic terrorist...!!!

HOW MANY DO YOU KNOW?
Reply to this comment
by docjohn52 October 6, 2008 11:31 PM EDT
...Why haven''''''''t all of our ''''''''intelligent'''''''' members of the press been reporting this?

Because the Main Stream Media are in the tank for Obummer!

AP calls us racist for talking about Bill Ayers, a white domestic bobmb throwing terrorist, when Obamski started his career in his living room.

You''ve been drinking the koolaid if you''re even watching TV...

CCN, CBS, NBC, AP all of ''em...

Sandbagging stats and polls, really kind of fun to see how far they go...

I said it before and I''ll say it again, If Obama stops fast, AP will go so far up it, they''ll swear they see the light.
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