Terrorists, Secessionists, Sarah Palin and Guilt by Association

[maddezmom]

Robert MackeyPosted October 5, 2008 | 11:43 AM
I was appalled (and annoyed) this weekend by the newest wave of hypocrisy to come spewing perkily forth from the ever-smiling, ever-smirking, perfectly lipsticked mouth of Governor Palin. I'm actually starting to enjoy (for comedic reasons only) her interviews that are nothing more than disconnected prepositional phrases laced with stock GOP pablum. But accusing a sitting U.S. Senator of "palling around with terrorists" is crossing the line (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/oct/05/usa.uselections2008).

Finally informing us what she reads, Palin said that yesterday, while leafing through her daily copy of the New York Times, she came across a story on Senator Obama and William Ayres, the 1960s militant and member of the Weather Underground, the radical and violent anti-war group. And faster than you can say "Darn right!"she saw her opportunity - and her duty. Clearly, she must inform an unknowing nation that Obama is guilty by association with Ayres.

You, Governor, should know better. As I and many journalists have noted, you have strong ties to the Alaska Independence Party (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-mackey/the-real-issue-governor-p_b_123158.html). While it was finally revealed that you technically were not a card-carrying member of the AIP, it was discovered that the First Dude, between his life of high adventure in helping you rule your northern fiefdom, his competitive snowmobiling and fishing, was a member of the organization for many years.

Yes, it is a free country. You get to associate or marry whomever you want, no matter how distasteful. Yes, Senator Obama served on a board with William Ayres, a former member of the Weather Underground and now a college professor and activist in Chicago (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/04/us/politics/04ayers.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&oref=slogin). However, Senator Obama has clearly distanced himself on numerous occasions from Professor Ayres' actions in the 1960's. This is a non-issue. Perhaps that is why you have decided to focus on it--better a non-issue than having to learn and think about real problems that affect everyday people, like health care, the economy and education. Those, I suppose, are just too gosh darned hard. .

more:http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-mackey/terrorists-secessionists_b_132010.html