Much of the US media took a break from its blatant pro-Obama coverage yesterday, to highlight a controversial Obama video which the McCain team says is being deliberately suppressed.
The video, of Obama at a farewell party with PLO activists and former weather underground terrorists, is causing a media fury in the closing days of the race, with both McCain and Palin accusing a Los Angeles newspaper of deliberately refusing to release it.
The row, reported heavily on Fox News, has finally been picked up and hinted at here in the UK by the BBC's Matthew Price who is following the McCain campaign. He suggests this may be part of McCain's 'October surprise', highlighted by the Orange Party last week.
Both McCain and Palin have accused the Los Angeles Times of "intentionally suppressing" the video which shows Obama at a going-away party in 2003 for former PLO spokesman, Rashid Khalidi, attended by radical Palestinian activists and former Weather Underground terrorists, Bill Ayers and Bernardine Dohrn.
In a statement, the Los Angeles Times said it had written about the event in April and would not release the tape because of a promise made to the source who provided it.
McCain and Palin said this was media bias as the LA Times has endorsed Obama's candidacy.
AP news has reported a fair and balanced account of the row. The tape is causing outrage on Republican and pro-Israel web sites.
doug ross@Journal, who has seen clips of the tape, claims Obama talks to the audience during a toast, congratulating Khalidi for his work saying "Israel has no God-given right to occupy Palestine" plus there's been "genocide against the Palestinian people by Israelis."
Meanwhile political columnist and commentator on radial Islamic terrorism, Debbie Schlussel, who first got wind of the story, says the video was obtained from Arab American Action Network (AAAN) founder Abunimah, after she'd featured photos of Obama and wife Michelle seated with LO advisor, Edward Sad, at another AAAN banquet (pictured above).
She believes the newspaper learned of the other AAAN annual banquet dinner and the existence of the tape, at which Abunimah, Obama, Ayers, Dohrn, and Khalidi were present, after contacting Abunimah about the photos.
Khalidi is a professor of Middle East Studies at Columbia University and a long-time friend of Obama's.
McCain also has ties to Khalidi through a group that Khalidi helped found 15 years ago.
Palin has criticised Obama for having links with Ayers, who was a founder of the radical domestic terrorist group the Weather Underground.
The existence of the tape and its contents has been swirling around the internet for weeks. The LA Times and most of its staff are strong Obama supporters.
What is clear, is that this is part of the McCain strategy to focus on Obama's inexperience, credibility and character in an effort to sway undecided voters. The tape, other accusations and the state lawsuits over citizenship are all part of that October Surprise in these closing days.
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