Sarah Palin and Anti-Iran Rally: A Bigger Issue Than Politics Part One

Sarah Palin and Anti-Iran Rally: A Bigger Issue Than Politics Part One

September 20, 2008 by chrismc42

According to news reports, Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin told supporters Friday that “Democrat partisans” had pressured organizers of an anti-Iran rally in New York on Monday to withdraw an invitation for her to appear. “This should be an issue that unites all Americans. Iran should not be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons, period,” Palin said at a rally here. “Unfortunately, some Democrat partisans put politics first and now no elected official can appear. This should not be a matter of partisan politics.” Couldn’t have said it better there Sarah.

Palin had been set to attend the rally protesting Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad organized by major Jewish organizations and sponsored by the National Coalition to Stop Iran Now. New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton also had been scheduled to appear at the rally, but canceled after learning Palin would be there, too. The former first lady, who suspended her own presidential bid in June, has sought to avoid any appearance with Palin, who has emerged as the new female star of the 2008 campaign. Wow, so much for Hiliary’s concern for the promotion of women in politics and life in general. Guess that only counts when the women who are being promoted are pro-abortion, pro-rabid government control, pro-homosexual, pro-socialist and pro-Hiliary minded. God forbid a woman with conservative woman like Sarah Palin take that spotlight away from Mrs. C.

Palin incidentially showed great class I thought on Sean Hannity’s program this week giving praise to Mrs. Clinton for her accomplishments during the Democratic Primary. Clinton’s response to Palin? Getting angry and claiming she was “sand bagged” by the organizers of the Anti-Iran rally by inviting Palin to the event along with Mrs. Clinton - you’re a real class act, Mrs. C, a real class act. I wonder if Michelle Obama had been invited would Mrs. Clinton had felt the same way. Probably not. Again, that’s a real class act Mrs. C. A Real Class Act.

On Thursday, organizers announced that they had withdrawn their invitation for Palin to attend, saying they did not want the event to be overtly political. GOP hopeful John McCain criticized the move in a statement to reporters Thursday, suggesting Obama backers pressed for Palin to be disinvited. Obama spokesman Tommy Vietor batted away the suggestion, saying they had planned to send Rep. Robert Wexler, D-Fla., to attend the rally on the campaign’s behalf and did nothing to discourage Palin’s attendance. “Israel needs real leadership to stop Iran, not phony political controversies,” Vietor said.

Well, Mr. Vietor the phony political controversary you claim are being created was not created by Governor Palin or Senator McCain but by the Democratic Party which specializes in this type stuff. You are right that Israel needs real leadership to stop Iran and let me assure you BARRACK OBAMA is NOT the one to provide that leadership. He can’t even define Iran as a real threat to Israel and America so give me a break.

Cont.here:

http://mcspoliticalbits.wordpress.com/2008/09/20/sarah-palin-and-anti-iran-rally-a-bigger-issue-than-politics/

Clinton Strategist Warns Obama and the Media

Basically what Mark Penn seems to be saying is "You're losing it."

Mark Penn, Clinton strategist, warns Obama -- and the media

A veteran Democratic political strategist has some advice for what appears to many to be a Barack Obama campaign rattled by the explosive entrance into the campaign of John McCain's vice president pick, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.
Mark Penn, the high-priced strategist who did such a good early job of launching Hillary Clinton's Democratic presidential campaign to doom at the hands of Obama, tells CBS.com he's worried that the Windy City gang will repeat the mistakes of the last two losing Democratic presidential campaigns by returning to the base after their convention instead of staying more on the convention message of centrism.


"The fact that the Republican convention was as successful as it was, was basically out of the hands of the Obama campaign," Penn acknowledges.
"I think these polls will settle down close to even. And I think the real important thing [for Obama] is not to overreact, not to be caught in a back and forth with Palin, but to get your candidate rising above it."

Penn also has a strong warning for the media, caught unawares by the Palin selection and now eagerly pursuing virtually anything to do with her.
"I think here the media is on very dangerous ground," Penn tells CBS.com. "I think that when you see them going through every single expense report that Gov. Palin ever filed, if they don't do that for all four of the candidates, they're on very dangerous ground.

"I think the media so far has been the biggest loser in this race. And they continue to have growing credibility problems.

"And I think that that's a real problem growing out of this election. The media now, all of the media -- not just Fox News, that was perceived as highly partisan -- but all of the media is now being viewed as partisan in one way or another. And that is an unfortunate development."

So does the strategist, who had his own complaints about sexism in media coverage about Sen. Clinton, think the media is being harder on Palin than other candidates?

"I think that the media is doing the kinds of stories on Palin that they're not doing on the other candidates. And that's going to subject them to people concluding that they're giving her a tougher time.

"Now, the media defense would be, 'Yeah, we looked at these other candidates who have been in public life at an earlier time.'

"What happened here very clearly is that the controversy over Palin led to 37 million Americans tuning into a vice-presidential speech -- something that is unprecedented -- because they wanted to see for themselves," Penn adds. "This is an election in which the voters are going to decide for themselves. The media has lost credibility with them."

Clinton Cancels Rally Appearance After Learning Palin Invited

WASHINGTON — Hillary Clinton has pulled out of an appearance at a New York rally next week to protest Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, her aides say because she doesn’t want to be seen alongside Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin in a “partisan” event.

Several American Jewish groups plan a major rally outside the United Nations on Sept. 22. Clinton had previously accepted the invitation to join, but her aides objected when they learned the Alaska governor will be part of the rally. Palin is also expected to meet with several foreign ministers during the U.N.’s opening General Assembly session.

“Her attendance was news to us, and this was never billed to us as a partisan political event,” Clinton spokesman Philippe Reines said Wednesday. “Sen. Clinton will therefore not be attending.”

A spokeswoman for John McCain’s presidential campaign said despite the perceived slight, Palin still plans to attend.

“Governor Palin believes that the danger of a nuclear Iran is greater than party or politics. She hopes that all parties can rally together in opposition to this grave threat,” said spokeswoman Tracey Schmitt.

The rally is being hosted by several Jewish groups, including the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, the National Coalition to Stop Iran Now, United Jewish Communities and the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York.

Both McCain and Barack Obama have made strong appeals to Jewish voters, particularly in critical states like Florida. Obama has emphasized to Jewish audiences his commitment to Israel’s security, and has worked to dispel doubts created by false rumors that he is Muslim.

Clinton, a New York senator and former Democratic presidential candidate, has generally been supported by American Jews. But Micah Halperin, a Middle East expert and syndicated columnist, said it is “problematic” that Clinton decided to back out.

Halperin, who is Jewish and called Clinton “a far better candidate” for Democrats than Obama, suggested that her actions could backfire on the Democratic ticket.

“Jews traditionally vote Democratic, and if a major Democratic leader does not join in the fight against Iran, where are those voters going to go?” he asked. “It’s problematic from the very point of view that says you have a national poltical leader who fundamentally is choosing not to stand up against Ahmadenijad.

“It changes my view of (Clinton’s) wisdom, of her ability to take a situation, analyze it and come out on the right side, and that is deeply troubling to almost every voter in America, not just Jewish voters,” Halperin said, adding that Clinton’s move “is the kind of thing” that could tip voters toward McCain.

FOX News contributor and National Public Radio correspondent Juan Williams said Clinton, whose presidential aspirations are far from over, wants to campaign for Obama but does not want to challenge Palin because it would hurt her standing with white, working-class women.

“I think the big bump that McCain has gotten since the convention has been with white, working-class women, the older women especially who were the core of Hillary Clinton support,” Williams said.

He added that Bill and Hillary Clinton are glad to support Obama, but don’t want to take on Palin because “it would be shooting down” the ticket.

“A lot of people think that it just invites comparisons between Palin and Obama on the experience issue and that doesn’t benefit Obama,” Williams said.

While Palin is in New York, she is scheduled to meet several foreign ministers. Former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. John Bolton said the decision to send the Alaska governor to the U.N. was “an excellent idea” by the McCain campaign. He said Palin can now use the opportunity to enhance her foreign policy credentials and add to her debate preparation against Democratic vice presidential nominee Joe Biden. That debate is scheduled for Oct. 2 in St. Louis.

“Now in the debate with Senator Biden, Governor Palin will be able to say, ‘Well I was discussing with foreig nminister X just a few weeks ago,’ and then go from there,” Bolton said. “She doesn’t really have to go beyond where Senator McCain has already traveled, but it’s a good way to say, as they do in diplomatic circles, ‘to exchange views.’ I just think she ought to be herself and listen attentively and it will go fine.”

FOX News’ Shushannah Walshe and Mosheh Oinounou and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Clinton-Obama Meet to Plan Campaign Strategy

Bill Clinton and Barack Obama have a really 'great conversation'

Well, in the end that turned out to be really pretty easy to get ex-President Clinton to make specific plans to go out on the presidential trail and campaign for the rookie Illinois senator.

That's Sen. Barack Obama, the fellow who said such nasty things about Clinton's wife during the hard-fought primary season, (not that she didn't reciprocate), who stole her rightful White House inheritance with his hurried ambitions and better-organized campaign, whose people haven't really done all that much to help Hillary retire her large campaign debt and whose supporters tattooed the word "racist" indelibly into the infallible memory of the ex-ArkansasEx-president Bill Clinton and Democratic presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama meet for lunch Thursday in Harlem and have a really good conversation, aides said governor who still fondly regards himself as the country's first black president, despite his Jesse Jackson insinuations down in South Carolina.

All Obama had to do to get Clinton's cooperation was:

* Have the image of his joyous Denver stadium celebration snuffed within nine hours by the sudden emergence of a stunning female Republican vice presidential pick after Obama pointedly passed over the obvious female VP candidate in his party for a veteran male Washington insider as his co-agent of change.
* Not enjoy much if any poll bounce from the Denver festivities.
* Watch the Republicans turn Hurricane Gustav into a plus by burying George W. Bush's convention appearance and stressing national service.
* Witness an electric speech by this nonplussed nobody from....

...Alaska who not only energized her party but ignited a nonstop curiousity among millions that drove way better TV ratings for the GOP than the Democrats.

* Confront a 21-day, 20-point swing among white women away from himself toward the old guy with his tough-talking running mate in the businesslike skirt and top, rimless glasses with the large family.
* Start hearing worried grumbles and handwringing among party members around the country about toughness and "here we go again" turning a summertime Democratic lead into a November loss.
* As the new titular head of the Democratic party, walk on his knees up to Clinton's Harlem office building to have lunch. The ex-president knows how badly he's needed right now.

As The Ticket reported Thursday, meeting reporters beforehand, Clinton predicted Obama would win "pretty handily," which not only sets the bar higher for Obama but contradicts the senator's own prediction of a close contest.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2008/09/obama-clinton.html