The latest attempt by the McCain campaign to smear Obama, this time by linking him with his fellow former U. of Chicago professor, Rashid Khalidi, is clearly meant to make Jewish voters like me and my family run screaming from Obama in terror. So please read the following true story, as related by my sister:
********************************************
I was driving my Dad to the airport and we were talking politics. My Dad is your typical old Jewish man. He is definitely a liberal and supporter of Israel, but not what you would call any kind of activist. So, as we're driving along, I tell him about the smear campaign du jour, how McCain is telling the world that Obama was close friends with a Palestinian terrorist. "This Palestinian supporter is some guy named Khalidi." I added.
"Rashid Khalidi?" my Dad asked.
"Yeah, that's the one. Have you heard of him?"
"Yes. I know him." my Dad replied.
"You know him?" I repeated, startled.
"Well, I've met him." he explained.
"You've met a Palestinian terrorist? Where did you meet him?
"At my synagogue."
"You met him at your synagogue?!?!? In Skokie?!?!?"
"Yes."
"He came to talk at your synagogue, in the most Jewish suburb of Chicago?"
"Well, yes. But I assume it wasn't the only one. If he was a speaker at our synagogue, he probably spoke at a number of others as well. These speakers are usually on a circuit."
"So, Rashid Khalidi isn't some wild-eyed Palestinian Arab terrorist?"
"No, of course not. Your mother thought he was a member of the synagogue till they introduced him because he looks so Jewish. He's half-white, but he really looks Jewish. He's just a little guy. Shorter than me."
"So he isn't scary."
"No. He's an expert on Jewish history."
"He's an expert on Jewish history? Even though he's a supporter of the Palestinians?"
"He supports a Palestinian State, but he is a very educated, very moderate guy. He used to teach at University of Chicago, with Obama. That's probably where they became friends."
"So Rashid Khalidi came to your temple and spoke about Jewish history and the Palestinian people? And he wasn't a terrorist?"
"No, of course not," my Dad retorted, "If they were all like him, there wouldn't be a war in the Middle East."
What a fascinating reveleation: my 79-year-old Jewish Dad was affiliated with the same Palestinian "terrorist" as Barack Obama...
**************************************
So there you have it. One more scary story from the McCain camp turns out to be yet another silly hoax. Will McCain have even a shred of credibility left once this campaign is over?