I've been wanting to put together an email that illustrates the hypocritical nature of right's near-obsession with Obama's association with William Ayers even as they blithely ignore Sarah Palin's own ties to a radical anti-American group.
Michelle Bachman's turn on Hardball tonight finally pushed me to write it.
As I was searching for sources to attach the to facts below I discovered a Salon article that made many of these same connections, but you'll have to trust me that I came to the idea independently.
I'm posting the draft below and I'd love to get some feedback on whether it would make a good email to send out in the hopes that it would go viral.
I want you to imagine a scenario for a moment:
Let's say that there was a black radical group with ties to Iran whose goal was to separate themselves from the United States and establish themselves as an independent government.
Let's say that the founder of this group hated America to the extent that he said "the fires of Hell are glaciers compared to my hate for the American Government, and I won't be buried under their damn flag." This founder preached armed insurrection against the US and said "when the [federal] bureaucrats come after me, I suggest they wear red coats. They make better targets." In 1993 the group's founder convinced Iran to sponsor him to speak before the UN to denounce United States "tyranny" before the entire world and to demand his group's freedom.
Let's say that Michelle Obama was a card-carrying member of this anti-American group and had registered to vote under their party name in 1995 and 2000.
Let's say that in 2007 the Vice Chairman of the radical group said at a party meeting that they'd gotten one of their own elected to the U.S. Senate but that he'd had to run as a Democrat to "get along to go along."
Let's say that in 2008 Barack Obama sent a video tape introduction to the group's convention telling the group that he "shared their vision" and to "keep up the good work."
How would you feel about this? Would you agree that, at a minimum, he had some very troubling associations and had exercised very poor judgment?
How do you think the right wing would react? Would they not be calling him a traitor? Accusing him of treason?
How would the media react? Would we be hearing anything on CNN, MSNBC and FOX 24/7 besides talk of Obama's traitorous, treasonous associates?
Now what if I tell you that the above scenario is true, but not for Barack Obama.
Sarah Palin is the one with troubling "un-American" connections.
The Alaska Independence Party was formed by Joe Vogler in 1984. The goal of the AIP is, ultimately, Alaskan Independence from the U.S. (source: http://www.akip.org/...
Joe Vogler, party founder, once said "the fires of Hell are glaciers compared to my hate for the American Government, and I won't be buried under their damn flag." He often preached armed insurrection against the US and said "when the [federal] bureaucrats come after me, I suggest they wear red coats. They make better targets." In 1993 he convinced Iran to sponsor him to speak before the UN to denounce United States "tyranny" before the entire world and to demand Alaska's freedom." (sources: http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpoi...
http://www.salon.com/...
audio: mms://streaming.dcc.uaf.edu/jukebox/YUCH/9118-18.mp3)
According to Gail Fenumiai, director of the Alaska Division of Elections, Todd Palin was a member of the Alaskan Independence Party from 1995-2002. (sources: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/...
http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmem...
On Monday, 9/2/08, Lynette Clark, the chairman of the AIP, told ABC News that Sarah Palin and her husband Todd were members in 1994, even attending the 1994 statewide convention in Wasilla. Clark was AIP secretary at the time. The next day Clark told ABC News that she had been mistaken and Sarah Palin had not attended the convention or been a member of the AIP. (source: http://blogs.abcnews.com/... )
Vice Chairman of the AIP Dexter Clark (husband of Lynette Clark) was video-taped at a group meeting in 2007 saying about Sarah Palin "And there was a lot of talk about her moving up. She was an AIP member before she got the job as a mayor of a small town – that was a non-partisan job. But you 'get along to go along' – she eventually joined the Republican Party, where she had all kinds of problems with their ethics, and well, I won’t go into that. She also had about an 80% approval rating, and is pretty well sympathetic to her former membership. " (source: http://www.youtube.com/... )
Sara Palin's address to 2008 AIP Convention: http://www.youtube.com/...
Why is this okay with the same Republicans who want Barack Obama held accountable for his association with Bill Ayers?
Why is no one asking questions about Palin's associations and her loyalty to America?