Shall we talk about associations? -updated with video (2x)

The Ambitious Twit is trying to stir things up. How very mavericky of her! [OMG, spell check recognized mavericky. What is this society coming to? Don't answer that.]

So Governor Palin wants to play up the acquaintanceship of Senator Obama and a former member of the Weather Underground - something that was discussed earlier in the campaign and found to be smoke without any real fire. [They have served on charity boards together and Ayers had a fundraiser that benefited Obama though Ayers' violent activities took place when Obama was 8 and Obama has denounced the Weather Underground and any similar terrorist groups.]

Alaska Governor Palin has defended the remarks, which she made several times, saying it was "fair to talk about".

...

Mrs Palin has defended her comments, saying they were "about an association that has been known but hasn't been talked about".
--the BBC

Well, Governor, since you insist, may we note that Senator McCain's association with Charles Keating has been known but has not, of late, been talked about very much? Shall we engage in some vigorous exploration and discussion there, looking, perhaps, for clues to the early days of deregulation and timorous (or non-existent) oversight that helped lead to our current financial crisis? The ties between the Keating and McCain families were far closer than any association Obama has had with Ayers. And, arguably, of significant consequence for the American economy.

Shall we spend a lot more time discussing Governor Palin's association with the Alaska Independent Party? You know, the successionist group that believes Alaska should not be part of the United States. The group whose founder once said:

The fires of hell are frozen glaciers compared to my hatred for the American government...and I won't be buried under their damn flag...

I'm an Alaskan, not an American. I've got no use for America or her damned institutions.

Governor Palin has palled around with this group and her husband (the First Dude) has been a member of AIP from 1995 to 2002.

Shall we discuss McCain's association with G. Gordon Liddy, a true maverick and criminal to boot who has hatched, though not carried out, plots for murder, kidnapping, and firebombing? Nice guy there. Does McCain agree with Liddy's harebrained schemes of former days?

We don't even need to go into Palin's association with a witch-hunting anti-semitic preacher do we?

Guilt by association is a very old game. If that is how she wants to play there is plenty of shit to fling but must we revert to the antics of monkeys in a presidential campaign?

And why the bloody hell can't you stick to policies and records of actions instead of pulling this nonsense?

Because you don't really want to face the embarrassment of the policies and actions that have gotten us into this mess and from which you cannot, no matter how many times you say "maverick," dissociate yourselves?

Let's face it, McCain and Palin have nothing to go on. So they're flinging shit. And a lot more of it will fly before election day.

Pathetic.

Perhaps the GOP should switch its symbol to a simian.

See McCain's own words in the video below.

h/t to BarbinMD from whom I took these points and links

Update:
Paul Begala and Tom Brokaw discuss the issue



Update 2:

Here is a video of the CNN Truth Squad debunking Palin's claim:



h/t to Billary Redux
--the BB