McCain camp: Claim that Palin endorsed Hamas is 'libel'

[Scurrilous]

<snip>

"A representative of the McCain campaign on Monday accused a blogger on the Atlantic website of 'slander' in response to a blog on the website entitled "Palin endorses Hamas." The blog mocked McCain running mate Sarah Palin's difficulty answering a question from Katie Couric, in which she gave a sweeping endorsement of democracy in the Middle East.

Michael Goldfarb of the McCain campaign issued a statement to the Atlantic Monthly on Monday saying "Governor Palin did no such thing, and your title is nothing short of slander. Having read your work for some time I doubt that you believe Hamas qualifies as "those who seek democracy." That you would put those words in Governor Palin's mouth is libel."

In the post, Jeremy Goldberg mocked Palin's inability to issue a nuanced response when Couric asked "What happens if the goal of democracy doesn't produce the desired outcome? In Gaza, the U.S. pushed hard for elections and Hamas won."

Before diverging to the danger Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad poses to Israel, Palin told Couric "Yeah, well especially in that region, though, we have to protect those who do seek democracy and support those who seek protections for the people who live there."

In response to the McCain campaign's protest, Goldberg wrote on his blog that the title "was a joke, designed to make the point that Sarah Palin knows so little about the Middle East that she accidentally "endorsed" Hamas."

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1025503.html


From GDP:

*** Breaking: Sarah Palin Endorses Hamas ***

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=7242207

[notadmblnd]

1. I think she's just getting her religious convictions mixed up with her political talking points

[oberliner]

2. I seriously do not think she knew/knows what Hamas is

Just an opinion, but looking at the video of the interview, it seems like she didn't know what Hamas was, and perhaps thought it was a person's name.

[Vegasaurus]

3. I think you are right, Oberliner. nt

[shira]

5. maybe she was thinking Hummus

"Um, what's that Bush doctrine on Hummus? We don't eat that stuff up in Alaska."

[LeftishBrit]

4. I am quite sure she doesn't support Hamas

She probably doesn't even know who they are; after all, you don't usually see themfrom your bedroom window in Alaska.