>>>>Hey Tamar,
>>>>
>>>>>Did her belonging to the AIP make it to MSM or only to blogs? I don't actually recall. I do find one source that says that is was _officials_ of the AIP who said she was a member, so the story clearly isn't entirely nonsense. Even if she wasn't registered in the party, she has been involved with them (including attending two conventions and recording a message for one as governor).
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>I believe that the AIP claim was on MSNBC's frontpage on the day after her speech; as were two other disparaging articles/commentaries. Subsequently the GOP provided proof, which I honestly have not seen but satisfied the media, that she's been a Republican for 20+ years.
>>>
>>>It would be interesting to see what actually appeared. As I said, I found a source that said that officials of the AIP claimed she'd been a member. If that's what was reported, that's fair game.
>>>
>>>
>>>>>You keep saying there's stuff to look at, but you don't give a clue what it would be. He's been in the national public eye for 4 years, and fairly visible in Illinois for a decade before that. Given how much passion he arouses (on both sides), don't you think that if there were something there, someone (MSM, right-wing bloggers, National Enquirer, ...) would have come up with some credible information by now? Instead, it's all hints and insinuations and guilt by association.
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>Tamar, I don't pretend to understand what the media outlets think is important and what isn't. I would think that Obama's long association with some rather questionable figures which could easily be construed as poor judgement would be far more germane to the election than Palin's 6 years of matriculation 20 years ago. It is easy to see why conservatives and a lot of independents paint the media as biased because they sure act that way.
>>>
>>>The Wright thing got plenty of "ink," so I don't think you can claim the media ignored that. I know Ayres bothers you, but as someone else pointed out, Obama was a kid when Ayres was a radical, and Ayres seems to have since joined the mainstream. I know plenty of folks who were pretty radical in the 60's who are still liberal, but working inside the system today.
>>>
>>
>>That's what I can't figure out. How does someone who has admitted to participating in the bombings of New York City Police Headquarters in 1970, the Capitol building in 1971, and the Pentagon in 1972 join the mainstream? Why association with someone like that is acceptable is beyond me...
>
>Because what we do when we're young isn't the whole story of our lives?
>
>Tamar

I'll agree with that but I also think committing acts of terrorism and NOT paying the price for those actions shouldn't put you in mainstream later in life either (especially not with presidential candidates and senators or public figures)

It wasn't just a matter of a misdeaner for Pete's sake...