LA Times denies request by McCain campaign to post video

By Matt Gelb

Photo by Laurent Gillieron
© 2003 Associated Press

Despite claims of "suppressing information" by the John McCain campaign, the Los Angeles Times will not post a video of Barack Obama discussing his friendship with Rashid Khalidi, a Palenstinian activist.

The newspaper said Wednesday that it promised a confidential source it would not publish the video. "The Times keeps its promises to sources," Los Angeles Times editor Russ Stanton said.

The McCain campaign is requesting the video be posted so more information can be learned about Obama's relationship with Khalidi, which has led some to believe Obama is sympathetic to the Palestinian side in the Middle East conflict, despite stating otherwise.

The Times originally reported on the content of the video in April 2008 and said it does not need to post the video because it has already been described at length. Khalidi is a professor at Columbia University and a long-time friend of Obama. On Wednesday, McCain called Khalidi a spokesperson for the Palestinian Liberation Organization, a claim Khalidi has denied before.