This report on Barack Obama's relationship with Rahid Kahlidi makes some serious claims about the presidential candidate, which it fails to document in this article. This is a classic example of "journalism of assertion" (rather than verification), in which an author presents his/her own opinions as facts, without providing sufficient evidence to back them up. For example, where is the supporting evidence the Obama "embraced" Khalikdi? While some factual evidence is provided through a link to a lecture given by professor Kahlidi, there is no verified proof that the LA Times is "running interference for Barack Obama". Both sourcing and context are quite weak as well, and this neither in-depth nor enterprising. A questionable ... More »

This opinion blog is more conspiracy theory speculation on the L.A. Times' refusal to realease a tape from a Khalidi event and on Obama's real views regarding the Israeli/Palestinian conflict in light of Khalidi's views. Nothing really new is presented here. Even the "sensational" quotes from a Times article and from later Khalidi speeches will strike many as fairly mainstream views often reported in the US, European and Israeli media. But then, the point here may be that departing from a singularly pro Israel stand should be unacceptable.

This news analysis is excellent journalism. The author provides factual information that is not widely available. She gives a reasonable explanation for the otherwise puzzling failure of the LA Times to release the tape it has described in its news pages.