Palin panders to the 'violent hater' vote

Palin at a recent rally in Florida:

"I was reading my copy of the New York Times the other day," she said.

"Booooo!" replied the crowd.

"I knew you guys would react that way, okay," she continued. "So I was reading the New York Times and I was really interested to read about Barack's friends from Chicago."

It was time to revive the allegation, made over the weekend, that Obama "pals around" with terrorists, in this case Bill Ayers, late of the Weather Underground. Many independent observers say Palin's allegations are a stretch; Obama served on a Chicago charitable board with Ayers, now an education professor, and has condemned his past activities.

"Now it turns out, one of his earliest supporters is a man named Bill Ayers," Palin said.

"Boooo!" said the crowd.

"And, according to the New York Times, he was a domestic terrorist and part of a group that, quote, 'launched a campaign of bombings that would target the Pentagon and our U.S. Capitol,'" she continued.

"Boooo!" the crowd repeated.

"Kill him!" proposed one man in the audience.

Inciting violence towards an opposing political candidate? My, Sarah -- why don't you just burn a cross on the stage while you're at it?

Hate-talk TV and radio hosts seem to get away with this all the time, even when it leads to murder. Now we have it from political candidates.

When I was a child, in a state that has decades of experience with Klan activities, the KKK and fellow hate organizations were tracked and pursued by the FBI for exactly this kind of hate-inciting speech. Today our government openly tolerates it -- but only from the extreme right.

We live in strange times indeed when peaceful demonstrators are attacked by black-armored police and arrested without charge; and a vice presidential candidate can openly incite violence towards the democratic candidate for president in front of the police, the media, the FBI and the Secret Service. No consequences whatsoever.

What the hell? Aren't we supposed to be a nation of laws?

So Sarah, let me get this straight (if I can dumb myself down to your reptilian level and perhaps communicate.) You're sliding in the polls. You're getting desperate. The charm and the winking didn't work, and both you and your running mate McCain have each lost your debates. Obviously the people aren't buying what you guys are selling.

So you accuse Obama of hanging around with terrorists, deliberately inciting violence towards a political opponent.

You obviously heard the man in the crowd shout 'kill him!' and you just let it slide, didn't you? Is that the reaction you were looking for? I see you didn't miss a beat, but kept right on stirring that poisonous pot. I've seen your kind before, but seldom without the sheets and burning crosses.

This is your answer for America? If you can't win any other way, incite some wacko into killing your opponent? What -- the nasty smear commercials are no longer enough for you people?

This is what comes from removing all consequences for hate-mongering in this country.

UPDATE: The Secret Service is investigating the man who shouted 'kill him!' Hopefully they will also gently suggest to both McCain and Palin that inciting this behavior is not to be allowed.