Peter Wallsten/LAT refuses to release Barack Obama/Rashid Khalidi videotape

Back on April 10, 2008, Peter Wallsten of the Los Angeles Times offered "Allies of Palestinians see a friend in Barack Obama" (link), about Barack Obama's friendship with Rashid Khalidi, an "internationally known scholar, critic of Israel and advocate for Palestinian rights". Per Wallsten:
the warm embrace Obama gave to Khalidi, and words like those at the professor's going-away party, have left some Palestinian American leaders believing that Obama is more receptive to their viewpoint than he is willing to say.
You know what's coming. In May, BHO was asked about this by unnamed Jewish voters in Miami and played the usual "he's not an advisor" trick he's played with Ayers and others (link).

But, as it turns out, apparently the event described by Wallsten turned a bit interesting and not only that he has a video of the event.

But, Wallsten won't release a tape that would be damaging to Barack Obama. Gateway Pundit spoke with him (link):
Wallston said that the article was written after he watched video taken at the Khalidi going away party. When I asked him about the video he said that as far as he was concerned he was through with the story.

I asked him if he was planning on releasing this video of Obama toasting the radical Khalidi at this Jew-bash. He told me he was not releasing the video. He also would not comment on his source for the video. Wallston also said he did not know if Khalidi's good friend Bill Ayers was at the event or not.
Write readers.rep *at* latimes.com and suggest they stop covering for Barack Obama and release the video tape.

UPDATE: In her own special way, back after the LAT article came out Debbie Schlussel said something I take to be that Wallsten basically based his article on something she'd written (link).

And, the Ayers' might have been at the dinner also, or they might have just contributed to a commemorative book compiled after the event; it isn't clear from the following:
In Chicago, the Khalidis founded the Arab American Action Network, and Mona Khalidi served as its president. A big farewell dinner was held in their honor by AAAN with a commemorative book filled with testimonials from their friends and political allies. These included the left wing anti-war group Not In My Name, the Electronic Intifada, and the ex-Weatherman domestic terrorists Bernadine Dohrn and Bill Ayers. (There were also testimonials from then-state Senator Barack Obama and the mayor of Chicago.)
UPDATE 2: As could have been expected, one of the minor "fact check" sites says Khalidi's group isn't controversial: politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/402 (those involved: Robert Farley, Shirl Kennedy, Amy Hollyfield). Their entire contention is based on interviews with Rep. Robert Wexler (co-chair of Obama's Florida campaign); the AAAN's executive director; the president of the Woods Fund; and, Louise Cainkar from Marquette University. She used to be with the Great Cities Institute, which was at... University of Illinois-Chicago. Whether she's linked to Ayers/Obama isn't known, but she's definitely part of their circle, as are the others. So, basically, Politifact bases its reports on one side of the debate.

UPDATE 3: No tape is necessary, we have reported all there is to see! Move along now! An exchange with Jamie Gold, the Los Angeles Times' Reader's Representative, is here: littlegreenfootballs.com/article/31717_LA_Times_Responds_to_Readers-_Get_Lost
It sounds as if you don't find "mere reporting" to be enough, but The Times is not suppressing anything. Just the opposite — the L.A. Times brought the matter to light.
UPDATE 4: The McCain campaign wants the tape released.

And, there's more on the controversy surrounding Khalidi himself in the April 2005 articles here and here.

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