The Associated Press Plays the Race Card

Now some fresh pickings from the Political Grapevine:

Radical Assumptions

The Associated Press posted an analysis piece Sunday about Sarah Palin's criticism of Barack Obama's connections with 1960s radical William Ayers. Its conclusion? The AP called Palin's comments "unsubstantiated" and wrote they "carried a racially-tinged subtext that John McCain himself may come to regret."

But the AP failed to substantiate its own claim and explain how Obama's relationship with Ayers — who is white — carries any racial subtext. What Palin did say is "our opponent... is someone who sees America, it seems, as being so imperfect, imperfect enough that he's palling around with terrorists who would target their own country."

Veep Mistakes

During Thursday's vice presidential debate one of the candidates said, "Along with France, we kicked Hezbollah out of Lebanon," and, "Our commanding General in Afghanistan said the surge principle in Iraq will not work in Afghanistan," and that Barack Obama "did not say he'd sit down with Ahmadinejad."

None of those statements is true. So who made them? Was it Sarah Palin, whose lack of foreign policy knowledge was said to be a liability?

No, it was Joe Biden, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

As The Wall Street Journal also notes today, Biden invited Americans to join him at Katie's Restaurant in Wilmington, Delaware, to witness the struggles of the middle class. Problem is, Katie's closed down about 20 years ago.

Duped Duo

Two former Israeli officials say they were tricked into expressing support for Senator Obama in a video produced by the Jewish Council for Education and Research. The group supports Obama, but is not connected to his campaign.

Major General Uzi Dayan tells The Jerusalem Post "it was an interview about what the next president was going to have to deal with... they used this interview and took five seconds, and put me in a list of people praising Barack Obama."

Dayan also appears to support Obama's policy that dialogue with Iran would be the best way to solve the standoff over its nuclear program. But he says his position is nothing of the sort, saying, "I don't think... the United States or Israel should be engaged with Iran, because the Iranians will take advantage of that."

Former Mossad Chief Ephraim Halevy also says he was misled into appearing in the video. He says he does not support either candidate and was complimentary to both.

Withdrawal Plan

When Senator McCain's Michigan state director sent out an e-mail to Republicans Saturday explaining why the campaign was pulling out of the state, one GOP county chairman was not a bit happy.

The Politico newspaper reports Emmet County Republican Chairman Jack Waldvogel responded saying, "If you are going to end visits to the state by McCain-Palin, do it. Just don't formally announce that you're 'pulling out' of Michigan, and then come back two days later asking the base core of support to 'keep working'... this is the biggest dumbass stunt I have ever seen."

Waldvogel added in a later message, "What a total and complete crock of crap... I think McCain owes the Republicans and the people of Michigan a huge apology. Soon!"

— FOX News Channel's Zachary Kenworthy contributed to this report.