Sep 19, 2008 8:10 pm US/Eastern
Sources: Intense Pressure Led To Palin UN Snub
CBS 2 HD Has Learned Democrats Threatened To Attack Jewish Groups' Tax Exempt Status Over VP Nominee Invite
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
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Hillary Clinton was all smiles on Sept. 18. After stopping GOP VP nominee Sarah Palin from attending a UN rally, she was out getting praised by a Jewish group at a fundraiser.
CBS
Hillary Clinton won't be speaking at Monday's anti-Iran rally at the United Nations -- and neither will Republican Sarah Palin or any other politicians for that matter.
The reason? A heated behind the scenes tug-of-war.
Sources tell CBS 2 HD that a decision to disinvite Palin from the high profile rally after Clinton pulled out in a huff came as the result of intense pressure from Democrats.
"This is insulting. This is embarrassing, especially to Gov. Palin, to me and I think it should be to every single New Yorker," Assemblyman Dov Hikind, D-Brooklyn, told CBS 2 HD.
Sources say the axes were out for Palin as soon as Sen. Clinton pulled out because she did not want to attend the same event as the Republican vice presidential candidate.
"I have never seen such raw emotion -- on both sides," said someone close to the situation.
The groups sponsoring the rally against Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad speaking at the UN were reportedly told, "it could jeopardize their tax exempt status" if they had Palin and not Clinton or Democratic VP candidate Joe Biden on hand.
So all politicians were disinvited, most prominently, Palin.
"It's an absolute shame that this has happened," Hikind said. "To threaten organizations … to threaten the Conference of Presidents that if you don't withdraw the invitation to Gov. Palin we're going to look into your tax exempt status … that's McCarthyism."
Another Jewish group tried to step into the breach by inviting Palin to a different protest a day earlier.
"I'm absolutely appalled at the behavior of the Democrats," said Bob Kunst of Defenders.net. "I'm a Democrat and for the first time in my life I'm going to vote Republican. I can't take it anymore."
As for Sen. Clinton, she brushed right past CBS 2 HD's Lou Young when he tried to ask her about the issue on Thursday night.
Lou Young: "Were the organizers of Monday's rally right to depoliticize it?"
Clinton walked past Young, said "Thank you all very much" and started hugging people.
Clinton's people tell CBS 2 HD she intends to make some statement of support for the protestors. She is also expected to attack Ahmadinejad's pro-nuke, anti-Israel stance.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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