Christian HYPOCRITE Palin: What would Jesus do?

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton dropped out of a planned rally outside the United Nations next week after learning that Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin would also be in the crowd protesting the appearance of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

The rally -- which includes prominent political and religious leaders, including Nobel Peace Prize laureate Elie Wiesel -- is being organized by a coalition of American Jewish organizations, under the umbrella group the National Coalition to Stop Iran Now.

Malcolm Hoenlein, the executive vice president of the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations, said that Clinton accepted the invitation to the rally back in August, before Palin was part of the Republican presidential ticket. "We had approached Republican leaders because we wanted to have this event on a nonpartisan basis." The Republicans offered up Palin today, he said.

Hoenlein said that Clinton had been informed of Palin's plans to attend the Monday protest, adding that she had no intention of pulling out.

But Clinton aides told the Associated Press tonight that they learned of Palin's involvement only when informed by reporters.

"Her attendance was news to us, and this was never billed to us as a partisan political event," Clinton spokesman Philippe Reines told the AP. "Senator Clinton will therefore not be attending."

Hoenlein did not immediately return messages seeking comment about Clinton's dropping out. Nor did other organizers of the rally.

A GOP campaign official said only that Palin tentatively planned to attend the rally.

washingtonpost.com