Nathaniel Hawthorne’s classic, ‘The Scarlet Letter’ contrasts the unbending condemnation of the religious state with a more liberal recognition that actions need to be seen in context. Anyone who doesn’t live in a bubble has relationships with all kinds of people, and politicians far more so. That’s the nature of politics, to bring together diverse groups for a common goal. I can’t think of any group based on ‘purity’ that is not malignant or isolated.

Senator McCain, in his long career, has met a lot of people, some of whom he wishes he hadn’t. But he’s not making noise right now. It’s his pit-bull running-mate, barking and snarling from behind the fence of safe, sympathetic, true-believing supporters. I’d love to see her meet the press and answer some questions about her own associates, more close and recent than Senator Obama’s. An excerpt from Robert Mackey’s op-ed…

You, Governor, should know better. As I and many journalists have noted, you have strong ties to the Alaska Independence Party. While it was finally revealed that you technically were not a card-carrying member of the AIP, it was discovered that the First Dude, between his life of high adventure in helping you rule your northern fiefdom, his competitive snowmobiling and fishing, was a member of the organization for many years.

Yes, it is a free country. You get to associate or marry whomever you want, no matter how distasteful. Yes, Senator Obama served on a board with William Ayers, a former member of the Weather Underground and now a college professor and activist in Chicago. However, Senator Obama has clearly distanced himself on numerous occasions from Professor Ayers’ actions in the 1960’s. This is a non-issue. Perhaps that is why you have decided to focus on it — better a non-issue than having to learn and think about real problems that affect everyday people, like health care, the economy and education. Those, I suppose, are just too gosh darned hard.

All snarky comments aside, I do have a concern, Governor. A big one. You have never distanced yourself from a radical secessionist movement aimed at the breaking up of the Federal Union. You, Governor, have never stated a single time that the AIP is not only wrong-headed, but outright dangerous. Instead, you have videotaped welcoming comments for their annual conventions. Instead, you have a “close association” with a known former member of a radical, right-wing, well-armed and well-funded political party whose founder damned the United States as virulently as Reverend Wright did. While Reverend Wright enjoyed his 15 minutes of fame, and was rightly slammed for his vitriol by patriotic writers on both Left and Right, the AIP happily continued along its way, spewing anti-Americanism more in line with something Fidel Castro would say on a May Day celebration in Havana.

The Alaskan Independence Party has toned down its website and seems nervous about the association with the vice-presidential candidate, but you can find them here.