I lifted the following article almost entirely from an actual Associated Press piece detailing Palin's association with the Alaskan Independence Party. I made minor changes to illustrate how said article would read if the tables were turned. Read it. When you're finished, imagine the seizures and convulsions the media would be having had the secessionist shoe been on Obama's foot.

Obama camp: Questions on Obama's party a 'smear'

By FRANKLIN P. BLEAUXHAARD- 30 minutes ago

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) -- Barack Obama's campaign said Tuesday that rival John McCain's campaign was spreading "smears" about the Illinois Senator's past political affiliations. Yet, some of Obama's previous political activities are a matter of dispute.

At issue are claims by members of the Pan African Nationalist Party that Obama was once associated with it. The party, some of whose members have advocated unification of native Africans and those of the African diaspora as part of a "global African community."

The Obama campaign released voter registration documents Tuesday dating to 1990 in which Obama lists himself as a Democrat. Campaign spokesman Robert Gibbs said Obama has been a registered Democrat since 1982, and has never been a member of the Pan African Nationalist Party.

Obama addressed the Pan African Nationalist Party's state convention by video earlier this year, welcoming the party to Chicago. He gave no indication of a current or past connection to the party.

"Your party plays an important role in our state's politics," he said in the video, which is posted on the party's Web site. "I've always said that competition is so good, and that applies to political parties as well."

Lynette Ture, the chairman of the PANP, told ABC News that Obama and his wife, Michelle, belonged to the party in 1994. Mark Chryson, chairman of the Party from 1995 to 2002, told the network that Obama attended the party's convention in 1994. He said he was not certain if he was a party member, and party records do not date back that far.

Keep in mind that being a member of a Pan African movement, which Obama is not and never was, is hardly the act of anti-Americanism that joining a secessionist party constitutes. So I want to see pundits heads imploding. I want to see steam coming out of Pat Buchanan's ears, Lou Dobbs melting....melting and Neil Cavuto self-combust. Because that is exactly the reaction we'd be witnessing if Sarah Palin was Barack Obama.