US Jews Not Allowed To Fly Delta To Saudi Arabia
By Michele Chabin
Religion News Service
JERUSALEM (RNS) Jews and Israelis, or passengers carrying any non-Islamic article of faith, will not be able to fly code-share flights from the U.S. to Saudi Arabia under Delta Air Line's new partnership with Saudi Arabian Airlines that is set to begin in 2012.
Although Delta announced in January that the Saudi airline would join its SkyTeam network next year, the implications of the deal only came to light recently, according to people who have scrutinized the details.
Saudi Arabia, which is governed by strict Islamic law, requires citizens of almost every country to obtain a visa. People who wish to enter the country must have a sponsor; women, who must be dressed according to Saudi standards of modesty, must be met at the Saudi airport by a man who will act as a chaperone.
Saudi Arabia bans anyone with an Israeli stamp in their passport from entering the country, even in transit. Many Jews believe the kingdom has also withheld visas from travelers with Jewish-sounding names.
Religious items such as Bibles that are not related to Islam may be confiscated at the airport.
Colby M. May, senior counsel of the American Center for Law and Justice, a conservative legal group founded by religious broadcaster Pat Robertson, said his office is trying to determine if the agreement runs afoul of U.S. law.
"The very idea that there is a common carrier airline service that would deny an American citizen in America access to their services because they are Jewish or have religious items such as a yarmulke, a cross or a priestly collar, is deeply disturbing," May said.
May said he is "trying to get answers" from Delta.
"They have not responded in a way that answers the question," he said. "Hopefully they'll do so."
In a statement to Religion News Service on Thursday (June 23), Delta said it "does not discriminate, nor do we condone discrimination against any protected class of passenger in regards to age, race, nationality, religion, or gender."
The airline, which did not deny the new policy, insisted that it has no control over who may fly to Saudi Arabia.
"Delta must also comply with all applicable laws in every country it serves," adding that passengers are responsible for obtaining the necessary travel documents required for entry.
"If a passenger travels without proper documents, the passenger may be denied entry into that country and our airline may be fined," the statement said.
The Jan. 10 agreement allows Saudi Arabian Airlines to become a member of SkyTeam in 2012 after "fulfilling all membership requirements," according to a SkyTeam statement. The Saudi airline is SkyTeam's first member from the Middle East.
The policy has deeply angered U.S. Jewish groups, especially since Delta is an American carrier.
"Saudi Arabia, a U.S. ally, should be strongly condemned for its despicable discrimination against Jews," said Kenneth Bandler, a spokesman for the New York-based American Jewish Committee.
"For an American company, our nation's values should trump narrow business interests. Delta should be the first to reject Saudi airlines as a SkyTeam member."
Dan Diker, secretary general of the World Jewish Congress, said he hoped "Delta will not be complicit with what appears to be a demonstrably anti-Semitic and racist policy by Saudi Arabian Airlines."
Jack Jenkins contributed to this report.
Friday, June 24, 2011
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Gert Wilders Acquited
Dutch Court Acquits Lawmaker of Hate Speech, Discrimination Against Muslims
Published June 23, 2011 | Associated Press
AMSTERDAM -- A Dutch court acquitted populist politician Geert Wilders of hate speech and discrimination Thursday, ruling that his anti-Islam statements, while offensive to many Muslims, fell within the bounds of legitimate political debate.
Presiding judge Marcel van Oosten said Wilders' claims that Islam is violent by nature, and his calls to halt Muslim immigration and ban the Muslim holy book, the Koran, must be seen in a wider context of debate over immigration policy.
The court said his public statements could not be directly linked to increased discrimination against Dutch Muslims.
Wilders sat stone-faced while the judge read the ruling, but smiled broadly and shook hands with his lawyers after the verdict was announced. He waved to cheering supporters who hugged each other in the public gallery, and grinned as he left the courtroom.
Wilders, one of the most powerful and popular politicians in the Netherlands, was accused of inciting hatred and discrimination against Muslims through numerous public statements, and with insulting them by comparing Islam with Naziism.
"I'm incredibly happy with this acquittal on all counts," Wilders said outside the courtroom.
"It's not only an acquittal for me, but a victory for freedom of expression in the Netherlands. Fortunately you're allowed to discuss Islam in public debate and you're not muzzled... An enormous burden has fallen from my shoulders," he said.
Groups that filed the complaints against Wilders that ultimately led to his prosecution said they were disappointed with the ruling.
Lawyer Ties Prakken, who represented some complainants, was quoted by local media as saying Dutch courts are failing to protect a religious minority from discrimination. With legal avenues in the Netherlands exhausted, she said she's preparing an appeal to the U.N. Commission on Human Rights in Geneva.
The court found that Wilders' rhetoric was at times on the edge of what is legally permissible.
The judge described his statements about a "tsunami" of immigrants overrunning the country and threatening its culture as "crude and denigrating," but legally legitimate given the wider context and his further statements that he has no objections to Muslims who integrate and accept Dutch values. Wilders, who lives under constant protection due to death threats, has never called for violence or endorsed it.
In speeches and written articles, Wilder said Islam is an inherently violent religion, and he compared the Koran with "Mein Kampf," Hitler's tirade against Jews -- an especially touchy image because of the large number of Dutch Jews handed over to the Nazis in World War II.
The court paid special attention to Wilders' 2008 film, "Fitna," Arabic for "ordeal" -- a 15-minute series of verses from the Koran juxtaposed against news video of violence and terrorism. The film prompted angry demonstrations and official protests around the Muslim world.
"Given the film in its whole and the context of societal debate, the court finds that there is no question of inciting hate with the film Fitna," the judgment said.
In court, Wilders had argued that his statements represent the views of millions of Dutch voters and are protected by freedom of speech law. He accused the court of bias against him and claimed the charges were politically motivated.
Even the prosecutors called for his acquittal. Despite their reluctance to prosecute, the judges ruled last year that the case should be put to a judicial test.
Last April the same court acquitted Abdoulmouthalib Bouzerda, chairman of the Arab European League, of hate speech charges for publishing a cartoon on its website questioning the reality of the Holocaust.
The group had intended to spur public discussion about a perceived double standard: that European media are willing to publish cartoons mocking Islam's prophet Muhammad, while cartoons about the Holocaust are taboo.
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/06/23/dutch-court-acquits-anti-islam-lawmaker/#ixzz1Q6yvmLUA
Published June 23, 2011 | Associated Press
AMSTERDAM -- A Dutch court acquitted populist politician Geert Wilders of hate speech and discrimination Thursday, ruling that his anti-Islam statements, while offensive to many Muslims, fell within the bounds of legitimate political debate.
Presiding judge Marcel van Oosten said Wilders' claims that Islam is violent by nature, and his calls to halt Muslim immigration and ban the Muslim holy book, the Koran, must be seen in a wider context of debate over immigration policy.
The court said his public statements could not be directly linked to increased discrimination against Dutch Muslims.
Wilders sat stone-faced while the judge read the ruling, but smiled broadly and shook hands with his lawyers after the verdict was announced. He waved to cheering supporters who hugged each other in the public gallery, and grinned as he left the courtroom.
Wilders, one of the most powerful and popular politicians in the Netherlands, was accused of inciting hatred and discrimination against Muslims through numerous public statements, and with insulting them by comparing Islam with Naziism.
"I'm incredibly happy with this acquittal on all counts," Wilders said outside the courtroom.
"It's not only an acquittal for me, but a victory for freedom of expression in the Netherlands. Fortunately you're allowed to discuss Islam in public debate and you're not muzzled... An enormous burden has fallen from my shoulders," he said.
Groups that filed the complaints against Wilders that ultimately led to his prosecution said they were disappointed with the ruling.
Lawyer Ties Prakken, who represented some complainants, was quoted by local media as saying Dutch courts are failing to protect a religious minority from discrimination. With legal avenues in the Netherlands exhausted, she said she's preparing an appeal to the U.N. Commission on Human Rights in Geneva.
The court found that Wilders' rhetoric was at times on the edge of what is legally permissible.
The judge described his statements about a "tsunami" of immigrants overrunning the country and threatening its culture as "crude and denigrating," but legally legitimate given the wider context and his further statements that he has no objections to Muslims who integrate and accept Dutch values. Wilders, who lives under constant protection due to death threats, has never called for violence or endorsed it.
In speeches and written articles, Wilder said Islam is an inherently violent religion, and he compared the Koran with "Mein Kampf," Hitler's tirade against Jews -- an especially touchy image because of the large number of Dutch Jews handed over to the Nazis in World War II.
The court paid special attention to Wilders' 2008 film, "Fitna," Arabic for "ordeal" -- a 15-minute series of verses from the Koran juxtaposed against news video of violence and terrorism. The film prompted angry demonstrations and official protests around the Muslim world.
"Given the film in its whole and the context of societal debate, the court finds that there is no question of inciting hate with the film Fitna," the judgment said.
In court, Wilders had argued that his statements represent the views of millions of Dutch voters and are protected by freedom of speech law. He accused the court of bias against him and claimed the charges were politically motivated.
Even the prosecutors called for his acquittal. Despite their reluctance to prosecute, the judges ruled last year that the case should be put to a judicial test.
Last April the same court acquitted Abdoulmouthalib Bouzerda, chairman of the Arab European League, of hate speech charges for publishing a cartoon on its website questioning the reality of the Holocaust.
The group had intended to spur public discussion about a perceived double standard: that European media are willing to publish cartoons mocking Islam's prophet Muhammad, while cartoons about the Holocaust are taboo.
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/06/23/dutch-court-acquits-anti-islam-lawmaker/#ixzz1Q6yvmLUA
Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon B. Johnson
A few months ago, the Associated Press reported that newly released
tapes from US president Lyndon Johnson’s White House office showed
LBJ’s “personal and often emotional connection to Israel.” The news
agency pointed out that during the Johnson presidency (1963-1969),
“the United States became Israel’s chief diplomatic ally and primary
arms supplier.”
But the news report does little to reveal the full historical extent
of Johnson’s actions on behalf of the Jewish people and the State of
Israel.
Most students of the Arab-Israeli conflict can identify Johnson as
the president during the 1967 war. But few know about LBJ’s actions
to rescue hundreds of endangered Jews during the Holocaust – actions
that could have thrown him out of Congress and into jail. Indeed, the
title of “Righteous Gentile” is certainly appropriate in the case of
the Texan, whose centennial year is being commemorated this year.
Appropriately enough, the annual Jerusalem Conference announced this
week that it will honor Johnson.
Historians have revealed that Johnson, while serving as a young
congressman in 1938 and 1939, arranged for visas to be supplied to
Jews in Warsaw, and oversaw the apparently illegal immigration of
hundreds of Jews through the port of Galveston, Texas.
A key resource for uncovering LBJ’s pro-Jewish activity is the
unpublished 1989 doctoral thesis by University of Texas student Louis
Gomolak, “Prologue: LBJ’s Foreign Affairs Background, 1908-1948.”
Johnson’s activities were confirmed by other historians in interviews
with his wife, family members and political associates.
Research into Johnson’s personal history indicates that he inherited
his concern for the Jewish people from his family. His aunt Jessie
Johnson Hatcher, a major influence on LBJ, was a member of the Zionist
Organization of America. According to Gomolak, Aunt Jessie had
nurtured LBJ’s commitment to befriending Jews for 50 years. As young
boy, Lyndon watched his politically active grandfather “Big Sam” and
father “Little Sam” seek clemency for Leo Frank, the Jewish victim of
a blood libel in Atlanta.
Frank was lynched by a mob in 1915, and the Ku Klux Klan in Texas
threatened to kill the Johnsons. The Johnsons later told friends that
Lyndon’s family hid in their cellar while his father and uncles stood
guard with shotguns on their porch in case of KKK attacks. Johnson’s
speech writer later stated, “Johnson often cited Leo Frank’s lynching
as the source of his opposition to both anti-Semitism and
isolationism.”
Already in 1934 – four years before Chamberlain’s Munich sellout to
Hitler – Johnson was keenly alert to the dangers of Nazism and
presented a book of essays, ‘Nazism: An Assault on Civilization’, to
the 21-year-old woman he was courting, Claudia Taylor – later known as
“Lady Bird” Johnson. It was an incredible engagement present.
FIVE DAYS after taking office in 1937, LBJ broke with the
“Dixiecrats” and supported an immigration bill that would naturalize
illegal aliens, mostly Jews from Lithuania and Poland . In 1938,
Johnson was told of a young Austrian Jewish musician who was about to
be deported from the United States. With an element of subterfuge,
LBJ sent him to the US Consulate in Havana to obtain a residency
permit. Erich Leinsdorf, the world famous musician and conductor,
credited LBJ for saving his live.
That same year, LBJ warned Jewish friend, Jim Novy, that European
Jews faced annihilation. “Get as many Jewish people as possible out of
Germany and Poland,” were Johnson’s instructions. Somehow, Johnson
provided him with a pile of signed immigration papers that were used
to get 42 Jews out of Warsaw.
But that wasn’t enough. According to historian James M. Smallwood,
Congressman Johnson used legal and sometimes illegal methods to
smuggle “hundreds of Jews into Texas, using Galveston as the entry
port.
Enough money could buy false passports and fake visas in Cuba, Mexico
and other Latin American countries. Johnson smuggled boatloads and
planeloads of Jews into Texas. He hid them in the Texas National
Youth Administration. Johnson saved at least four or five hundred
Jews, possibly more.
During World War II Johnson joined Novy at a small Austin gathering
to sell $65,000 in war bonds. According to Gomolak, Novy and Johnson
then raised a very “substantial sum for arms for Jewish underground
fighters in Palestine.” One source cited by the historian reports
that “Novy and Johnson had been secretly shipping heavy crates labeled
‘Texas Grapefruit’ – but containing arms – to Jewish underground
‘freedom fighters’ in Palestine.”
ON JUNE 4, 1945, Johnson visited Dachau. According to Smallwood,
Lady Bird later recalled that when her husband returned home, “he was
still shaken, stunned, terrorized, and bursting with an overpowering
revulsion and incredulous horror at what he had seen.”
A decade later while serving in the Senate, Johnson blocked the
Eisenhower administration’s attempts to apply sanctions against Israel
following the 1956 Sinai Campaign. ”The indefatigable Johnson had
never ceased pressure on the administration,” wrote I.L. “Si” Kenen,
the head of AIPAC at the time.
As Senate majority leader, Johnson consistently blocked the
anti-Israel initiatives of his fellow Democrat, William Fulbright, the
chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Among Johnson’s
closest advisers during this period were several strong pro-Israel
advocates, including Benjamin Cohen (who 30 years earlier was the
liaison between Supreme Court justice Louis Brandeis and Chaim
Weizmann) and Abe Fortas, the legendary Washington “insider.”
Johnson’s concern for the Jewish people continued through his
presidency. Soon after taking office in the aftermath of John F.
Kennedy’s assassination in 1963, Johnson told an Israeli diplomat,
“You have lost a very great friend, but you have found a better one.”
Just one month after succeeding Kennedy, LBJ attended the December
1963 dedication of the Agudas Achim Synagogue in Austin . Novy opened
the ceremony by saying to Johnson, “We can’t thank him enough for all
those Jews he got out of Germany during the days of Hitler.”
Lady Bird would later describe the day, according to Gomolak: “Person
after person plucked at my sleeve and said, ‘I wouldn’t be here today
if it wasn’t for him. He helped me get out.’” Lady Bird elaborated,
“Jews had been woven into the warp and woof of all [Lyndon's] years.”
THE PRELUDE to the 1967 war was a terrifying period for Israel, with
the US State Department led by the historically unfriendly Dean Rusk
urging an evenhanded policy despite Arab threats and acts of
aggression. Johnson held no such illusions. After the war he placed
the blame firmly on Egypt : “If a single act of folly was more
responsible for this explosion than any other, it was the arbitrary
and dangerous announced decision by Egypt that the Strait of Tiran
would be closed [to Israeli ships and Israeli-bound cargo].”
Kennedy was the first president to approve the sale of defensive US
weapons to Israel , specifically Hawk anti-aircraft missiles. But
Johnson approved tanks and fighter jets, all vital after the 1967 war
when France imposed a freeze on sales to Israel . Yehuda Avner
recently described on these pages prime minister Levi Eshkol’s
successful appeal for these weapons on a visit to the LBJ ranch.
Israel won the 1967 war, and Johnson worked to make sure it also won
the peace. “I sure as hell want to be careful and not run out on
little Israel,” Johnson said in a March 1968 conversation with his
ambassador to the United Nations, Arthur Goldberg, according to White
House tapes recently released.
Soon after the 1967 war, Soviet premier Aleksei Kosygin asked Johnson
at the Glassboro Summit why the US supported Israel when there were 80
million Arabs and only three million Israelis. ”Because it is
right” responded the straight-shooting Texan.
The crafting of UN Resolution 242 in November 1967 was done under
Johnson’s scrutiny. The call for “secure and recognized boundaries”
was critical. The American and British drafters of the resolution
opposed Israel returning all the territories captured in the war. In
September 1968, Johnson explained, “We are not the ones to say where
other nations should draw lines between them that will assure each the
greatest security. It is clear, however, that a return to the
situation of 4 June 1967 will not bring peace. There must be secure
and there must be recognized borders. Some such lines must be agreed
to by the neighbors involved.”
Goldberg later noted, “Resolution 242 in no way refers to Jerusalem
and this omission was deliberate.” This historic diplomacy was
conducted under Johnson’s stewardship, as Goldberg related in oral
history to the Johnson Library. “I must say for Johnson,” Goldberg
stated, “he gave me great personal support.”
Robert David Johnson, a professor of history at Brooklyn College,
recently wrote in The New York Sun, Johnson’s policies stemmed more
from personal concerns – his friendship with leading Zionists, his
belief that America had a moral obligation to bolster Israeli security
and his conception of Israel as a frontier land much like his home
state of Texas. His personal concerns led him to intervene when he
felt that the State or Defense departments had insufficiently
appreciated Israel’s diplomatic or military needs.
President Johnson firmly pointed American policy in a pro-Israel
direction. In an historical context, the American emergency airlift
to Israel in 1973, the constant diplomatic support, the economic and
military assistance and the strategic bonds between the two countries
can all be credited to the seeds planted by LBJ.
A few months ago, the Associated Press reported that newly released
tapes from US president Lyndon Johnson’s White House office showed
LBJ’s “personal and often emotional connection to Israel.” The news
agency pointed out that during the Johnson presidency (1963-1969),
“the United States became Israel’s chief diplomatic ally and primary
arms supplier.”
But the news report does little to reveal the full historical extent
of Johnson’s actions on behalf of the Jewish people and the State of
Israel.
Most students of the Arab-Israeli conflict can identify Johnson as
the president during the 1967 war. But few know about LBJ’s actions
to rescue hundreds of endangered Jews during the Holocaust – actions
that could have thrown him out of Congress and into jail. Indeed, the
title of “Righteous Gentile” is certainly appropriate in the case of
the Texan, whose centennial year is being commemorated this year.
Appropriately enough, the annual Jerusalem Conference announced this
week that it will honor Johnson.
Historians have revealed that Johnson, while serving as a young
congressman in 1938 and 1939, arranged for visas to be supplied to
Jews in Warsaw, and oversaw the apparently illegal immigration of
hundreds of Jews through the port of Galveston, Texas.
A key resource for uncovering LBJ’s pro-Jewish activity is the
unpublished 1989 doctoral thesis by University of Texas student Louis
Gomolak, “Prologue: LBJ’s Foreign Affairs Background, 1908-1948.”
Johnson’s activities were confirmed by other historians in interviews
with his wife, family members and political associates.
Research into Johnson’s personal history indicates that he inherited
his concern for the Jewish people from his family. His aunt Jessie
Johnson Hatcher, a major influence on LBJ, was a member of the Zionist
Organization of America. According to Gomolak, Aunt Jessie had
nurtured LBJ’s commitment to befriending Jews for 50 years. As young
boy, Lyndon watched his politically active grandfather “Big Sam” and
father “Little Sam” seek clemency for Leo Frank, the Jewish victim of
a blood libel in Atlanta.
Frank was lynched by a mob in 1915, and the Ku Klux Klan in Texas
threatened to kill the Johnsons. The Johnsons later told friends that
Lyndon’s family hid in their cellar while his father and uncles stood
guard with shotguns on their porch in case of KKK attacks. Johnson’s
speech writer later stated, “Johnson often cited Leo Frank’s lynching
as the source of his opposition to both anti-Semitism and
isolationism.”
Already in 1934 – four years before Chamberlain’s Munich sellout to
Hitler – Johnson was keenly alert to the dangers of Nazism and
presented a book of essays, ‘Nazism: An Assault on Civilization’, to
the 21-year-old woman he was courting, Claudia Taylor – later known as
“Lady Bird” Johnson. It was an incredible engagement present.
FIVE DAYS after taking office in 1937, LBJ broke with the
“Dixiecrats” and supported an immigration bill that would naturalize
illegal aliens, mostly Jews from Lithuania and Poland . In 1938,
Johnson was told of a young Austrian Jewish musician who was about to
be deported from the United States. With an element of subterfuge,
LBJ sent him to the US Consulate in Havana to obtain a residency
permit. Erich Leinsdorf, the world famous musician and conductor,
credited LBJ for saving his live.
That same year, LBJ warned Jewish friend, Jim Novy, that European
Jews faced annihilation. “Get as many Jewish people as possible out of
Germany and Poland,” were Johnson’s instructions. Somehow, Johnson
provided him with a pile of signed immigration papers that were used
to get 42 Jews out of Warsaw.
But that wasn’t enough. According to historian James M. Smallwood,
Congressman Johnson used legal and sometimes illegal methods to
smuggle “hundreds of Jews into Texas, using Galveston as the entry
port.
Enough money could buy false passports and fake visas in Cuba, Mexico
and other Latin American countries. Johnson smuggled boatloads and
planeloads of Jews into Texas. He hid them in the Texas National
Youth Administration. Johnson saved at least four or five hundred
Jews, possibly more.
During World War II Johnson joined Novy at a small Austin gathering
to sell $65,000 in war bonds. According to Gomolak, Novy and Johnson
then raised a very “substantial sum for arms for Jewish underground
fighters in Palestine.” One source cited by the historian reports
that “Novy and Johnson had been secretly shipping heavy crates labeled
‘Texas Grapefruit’ – but containing arms – to Jewish underground
‘freedom fighters’ in Palestine.”
ON JUNE 4, 1945, Johnson visited Dachau. According to Smallwood,
Lady Bird later recalled that when her husband returned home, “he was
still shaken, stunned, terrorized, and bursting with an overpowering
revulsion and incredulous horror at what he had seen.”
A decade later while serving in the Senate, Johnson blocked the
Eisenhower administration’s attempts to apply sanctions against Israel
following the 1956 Sinai Campaign. ”The indefatigable Johnson had
never ceased pressure on the administration,” wrote I.L. “Si” Kenen,
the head of AIPAC at the time.
As Senate majority leader, Johnson consistently blocked the
anti-Israel initiatives of his fellow Democrat, William Fulbright, the
chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Among Johnson’s
closest advisers during this period were several strong pro-Israel
advocates, including Benjamin Cohen (who 30 years earlier was the
liaison between Supreme Court justice Louis Brandeis and Chaim
Weizmann) and Abe Fortas, the legendary Washington “insider.”
Johnson’s concern for the Jewish people continued through his
presidency. Soon after taking office in the aftermath of John F.
Kennedy’s assassination in 1963, Johnson told an Israeli diplomat,
“You have lost a very great friend, but you have found a better one.”
Just one month after succeeding Kennedy, LBJ attended the December
1963 dedication of the Agudas Achim Synagogue in Austin . Novy opened
the ceremony by saying to Johnson, “We can’t thank him enough for all
those Jews he got out of Germany during the days of Hitler.”
Lady Bird would later describe the day, according to Gomolak: “Person
after person plucked at my sleeve and said, ‘I wouldn’t be here today
if it wasn’t for him. He helped me get out.’” Lady Bird elaborated,
“Jews had been woven into the warp and woof of all [Lyndon's] years.”
THE PRELUDE to the 1967 war was a terrifying period for Israel, with
the US State Department led by the historically unfriendly Dean Rusk
urging an evenhanded policy despite Arab threats and acts of
aggression. Johnson held no such illusions. After the war he placed
the blame firmly on Egypt : “If a single act of folly was more
responsible for this explosion than any other, it was the arbitrary
and dangerous announced decision by Egypt that the Strait of Tiran
would be closed [to Israeli ships and Israeli-bound cargo].”
Kennedy was the first president to approve the sale of defensive US
weapons to Israel , specifically Hawk anti-aircraft missiles. But
Johnson approved tanks and fighter jets, all vital after the 1967 war
when France imposed a freeze on sales to Israel . Yehuda Avner
recently described on these pages prime minister Levi Eshkol’s
successful appeal for these weapons on a visit to the LBJ ranch.
Israel won the 1967 war, and Johnson worked to make sure it also won
the peace. “I sure as hell want to be careful and not run out on
little Israel,” Johnson said in a March 1968 conversation with his
ambassador to the United Nations, Arthur Goldberg, according to White
House tapes recently released.
Soon after the 1967 war, Soviet premier Aleksei Kosygin asked Johnson
at the Glassboro Summit why the US supported Israel when there were 80
million Arabs and only three million Israelis. ”Because it is
right” responded the straight-shooting Texan.
The crafting of UN Resolution 242 in November 1967 was done under
Johnson’s scrutiny. The call for “secure and recognized boundaries”
was critical. The American and British drafters of the resolution
opposed Israel returning all the territories captured in the war. In
September 1968, Johnson explained, “We are not the ones to say where
other nations should draw lines between them that will assure each the
greatest security. It is clear, however, that a return to the
situation of 4 June 1967 will not bring peace. There must be secure
and there must be recognized borders. Some such lines must be agreed
to by the neighbors involved.”
Goldberg later noted, “Resolution 242 in no way refers to Jerusalem
and this omission was deliberate.” This historic diplomacy was
conducted under Johnson’s stewardship, as Goldberg related in oral
history to the Johnson Library. “I must say for Johnson,” Goldberg
stated, “he gave me great personal support.”
Robert David Johnson, a professor of history at Brooklyn College,
recently wrote in The New York Sun, Johnson’s policies stemmed more
from personal concerns – his friendship with leading Zionists, his
belief that America had a moral obligation to bolster Israeli security
and his conception of Israel as a frontier land much like his home
state of Texas. His personal concerns led him to intervene when he
felt that the State or Defense departments had insufficiently
appreciated Israel’s diplomatic or military needs.
President Johnson firmly pointed American policy in a pro-Israel
direction. In an historical context, the American emergency airlift
to Israel in 1973, the constant diplomatic support, the economic and
military assistance and the strategic bonds between the two countries
can all be credited to the seeds planted by LBJ.
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Dear Mr President
Franklin T. Bell, CFM, RPA, FMA*
7239 Swan Point Way
Columbia, MD 21045
410-381-6861
April 9, 2009
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington , DC 20500
Mr. Obama:
I have had it with you and your administration, sir.. Your conduct on your recent trip overseas has convinced me that you are not an adequate representative of the United States of America collectively or of me personally.
You are so obsessed with appeasing the Europeans and the Muslim world that you have abdicated the responsibilities of the President of the United States of America . You are responsible to the citizens of the United States . You are not responsible to the peoples of any other country on earth.
I personally resent that you go around the world apologizing for the United States telling Europeans that we are arrogant and do not care about their status in the world. Sir, what do you think the First World War and the Second World War were all about if not the consideration of the peoples of Europe ? Are you brain dead? What do you think the Marshall Plan was all about? Do you not understand or know the history of the 20th century?
Where do you get off telling a Muslim country that the United States does not consider itself a Christian country? Have you not read the Declaration of Independence or the Constitution of the United States ? This country was founded on Judeo-Christian ethics and the principles govern ing this country, at least until you came along, come directly from this heritage. Do you not understand this?
Your bowing to the king of Saudi Arabia is an affront to all Americans. Our President does not bow down to anyone, let alone the king of Saudi Arabia . You didn't show Great Britain , our best and one of our oldest allies, the respect they deserve yet you bow down to the king of Saudi Arabia . How dare you, sir! How dare you!
You cannot find the time to visit the graves of our greatest generation because you do not want to offend the Germans but make time to visit a mosque in Turkey . You offended our dead and every veteran when you give the Germans more respect than the people who saved the German people from themselves. What’s the matter with you? I am convinced that you and the members of your administration hav e the historical and intellectual depth of a mud puddle and should be ashamed of yourselves, all of you.
You are so self-righteously offended by the big bankers and the American aut omobile manufacturers yet do nothing about the real thieves in this situation, Mr. Dodd, Mr. Frank , Franklin Raines, Jamie Gorelic, the Fannie Mae bonuses, and the Freddie Mac bonuses. What do you intend to do about them? Anything? I seriously doubt it.
What about the U..S.. House members passing out $9.1 million in bonuses to their staff members on top of the $2.5 million in automatic pay raises that lawmakers gave themselves? I understand the average House aide got a 17% bonus. I took a 5% cut in my pay to save jobs with my employer. You have not said anything about that. Who authorized that? I surely did not!
Executives at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will be receiving $210 million in bonuses over an eighteen-month period, that's $45 million more than the AIG bonuses. In fact, Fannie and Freddie executives have already been award ed $51 million not a bad take. Who authorized that and why haven’t you expressed your outrage at this group who are largely responsible for the economic mess we have right now?
I resent that you take me and my fellow citizens as brain-dead and not caring about what you idiots do. We are watching what you are doing and we are getting increasi ngly fed up with all of you.
I also want you to know that I personally find just about everything you do and say to be offensive to every one of my sensibilities. I promise you that I will work tirelessly to see that you do not get a chance to spend two terms destroying my beautiful country.
Sincerely,
cc: Senator Barbara A. Mikulski
Senator Benjamin L. Cardin
Frank M. Kratovil, Jr. (D), 1st Congressional District
C. A. Dutch Ruppersberger III (D), 2nd Congressional District
John P. Sarbanes (D), 3rd Congressional District
Donna F. Edwards (D), 4th Congressional District
Steny H. Hoyer (D), 5th Congressional District
Roscoe G. Bartlett (R), 6th Congressional District
Elijah E. Cummings (D), 7th Congressional District
Christopher Van Hollen, Jr. (D), 8th Congressional District
* Mr Bell is but one of the people attributed to this letter, and the last in line we can track to date. We have posted it because the sentiments are so widely agreed upon
7239 Swan Point Way
Columbia, MD 21045
410-381-6861
April 9, 2009
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington , DC 20500
Mr. Obama:
I have had it with you and your administration, sir.. Your conduct on your recent trip overseas has convinced me that you are not an adequate representative of the United States of America collectively or of me personally.
You are so obsessed with appeasing the Europeans and the Muslim world that you have abdicated the responsibilities of the President of the United States of America . You are responsible to the citizens of the United States . You are not responsible to the peoples of any other country on earth.
I personally resent that you go around the world apologizing for the United States telling Europeans that we are arrogant and do not care about their status in the world. Sir, what do you think the First World War and the Second World War were all about if not the consideration of the peoples of Europe ? Are you brain dead? What do you think the Marshall Plan was all about? Do you not understand or know the history of the 20th century?
Where do you get off telling a Muslim country that the United States does not consider itself a Christian country? Have you not read the Declaration of Independence or the Constitution of the United States ? This country was founded on Judeo-Christian ethics and the principles govern ing this country, at least until you came along, come directly from this heritage. Do you not understand this?
Your bowing to the king of Saudi Arabia is an affront to all Americans. Our President does not bow down to anyone, let alone the king of Saudi Arabia . You didn't show Great Britain , our best and one of our oldest allies, the respect they deserve yet you bow down to the king of Saudi Arabia . How dare you, sir! How dare you!
You cannot find the time to visit the graves of our greatest generation because you do not want to offend the Germans but make time to visit a mosque in Turkey . You offended our dead and every veteran when you give the Germans more respect than the people who saved the German people from themselves. What’s the matter with you? I am convinced that you and the members of your administration hav e the historical and intellectual depth of a mud puddle and should be ashamed of yourselves, all of you.
You are so self-righteously offended by the big bankers and the American aut omobile manufacturers yet do nothing about the real thieves in this situation, Mr. Dodd, Mr. Frank , Franklin Raines, Jamie Gorelic, the Fannie Mae bonuses, and the Freddie Mac bonuses. What do you intend to do about them? Anything? I seriously doubt it.
What about the U..S.. House members passing out $9.1 million in bonuses to their staff members on top of the $2.5 million in automatic pay raises that lawmakers gave themselves? I understand the average House aide got a 17% bonus. I took a 5% cut in my pay to save jobs with my employer. You have not said anything about that. Who authorized that? I surely did not!
Executives at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will be receiving $210 million in bonuses over an eighteen-month period, that's $45 million more than the AIG bonuses. In fact, Fannie and Freddie executives have already been award ed $51 million not a bad take. Who authorized that and why haven’t you expressed your outrage at this group who are largely responsible for the economic mess we have right now?
I resent that you take me and my fellow citizens as brain-dead and not caring about what you idiots do. We are watching what you are doing and we are getting increasi ngly fed up with all of you.
I also want you to know that I personally find just about everything you do and say to be offensive to every one of my sensibilities. I promise you that I will work tirelessly to see that you do not get a chance to spend two terms destroying my beautiful country.
Sincerely,
cc: Senator Barbara A. Mikulski
Senator Benjamin L. Cardin
Frank M. Kratovil, Jr. (D), 1st Congressional District
C. A. Dutch Ruppersberger III (D), 2nd Congressional District
John P. Sarbanes (D), 3rd Congressional District
Donna F. Edwards (D), 4th Congressional District
Steny H. Hoyer (D), 5th Congressional District
Roscoe G. Bartlett (R), 6th Congressional District
Elijah E. Cummings (D), 7th Congressional District
Christopher Van Hollen, Jr. (D), 8th Congressional District
* Mr Bell is but one of the people attributed to this letter, and the last in line we can track to date. We have posted it because the sentiments are so widely agreed upon
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Report From The Hill
Round 2: House Homeland Security Committee Hearing on The
Threat of Muslim-American Radicalization in U.S. Prisons
by Lisa Piraneo, Director of Government Relations
Yesterday, the U.S House of Representatives took another giant step forward in addressing the threat radical Islam poses to America. Chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, Peter T. King (R-NY), held his second in a series of hearings on Muslim-American radicalization; this one entitled “The Threat of Muslim-American Radicalization in U.S. Prisons.”
As I watched the discussion during the hearing, I Tweeted about it too, so that our ACT! for America members—as well as others who are concerned about this threat—could see what Members of the U.S. Congress are saying and doing about it. While there certainly were not as many “rabble rousers” as there had been for Chairman King’s first hearing on Muslim radicalization, there was some political drama, nonetheless.
For example, Rep. Laura Richardson (D-CA) alleged that the focus of Chairman King’s hearing “can be deemed as racist and as discriminatory.” The Chairman immediately fired back by saying that “the purpose of this Committee is to combat Islamic terrorism because that is the terrorist threat to this country.” Watch the exchange HERE.
In response to Rep. Dan Lungren (R-CA) commenting that “the political correctness in this room is astounding,” Rep. Shiela Jackson-Lee (D-TX) held up a copy of the Constitution replying that the document is where she finds her “version of political correctness.” She went on further to state that there is a parallel between Christian militants and jihadists when it comes to bringing down the Constitution.
Rep. Hansen Clarke (D-MI) ranted on for several-minutes about the real problem being the overcrowding of prisons due to unfair sentencing guidelines and claimed that prisoners were turning to Islam to “protect themselves.”
All that said, and as I remarked in my hearing Tweets, the discussion about Islamic radicalization by the House Homeland Security Committee was one of the most productive I have seen, not only during the 112th Congress, but for years. Aside from the ludicrous statements uttered by some on the Committee (a few noted above), most of the comments focused on important issues about who is being radicalized within our prison system, and who is doing the radicalization.
There was ample discussion about very pertinent issues, such as the rise of Islamic ideology in the U.S. prison system; sharia law and its incompatibility with the U.S. Constitution; the groups who are certifying prison chaplains; and the threat of ex-inmates from America traveling overseas to locations such as Yemen to receive militant training.
While I felt that two of the witnesses spoke eloquently and accurately about the matter, two were a big disappointment to me:
Deputy Chief Michael Downing, Commanding Officer of the LA Police Department’s Counter-Terrorism and Special Operations Bureau, and
Professor Bert Useem of Purdue University.
Chief Downing repeatedly tried to distinguish “Islam” from what he referred to as “Prislam,” and said that all jihadis had “hijacked” the Islamic faith. As I listened to him, I wondered if he has taken the time to read sharia law, the Qur’an and the hadiths? If he did, I think he would understand that what the “radicalized” Muslims are adhering to is an ideology that is clearly enunciated within Islam’s holy books and has been practiced for 14 centuries. His statements reminded me that a great deal of educating at local, state and federal levels still needs to be done.
Professor Useem made several amazingly naïve assertions, one of which was that “correctional leadership (at both the agency and prison-level) has consciously and successfully infused the mission of observing signs of inmate radicalization into organizational practices. Rather than being sitting ducks, waiting for their facilities to be penetrated by radicalizing groups, correctional leaders have fashioned, staffed, and energized the effort to defeat radicalization.”
Successfully? Energized? Hardly. This was clearly demonstrated when Chairman King had his turn to question the witnesses and asked Retired Deputy Inspector of the NY Dept. of Correctional Services, Patrick Dunleavy how a convicted murderer got certified by the Islamic Leadership Council to serve as a prison “Chaplain.” See that exchange and others between Chairman King and the witnesses HERE.
It was also refreshing to see so many freshmen Members of Congress ask excellent, pointed questions of the witnesses and demonstrate a clear understanding the issue. We saw this also during Chairman King’s first hearing. There is not much “getting up to speed” that these folks need to do. They have obviously already done their homework and are ready to go.
A few examples:
Rep. Chip Cravaack (R-MN) asked if Shariah law would supersede the U.S. Constitution for radicalized Muslims. A chorus of “Yes” was heard from most of the witnesses.
Rep. Scott Rigell (R-VA) remarked that he was disappointed to see some members of the committee question why a hearing of this nature needed to take place. That the threat of Islamic radicalization in our prisons is clear.
Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-SC) commented how remarkable it is that a discussion about the threat of radical Islam appeared to be “off limits.” He also expressed concerns about literature found in U.S. prisons, such as writings by Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, that ask: Which do you choose, the flag of Islam or the flag of America?
At ACT! for America, we’ve been encouraging our members to reach out to elected officials who clearly have taken the time to educate themselves about the threat radical Islam and sharia law pose to our nation. The outreach is to encourage them to continue doing so. It is evident by the comments made by so many members of the House Homeland Security Committee yesterday that this grassroots contact is making a difference.
Action by our grassroots is the fuel that makes the ACT! for America engine run. As we wait for Chairman King’s third hearing on Islamic radicalization (date and topic still to be determined), it’s nice to see that the engine is roaring loud and strong.
Please keep it up.
Threat of Muslim-American Radicalization in U.S. Prisons
by Lisa Piraneo, Director of Government Relations
Yesterday, the U.S House of Representatives took another giant step forward in addressing the threat radical Islam poses to America. Chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, Peter T. King (R-NY), held his second in a series of hearings on Muslim-American radicalization; this one entitled “The Threat of Muslim-American Radicalization in U.S. Prisons.”
As I watched the discussion during the hearing, I Tweeted about it too, so that our ACT! for America members—as well as others who are concerned about this threat—could see what Members of the U.S. Congress are saying and doing about it. While there certainly were not as many “rabble rousers” as there had been for Chairman King’s first hearing on Muslim radicalization, there was some political drama, nonetheless.
For example, Rep. Laura Richardson (D-CA) alleged that the focus of Chairman King’s hearing “can be deemed as racist and as discriminatory.” The Chairman immediately fired back by saying that “the purpose of this Committee is to combat Islamic terrorism because that is the terrorist threat to this country.” Watch the exchange HERE.
In response to Rep. Dan Lungren (R-CA) commenting that “the political correctness in this room is astounding,” Rep. Shiela Jackson-Lee (D-TX) held up a copy of the Constitution replying that the document is where she finds her “version of political correctness.” She went on further to state that there is a parallel between Christian militants and jihadists when it comes to bringing down the Constitution.
Rep. Hansen Clarke (D-MI) ranted on for several-minutes about the real problem being the overcrowding of prisons due to unfair sentencing guidelines and claimed that prisoners were turning to Islam to “protect themselves.”
All that said, and as I remarked in my hearing Tweets, the discussion about Islamic radicalization by the House Homeland Security Committee was one of the most productive I have seen, not only during the 112th Congress, but for years. Aside from the ludicrous statements uttered by some on the Committee (a few noted above), most of the comments focused on important issues about who is being radicalized within our prison system, and who is doing the radicalization.
There was ample discussion about very pertinent issues, such as the rise of Islamic ideology in the U.S. prison system; sharia law and its incompatibility with the U.S. Constitution; the groups who are certifying prison chaplains; and the threat of ex-inmates from America traveling overseas to locations such as Yemen to receive militant training.
While I felt that two of the witnesses spoke eloquently and accurately about the matter, two were a big disappointment to me:
Chief Downing repeatedly tried to distinguish “Islam” from what he referred to as “Prislam,” and said that all jihadis had “hijacked” the Islamic faith. As I listened to him, I wondered if he has taken the time to read sharia law, the Qur’an and the hadiths? If he did, I think he would understand that what the “radicalized” Muslims are adhering to is an ideology that is clearly enunciated within Islam’s holy books and has been practiced for 14 centuries. His statements reminded me that a great deal of educating at local, state and federal levels still needs to be done.
Professor Useem made several amazingly naïve assertions, one of which was that “correctional leadership (at both the agency and prison-level) has consciously and successfully infused the mission of observing signs of inmate radicalization into organizational practices. Rather than being sitting ducks, waiting for their facilities to be penetrated by radicalizing groups, correctional leaders have fashioned, staffed, and energized the effort to defeat radicalization.”
Successfully? Energized? Hardly. This was clearly demonstrated when Chairman King had his turn to question the witnesses and asked Retired Deputy Inspector of the NY Dept. of Correctional Services, Patrick Dunleavy how a convicted murderer got certified by the Islamic Leadership Council to serve as a prison “Chaplain.” See that exchange and others between Chairman King and the witnesses HERE.
It was also refreshing to see so many freshmen Members of Congress ask excellent, pointed questions of the witnesses and demonstrate a clear understanding the issue. We saw this also during Chairman King’s first hearing. There is not much “getting up to speed” that these folks need to do. They have obviously already done their homework and are ready to go.
A few examples:
At ACT! for America, we’ve been encouraging our members to reach out to elected officials who clearly have taken the time to educate themselves about the threat radical Islam and sharia law pose to our nation. The outreach is to encourage them to continue doing so. It is evident by the comments made by so many members of the House Homeland Security Committee yesterday that this grassroots contact is making a difference.
Action by our grassroots is the fuel that makes the ACT! for America engine run. As we wait for Chairman King’s third hearing on Islamic radicalization (date and topic still to be determined), it’s nice to see that the engine is roaring loud and strong.
Please keep it up.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
A Wolf In President's Clothing
A WOLF IN PRESIDENT'S CLOTHING
The phrase "President Obama" is an oxymoron. The title President means leader. And while Obama may be occupying the position of America's leader, he acts nothing of the sort. Rather he spends his time behaving like a high school girl competing for the prom queen's crown, complete with the pandering, the come-ons and seduction worthy of a bad teen chick-flick. His treatment of our military is no exception. One minute he condemns our soldiers as murderous thugs to be socially denigrated and legally prosecuted for doing their job, the next (when it is politically convenient), he offers limp and implausible atta-boys while falsely claiming himself credit for the actions of heroes.
Not so long ago, the Obama administration was working overtime to court-martial Navy SEALS for taking down bad guys. And even more recently, Obama refused to allow the military to be paid in the event of a government shutdown. But as soon as the SEALS accomplished something politically beneficial to him, Obama didn't hesitate to not only "spike the football" but to totally claim the victory for himself. In a speech littered with "I, I, I, I, I, me, my, and me."
Obama managed to squeeze in one "thank you" to the Navy and claim the SEALS as his lifelong best buddies. It is simply breathtaking how fast Obama can switch sides. It is even more amazing how he can spew his ever-changing teleprompter rhetoric with a straight face. These young men, who live and die for our country every day, deserve to have their President back them at all times - not simply when their actions might win political capital. Then to top it all, his irresponsible administration has been leaking classified details about the Osama operation everywhere to the media to make themselves important, jeopardizing the security and safety of our military commando teams! This Obama White House's actions are nothing less than shameful.
Obama did not get Osama. Obama and his crew should stop claiming credit for any military action. This White House occupant has never had the honor of wearing a uniform from any branch of our military services, and for years found the burden of saying the pledge of allegiance, putting his hand over his heart during the National Anthem, or even wearing a lapel Stars and Stripes pin too much for him, never mind military service. There is no possible way to he had a thing to do with the selection of personnel, the specific training for the mission at hand, provision of the intel needed, coordination with the other services, or mustering up of any leadership whatever to any of the people who worked like Trojans to take down the world's most wanted terrorist. And word on Capitol Hill is that the entire decision and command to move against Bin Laden was made by Leon Panetta.... against the expressed will of the President. Sources say our "Commander in Chief" had NIXED the operation and that's why he was GOLFING when in frustration Panetta, Gates, Clinton and a handful of others gave the green light and waited for the operation to reach the point of no return before calling BHO back into the White House... too late to pull the plug. (Note the golf duds in a room full of suits).
The valorous warriors and intelligence community who successfully ended Bin Laden's terrorism career don't seek fortune or fame. They do it for us and our wonderful country. Our fine men and women have been keeping the wolf at bay for over 200 years, and now we end up with a wolf inside our perimeter named Obama. This President has repeatedly betrayed the trust of our servicemen and our country. Candidate Obama, and Senator Obama's hard-left repudiation of America's military culture and our nation's martial virtue is well-documented. The only reason Obama is patting our men and women on the back now, is in the desperate and deceitful hope of receiving our votes. We cannot allow this man's campaign to succeed. Neither our armed forces nor our nation can survive another four years of treachery at the hands of Barack Hussein Obama. We must take a stand.
The phrase "President Obama" is an oxymoron. The title President means leader. And while Obama may be occupying the position of America's leader, he acts nothing of the sort. Rather he spends his time behaving like a high school girl competing for the prom queen's crown, complete with the pandering, the come-ons and seduction worthy of a bad teen chick-flick. His treatment of our military is no exception. One minute he condemns our soldiers as murderous thugs to be socially denigrated and legally prosecuted for doing their job, the next (when it is politically convenient), he offers limp and implausible atta-boys while falsely claiming himself credit for the actions of heroes.
Not so long ago, the Obama administration was working overtime to court-martial Navy SEALS for taking down bad guys. And even more recently, Obama refused to allow the military to be paid in the event of a government shutdown. But as soon as the SEALS accomplished something politically beneficial to him, Obama didn't hesitate to not only "spike the football" but to totally claim the victory for himself. In a speech littered with "I, I, I, I, I, me, my, and me."
Obama managed to squeeze in one "thank you" to the Navy and claim the SEALS as his lifelong best buddies. It is simply breathtaking how fast Obama can switch sides. It is even more amazing how he can spew his ever-changing teleprompter rhetoric with a straight face. These young men, who live and die for our country every day, deserve to have their President back them at all times - not simply when their actions might win political capital. Then to top it all, his irresponsible administration has been leaking classified details about the Osama operation everywhere to the media to make themselves important, jeopardizing the security and safety of our military commando teams! This Obama White House's actions are nothing less than shameful.
Obama did not get Osama. Obama and his crew should stop claiming credit for any military action. This White House occupant has never had the honor of wearing a uniform from any branch of our military services, and for years found the burden of saying the pledge of allegiance, putting his hand over his heart during the National Anthem, or even wearing a lapel Stars and Stripes pin too much for him, never mind military service. There is no possible way to he had a thing to do with the selection of personnel, the specific training for the mission at hand, provision of the intel needed, coordination with the other services, or mustering up of any leadership whatever to any of the people who worked like Trojans to take down the world's most wanted terrorist. And word on Capitol Hill is that the entire decision and command to move against Bin Laden was made by Leon Panetta.... against the expressed will of the President. Sources say our "Commander in Chief" had NIXED the operation and that's why he was GOLFING when in frustration Panetta, Gates, Clinton and a handful of others gave the green light and waited for the operation to reach the point of no return before calling BHO back into the White House... too late to pull the plug. (Note the golf duds in a room full of suits).
The valorous warriors and intelligence community who successfully ended Bin Laden's terrorism career don't seek fortune or fame. They do it for us and our wonderful country. Our fine men and women have been keeping the wolf at bay for over 200 years, and now we end up with a wolf inside our perimeter named Obama. This President has repeatedly betrayed the trust of our servicemen and our country. Candidate Obama, and Senator Obama's hard-left repudiation of America's military culture and our nation's martial virtue is well-documented. The only reason Obama is patting our men and women on the back now, is in the desperate and deceitful hope of receiving our votes. We cannot allow this man's campaign to succeed. Neither our armed forces nor our nation can survive another four years of treachery at the hands of Barack Hussein Obama. We must take a stand.
Fair And Balanced Truth?
FAIR AND BALANCED AND TRUTH???
Posted: April 19, 2011
by Mychal Massie
At a time when many Americans can barely afford Burger King and a movie, Obama boasts of spending a billion dollars on his re-election campaign. Questioned at a recent appearance about the spiraling fuel costs, Obama said, "Get used to it" – and with an insouciant grin and chortle, he told another person at the event, who complained about the effect high fuel prices were having on his family, to "get a more fuel-efficient car."
The Obamas behave as if they were sharecroppers living in a trailer and hit the Powerball, but instead of getting new tires for their trailer and a new pickup truck, they moved to Washington. And instead of making possum pie, with goats and chickens in the front yard, they're spending and living large at taxpayer expense – opulent vacations, gala balls, resplendent dinners and exclusive command performances at the White House, grand date nights, golf, basketball, more golf, exclusive resorts and still more golf.
Expensive, ill-fitting and ill-chosen wigs and fashions hardly befit the first lady of the United States. The Obamas have behaved in every way but presidential – which is why it's so offensive when we hear Obama say, in order "to restore fiscal responsibility, we all need to share in the sacrifice – but we don't have to sacrifice the America we believe in."
The American people have been sacrificing; it is he and his family who are behaving as if they've never had two nickels to rub together – and now, having hit the mother lode, they're going to spend away their feelings of inadequacy at the taxpayers' expense.
Obama continues to exhibit behavior that, at best, can be described as mobocratic and, at worst, reveals a deeply damaged individual. In a February 2010 column, I asked, "Is Obama unraveling?" I wrote that it was beginning to appear the growing mistrust of him and contempt for his policies was beginning to have a destabilizing effect on him.
At that time, I wrote that not having things go one's way can be a bitter pill, but reasonable people don't behave as he was behaving. He had insulted Republicans at their luncheon, where he had been an invited guest. I had speculated that was, in part, what had led him to falsely accuse Supreme Court justices before Congress, the nation and the world, during the 2010 State of the Union address.
It appeared, at that time, as if he were "fraying around the emotional edges." That behavior has not abated – it has become more pronounced. While addressing the nation, after being forced to explain the validity of his unilateral aggression with Libya, America witnessed a petulant individual scowling and scolding the public for daring to insist he explain his actions.
But during an afternoon speech to address the budget/debt, he took his scornful, unstable despotic behavior to depths that should give the nation cause for concern. Displaying a dark psychopathy more representative of an episode of "The Tudors" television series, he invited Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., to sit in the front row during his speech and then proceeded to berate both Ryan and Ryan's budget-cutting plan. Even liberal Democrats were put off by the act. MSNBC's Joe Scarborough questioned the sanity of Obama's actions.
Today, criticism is coming from all sides. A senior Democrat lawmaker said, "I have been very disappointed in [Obama], to the point where I'm embarrassed that I endorsed him. It's so bad that some of us are thinking, is there some way we can replace him? How do you get rid of this guy?" ("Democrats' Disgust with Obama," The Daily Beast, April 15, 2011)
Steve McCann wrote: Obama's speech "was chock full of lies, deceit and crass fear-mongering. It must be said that [he] is the most dishonest, deceitful and mendacious person in a position of power I have ever witnessed" ("The Mendacity of Barack Obama,"AmericanThinker.com, April 15, 2011).
McCann continued: "[His] performance was the culmination of four years of outright lies and narcissism that have been largely ignored by the media, including some in the conservative press and political class who are loath to call [him] what he is in the bluntest of terms: a liar and a fraud. That he relies on his skin color to intimidate, either outright or by insinuation [against] those who oppose his radical agenda only add to his audacity. It is apparent that he has gotten away with his character flaws his entire life, aided and abetted by sycophants around him. …"
With these being among the kinder rebukes being directed at Obama, and with people becoming less intimidated by his willingness to use race as a bludgeon, with falling poll numbers in every meaningful category and an increasingly aggressive tea-party opposition – how much longer before he cracks completely?
The coming months of political life are not going to be pleasant for Obama. Possessed by a self-perceived palatine mindset, that in his mind places him above criticism, how long before he cracks in public? Can America risk a man with a documented track record of lying and misrepresenting truth as a basic way of life, who is becoming increasingly more contumelious?
Mychal Massie is chairman of the National Leadership Network of Black Conservatives-Project 21 – a conservative black think tank located in Washington, D.C. He was recognized as the 2008 Conservative Man of the Year by the Conservative Party of Suffolk County, N.Y. He is a nationally recognized political activist, pundit and columnist. He has appeared on Fox News Channel, CNN, MSNBC, C-SPAN, NBC, Comcast Cable and talk radio programming nationwide. A former self-employed business owner of more than 30 years, Massie can be followed at mychal-massie.com.
Posted: April 19, 2011
by Mychal Massie
At a time when many Americans can barely afford Burger King and a movie, Obama boasts of spending a billion dollars on his re-election campaign. Questioned at a recent appearance about the spiraling fuel costs, Obama said, "Get used to it" – and with an insouciant grin and chortle, he told another person at the event, who complained about the effect high fuel prices were having on his family, to "get a more fuel-efficient car."
The Obamas behave as if they were sharecroppers living in a trailer and hit the Powerball, but instead of getting new tires for their trailer and a new pickup truck, they moved to Washington. And instead of making possum pie, with goats and chickens in the front yard, they're spending and living large at taxpayer expense – opulent vacations, gala balls, resplendent dinners and exclusive command performances at the White House, grand date nights, golf, basketball, more golf, exclusive resorts and still more golf.
Expensive, ill-fitting and ill-chosen wigs and fashions hardly befit the first lady of the United States. The Obamas have behaved in every way but presidential – which is why it's so offensive when we hear Obama say, in order "to restore fiscal responsibility, we all need to share in the sacrifice – but we don't have to sacrifice the America we believe in."
The American people have been sacrificing; it is he and his family who are behaving as if they've never had two nickels to rub together – and now, having hit the mother lode, they're going to spend away their feelings of inadequacy at the taxpayers' expense.
Obama continues to exhibit behavior that, at best, can be described as mobocratic and, at worst, reveals a deeply damaged individual. In a February 2010 column, I asked, "Is Obama unraveling?" I wrote that it was beginning to appear the growing mistrust of him and contempt for his policies was beginning to have a destabilizing effect on him.
At that time, I wrote that not having things go one's way can be a bitter pill, but reasonable people don't behave as he was behaving. He had insulted Republicans at their luncheon, where he had been an invited guest. I had speculated that was, in part, what had led him to falsely accuse Supreme Court justices before Congress, the nation and the world, during the 2010 State of the Union address.
It appeared, at that time, as if he were "fraying around the emotional edges." That behavior has not abated – it has become more pronounced. While addressing the nation, after being forced to explain the validity of his unilateral aggression with Libya, America witnessed a petulant individual scowling and scolding the public for daring to insist he explain his actions.
But during an afternoon speech to address the budget/debt, he took his scornful, unstable despotic behavior to depths that should give the nation cause for concern. Displaying a dark psychopathy more representative of an episode of "The Tudors" television series, he invited Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., to sit in the front row during his speech and then proceeded to berate both Ryan and Ryan's budget-cutting plan. Even liberal Democrats were put off by the act. MSNBC's Joe Scarborough questioned the sanity of Obama's actions.
Today, criticism is coming from all sides. A senior Democrat lawmaker said, "I have been very disappointed in [Obama], to the point where I'm embarrassed that I endorsed him. It's so bad that some of us are thinking, is there some way we can replace him? How do you get rid of this guy?" ("Democrats' Disgust with Obama," The Daily Beast, April 15, 2011)
Steve McCann wrote: Obama's speech "was chock full of lies, deceit and crass fear-mongering. It must be said that [he] is the most dishonest, deceitful and mendacious person in a position of power I have ever witnessed" ("The Mendacity of Barack Obama,"AmericanThinker.com, April 15, 2011).
McCann continued: "[His] performance was the culmination of four years of outright lies and narcissism that have been largely ignored by the media, including some in the conservative press and political class who are loath to call [him] what he is in the bluntest of terms: a liar and a fraud. That he relies on his skin color to intimidate, either outright or by insinuation [against] those who oppose his radical agenda only add to his audacity. It is apparent that he has gotten away with his character flaws his entire life, aided and abetted by sycophants around him. …"
With these being among the kinder rebukes being directed at Obama, and with people becoming less intimidated by his willingness to use race as a bludgeon, with falling poll numbers in every meaningful category and an increasingly aggressive tea-party opposition – how much longer before he cracks completely?
The coming months of political life are not going to be pleasant for Obama. Possessed by a self-perceived palatine mindset, that in his mind places him above criticism, how long before he cracks in public? Can America risk a man with a documented track record of lying and misrepresenting truth as a basic way of life, who is becoming increasingly more contumelious?
Mychal Massie is chairman of the National Leadership Network of Black Conservatives-Project 21 – a conservative black think tank located in Washington, D.C. He was recognized as the 2008 Conservative Man of the Year by the Conservative Party of Suffolk County, N.Y. He is a nationally recognized political activist, pundit and columnist. He has appeared on Fox News Channel, CNN, MSNBC, C-SPAN, NBC, Comcast Cable and talk radio programming nationwide. A former self-employed business owner of more than 30 years, Massie can be followed at mychal-massie.com.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
A Look At Thomas Jefferson
THOMAS JEFFERSON April 13, 1743 – July 4, 1826
At 5, began studying under his cousins tutor.
At 9, studied Latin, Greek and French.
At 14, studied classical literature and additional languages.
At 16, entered the College of William and Mary.
At 19, studied Law for 5 years starting under George Wythe.
At 23, started his own law practice.
At 25, was elected to the Virginia House of Burgesses.
At 31, wrote the widely circulated "Summary View of the Rights of British America " and retired from his law practice.
At 32, was a Delegate to the Second Continental Congress.
At 33, wrote the Declaration of Independence .
At 33, took three years to revise Virginia's legal code and wrote a Public Education bill and a statute for Religious Freedom.
At 36, was elected the second Governor of Virginia succeeding Patrick Henry.
At 40, served in Congress for two years.
At 41, was the American minister to France and negotiated commercial treaties with European nations along with Ben Franklin and John Adams.
At 46, served as the first Secretary of State under George Washington.
At 53, served as Vice President and was elected president of the American Philosophical Society.
At 55, drafted the Kentucky Resolutions and became the active head of Republican Party.
At 57, was elected the third president of the United States .
At 60, obtained the Louisiana Purchase doubling the nations size.
At 61, was elected to a second term as President.
At 65, retired to Monticello .
At 80, helped President Monroe shape the Monroe Doctrine.
At 81, almost single-handedly created the University of Virginia and served as its first president.
At 83, died on the 50th anniversary of the Signing of the Declaration of Independence.
John F. Kennedy held a dinner in the white House for a group of the brightest minds in the nation at that time. He made this statement: "This is perhaps the assembly of the most intelligence ever to gather at one time in the White House with the exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined alone."
When we get piled upon one another in large cities, as in Europe, we shall become as corrupt as Europe. - Thomas Jefferson
The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not. - Thomas Jefferson
It is incumbent on every generation to pay its own debts as it goes. A principle which if acted on would save one-half the wars of the world. - Thomas Jefferson
I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them. - Thomas Jefferson
My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government. - Thomas Jefferson
No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms. - Thomas Jefferson
The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government. - Thomas Jefferson
The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. - Thomas Jefferson
To compel a man to subsidize with his taxes the propagation of ideas which he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical. - Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson said in 1802, "I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around the banks will deprive the people of all property - until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered."
At 5, began studying under his cousins tutor.
At 9, studied Latin, Greek and French.
At 14, studied classical literature and additional languages.
At 16, entered the College of William and Mary.
At 19, studied Law for 5 years starting under George Wythe.
At 23, started his own law practice.
At 25, was elected to the Virginia House of Burgesses.
At 31, wrote the widely circulated "Summary View of the Rights of British America " and retired from his law practice.
At 32, was a Delegate to the Second Continental Congress.
At 33, wrote the Declaration of Independence .
At 33, took three years to revise Virginia's legal code and wrote a Public Education bill and a statute for Religious Freedom.
At 36, was elected the second Governor of Virginia succeeding Patrick Henry.
At 40, served in Congress for two years.
At 41, was the American minister to France and negotiated commercial treaties with European nations along with Ben Franklin and John Adams.
At 46, served as the first Secretary of State under George Washington.
At 53, served as Vice President and was elected president of the American Philosophical Society.
At 55, drafted the Kentucky Resolutions and became the active head of Republican Party.
At 57, was elected the third president of the United States .
At 60, obtained the Louisiana Purchase doubling the nations size.
At 61, was elected to a second term as President.
At 65, retired to Monticello .
At 80, helped President Monroe shape the Monroe Doctrine.
At 81, almost single-handedly created the University of Virginia and served as its first president.
At 83, died on the 50th anniversary of the Signing of the Declaration of Independence.
John F. Kennedy held a dinner in the white House for a group of the brightest minds in the nation at that time. He made this statement: "This is perhaps the assembly of the most intelligence ever to gather at one time in the White House with the exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined alone."
When we get piled upon one another in large cities, as in Europe, we shall become as corrupt as Europe. - Thomas Jefferson
The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not. - Thomas Jefferson
It is incumbent on every generation to pay its own debts as it goes. A principle which if acted on would save one-half the wars of the world. - Thomas Jefferson
I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them. - Thomas Jefferson
My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government. - Thomas Jefferson
No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms. - Thomas Jefferson
The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government. - Thomas Jefferson
The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. - Thomas Jefferson
To compel a man to subsidize with his taxes the propagation of ideas which he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical. - Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson said in 1802, "I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around the banks will deprive the people of all property - until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered."
Thursday, June 09, 2011
Failed Gun Trafficking Program
Justice Officials in 'Panic Mode' as Hearing Nears on Failed Anti-Gun Trafficking Program
By William La Jeunesse
Published June 09, 2011
Officials at the Department of Justice are in "panic mode," according to multiple sources, as word spreads that congressional testimony next week will paint a bleak and humiliating picture of Operation Fast and Furious, the botched undercover operation that left a trail of blood from Mexico to Washington, D.C.
The operation was supposed to stem the flow of weapons from the U.S. to Mexico by allowing so-called straw buyers to purchase guns legally in the U.S. and later sell them in Mexico, usually to drug cartels.
Instead, ATF documents show that the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms knowingly and deliberately flooded Mexico with assault rifles. Their intent was to expose the entire smuggling organization, from top to bottom, but the operation spun out of control and supervisors refused pleas from field agents to stop it.
Only after Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry died did ATF Agent John Dodson blow the whistle and expose the scandal.
"What people don't understand is how long we will be dealing with this," Dodson told Fox News back in March. "Those guns are gone. You can't just give the order and get them back. There is no telling how many crimes will be committed before we retrieve them."
But now the casualties are coming in.
Mexican officials estimate 150 of their people have been shot by Fast and Furious guns. Police have recovered roughly 700 guns at crime scenes, 250 in the U.S. and the rest in Mexico, including five AK-47s found at a cartel warehouse in Juarez last month.
A high-powered sniper rifle was used to shoot down a Mexican military helicopter. Two other Romanian-made AK-47s were found in a shoot-out that left 11 dead in the state of Jalisco three weeks ago.
The guns were traced to the Lone Wolf Gun Store in Glendale, Ariz., and were sold only after the store employees were told to do so by the ATF.
It is illegal to buy a gun for anyone but yourself. However, ATF's own documents show it allowed just 15 men to buy 1,725 guns, and 1,318 of those were after the purchasers officially became targets of investigation.
Arizona gun store owners say they were explicitly told by the ATF to sell the guns, sometimes 20, 30, even up to 40 in a single day to single person.
And those orders, from at least one ATF case agent, are on audio recording.
"We would say, 'Do you (the ATF) want us to stop selling, is there something we should do here?'" Brad DeSayes, owner of J&G Gun Sales in Prescott, said. "And they would say, 'No, no, no, keep selling - just tell us after the fact.'"
Rep. Darrell Issa, chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, holds a hearing Wednesday into Operation Fast and Furious.
The hearing is billed as "Reckless Decisions, Tragic Outcomes," and the following are among the details expected in testimony:
The ATF allowed and encouraged five Arizona gun store owners to sell some 1,800 weapons to buyers known to them as gun smugglers.
It installed cameras inside the gun stores to record purchases made by those smugglers.
It hid GPS trackers inside gun stocks and watched the weapons go south on computer screens.
It obtained surveillance video from parking lots and helicopters showing straw buyers transferring their guns from one car to another.
It learned guns sold in Phoenix were recovered only when Mexico police requested "trace data," which is obtained from their serial number.
The first witness in Wednesday's hearing is Sen. Charles Grassley, who will describe what his investigative team learned from four months of interviews and thousands of documents. He will be followed by three members of Brian Terry's family, three ATF agents and Assistant Attorney General Ronald Weich, who only months ago insisted the agency did not let guns go south to Mexico, a claim contradicted by field agents in Group 7, the actual agents who ran the operation in Phoenix.
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/06/09/justice-officials-in-panic-mode-as-new-testimony-is-expected-to-reveal-depth/#ixzz1OpBDzBoK
By William La Jeunesse
Published June 09, 2011
Officials at the Department of Justice are in "panic mode," according to multiple sources, as word spreads that congressional testimony next week will paint a bleak and humiliating picture of Operation Fast and Furious, the botched undercover operation that left a trail of blood from Mexico to Washington, D.C.
The operation was supposed to stem the flow of weapons from the U.S. to Mexico by allowing so-called straw buyers to purchase guns legally in the U.S. and later sell them in Mexico, usually to drug cartels.
Instead, ATF documents show that the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms knowingly and deliberately flooded Mexico with assault rifles. Their intent was to expose the entire smuggling organization, from top to bottom, but the operation spun out of control and supervisors refused pleas from field agents to stop it.
Only after Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry died did ATF Agent John Dodson blow the whistle and expose the scandal.
"What people don't understand is how long we will be dealing with this," Dodson told Fox News back in March. "Those guns are gone. You can't just give the order and get them back. There is no telling how many crimes will be committed before we retrieve them."
But now the casualties are coming in.
Mexican officials estimate 150 of their people have been shot by Fast and Furious guns. Police have recovered roughly 700 guns at crime scenes, 250 in the U.S. and the rest in Mexico, including five AK-47s found at a cartel warehouse in Juarez last month.
A high-powered sniper rifle was used to shoot down a Mexican military helicopter. Two other Romanian-made AK-47s were found in a shoot-out that left 11 dead in the state of Jalisco three weeks ago.
The guns were traced to the Lone Wolf Gun Store in Glendale, Ariz., and were sold only after the store employees were told to do so by the ATF.
It is illegal to buy a gun for anyone but yourself. However, ATF's own documents show it allowed just 15 men to buy 1,725 guns, and 1,318 of those were after the purchasers officially became targets of investigation.
Arizona gun store owners say they were explicitly told by the ATF to sell the guns, sometimes 20, 30, even up to 40 in a single day to single person.
And those orders, from at least one ATF case agent, are on audio recording.
"We would say, 'Do you (the ATF) want us to stop selling, is there something we should do here?'" Brad DeSayes, owner of J&G Gun Sales in Prescott, said. "And they would say, 'No, no, no, keep selling - just tell us after the fact.'"
Rep. Darrell Issa, chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, holds a hearing Wednesday into Operation Fast and Furious.
The hearing is billed as "Reckless Decisions, Tragic Outcomes," and the following are among the details expected in testimony:
The first witness in Wednesday's hearing is Sen. Charles Grassley, who will describe what his investigative team learned from four months of interviews and thousands of documents. He will be followed by three members of Brian Terry's family, three ATF agents and Assistant Attorney General Ronald Weich, who only months ago insisted the agency did not let guns go south to Mexico, a claim contradicted by field agents in Group 7, the actual agents who ran the operation in Phoenix.
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/06/09/justice-officials-in-panic-mode-as-new-testimony-is-expected-to-reveal-depth/#ixzz1OpBDzBoK
Sunday, June 05, 2011
Thursday, June 02, 2011
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