I don't usually blog on Saturdays, but I picked up the Atlanta Urinal and Constipation and the thought flashed through my mind: What's going on here? One of the headlines was Charlotte man guilty of funding terrorists (not found guilty as I would expect the AJC to say), and right below it was the headline Arab-American dollars shore up McKinney. What's this? Was there some kind of Freudian slip here? It almost sounds like the AJC is trying to do a little guilt by association on our 'cutest little communist in congress'.
Let's look a little closer at the article on 'conspiracy theory Cynthia'. First off, they always seem to show the same picture with the bug eyes and the open mouth. Cynthia's mouth is always open so they may as well. The piece starts out:
The relationship that Rep. Cynthia McKinney (D-Ga.) shares with Arab-Americans runs deeper than her call for more attention to the Palestinian side of the Middle Eastern conflict.
She hates Jews as much as they do.
The DeKalb County congresswoman's connections stretch significantly into the pockets and purses of the Arab-American and Muslim communities.
They recognize a kindred spirit. See above.
About one-fourth of the individuals who have contributed to McKinney's campaigns over the past five years have names that appear to be Arab-American or Muslim, according to an informal study of Federal Election Commission records.
See above.
Their contributions total $142,950, a full third of the money McKinney has collected from individuals over the last five years, a review of government records by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution indicates.
Bigotry is profitable.
Arab-American leaders, including some who believe their community has been singled out for persecution since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, say the explanation for their generosity is simple: McKinney is a longtime supporter.
Did I mention that she also hates Jews?
Their concerns are particularly pertinent in the wake of regulations proposed by U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft to require certain foreign visitors, particularly those of Middle Eastern and Muslim descent, to submit to more extensive border security checks.
Some people would call this 'ethnic profiling', but since all the 9/11 hijackers were men of 'Middle Eastern and Muslim descent', those of us with the mental capacity above that of a third grade pissant would call that 'common sense', something we have seen very little of lately. Remember, it is 'those of Middle Eastern and Muslim descent' who have declared war on this country and I'm still waiting for 'those of Middle Eastern and Muslim descent' in this country to condemn 'those of Middle Eastern and Muslim descent' for performing acts of terrorism on this country. And I don't want to hear any 'root cause' bullshit. I'm sick of that phrase. Here's the 'root cause': You assholes hate us and our way of life. You want war? Fine. You started it. We're gonna win it. Shut up and quit whining. You don't like it? Delta is ready when you are.
Arab-American leaders say McKinney has spoken in their defense when other members of Congress would not. They appreciate that she has lamented the quality of life that Palestinians in the Middle East suffer.
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It's all Israel's fault. If they would just lay down their arms and let us slaughter them everything would be all right.
"McKinney has addressed our conventions more than once. She has received standing ovations.
Screaming 'Death to the Jews!' will do that.
She has brought tears to people's eyes more than once," said Hussein Ibish, spokesman for the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee.
Hussein, old buddy, on this we agree: Cynthia brings tears to my eyes every time she opens her mouth. Sometimes they are tears of laughter. Sometimes they are tears of rage. Mostly they are tears of sadness that I have to be in her district.
The contributions are a sizable chunk of McKinney's campaign bank account, especially when compared with those of other members of Congress. For instance, Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.), whose district includes part of the largest Arab-American community in the nation, took in $21,525 from individual contributors with names that appear to be Arab-American or Muslim, according to the AJC study. That amount equals not quite 3 percent of Dingell's $835,893 in campaign contributions over the five-year period.
Maybe he does not score as high on the Jew hate meter?
"My relationships with the Arab-American and American Muslim communities are based on the belief that they, like Americans of all ethnic and religious backgrounds, are full members of the American family," McKinney said.
Except for white people and Jews. She left that part out.
"As African-Americans, we understand what it's like to have our values, institutions and leadership berated or delegitimized," she said. "It's not enough just to speak out against hate crimes. We must also oppose the kind of stereotyping and incitement that allow violence to thrive and that are directed at Arabs and Muslims with increasing regularity in some circles."
If the Jews would just lay down their arms.....If white folks would just pay us reparations....If we could just pass a hate crime bill.......
Not everyone is happy with McKinney's relationship with some Arab-Americans. The conservative Southeastern Legal Foundation, based in Atlanta, has charged that some of her donors have pledged support for organizations engaged in terrorism.
No! How could that be? Islam is a religion of peace.
The leader of one of the groups, the American Muslim Council, did not return a reporter's telephone call, but he has told other publications that he supports only the humanitarian efforts of the organizations in question, not terrorist attacks.
Women, old people and children are legitimate military targets. Those five year old girls are fierce fighters.
McKinney's relationship with the Arab-American community goes back years. In 1991, as a member of the Georgia House, she admonished President George Bush for attacking Iraq. About two-thirds of her House colleagues angrily walked out.
If only two thirds of her district would do the same and vote her out. I do my part every election.
Arab-American organizations have been appreciative. While there are a handful of Arab-American officeholders in Washington, including Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham, those who speak out to defend Arab-Americans and explain their views are few, Ibish said.
We hate Jews. We hate Israel. We want to kill Jews. We want to obliterate Israel. Sounds pretty easy to defend to me.
Over the years, she has spoken often at Arab-American charity fund-raisers and political functions, and she was a good friend of Hala Maksoud, head of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, who died recently.
I'm just curious about how much of that 'charity' money went to fund terrorism?
"She has a real understanding of our concerns and our experiences, which is quite rare for any member of Congress," Ibish said. "Also, she's got staffers who were former interns here at [the anti-discrimination committee], so there's a professional connection here as well."
Aha! Professional Jew haters.
At the same time, McKinney's relationship with members of the Jewish community continues to be strained. Jewish leaders were chagrined in 1996 when her father, Democratic state Rep. Billy McKinney, made anti-Semitic remarks during her re-election campaign for Congress. The congresswoman distanced herself from her father's comments, but the strain remained.
See I inherited my Jew hating from my father. I just can't help it. She distanced herself from the comments, but she did not condemn them. Oh, her opponent that year was Jewish.
Jewish leaders also have been upset that McKinney has refused to distance herself from controversial Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan.
Louie and I are good friends and we have a lot in common: We both hate Jews and white folks. What's wrong with that?
Their opinion has not changed, even when McKinney has tried to apologize for or clarify her position.
I'm sorry I hate those hooknosed bastards.
Each time, she'll try to clean herself up but then dig herself deeper," said Deborah Lauter, the Atlanta-based Southeast regional director for the Anti-Defamation League.
I'm really, really sorry I hate those hooknosed bastards.
"Her attacks on President Bush were a final straw," Lauter said. "They were perceived as being so off the wall -- that's really the only way I can express it -- that conjuring up a conspiracy theory, at a time when the president and all Americans are trying to deal with this crisis in a realistic way, just discredited her further."
Now here Lauter makes an assumption that Cynthia ever had any credibility in the first place.
A few weeks later, however, McKinney claimed some vindication when the administration acknowledged that federal agencies had received some hint beforehand that terrorists might attack.
And a few days ago I made the contention that this was akin to knowing that Cynthia was gonna say something stupid. In this case we know when: every time she opens her mouth. How to stop it, short of putting a gag on her, is another thing. How to stop 9/11 would have required 'ethnic profiling' which of course would have made Cynthia and all 'those of Middle Eastern and Muslim descent' pitch a massive hissy fit. Isn't this where we came in?
And Now on to an article about the Zogby brothers.
James Zogby is the most recognized political voice of the Arab-American community, a key player in trying to reshape American policy in the Middle East.
James, 56, is founder and president of the Arab American Institute, a Washington-based organization that not only promotes the political interests of Americans of Arab descent but also works to promote American understanding of Arab interests in the Middle East conflict.
See above.
The organization runs on a $1 million annual budget, about 30 percent of which comes from foreign sources --- individuals, not governments.
Foreign individual Jew haters? Osama bin Laden? The Saudi royal family? Could we see list of your donors please?
James is ''a rabid Jew hater and Israel basher,'' and John displays ''familial bias'' even while attempting to ''operate under the guise of professionalism,'' Ari Rubin, a spokesman for the Jewish Defense League, said this week in response to questions about the Zogbys.
Morton Klein, national president of the Zionist Organization of America, claims
James Zogby ''praises terrorist killers of Americans,'' a reference to a Zogby
statement once describing the violence in the Middle East as the product of
''pent-up Palestinian desperation.''
No the violence in the Middle East is due to the fact that the Palestinians do not want peace with Israel. They want the total destruction of Israel. They have had many opportunities to have their own state. They turned the last offer down in favor of more acts of terrorism hoping for more concessions. The terror was what got Ariel Sharon elected. Now the 'pent-up Palestinian desperation' is that the Israelis may just decide to wage total war and push 'em all into Lebanon. I'm gonna piss a lot of people off here, but I'm gonna put Israeli politics in the context of 50's and 60's southern politics. The Palestinians are the niggers of the Middle East. The rest of the Arab countries hate them almost as much as they hate the Jews. The Israeli/Palestinian conflict gives the Arab street something to hate. Without the hatred of Israel, the corrupt Arab, despotic regimes might be in danger. Arafat overplayed his hand this time, because he unleashed violence that he either cannot or will not stop. Either way, he is no longer relavent. And if Sharon can't stop the violence, the Israelis will turn to Netanyahu. George Wallace almost lost an election in Alabama, because his opponent was more of a segregationist than he was. He said he would never be outniggered again. Netanyahu is outniggering Sharon.
But James' close association with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and his
spirited defense of the Palestinian leader amid the escalation of suicide
bombings in Israel give Zogby critics new opportunities to denounce his work.
I cannot see why that would happen.
''Do I know [Arafat]? Sure, I do," James said. "Do I disagree with him? Sure, I do.
Do I feel enormous pain when I see him humiliated? Sure, I do.
I don't. Humiliation is too good for that scumbag.
I feel terrible pain for that. No leader of a people should have to endure that.
No, in Arafat's case he should have to endure worse. How about slow roasting over a fire? How about a hot poker shoved up his ass? How about dry shaving that pathetic beard off his face? All of them work for me.
It's a hate crime what's been done to him
No! It's a hate crime what's been done to this little girl. That is a hate crime Jimmy boy. Humiliation is way down the list. Like maybe not being invited to the latest meeting of the Jew Hater's Club.
because it says to his people you are all being treated this
way. He's not a monster by any stretch of the imagination.
Maybe to you he's not a monster by any strectch of the imagination, but by any standard of civiized behavior he is a monster and should be hauled up on charges of crimes against humanity. Mr. Eichman, Mr. Hitler, meet Mr. Arafat. Yasser, meet Adolph and Adolph. So Yasser, I hear you're in the Jew killing business. Howya doin'? Not as good as you guys. They keep fightning back. I hate it when they do that!
He's a willful man. He wants his people free.''
To kill all the Jews they possibly can.
James said the work of his institute, from the beginning, has been ''a
bridge-building exercise,'' helping Arab-Americans to ''function as full participants
in American politics'' while also acting as an ''interlocutor on the Middle East,''
explaining ''what's going on in the Middle East to America'' and ''explaining
America to people in the Middle East.''
What's going on in the Middle East: We're trying to kill as many Jews as we possibly can. We're trying to destroy Israel. Ever since 1948, we've been trying to drive them Jews into the sea. Explaining America to the Middle East: They don't understand that killing Jews is a good thing. What do you expect from infidel dogs?
He travels extensively in the Middle East, often giving speeches under the
sponsorship or approval of the State Department. He writes a weekly newspaper
column, ''Washington Watch,'' which is distributed to publications in 14 Arab
countries. And he hosts a television program ''Viewpoint With James Zogby'' on
Abu Dhabi Television.
Wonder what he talks about on Viewpoint With James Zogby?
"Is it an exhausting effort? Yes,'' James said. ''Do you feel that the bridge is you
and you're being walked on and maybe crumbling under the pressure? Yes.
Sometimes the stretch is a tough one. But as long as it's needed, we continue
to do it. I think the need is greater than ever before. But the opportunities to
speak out and be received are greater than ever before.''
And you thought justifying murder, bigotry and hatred was an easy job.
And now, Desmond Tutu has to weigh in with our daily dose of moral equivalence.
He said Israeli Jews "seem to have forgotten their horrible experience in Nazi
Germany, where their property was confiscated, they were stripped of their
possessions and many forced into concentration camps, where 6 million Jews
were killed.
No Dez, they haven't forgotten that experience and they have vowed it would never happen again. That is what this is all about you santimonious bastard. When the Palestinians kill women and children it is on purpose. When the Israelis do it, it is by accident. If they were as coldblooded as the Palestinians, they would have slaughtered everyone in Jenin. Remember the Jenin Massacre? Hundreds killed? Didn't happen? But, I thought for sure....
Peace is negotiable.
Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! That Dez. What a card!
Tutu said he condemned the use of suicide bombers and found it "reprehensible"
that young Palestinians were being recruited for these acts and taught to hate
Jews.
What? What's going on here? Dez, you're straying away from the talking points. Don't worry. He's coming back.
But at the same time, "I condemn equally and vehemently the terrorism of an
army that can go into Arab settlements and behave in the fashion that they do ---
Ya know looking for bomb factories. Looking for murderers. Things like that.
when they can stop ambulances and when they can stop medical personnel. I
don't think it speaks well for the Israeli government."
If the Palestinians would just agree to put a Bomber on Board sign on the ambulances that they're using to haul bombs, bombers and weapons, I'm sure the Israelis would let all the other ambulances pass.
Still, he thinks peace is possible between Israelis and Palestinians, if both sides
resume negotiations.
He's a lot more optimistic than I am.
"You don't negotiate with your friends," he said. "You negotiate with your
enemies."
He really nailed that one didn't he.
He said Israel has a right to guaranteed boundaries and Palestinians should have
their own state.
Yep. Boundaries sound good. Everyone agree to boundaries? And let's give the Palestinians a state. How about Lebanon? No one's doing much with that but Syria and Hezbollah.
Gotta admit, lot's of good stuff in today's paper. This is one of those blogs that just wrote itself.
And now on to the rest of the weekend. I'm going to my friends, Michael and Cindy's, for dinner and since Michael is a wine geek, we'll knock off about three bottles of real good wine. Cindy's a good cook, so the meal will be excellent. Tomorrow, is the annual Sommelier Guild of Atlanta banquet. The food and wine at that event is also fantastic.
Have a great weekend!
Posted by denny at June 22, 2002 12:26 PM