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Republicans against Charles Freeman don’t know nothing ’bout no Jewish lobbying:
Republicans on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence said pro-Israel lobby groups did not spur their opposition to Charles Freeman.
Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-Fla.), a senior member of the House intelligence panel, also denied that the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) was involved in derailing Freeman’s appointment to head the National Intelligence Council.Freeman, picked by Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair for the prestigious post, withdrew the day after seven Republican members of the Senate Intelligence Committee signed a letter to Blair protesting his appointment.
In an email to reporters, he blamed the “Israel lobby” for the derailment of his appointment.
Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla), a member of the Intelligence Committee, who signed the letter to Blair, said activities by pro-Israel lobbyists “had nothing to do with his opposition.
“When you see someone make those kind of statements that’s going to be in that position and was unqualified to be there in the first place — it was the wrong appointment,” said Coburn.
Sen. Kit Bond (R-Mo.), the vice chairman of the Intelligence panel, said Freeman’s accusations against pro-Israel lobbying groups were off base.
“Unfortunately Ambassador Freeman is suffering from some kind of delusion. I think a lot of people objected to his previous statements regardless of any lobbying.”
Bond said he did not receive any contact from AIPAC and said he had not even heard of two Jewish groups that came out against Freeman’s nomination: the Zionist Organization of America and the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs.
Additionally none of the Senators can remember ever casting a vote that might help a contributor and, that time when they got caught in a public restroom with an undercover cops dick in their mouth… well, they were bending over to pick up a dropped twenty dollar bill and the aforementioned dick just kind of fell into their mouth.
Weird, huh? Happens all the time…
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“Unfortunately Ambassador Freeman is suffering from some kind of delusion.”
yeah, that little delusion called reality.
Who knows who Obama will pick to replace the dear departed? If he has a sense of humor, it’ll be an Arab American.
Who wudda thunk it. The worlds first antisemeticistic bassett beasties have been uncovered by AiPAC.
Da Boyz from Brazil (or Pac Beach – close enough)
News at 11…
“What is this Israel place you speak of.” “We have never heard of it…”
Well, to be honest, Coburn and Bond have to say that since their constituents are almost as antisemitic as they are racist and irrational (I say this as a native Okie who had the sense and good fortune to get out 20 years ago).
Well, AIPAC did deny having anything to do with this or even having a position on Freeman, so they have an out. Bond has a strong record of appearing at Jewish events in the St. Louis area.
Uh, no matter how much the spineless wankers on the committee deny caving to the Israel lobby, it would’ve been really nice to see Obama stand up for someone who represented even a moderately critical (and, thus, perhaps, constructive) position on things like illegal settlements etc.
It’s great that he’s doing the stem cell thing and unsigned the Mexico ban etc. etc. but where it really matters Obama continues to wank with the worst of them: Iraq: nah, on second thoughts, let’s linger. Energy: let’s try clean coal. Looks tasty. Israel: here’s another billion, build another wall, wouldya? The economy: my man Geithner tells me unmarked twenties burn really well. So we’ll keep shoveling them out. Wiretapping & secrecy: hey, if it was good enough for Cheney, it’s good enough for me. I’m keeping that shit!
Sad, really. But not too surprising.
Yeah, it is sad, but I have to wonder how we could have gotten someone as liberal as all of here would like to see in office when every media outlet has been co-opted for many years now, and “liberal” and “union” are dirty words to the very people who would benefit most from these ideas/organizations. It just makes me want to strangle people for being so easily led and swallowing the propaganda.
I currently work in a dental office that gets all it’s business by advertising on wingnut radio; it is the first time in my career that I have had patients who feel compelled to waste their appointment time lecturing me about how the president is (1) killing the dollar, and (2) using the stimulus plan to reward the least productive (how Galtian). And since my every activity is being taped by the boss for later review, I can of course do nothing but keep a moronic smile plastered on my face and try to get my job done. Obviously I’m looking for a new job, and obviously it isn’t a great time to be doing so.
that time when they got caught in a public restroom with an undercover cops dick in their mouth… well, they were bending over to pick up a dropped twenty dollar bill and the aforementioned dick just kind of fell into their mouth.
Weird, huh? Happens all the time…
As Frank Costanza would say, “It was a million to one shot, Doc. Million to one.”