Scaife is Getting the Band Back Together
Expect to see the Illinois Project modeled on the Arkansas Project.
The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review takes a shot at “Obama’s Closet”
Interesting pattern: Only Barack’s middle name is used in the article. Huh….
More fun in this quote:
Said the senator later in an interview: “It was reflective of the struggles and confusion of a teenage boy.” Usually, when discussing drug use, politicians urge kids and their parents to “Just say no” to drugs. Barack Obama forgot to do so.
What about confessing to drug use? You talk about marijuana and cocaine.
Oh, look, you know, when I was a kid, I inhaled. Frequently. That was the point.
It was, wasn’t it?
You know, it’s, it’s not something I make light of. It’s something that I wrote actually about in my first book, and it was reflective of the struggles and confusion of a teen-age boy. And in that sense, I think, the vast majority of Americans understand that teen-age boys are frequently confused.
Sort of a different context there, isn’t it.
Kevin Bacon connections:
use drop cap here) Our story shifts to Baghdad. Ayham Alsammarae, an American of Iraqi descent who is a Cabinet member and Electricity minister, was jailed and waiting trial on corruption charges. But he escaped jail and claims to be out of Iraq. His whereabouts are unknown. He left with the assistance of “foreigners,” according to Iraqi police, who say an earlier escape attempt was assisted by two U.S. security contractors since departed from Iraq.
Alsammarae is a friend of Tony Rezko; the FBI is said to seek information on $2 billion in missing money meant to rebuild Iraq’s infrastructure.
The connection to Alsammarae? None apparently other than knowing Rezko. And no mention that Alsammarae’s primary political ties are to Bush
And then claiming some nefarious connection to ACORN
But back in Chicago, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) is more important than Iraq or Washington. ACORN and its associated Midwest Academy, both founded in the 1970s, continue to train and mobilize activists throughout the country, often using them to manipulate public opinion through “direct action.” It’s sometimes a code for illegal activities.
Prior to law school, Barack Obama worked as an organizer for their affiliates in New York and Chicago. He always has been an ACORN person — meeting and working with them to advance their causes. Through his membership on the board of the Woods Fund for Chicago and his friendship with Teresa Heinz Kerry, Obama has helped ensure that they remain funded well.
Since he graduated from law school, Obama’s work with ACORN and the Midwest Academy has ranged from training and fundraising, to legal representation and promoting their work.
What exactly it is that Obama was involved with in the case of ACORN that is illegal is never identified. ACORN has more than it’s share of problems, but it’s a bit bizarre to tie Obama to that.
In three of his five years he was director of the Developing Communities Project funded by the dastardly Catholic Churches in South Chicago. His primary connection to ACORN is through classes he has helped with…terrifying I tell you. The Gamaliel Foundation was another he worked with which is based on community organizing and is affiliated with….faith based organizing. Shocking. The Midwest Academy? An activist training organization. Oh, and the Woods Foundation and the Joyce Foundation are deep dark foundations trying to, you know, work and improve on inner cities and the such. How could it be.
It’s only going to get worse, but if you think this is nothing to worry about, remember what Scaife did to Clinton with $1.8 million. It doesn’t matter if anything is true, it only matters if these clowns can get it in print.
January 17th, 2007 at
Alsammarae was on the board of the Arab American Anti-Discrimmination Committee until he left for Iraq. I called their office and confirmed that.
Alsammarae’s family contacted both Durbin and Obama’s offices for help in getting his release. I’ve emailed Obama for a statement on wheterh Obama would support returning him to Iraq but have had no response.
The question as to whether Obama and Alsammarae -the Chicago ADC activist- crossed paths is interesting. Given the stonewalling from Obama’s office I’m not confident on getting a response to that one.
Ali Abunimah wrote of crossing pathes with Obama many times and having seen him on the same platform at Edward Siad at 1998 fund raiser.
Obama, whom I’ve met many times, has served as my local state senator in the Illinois legislature. I found him to be an inspiring politician, not least because he appeared to understand Middle East issues and take progressive views supporting Palestinian rights and opposing militarism. He participated in many events in the Chicago-area Arab community including a 1998 fundraiser with Edward Said as the keynote speaker. I even made contributions to his campaigns.
It seems likely they know of each other, but right now Obama seems pretty mum about Alsammarae. We’re left only with speculation.
January 17th, 2007 at
Alsammara is back home and gave an interview in today’s Trib.
January 17th, 2007 at
====The question as to whether Obama and Alsammarae -the Chicago ADC activist- crossed paths is interesting. Given the stonewalling from Obama’s office I’m not confident on getting a response to that one.
Or that it might be prudent to not comment on a matter that might come under review by the USAG and courts.
There’s a far greater connection to Bush as in he was an advisor on this whole disaster yet the connection to Obama is far more important to you.
January 17th, 2007 at
I still think the conservatives ought to do the right thing and donate a nickel to the Red Cross every time they choose to look silly and use Sen. Obama’s middle name.
(And I also think they’re going to do a good job of rehabilitating “Hussein” for the millions of Americans who share that name in the process.)
Hussein, Hussein, Hussein…
The right’s going to go completely insane.
January 17th, 2007 at
“The right’s going to go completely insane.”
Going to go? Can’t you hear the crackling of the tin foil everywhere?
- Sen. Obama’s middle name is Hussein therefore he IS a closet Muslim (btw, my name is Alice therefore I MUST be German).
- Sen. Obama is a social organizer therefore he HAS done something illegal (’cause a direct action is “sometimes” a “code” for “illegal” action – quotations mine).
- Sen. Obama and Alsammarae must have crossed paths therefore Sen. Obama benefited from the lost $2 billion dollars in Iraq (I myself saw Alsammarae giving away pocket change to all people with whom he crossed paths, boy the pockets he had… I admire his tailor’s skills).
- Sen. Obama used drugs as a teenager therefore he CANNOT be a good president (presumably if he did drugs as an adult it would have been OK, oh wait, he would have to also be a radical right winger, sorry…)
Crackle, crackle, crackle…
Btw, who is Dateline, D.C.? Wait, don’t tell me – yet another quintessential Republican who believes that responsibility for his actions isn’t really his?
January 17th, 2007 at
I found the middle name stuff pretty offensive although I hear it more from his supporters.
I think Obama flipped on the Israel and the Palestinian state. I think he was far more pro-Palestinian in the past but it’s hard to find out… he’s clearly no favorite today of a guy like Ali Abunimah which is good or bad depending on your position.
It’s certainly a fair question to Obama to discuss.
Alsammarae should be questioned by Fitzgerald and brought before the Congress to testify.
Whether the right fears Obama, I don’t know… I would think Clinton the more formidable candidate… but things change. Obama is just a rich target because he got so big, rose so fast… and just seem so typically Illinois when you google around on him…..