Ilan Pappe, an former Israeli political scientist on the faculty of Haifa University, is a frequent speaker for pro-Palestinian groups including ISM, Al-Awda, and Divestment from Israel, and he is an advisory board member for the Council for Palestinian Restitution and Repatriation (CPRR). A “new historian” whose stated goal is to “debunk …myths” in Israel’s heroic nationalist narrative, Pappe almost uncritically embraces the Palestinian narrative of victimization and Israeli atrocities, including rapes and massacres. He contends that Israelis are either in denial or ignorant of this evil because it has been hidden through the Israeli establishment’s “powerful indoctrination machine.”
In his view, Zionists/Israelis always intended to ethnically cleanse Palestinians and did so ruthlessly in 1948, started all the Arab-Israeli wars, committed atrocities during the 1948 War, consistently refused to make peace, established an apartheid regime and still hope to ethnically cleanse the Territories. He advocates divestment and boycotts of Israel, the right of return of Palestinians and a one-state solution.
Pappe has credibility when he speaks because he is an Israeli and on the faculty at Haifa University. But he is a controversial, marginal figure at the farthest end of Israel’s political spectrum. “I am the most hated man in Israel,” he said in an interview in 1999. Nor are his scholarship and conclusions widely accepted. “In my case,” he admitted in the same interview, mainstream historians “dispute everything. They seem to accept Benny Morris more easily than me….” He admits this is partially because Morris tries to rely on documented evidence while he is “more relativist,” and draws conclusions from what he thinks is “implicit” in the documents and because “[my] ideology influences my historical writing." Consider some of Pappe’s positions:
1. Quotes clearly showing historical bias:
“If you look at Israeli textbooks, curricula, media, and political discourse you see how this chapter in Jewish history - the chapter of expulsion, colonization, massacres, rape, and the burning of villages - is totally absent. It is not there. It is replaced by a chapter of heroism, glorious campaigns and amazing stories of moral courage and superiority unheard of in any other histories of people's liberation in the 20th century.”
“Indeed the struggle is about ideology, not about facts. Who knows what facts are? We try to convince as many people as we can that our interpretation of the facts is the correct one, and we do it because of ideological reasons, not because we are truth-seekers.”
“…my [pro-Palestinian] bias is apparent despite the desire of my peers that I stick to facts and the 'truth' when reconstructing past realities. I view any such construction as vain and presumptuous. This book is written by one who admits compassion for the colonized not the colonizer; who sympathizes with the occupied not the occupiers.... Mine is a subjective approach....”(A History of Modern Palestine)
“I use Palestinian sources for the Intifada: they seem to me to be more reliable, I admit." March 30, 2004
2. Quotes clearly stating historical mistruths:
‘[T]he Jewish state was built on the ruins of the indigenous people of Palestine, whose livelihood, houses, culture and land had been systematically destroyed.”
“[T]here is what I call the 'Nakba Denial….I think there is a similar ‘Holocaust Denial’ on the Palestinian side…..”
“I condemned the uprooting of the Palestinians and the violence inflicted on them, as well as the de—Arabization of Jews who came from Arab countries to Israel, the imposition of military rule on Palestinians in Israel before 1967 and the de—facto Apartheid policies put in place after 1967. I also cry out against the callous Israeli occupation of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. I do it not only as human being, but also as Jew, who feels appalled that such crimes can be committed by Jews after the holocaust. I studied history to find out why it happened and gave answers through analyzing Zionist ideology, the historical colonialist context in which Zionism emerged and so on. . .” March 30, 2004.
“One utopia envisaged by an Austro-Hungarian Jew, Theodore Herzel, ruined Palestine and its people.” September 27, 2004
Pappe believes that Israel must “bring an end to more than a century of colonization, occupation and dispossession of Palestinians . . . 37 years of endless brutal and callous oppression of the people of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip and . . 57 years of colonization and dispossession of the Palestinians as a whole. . .” April 20, 2005
After the failure of the Camp David meeting in 2000, "Israel was given a free hand" by the US to take any action it wanted in the West Bank and Gaza, which is why there have been "the worst atrocities committed against the Palestinian people" October, 30, 2005 Speech at the Unitarian Universalist Church in San Francisco
3. Quotes showing support for terrorism:
“I fully support it (the second intifada) and regard it as a popular movement determined to stop a peace process which would have destroyed Palestine once and for all.”
4. Quotes advocating the "one-state solution":
“[T]he two-state solution nowadays is not the end of the occupation but continuing it in a different way.” Sept 16 2002.
On January 31, 2005 Pappe spoke at Columbia Universitie’s panel entitled “One State or Two: Alternative Proposals for Middle East Peace.” When it came to the Two-State solution Pappe said, “As a salesman, I would be hesitant to offer it.”
5. Quotes showing support for boycotting Israel, Israeli institutions, and Israeli academia:
When it comes to “Military and financial support to Israel” Ilan Pappe asserts that “any possible measure of decreasing such aid is most welcome.”
“Shielded by this particular support for academia, and other cultural media, the Israeli army and security services can go on, and will go on, demolishing houses, expelling families, abusing citizens and killing, almost every day, children and women without being accountable regionally and globally for their crimes. . .Calling for a boycott of your own state and academia is not an easy decision for a member of that academia.”
Pappe supports the boycott imposed on Haifa and Bar-Ilan universities by the British Association of University Teachers (AUT) for "symbolizing aspects of the occupation." Haaretz, Haifa U. academic remains steadfast in support of boycott, April 27, 2005.
“I believe that unless external pressure is brought to bear on Israeli institutions involved in the occupation, including universities, the barbaric occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip will continue."
6. Quotes on the Gaza disengagement:
“We [Ilan Pappe, Uri Davis, Tamar Yaron] believe Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz are considering to utilize provocation for vicious attacks in the near future on the approximately one and a half million Palestinian inhabitants of the Gaza Strip: a possible combination of intensified state terror and mass killing.” July 15, 2005.
7. Quotes comparing Israel to Nazis:
“They [my two sons] will do all they can to prevent the Nazi venom from slipping through the veins of its own and ultimate victims who came and colonized Palestine, uprooted its population and occupied and brutalized many of them.” March 30, 2004.
Tweet
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Former Israeli Professor Ilan Pappe: Enemy Of Israel
Anti-Israel Israeli Professor Who Published L.A. Times Article To "Boycott Israel" Results In American Donor Protest
The Jewish Journal reports that "Neve Gordon, the Ben-Gurion University political science professor whose Aug. 20 op-ed in the Los Angeles Times titled 'Boycott Israel' described Israel as an 'apartheid state,' has drawn protests and threats of cutting off funding for the school by some U.S. donors. 'The whole thing could have serious repercussions,' said Philip Gomperts, Southwestern regional director for American Associates, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, a U.S. fundraising organization for the university. Gordon’s op-ed prompted multiple calls of protest to the school’s Los Angeles-based Southwestern regional office, which raises about $6.5 million annually. Fears donors would turn on the school grew after Haaretz reported that Los Angeles Jews were considering a boycott of the university, described in a letter Israel’s Los Angeles-based Consul General Jacob Dayan sent to Ben-Gurion President Rivka Carmi. Dayan wrote that donors who contacted him were 'unanimous in threatening to withhold donations.' In his column, Gordon, a tenured professor at Ben-Gurion, wrote that the 'most accurate way to describe Israel today is as an apartheid state…. the only way to counter the apartheid trend in Israel is through massive international pressure…. I consequently have decided to support the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement that was launched by Palestinian activists in July 2005 and has since garnered widespread support around the globe.'"
That an Israeli professor would spew such venom against Israel should come as no surprise. In a democracy, and in education system in Israel where the professor can achieve tenure while spouting his nonsense, there are bound to be nutters that stand with the enemy. I only fear that that those who may exposed to the indoctrination of Gordon will be wrongly influenced.
In America many fear the indoctrination of students on college campsuses. But in Israel where the indoctrination may be taking place to convince students as to what in effect pertains to the survival of the State of Israel and the nature of the enemy she faces. Gordon is not alone in his views, and in his ability to spread them among students in Israel. There are other academics in Israel, and this should be something that should worry Israelis and demant their response.
Tweet
Friday, August 28, 2009
UAE Seizes North Korean Weapons Shipment To Iran In Violation Of UN Sanctions
Bloomberg reports that "the United Arab Emirates has seized a ship carrying North Korean-manufactured munitions, detonators, explosives and rocket-propelled grenades bound for Iran in violation of United Nations sanctions, diplomats said. The UAE two weeks ago notified the UN Security Council of the seizure, according to the diplomats, who spoke on condition they aren’t named because the communication hasn’t been made public. They said the ship, owned by an Australian subsidiary of a French company and sailing under a Bahamian flag, was carrying 10 containers of arms disguised as oil equipment."
Tweet
IAEA Report: "Iran Stonewalling IAEA About Possible Military Dimensions"
The Jerusalem Post reports that "Iran is stonewalling the UN nuclear watchdog agency about 'possible military dimensions' to its suspect nuclear program, officials said Friday, urging the regime to clarify the mysterious role of a foreign explosives expert and shed light on other issues. In its latest report, the International Atomic Energy Agency said it has pressed the Islamic Republic to clarify its uranium enrichment activities and reassure the world that it's not trying to build an atomic weapon. Iran insists its nuclear program is peaceful and geared solely toward generating electricity. The United States and key allies contend the country is covertly trying to build an atomic weapon." Tweet
Comedian Being Sued By Mother-In-Law For Defamation For Telling "Mother-In-Law Jokes"
It seems the Jewish mother-in-law did not take kindly to jokes that mention her by name and make fun of her for being a racist.
Tweet
Chairman Of The Ways And Means Committee Rangel Fails To Disclose $3 Million
The NY Post reports that "Rep. Charles Rangel failed to report as much as $1.3 million in outside income -- including up to $1 million for a Harlem building sale -- on financial-disclosure forms he filed between 2002 and 2006, according to newly amended records. The documents also show the embattled chairman of the Ways and Means Committee -- who is being probed by the House Ethics Committee -- failed to reveal a staggering $3 million in various business transactions over the same period. This week, Rangel filed drastically revised financial-disclosure forms reflecting new, higher amounts of outside income and numerous additional business deals that had not been reported when the reports were originally filed." Tweet
Ahmadenijad Calls For Opposition Leaders To Be Prosecuted
The AP reports that Iran's "Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Friday called for the leaders of the opposition to be prosecuted over Iran's postelection turmoil, stepping up pressure against the pro-reform movement that says he won the election by fraud. It was the first time Ahmadinejad has made such a call, publicly siding with hard-line politicians and clerics and commanders of the powerful Revolutionary Guard who have demanded in recent weeks that opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi and his top allies be arrested." Tweet
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Only 4%, With A 4.5% Margin Of Error, Of Israeli Jews See Obama's Policy As Pro-Israel
The Jeruslaem Post reports that "the number of Israelis who see US President Barack Obama's policies as pro-Israel has fallen to 4 percent, according to a Smith Research poll taken this week on behalf of The Jerusalem Post." The Jerusalem Post reports that the majority of Israeli Jews believe Obama is pro-Palestinian, that "fifty-one percent of Jewish Israelis consider Obama's administration more pro-Palestinian than pro-Israel, according to the survey, while 35% consider it neutral and 10% declined to express an opinion. The poll of 500 people representing a statistical model of the Jewish Israeli population had a margin of error of 4.5%. A much-cited Post poll published on June 19 that put the first figure at 6% had been cited by top officials in both the White House and the Prime Minister's Office as the catalyst for recent American efforts to improve the American-Israeli relationship. But the new poll proves that those efforts have not improved Obama's reputation among Israelis."
Tweet
State Department Recommends Pulling All Aid From Honduras
Reuters reports that "U.S. State Department staff have recommended that the ouster of Honduran President Manuel Zelaya be declared a 'military coup,' a U.S. official said on Thursday, a step that could cut off as much as $150 million in U.S. funding to the impoverished Central American nation.The official, who spoke on condition he not be named, said State Department staff had made such a recommendation to U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who has yet to make a decision on the matter although one was likely soon."
Washington has already suspended about $18 million aid to Honduras and now they are going to cut off the rest of U.S. aid to Honduras. This is shameful. Former President Zelaya was "ousted" on the order of the Honduran Supreme Court and was replaced in an interim capacity by a civilian member of the same party, the head of the Honduran Congress, until an upcoming election. Zelaya was a Hugo Chavez wannabe, and his country deemed that his actions contravened the constitution of Honduras. If these reports come to fruition the Obama administration will have disgraced our country, abandoned our ally, and sided with the likes of Hugo Chavez.
Tweet
Despite Voter Rejection Of Higher Taxes, California Legislature To Raise Them Again
The Los Angeles Times reports that "while Californians are still feeling the sting of income and sales tax hikes signed into law earlier this year, now comes news that state tax authorities plan to take a little more from their pockets.For only the second time in 30 years, the tax board is lowering the point where each tax bracket begins, bumping many people into a higher category. At the same time, officials are cutting back some deductions. Everyone will pay more, even people whose bracket or income doesn't change.The extra sums will total as much as $140 per family, on top of the increases previously enacted." Tweet
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Huckabee Interview With The Jewish Press: "'Better For Israel To Be Respected Than Loved'"
The Jewish Press reports that "Mike Huckabee, the former governor of Arkansas and a 2008 Republican presidential candidate, completed a three-day tour of some of Israel's holiest and most contentious sites last week with leaders of Ateret Cohanim. During his eleventh visit to Israel since 1973, Huckabee toured Jewish neighborhoods within East Jerusalem and Samaria and consistently affirmed his support for Jews living in any and all parts of the Jewish homeland. Many consider the former governor-turned FOX News talk show host a leading candidate for the Republican presidential nomination in 2012. Huckabee's statement that the 'United States government shouldn't tell Israel where Jewish people can live' was a direct rebuke of the Obama administration's pressure on Israel for a settlement freeze. And his dismissal of the notion of 'two people owning the same piece of real estate' was aimed at advocates of a divided Jerusalem. Huckabee's trip included a visit to the Shepherd Hotel in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah, the site of a planned housing project for Jewish families. The Obama administration has demanded the project be halted... Huckabee faulted the Obama administration for being 'more concerned about twenty families moving into the Shepherd Hotel than about Ahmadenijad building nuclear weapons.' Huckabee was his typical courteous but blunt self during an interview with The Jewish Press." To read the full interview of this unabashedly pro-Israel politician visit http://www.jewishpress.com/pageroute.do/40536 Tweet
Democratic Rep. Carol Shea-Porter: "Constitution Did Not Cover Everything"
The Constitution defined and limited the power of Congress. Of course it did not "covery everything." That was sort of the point.
Tweet
French President Sarkozy Slams Iran And Threatens "Severe" New Sanctions
The AP reports that "President Nicolas Sarkozy criticized Iranian leaders for their handling of contested elections and their nuclear program, and pleaded for a new push for peace in the Middle East in a sweeping diplomatic strategy speech Wednesday. Sarkozy also urged other countries to follow France's example and limit bonuses handed out to bank traders to avert the kind of risk-taking blamed for fueling the financial crisis. French banks agreed Tuesday to change the way they hand out bonuses and penalize traders who lose money for their companies. Sarkozy floated the possibility of 'severe' new sanctions against Iran if it continues its nuclear activities. 'These are the same leaders, in Iran, who tell us that the nuclear program is peaceful and that the elections were honest. Frankly, who believes them?' he asked. Sarkozy's diplomatic posture remained firm and united with Washington against Iran. His speech included no major policy shifts, but pointed to a desire for a stronger French role in the Mideast and in global decision-making. Sarkozy says France will support new sanctions and stronger inspection powers for the International Atomic Energy Agency if Iran does not suspend activities, which leading Western powers suspect are aimed at developing nuclear weapons. 'There are more and more tests, there have never been so few negotiations,' he said." Tweet
MSNBC's David Shuster Revises History Saying Ted Kennedy "Didn't Dabble In Small Personal Attacks"
To see Shuster's lie, visit http://newsbusters.org/blogs/mark-finkelstein/2009/08/26/shuster-kennedy-didnt-dabble-small-personal-attacks
Ted Kennedy may not have dabbled in "small personal attacks," but he certainly did dabble in large ones. Here is but one example of a personal attack on the wise Supreme Court nominee Robert Bork that never made onto the bench because of the Democrat smear campaign that came from the likes of Teddy Kennedy:
Tweet
Paul Krugman Vs. Paul Krugman: Does The NY Times Columnist Think The "Public Option" Could Kill Private Insurance?
First watch this flashback:
Now watch Paul Krugman more recently:
Tweet
ADF Files Lawsuit On Behalf Of NY Nurse That Was Forced To Assist In Late-Term Abortion Under Threat Of Disciplinary Action
The good lawyers of the Alliance Defense Fund have filed filed a lawsuit against Mount Sinai Hospital in New York on behalf of a Catholic nurse who was forced to participate in a late-term abortion under the threat of disciplinary action, including possible termination and loss of her license. To read more about this story visit http://www.alliancedefensefund.org/news/story.aspx?cid=5015 Tweet
L.A. Unified School District Decides To Try Private Competition To Improve Failing Schools
The Los Angeles Times reports the "startling acknowledgment that the Los Angeles school system cannot improve enough schools on its own" as "the city Board of Education approved a plan Tuesday that could turn over 250 campuses -- including 50 new multimillion-dollar facilities -- to charter groups and other outside operators. The plan, approved on a 6-1 vote, gives Supt. Ramon C. Cortines the power to recommend the best option to run some of the worst-performing schools in the city as well as the newest campuses. Board member Marguerite Poindexter LaMotte dissented." Tweet
Alabama Dem Rep. Parker Griffith: Pelosi Is "Divisive And Polarizing" With No Ability To "Bring Us Together.”
The Hill reports that "a freshman House Democrat from Alabama said Tuesday he would not vote for Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) as Speaker again because of her 'divisive and polarizing' image. 'I would not vote for her,' Rep. Parker Griffith (D-Ala.) told a constituent at a town hall meeting when asked if he'd support Pelosi. 'Someone that divisive and that polarizing cannot bring us together.'" Tweet
Ted Kennedy Dies At 77
The Washington Post reports that "Edward M. Kennedy, one of the most powerful and influential senators in American history and one of three brothers whose political triumphs and personal tragedies captivated the nation for decades, died late Tuesday at his home in Hyannis Port, Mass., at age 77. He had been battling brain cancer."
Tweet
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
"Furious" Rep. Peter King On Eric Holder: "It’s Bulls***. It’s Disgraceful. You Wonder Which Side They’re On"
Politico reports that Rep. Peter King,the ranking Republican on the House Committee on Homeland Security and a member of the House Select Committee on Intelligence, the "blasted a 'disgraceful' Eric Holder for opening an investigation of CIA interrogators and chided his own party for what he described as a weak response to the move in an interview just now with POLITICO. 'It’s bulls***. It’s disgraceful. You wonder which side they’re on,' he said of the Attorney General's move, which he described as a 'declaration of war against the CIA, and against common sense.'"
Politico quoted the Congressman as saying "it’s a total breach of faith, and either the president is intentionally caving to the left wing of his party or he’s lost control of his administration." Politico reports he channeled "both the sense of outrage and of political opportunity felt in parts of the GOP, defended in detail the interrogation practices -- threats to kill a detainee's family, and or to kill a detainee with a power drill -- detailed in a CIA inspector general report released yesterday. 'You're talking about threatening to kill a guy, threatening to attack his family, threatening to use an electric drill on him – but never doing it,' King said. 'You have that on the one hand – and on the other you have the [interrogator's] attempt to prevent thousands of Americans from being killed.'"
King further said that "when Holder was talking about being 'shocked' [before the report's release], I thought they were going to have cutting guys' fingers off or something – or that they actually used the power drill" and that he didn't think the Geneva Convention "applies to terrorists."
"Why is it OK to waterboard someone, which causes physical pain, but not threaten someone and not cause pain?" he asked, warning of a "chilling" effect on future CIA behavior.
"You will have thousands of lives that will be lost and the blood will be on Eric Holder's hands," he said.
King faulted his own party leaders for an insufficient response to yesterday's announcement.
"They’ve declared war on the CIA. We should resist and fight back as hard as we can," he said. "It should be a scorched earth policy.... This isn't just another policy. This goes to the heart of our national defense. We should do whatever we have to do."
Tweet
Monday, August 24, 2009
Israeli PM Bibi Netanyahu Wants US To Pressure Saudis On Normalization With Israel
Ynetnews.com reports that "Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will ask US Mideast Envoy George Mitchell to pressure the Saudis into opening diplomatic channels and opening its skies to Israel as a leading condition towards normalization of ties between Israel and Arab states. If this is done, the Israeli government will be able to reach an agreement on freezing construction in settlements according to American demands." Tweet
University Of Haifa Professor Steven Plaut: "Collaborators In The War Against The Jews: Marc H. Ellis"
This is the first in a series of articles by Professor Steven Plaut about collaborators in the Islamic war against the Jews: http://frontpagemag.com/readArticle.aspx?ARTID=36028 Tweet
CIA Releases Interrogation Memos Cheney Requested, But They Are Too Heavily Redacted To Know Whether Enhanced Techniques Were Used
ABC News reports that "the CIA released the documents today that former Vice President Dick Cheney requested earlier this year in an attempt to prove his assertion that using enhanced interrogation techniques on terror detainees saved U.S. lives. The documents back up the Bush administration's claims that intelligence gleaned from captured terror suspects had thwarted terrorist attacks, but the visible portions of the heavily redacted reports do not indicate whether such information was obtained as a result of controversial interrogation techniques, such as waterboarding... The Department of Justice is compiling a list of documents, to release later this evening, related to a 2004 CIA Inspector General report on enhanced interrogation techniques that was released today. The two documents that Cheney requested will be part of that release, but were made public early by the CIA. One of the CIA documents, entitled 'Detainee Reporting Pivotal for the War Against al-Qaeda,' and written June 3, 2005, says 'detainee reporting has become a crucial pillar of U.S. counterterrorism efforts, aiding intelligence and law enforcement operations to capture additional terrorists, helping to thwart terrorist plots, and advancing our analysis of the al-Qaeda target.' The report is heavily redacted and, at times, it is unclear which detainees are being discussed. At no point does the report describe intelligence gained as result of enhanced interrogation techniques. " Tweet
Attorney General Holder Appoints Prosecutor To Investigate CIA Interrogation While "Intelligence Officials" Say CIA Director Pannetta Is Livid
The Washington Post reports that Attorney General Eric Holder has appointed "a prosecutor to investigate alleged CIA interrogation abuses... Holder has named longtime prosecutor John H. Durham, who has parachuted into crisis situations for both political parties over three decades, to open an early review of nearly a dozen cases of alleged detainee mistreatment at the hands of CIA interrogators and contractors. The announcement raised fresh tensions in an intelligence community fearful that it will bear the brunt of the punishment for Bush-era national security policy, and it immediately provoked criticism from congressional Republicans."
ABC reports that "according to intelligence officials, Panetta erupted in a tirade last month during a meeting with a senior White House staff member. Panetta was reportedly upset over plans by Attorney General Eric Holder to open a criminal investigation of allegations that CIA officers broke the law in carrying out certain interrogation techniques that President Obama has termed 'torture.'"
Tweet
White House Advisers Say Swine Flu May Kill 90,000 Americans
Bloomberg reports that "swine flu may infect half the U.S. population this year, hospitalize 1.8 million patients and lead to as many as 90,000 deaths, more than twice the number killed in a typical seasonal flu, White House advisers said. In a report by the President’s Council of Advisers on Science and Technology, President Barack Obama today was urged to speed vaccine production and name a senior member of the White House staff, preferably the homeland security adviser, to take responsibility for decision-making on the pandemic. Initial doses should be accelerated to mid-September to vaccinate as many as 40 million people, the advisory group said."
Tweet
Dr. Craig Venter: Scientists Are Only Months Away From Creating Artificial Life
The Mail Online reports that "Dr. Craig Venter – one of the world’s most famous and controversial biologists – said his U.S. researchers have overcome one of the last big hurdles to making a synthetic organism. The first artificial lifeform is likely to be a simple man-made bacterium that proves that the technology can work. But it will be followed by more complex bacteria that turn coal into cleaner natural gas, or algae that can soak up carbon dioxide and convert it into fuels. They could also be used to create new vaccines and antibiotics. The prediction came after a breakthrough by the J Craig Venter Institute in Maryland." Tweet
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Sen. Joe Lieberman: Jamming Through Obamacare "Real Mistake" That "Won't Be Good For The Obama Presidency"
CNN reports that Senator Joseph Lieberman warned Sunday that "pushing a health-care reform package through Congress without significant Republican support would be 'a real mistake' for President Barack Obama... Lieberman, an Independent who caucuses with Democrats, said trying to 'jam through' a package 'that the public is either opposed to, or of very, very passionate mixed minds about' would be bad 'for the system.' He added, 'Frankly, it won't be good for the Obama presidency.'" Tweet
10th Circuit Orders Ten Commandments Monument Removed
The AP reports that "Haskell County commissioners have lost another round in their fight for a Ten Commandments monument on the courthouse lawn in Stigler. A federal appeals court in Denver voted 2-1 Friday to deny their request to leave the monument in place until the U.S. Supreme Court decides whether to review the case. Commissioners said they didn't want to pay unnecessarily to remove the monument, which the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals declared unconstitutional in June. The commissioners asked for a stay Tuesday, a day after U.S. District Judge Ronald White in Muskogee ordered them to remove the monument. White did not set a deadline. The American Civil Liberties Union of Oklahoma and a Haskell County resident sued to have the monument removed shortly after it was erected in 2004."
Tweet
RSS Feed (xml)