FOUSESQUAWK

Obama Scandals and the Media is SHOCKED

2013-05-21T15:16:00.003-07:00

After five years in office, our news media is finally awakening to the fact that the Obama administration is full of liars and thieves who have abused their power. It seems that it took a scandal involving their own (AP and Fox's James Rosen) to stir their ire. In addition, a large segment of the population who pay taxes are waking up and realizing that our IRS is too powerful and has abused its power against ordinary people in a discriminating fashion. Throw in Benghazi, where US Government whistle blowers are breaking loose from their political gatekeepers and coming forward to tell what they know about the government's malfeasance and dereliction of duty-which resulted in 4 Americans killed, and suddenly, the media and even a lot of liberals are realizing we have another Nixon in the White House.

With IRS, we learn that there was an inspector general investigation in progress last year and it was kept under wraps until after the election. We learn that it was not just a couple of zealots in Cincinnati, but that top level officials-the top level officials in IRS and Treasury- had been told. Then we learn that an unsuspecting person was asked to attend a press briefing and ask a pre-arranged question that would allow the IRS (Lois Lerner) to disclose the investigation and thus, get out ahead of the soon-to-break story. Further, Obama's top White House aides had also been advised, but, of course, they didn't feel it was necessary to inform the president, who eventually heard about from reading his daily newspaper or some such rot. We also learn that the lady in charge of the unit doing the snail-like work on 501 c4 applications is now in charge of the IRS unti that will oversee ObamaCare.

Coincidence? We don't think so.

Motive? To limit the efforts of conservative groups to organize voters in the election. Ask the old Community Organizer himself. He knows how those things work on the streets of Chicago. But he only read about it in the papers while checking the ball scores.

Oh, by he way. It has just been announced that Ms Lerner will invoke the 5th Amendment before Congress tomorrow. Nothing to see here, Folks.

So while the IRS abuses awaken some Americans from their slumber, the media is shocked and dismayed at learning that the AP and James Rosen have had their phone records examined by Eric Holder's corrupt Justice Department. Even the phones set aside for the press in the Capitol building were scrutinized for toll records.

While it is encouraging to finally see some press scrutiny of this outlaw administration, I say, "Where have you been?" I refer specifically to Operation Fast and Furious, which the media pointedly ignored even though hundreds of lives in Mexico have been lost from the involved weapons as well as one and possibly two US agents (Brian Terry and Jaime Zapata). The Justice Department stonewalled subpoenas for records, Eric Holder committed perjury, and Obama placed the aforementioned records under Executive Privilege as the two agents' families futilely demanded justice-just as the families of the 4 Americans killed in Benghazi are asking for justice.

Outside of CBS reporter Sheryl Attkisson, how many mainstream news investigative reporters tried to get to the bottom of Fast and Furious? It boiled down to Attkisson, the conservative blogsophere, and talk radio. To date, it has not been enough. Now Attkisson has come out and expressed her suspicion that her own communications may also have been compromised. We also learn this week that the ex-US Attorney for Arizona, Dennis Burke, leaked smear information about an ATF whistle blower and lied about it to investigators. Possibly, just possibly, these developments may kick- start the inquiry. It screams out for justice and accountability.

Meanwhile, the Democrats are predictably circling the wagons around the President. It's all politics, they maintain. The Republicans did that too during Watergate until the smoking gun came out and they took that walk down to the White House, led by Barry Goldwater.

I lived through much of the Watregate scandal in Washington DC. I was mostly sympathetic to Nixon as a president and thought at the time that much of the scandal was a witch hunt. I was repelled by the site of the main figures walking in and out of the courthouse and being cursed at by the crowds on the street. I sensed that certain members of the Watergate panel had their minds made up from Day One-especially Elizabeth Holtzman and Robert Drinan.

But in the end, the witches were there. Looking back, it is clear that Nixon abused his office and deserved to lose it. There come times when we must be intellectually honest and recognize wrong-doing no matter who commits it. The news media, led by the Washington Post, played a major role in bringing out the facts of Watergate. But that was a long, long time ago. We now wait to see if we still have a press that merits the title.

Squirmin' Jay Carney Doin' His Day Job

2013-05-21T12:43:00.000-07:00

"I put a spell on you."

Today, White House spokeshole Squirmin' Jay Carney gave this response to a reporter's question about HHS Secretary Kathy Sibelius' questionable fundraising activities on behalf of ObamaCare.

http://video.foxnews.com/v/2399502535001/carney-goes-birther-on-sebelius-obamacare-fundraising/?playlist_id=928378949001

Please, Mr President. Do not fire this guy.

Barbara Boxer Blames Tornado on Global Warming. Pushes for Carbon Tax

2013-05-21T12:26:00.000-07:00

Hat tip Daily Caller

"The sky is falling."

Barbara Boxer (D-CA) didn't waste any time responding to the tornado that hit Oklahoma yesterday. No, she didn't rush down there to inspect the damage; rather she used the event to blame global warming, the Republicans and lack of a carbon tax.

http://dailycaller.com/2013/05/21/boxer-uses-okla-tornado-to-push-carbon-tax/

“This is climate change,” Boxer said. “This is climate change. We were warned about extreme weather: Not just hot weather, but extreme weather. When I had my hearings, when I had the gavel years ago — it’s been a while — the scientists all agreed that what we’d start to see was extreme weather.”

“Carbon could cost us the planet,” Boxer added, plugging her own carbon tax bill, co-sponsored by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders. “The least we could do is put a little charge on it so people move to clean energy.”
(Hat tip Jim Healy and John Speedie)

That's it, Babs. A carbon tax will stop all those tornadoes. Why if we'd had a carbon tax in 1912, the Titanic would have never hit that iceberg.

Update: Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) has apologized for berating Republicans about climate change at the same time a tornado was hitting Oklahoma.

Personal note. I happened to meet Whitehouse's father, Charles Whitehouse, when I was a DEA agent stationed in Bangkok 1975-78 and the elder Whitehouse was the US ambassador. I recken little Sheldie was going to Yale at the time. I don't know if he ever visted his parents in Bangkok, but if he did, he should know hot weather happens.

Roosevelt in Germany

2013-05-21T12:01:00.000-07:00

July 15, 1934 Berlin

Roosevelt, accompanied by Hitler, ride through the streets of Berlin (Photo by Fousesquawk News Service . All rights reserved)

President Franklin D Roosevelt spent his 3rd day in Berlin today as part of his state visit to Adolf Hitler's new Germany. The visit occurs only two weeks after Hitler and his SS put down a planned coup by radicals led by Ernst Roehm and his SA. Roosevelt praised the quick and decisive action by the Fuehrer to stamp out radicals who were hijacking Nazism. Hitler referred to them as "misunderstanders" of Nazism. Roosevelt agreed, referring to passages from Mein Kampf that clearly pointed out the Fuehrer's responsibility to protect Germany from "radical" Nazis.

Speaking this morning at Berlin's Humboldt University, Roosevelt sang the praises of the German Spring.

"There is nothing more awe inspiring than to wake up to the sight of those red-white-black banners fluttering in the breeze and the sound of the Horst Wessel song", said the President.

Roosevelt also sharply criticized German Jews who had spread false information about the German Spring as he announced a new aid package to Germany in the form of 2 billion dollars a year to help strengthen the Reichswehr as a bulwark against radical influences in the country. A new arms deal for the SS has also been approved.

Roosevelt also urged Jews in Germany to work with the "new order" for peace and prosperity while ceasing their requests for new synagogues that would only divide the German Volk. He also condemned Americans who were critical of the new leadership, calling them "Germanophobes" and promised to silence them once he returned to America. He specifically directed his criticism to American actor John Wayne, who has appeared in a new film portraying a war against Germany. The film sparked riots all over Germany.

"Free speech has its limits," said the President.

In addition, Roosevelt also commented favorably on similar movements to spread the German Spring to other neighboring countries as part of an overall "European Spring". As part of this message, Roosevelt warned Poland about over-reacting to events in Germany. (He is pointedly not stopping over in Warsaw for a visit, which the Polish government regards as a snub.) Hitler promised a diplomatic initiative to improve relations with his European neighbors including a series of state visits.

Imagine a world without borders

The President and Fuehrer also promised more initiatives to further mutual understanding.

In this spirit, Roosevelt and Hitler further announced that they will authorize the German diplomatic mission in the US to double in size. Nazi liaisons will be established in all the major departments including the Department of Defense, State, Education, and Justice. The German-American Bund has already announced its willingness to furnish advisers.

Design for new German embassy in Washington DC

In addition, the US will work with Germany to fund new German studies departments in major universities, not only to teach the German language, but to educate American students about Nazism and the works of the Fuehrer. A Nazi liaison official will work with US education officials to approve appropriate texts for the study of Nazism. Below, you can see one already in use in Texas und Kalifornien.

Translation: "Jewish murder plan against non-Jews uncovered"

In addition, Roosevelt supported the idea of more German Students Associations in US universities.

"Boycott France!"

The only negative point was that Roosevelt failed in his efforts to re-negotiate a new trade pact with Hitler to correct the imbalance in beer exports. While German beer is a popular import in the US, the Germans steadfastly refused all requests to import American Budweiser into Germany.

But all in all, the President's visit to Germany has been a historic occasion. It signals a new era in German-American understanding. Next week, British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain plans to visit the new Germany.

Benghazi: We Await More Whistle Blowers

2013-05-21T09:42:00.004-07:00

Hat tip Hot Air

According to articles in Hot Air and PJ Media, we can anticipate more insiders coming forward with information about Benghazi. The below post in Hot Air by Ed Morrissey has a link to PJM's Roger Simon.

http://hotair.com/archives/2013/05/21/new-whistleblowers-coming-forward-on-benghazi/

Riots in Stockholm by "Youth"

2013-05-21T09:27:00.003-07:00

Hat tip Vlad Tepes and Gates of Vienna

The northern Stockholm district of Husby has been hit by two nights of rioting after police shot and killed a machete-wielding man. The local English-language The Local.se has several reports that do not identify the rioters.

http://www.thelocal.se/48048/#.UZuavLUsmSp

Gates of Vienna has more details.

http://gatesofvienna.net/2013/05/burn-husby-burn/

Svenska Dagbladet, Sweden's largest daily (in Stockholm, no less), has fewer details at least insofar as the identities of the rioters are concerned. ("youth")

http://www.svd.se/nyheter/inrikes/orolig-natt-och-branda-bilar-i-husby_8192632.svd

Here's a police photo of one of the suspects. If you know him, call Stockholm police.

Got a little juvenile delinquency problem, do you, Sweden?

More Photos From UC San Diego Hate Week

2013-05-20T20:42:00.000-07:00

JJ Surbeck of T.E.A.M. (Training and Education About Middle East) San Diego has sent me photos from last week's anti-Israel week of events at UC San Diego. These include pictures of pro-Palestinian displays from the so-called "Apartheid Wall", which was built to keep out suicide bombers, and displays put up by Tritons for Israel and Stand With Us. I have been sent dozens, so I have selected a few.

First the anti-Israel displays.

Below: Pro-Israel

Here are some from the previous year (2012):

Pro-Palestinian

Leila Khaled-Terrorist

Che (Che Guevara)-Fidel Castro's executioner after the Cuban revolution.

Pro-Israel

Good News in Texas- CSCOPE Lesson Plans Scrubbed

2013-05-20T19:30:00.001-07:00

I recently reported on a Texas school controversy centered around CSCOPE.

http://garyfouse.blogspot.com/2013/02/even-in-texas-schools-are-indoctrinating.html

http://garyfouse.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-cscope-issue-in-texas.html

http://garyfouse.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-csope-teaching-controversy-heats-up.html

Texas has now decided to get rid of the CSCOPE lesson plan program.

http://dailycaller.com/2013/05/20/texas-abolishes-cscope-lesson-plans-in-public-schools/

Enough with this politically-correct indoctrination of our students. When it gets to the point that you have to change history and the facts, that is going way too far.

Squirmin' Jay Carney on the Hot Seat Again

2013-05-20T15:08:00.001-07:00

Squirmin' Jay Carney

"I put a spell on you"

White House spokeshole Squirmin' Jay Carney took a beating today from angry journalists over the treatment of Fox News reporter James Rosen. Breitbart has the report and video.

http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Journalism/2013/05/20/WH-Press-Corps-Shows-Rare-Anger-over-Rosen-Case

They Love Me in Tennessee

2013-05-20T14:59:00.000-07:00

Well, it looks like my post about the Tennessee textbook controversy ruffled a few feathers in Murfreesboro, Tennessee according to my site meter. Look who stopped by to visit today and note which posting they read.

Domain Name

(Unknown)

IP Address

66.4.15.# (State of Tennessee Department of Education)

ISP

State of Tennessee Department of Education

Location

Continent	:	North America
Country	:	United States (Facts)
State	:	Tennessee
City	:	Murfreesboro
Lat/Long	:	35.8496, -86.385 (Map)

Language

English (U.S.)
en-us

Operating System

Microsoft WinXP

Browser

Internet Explorer 8.0
Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 8.0; Windows NT 5.1; Trident/4.0; GTB7.4; .NET4.0C; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; .NET CLR 3.0.04506.648; .NET CLR 3.5.21022; .NET CLR 3.0.4506.2152; .NET CLR 3.5.30729; InfoPath.1)

Javascript

version 1.3

Monitor

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Color Depth	:	32 bits

Time of Visit

May 20 2013 8:00:33 am

Last Page View

May 20 2013 8:00:33 am

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textbook controversy tn

Visit Entry Page

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Visit Exit Page

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May 20 2013 10:00:33 am

Visit Number

286,613

Let's Play, "What the Hell Happened Today in Iraq?" (May 20, 2013)

2013-05-20T14:33:00.000-07:00

Here are the choices:

a At least 86 people were killed as car bombs went off around the country
b....

Audience:

"It's 'a', Bob!!!"

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/05/20/iraqi-officials-5-car-bombs-across-baghdad-shiite-neighborhoods-kill-16/

Scholars for Peace in Middle East and Brandeis Center Issue Joint Statement of Support for UC Santa Cruz Teacher

2013-05-20T12:19:00.000-07:00

Scholars for Peace in the Middle East and the Brandeis Center have issued a joint statement of support for UC Santa Cruz teacher of Hebrew Tammi Rossman-Benjamin, who is being smeared and targeted by the pro-Palestinian forces within the UC system because she has had the courage to speak out about anti-Semitism on UC and California State University campuses and name the names of those responsible.,

http://spme.net/cgi-bin/articles.cgi?ID=9123&q=8&s=37

It is past time for the top administrators in the UC system to issue their own statements of support for Rossman-Benjamin's free speech rights and start addressing the problem of anti-Semitism on UC campuses that she is speaking out about. It is also time to take back our campuses from these pro-Palestinian agitators who have created a hostile environment on our campuses.

What say you, UC President Mark Yudof?

Fox News Reporter Labeled "Criminal Co-Conspirator" by DOJ

2013-05-20T12:03:00.001-07:00

Where will all this end-with the shutting down of Fox News-which is what the left has long wanted to see happen?

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/05/20/justice-department-obtained-records-fox-news-journalist/

I say if anyone should know about criminal conspiracy, it is Eric Holder, who is running a criminal enterprise right out of the Justice Department office.

"He's better than Mitchell."

And speaking of leaks, here is another bit of breaking news today. (Hat tip Breitbart.com and Squid) It seems the DOJ doesn't mind leaking stuff themselves when it suits their sinister purposes.

http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/05/20/DOJ-Inspector-General-confirms-US-Attorney-DOJ-headquarters-leaked-documents-to-smear-Fast-and-Furious-whistleblower

And not only leaking, but apparently, lying about it to investigators.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/05/20/watchdog-report-says-doj-official-retaliated-against-furious-whistle-blower/

Is this what you want all you people on the left? What say you, MSNBC?

Is the US Government Supporting BDS in Israel?

2013-05-20T09:15:00.002-07:00

Hat tip My Right Word

If this report from My Right Word is correct, the US Consulate General in Jerusalem is practicing the Joseph P Kennedy theory of diplomacy in supporting organizations involved in the Boycott, Divest and Sanctions Movement against Israel.

http://myrightword.blogspot.com/2013/05/your-us-tax-dollars-are-funding-bds.html

For the benefit of all you UC Santa Cruz (America's Wackiest University) Community Studies and History of Consciousness majors, Joseph P Kennedy was US ambassador to Great Britain during the rise of Nazi Germany. It was his position that the Brits might as well throw in the towel to Hitler. He was also the father of John F Kennedy (He was a president, you know.)

Let's Play, "What the Hell Happened Today in Afghanistan?" (May 20, 2013)

2013-05-20T09:01:00.000-07:00

Here are your choices:

a Christian militiamen launched a suicide attack against the Kabul Playboy Club
b Suicide bomber killed 14 people
c Israeli jets bombed Afghanistan's nuclear weapons facility
d The world's oldest man (132) stepped on a land mine, lost a leg, but survived

Here is your bonus hint:

"Can I call a friend?"

"Sure. Who do you want to call?"

"Eric Holder."

"DOJ."

"Eric Holder, please."

"He's testifying at Capitol Hill, but I'll transfer you."

"......and so, Congressman, I had no knowledge of any monitoring of Associated Press....Excuse me....Hello."

"Hey Eric. What the Hell happened today in Afghanistan?"

"Today's your lucky day. We just intercepted the report from AP. The answer is b."

"Wow. Thanks, Eric. I'll go with b, Bob."

"And you are absolutely right!"

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_AFGHANISTAN?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2013-05-20-08-57-38

Malmo, Sweden: The Hate Continues

2013-05-19T17:46:00.001-07:00

Hat tip Gates of Vienna

The blog Gates of Vienna has posted a German news report on the on-going hardships being suffered by Malmo's Jews. The video has English sub-titles.

http://gatesofvienna.net/2013/05/the-persecution-of-jews-in-malmo-again/

I salute the young Muslim man who is trying to combat the anti-Jewish hatred within his Rosengaard community. Part of the problem, however, has been the open hostility of Malmo's mayor, Ilmar Reepalu, to his Jewish community. He is virulently anti-Israel and resents that Malmo's Jews don't join him. Thus, according to Reepalu, the Jews can leave if they wish.

Obama Aide Says the Three Scandals are "Irrelevant"

2013-05-19T17:09:00.000-07:00

President Obama with Mr Irrelevant (Dan Pfeiffer)

"What difference at this point does it make?"

Dan Pfeiffer, a White House aide to President Obama went on weekend news shows today and told interviewers that the scandals involving Benghazi, the IRS, and Associated Press are all "irrelevant".

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/05/19/top-obama-adviser-stakes-out-defiant-defense-on-irs-benghazi-ap-scandals/

As to where the President was on the evening of September 11, 2012 when our consulate in Benghazi was attacked, Mr Pffeiffer says it is "irrelevant". As to who changed the talking points on the attack, Mr Pffeiffer says it is "irrelevant".

IRS targeting conservative groups?

"Irrelevant" Even the law is irrelevant, says Pfeiffer. The President only heard about it when it came out in the press. (Hat tip the late, great Jim Healy and John Speedie)

Really? Would that be on National Public Radio or MSNBC's Hardball?

"Hmmmm. Somebody killed the tsar and his whole family. Imagine that. We'll have to make sure that never happens again."

How about the Justice Department rounding up the telephone toll records of the AP reporters, Mr Pfeiffer?

"Mox nix."

You talk about arrogance! (h/t Jim Healy and John Speedie)

"With the final pick in the 2013 NFL draft, the Baltimore Ravens select Dan Pfeiffer........"

Dan Pfeiffer, Ladies and Gentlemen. "Mr Irrelevant".

Nigeria Launches Offensive Against Boko Haram While John Kerry Urges "Restraint".

2013-05-19T14:04:00.004-07:00

John Kerry trying to restrain his wind sail (What do you call that thing?)

You can't make this stuff up, Folks. As the Nigerian army launches a major offensive against the terror group Boko Haram (whose major pastime is massacring Christians and blowing up their churches) our secretary of state, John Heinz Kerry, is urging restraint.)

\http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-22580707

"Mr Kerry said there were "credible allegations" of "gross human rights violations" by the Nigerian military."

Which side are you on, Mr Kerry?

War on terror? With John Kerry at State, Eric Holder at Justice, and Janet Napolitano at DHS. Even our military under Obama calls the Ft Hood massacre "workplace violence". If you read the latest training materials our military and FBI have to train with, you wouldn't know what it is we are fighting. We may as well say we are fighting the Vikings.

"Death to America."

Union Power Grab in Works

2013-05-19T13:27:00.002-07:00

Hat tip Washington Free Beacon and National Right to Work Committee

With radical DOJ henchman Thomas Perez set to become secretary of labor, read this slippery move by the Obama administration to help unions get their foot in the door of the workplace.

http://freebeacon.com/throwing-open-the-doors-to-unions/

To help fight back, you can help the NRTWC.

Union bosses count on Barack Obama's bureaucracy to serve as an organizing arm for Big Labor.

That's why they know pro-forced unionism Thomas Perez is just the man for the job to be Barack Obama's next Secretary of Labor.

A recent article in the Washington Free Beacon exposes yet another power grab Obama's Department of Labor bureaucrats have implemented to grease the skids for forced unionization of American workers.

You see, when the DOL's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) conducts workplace inspections, workers may select one of their own to observe.

Now, for the first time ever, Obama's OSHA has advised union bosses that they too can observe these inspections, even in nonunion workplaces.

Union operatives would get automatic access to company property and an opportunity to browbeat workers with union-boss propaganda.

Once the Obama Administration has let Big Labor in the door, union bosses could make frivolous accusations of safety violations to try to get the company to sell out its workers with a "card check" agreement.

Over the last four years, the Obama Administration has implemented one behind-the-scenes sweetheart deal after another to make it easier for union bosses to ensnare workers into forced-dues-paying ranks.

That's why if you haven't already, please watch and share the National Right to Work Committee's urgent video alert exposing Perez's long history of using his positions of power to do Big Labor's bidding.

Based on Thomas Perez's record, you can expect more of the same if he's confirmed.

Sincerely,

Mark Mix

P. S. The National Right to Work Committee relies on your voluntary contributions to fund its programs. Please chip in with a contribution of $10 or more today.

The National Right to Work Committee is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, single-purpose citizens' organization dedicated to combating compulsory unionism through an aggressive program designed to mobilize public opposition to compulsory unionism and, at the same time, enlist public support for Right to Work legislation. The Committee's mailing address is 8001 Braddock Road, Springfield, Virginia 22160. The Committee can be contacted toll-free at 1-800-325-7892. 

Not produced or e-mailed at taxpayer expense. 

Zuhdi Jasser- Fighting Islamic Anti-Semitism

2013-05-19T12:59:00.001-07:00

Hat tip Pundicity and Squid

Dr Zuhdi Jasser, a Syrian-American Muslim, has written this article on the problem of Islamic anti-Semitism.

http://www.mzuhdijasser.com/13320/islamist-antisemitism

"The Qatari owned Al Jazeera has aired countless sermons and programs vilifying Jews and Israel. Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi is arguably Sunni Islam's most influential cleric in the world and wields considerable influence in the Muslim Brotherhood. Reaching weekly over 60 million viewers in his program "Shariah and Life," he commonly spews anti-Western and anti-Semitic conspiracy theories. On January 28, 2009, he stated "the last punishment was carried out by Hitler…this was divine punishment for them. Allah willing, the next time will be at the hands of the believers."

I cannot resist the temptation to point out that Al Gore recently sold his Current TV to Al Jazeera after refusing to sell it to groups that "do not share his ideology." Way to go, Mr Gore.

"We must support them by heeding the warnings which the horrible history of Islamist antisemitism has shown and take action to prevent its prevalence on every front throughout the world. The Obama administration cannot even get itself to even use the word "Islamism," let alone take a stand against the pervasive antisemitism created by Islamists at home and abroad. Just like Islamist inspired terror, Islamist inspired antisemitism cannot be treated without targeting Islamism. Instead, President Obama's national security team has engaged Muslim Brotherhood legacy groups in the U.S. and oddly seems to consider the Muslim Brotherhood of Egypt an ally in the making."

Indeed. What kind of contribution has the Obama administration made to fighting anti-Semitism, here or abroad? The President appoints a woman (Hannah Rosenthal) from the George Soros-funded J Street, which masquerades as pro-Israel, but consistently sides with the Palestinian side, as State Department envoy on anti-Semitic issues. She starts off by blasting Michael Oren, the Israeli ambassador to the US in Israel and runs off to attend international conferences devoted to combating Islamophobia. All Obama does is placate the forces that would kill every last Jew in Israel-or anywhere else, for that matter.

I admire Dr Jasser and believe he is a loyal American and courageous person. He chooses to remain a Muslim. Therefore, I fear that there are certain areas that he cannot go into in this article. Specifically, Islamic anti-Semitism has deeper roots than simply the rise of Islamists or the creation of the state of Israel. It is in the texts (Koran, Hadith). Therein lies the problem. How do moderate reformers like Jasser argue theological points with the Yusuf al Qaradawis of the world? How can they win? Those like Jasser have righteousness on their side. The Qaradawis have the texts on theirs. Qaradawi is not considered a fringe character in the Islamic world as many consider Terry Jones to be a fringe Christian pastor. He is one of the most highly respected figures in the Islamic world. His views are generally shared by other leading Islamic authorities such as the prestigious Al Azhar University in Cairo and the Bukhari (Shaf'i) School of Thought.)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammad_al-Bukhari

My question is; were Dr Jasser to refute the references to Jews (as well as Christians) in the Koran and the Hadith (for example, the Jews hiding behind rocks and trees on the Day of Judgement and the rocks and trees calling out to the Muslim to come and kill them), would he be guilty of blasphemy, and thus, subject to the death penalty under (hudud) sharia law?

Dr Jasser probably has enough death threats as it is.

When a Somali Journalist Decides It's Safer to Tell the Truth in Somalia Than Sweden

2013-05-19T10:51:00.004-07:00

Hat tip Vlad Tepes

Here is a Swedish news report on the plight of a young Somali refugee/journalist who is returning to Somalia. Why? She has decided it's safer to tell the truth about al Shabab in Somalia than it is in Sweden.

More on Anti-Semitism at the University of California, Those Who Speak Out-and Those Who Do Not

2013-05-19T10:13:00.000-07:00

Hat tip American Thinker

Abraham H Miller, in the American Thinker, has written an excellent piece on the problem of anti-Semitism on the University of California campuses. The article is focused on the brave efforts of two Jewish professors, my friends and colleagues, Tammi Rossman-Benjamin and Leila Beckwith, to fight the problem and the attacks they are experiencing. Miller also highlights the hypocrisy of UC administrators in speaking out against certain forms of bigotry while ignoring anti-Semitism. Finally, Miller criticizes so-called Jewish organizations who refuse to join the fight.

http://www.americanthinker.com/2013/05/two_modernday_deborahs_fight_antisemitism.html

Once again, I note with embarrassment that the university where I teach part-time (UC Irvine) is mentioned. Once again, UC San Diego, with its feckless administration over the past several years, is high-lighted. Just last week, UCSD covered itself in shame as it hosted the annual hate fest against Israel and prevented outside people from video-taping at the behest of the Muslim Student Association.

I also note that Hillel, the national organization that is a support group for Jewish students, refuses to get involved-preferring to advise its members to stay away. From what I am told, Hillel at UCSD is a big part of the problem. Here at UC Irvine, their performance has been pretty underwhelming. An even bigger problem in Orange County is the feckless Jewish Federation, which has consistently refused to criticize the university or stand up against anti-Semitism on campus-preferring instead to fund the Olive Tree Initiative, a thinly-disguised pro-Palestinian PR venture masquerading as neutral, all the while assuring its donors that all is well on the UCI campus. And the Anti-Defamation League? Where the Hell have they been? Abraham Foxman has denied any problem at UCI.

Some people need to go back and read their history books.

The Insane Asylum in Janet Napolitano's DHS

2013-05-18T21:16:00.001-07:00

Hat tip Daily Caller

Sensitivity is the key word.

Here's the latest from our gal Janet Napolitano's DHS.

http://dailycaller.com/2013/05/17/homeland-security-guidelines-advise-deference-to-pro-sharia-muslim-supremacists/

What kind of Rube Goldberg organization is this woman running here?

I'm sorry, but I am at a loss for words here. I'll just post it as it is and try to come up with some game show analogy tomorrow.

"Remember boys, not all Germans are bad."

The UC San Diego Anti- Israel Week- A First- Hand Account

2013-05-18T20:44:00.000-07:00

Cynthia McKinney- The nakba at UC San Diego

This past week, the Muslim Student Association at UC San Diego had their annual gloom and doom week of Israel-bashing. JJ Surbeck of T.E.A.M. San Diego was in attendance and has sent me this report.
______________________________________________________________________________

This past week UCSD went through the perennial, wasteful and hateful event known (depending on the year) as "Israel Apartheid Week" or, as was the case this year "Justice in Palestine Week". The same predictable pro-Palestinian "wall" was there on Library Walk. I'll send a separate message analyzing them later.

Further down the walk, the Tritons for Israel had set up a good combination of panels used the last two years and a new great set of banners created by StandWithUs.

So while the amount of misleading information packed on the pro-Palestinian panels was large, they were also uniformly ugly and sinister, whereas the pro-Israel material was colorful, nicely printed and definitely more attractive.

Additionally, the Tritons for Israel had come up with a great idea: a banner and booth that said "Come talk to a real Israeli soldier", a place manned by several young Israelis who - by definition - just went through their military service.

Worth nothing also, because to my knowledge that was a first: the Young Republicans had a booth in the "free speech area" closer to the Geisel Library with a big panel displaying two great quotes, one from Bill Clinton and the other from Condoleeza Rice, both blaming the Palestinians for the absence of peace. Way to go, Young Republicans!

This year, there were no activities at noon on the Palestinian side, which was surprising, while the Jewish students met to discuss the situation of Israel.

The pro-Palestinians also had their usual roster of speakers (more on that below), while the pro-Israel students had none, having decided (rightly or wrongly) that there was no point inviting speakers whose lectures were attended only by a handful of pro-Israel students (just as the pro-Palestinian speakers never garnered audiences of more than 40 people as far as I could see).

As I had done in previous years, I wanted to tape the pro-Palestinian speakers, but once again the UCSD administration bowed to the demands of the MSA (Muslim Students Association) and banned all taping, distribution of flyers or sign display. In the heart of academe where all you hear year round are clamors demanding free speech and academic freedom, it is particularly bizarre, if not shocking, to see the administration of a UC system college prevent anyone from exercising their first amendment rights to film or tape an event taking place in a publicly funded institution of higher learning. I had a long discussion with Gary Radcliff, who represented UCSD to explain (and enforce) this policy, and his position was that the MSA being a student organization, they are considered as separate from UCSD (try to figure that one out since it is UCSD that approves them and gives them the coveted "student group" status) and therefore as a "separate" body that rents space on the campus, they are entitled to determine whether the events they organize are going to be open or closed. This is a general problem within the entire UC system and it needs to be addressed globally. From another perspective, one is entitled to ask what it is that all these pro-Palestinian groups (who do the same thing on every campus where they use similar tactics) have to hide. What are they so afraid of showing? After listening to (too many) of their lectures, I find that there is nothing particularly enlightening, brilliant, sophisticated or constructive in there. What you have are lots of slogans, tired clichés, angry outbursts, demands, demands and more demands, but nothing in terms of dialogue or expression of willingness to compromise. What they're probably concerned about is that their raw hate is so blatant that the risks are high that they slip into legally actionable language.Their message is always the same: we have been wronged, we are entitled to everything we demand, Israel is an illegal occupier and we will eventually get our land back. Simplistic and misleading as it is, repeated with enough conviction and passion, ignorant students fall easily for their theatrics. After all these years, it is still a zero-sum game in their mind: Israel will disappear and Palestine will replace it. Really?

After arguing with Mr. Radcliff over the silliness of their no-taping policy, I said fine, but I didn't want to abandon my camera, so I asked if it would be ok if I took it with me and not use it, since the security service hired by the AS for the MSA (yep, student money paid for this) kept an eye on me (and everybody else), ready to pounce on anyone even appearing to want to tape or take a picture. He said fine. But not even five minutes after I had sat down in the auditorium, the security staff and Mr. Radcliff converged on me, all of them telling me that I needed to surrender my camera. What happened (most likely since I saw the same thing happen two days later) was that the MSA leader, a certain Amal, had a fit when he heard that I had been allowed in with a videocam and demanded that it be seized. The security personnel took it and promised to give it back to me on the way out (which they did when I left). I tried to ask Mr. Radcliff on what legal ground they had demanded that I surrender my camera, but he refused to answer, which could mean that the administration is on shaky legal ground in this respect.

Be that as it may, after all these exciting preliminaries, I was eager to hear the speakers. First came Remi Kanazi, a Palestinian-American activist who kept repeating "I'm a poet". And indeed he recited over a long hour four fiery "poems" that sounded more like angry political statements, interspersed with long rants using all the usual terminology. Some of his comments would probably hurt the feelings of J Street, which he dismissed as useless, and made fun openly of the "dialoguers" since in his opinion there is nothing to dialogue about. The titles of his four "poems" were "This poem will not end apartheid", "Nakba", "Before the machetes are raised", "Normalize this". I'll admit to not knowing much about poetry, but that was either very bad poetry, or hateful prose masquerading as poetry.

Next came an old Nemesis, local Palestinian activist Nasser Barghouti, who launched into a long attack on drones and how Israel plays an important role in the development of these flying machines. The rest was his usual explanation of why the BDS movement is so important and how it is winning hears and minds all over the world (the fact that this boasting was largely fictional did not seem to bother him too much).

I was not able to attend the lecture that took place the next day with Gary Fields and Rosauria Sanchez, so if anyone went, please let me know what you got out of it. I'll just mention that I saw Gary Fields the next day, and he seemed very pleased with himself, telling me that it had been a great evening (the topic was a comparison between the security fence built by Israel to protect itself from Palestinian suicide bombers, and the US-Mexico fence, built by the US to prevent illegal immigrants to infiltrate in the country). Sorry I missed that one...

Finally, on Thursday, Prof. Hatem Bazian from UC Berkeley and former congresswoman Cynthia McKinney gave the most bizarre duo performance I've seen in a long time. Bazian started by stating that it was "investigations against the SJP at UCSB and UCI that caused divisions on campuses" (right, it could not have been the divisive activities of these groups themselves, could it?), that all the money Israel receives from the US is not just $ 3B but 7B (!!!), and that the grand total from 1949 to 2010 has been $114B (he cited unspecified congressional sources). Another clever twist: he acknowledged that critics of Hawking who pointed out that his elaborate electronic chair that allows him to function and communicate despite his severe physical limitations was based on Intel chips, but he quickly added that the real question was how Intel came to set up shop in Israel in the first place. That was rather pathetic. He concluded by acknowledging that Arab countries receive also loads of money from the US, but he was opposed to that because it prevented them from developing themselves on their own (go tell that to Egypt right now, on the brink of massive famine.) One last interesting wrinkle: he claimed that the reason Jonathan Pollard is still in jail is because he gave information not only to the Israelis, but in fact to the Russians VIA the Israelis. Never heard that one before.

Finally, the apotheosis was Cynthia McKinney. The best and shortest description of her performance was is that she made absolutely no sense. Long-winded sentences interrupted by long blanks and awkward silent moments, she lost track of whatever she wanted to say (assuming she was trying to say something) so often that the embarrassment became palpable. Then she fumbled with her laptop so badly that an MSA student had to run from the back of the room to come to her rescue. She showed a couple of YouTube clips, one of which showed ex-NATO Supreme Commander Wesley Clark report that someone at the Pentagon had told him that the US was planning to invade and destroy 7 Middle Eastern countries in 5 years. She concluded with a shot of The Forward, a left-leaning Jewish journal, with the headline "New Congress has a record number of Jews". She didn't comment on it, but the implied anti-semitism was obvious. At any rate, that is one speaker that the MSA is certain to never invite again. She ruined their show. Since I didn't see anyone that I know from the pro-Israel side in the room, I don't know if others enjoyed this debacle, but I certainly did. Maybe that's why they're so secretive about their lectures and they don't want anyone to tape anything: their speakers are so bad or lie so much that they would prove embarrassing if it became public. Well, this one became public anyway, which proves that their no-taping policy is pointless, and the UCSD administration is wrong to allow it. Let's hope that this ridiculous attitude will be changed for the better and all lectures on campus will be open and transparent. Student groups must be notified that no ban will be allowed any more.

J.J. Surbeck
Executive Director

Training and Education About the Middle East
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Kudos to JJ and T.E.A.M. San Diego. Kudos as well go out to Tritons for Israel, Stand With Us, and the Young Republicans of UCSD. As for the university, they need to hire some new legal counsel if they think they can collude with the MSA to deny people their rights to film. They are probably going to need it.

As for that wall, if it's the same wall used at UC Irvine the previous week, they'd better check it for termites.

The Islamophobia Research and Documentation Project at the University of California at Berkeley

2013-05-18T13:12:00.003-07:00

Gary Fouse
fousesquawk
http://garyfouse.blogspot.com

Get a load of this:

http://crg.berkeley.edu/content/islamophobia

This, of course, is the brainchild of professor Hatem Bazian, who not so long ago was an activist student at Berkeley. Just this past week, he was sharing a stage at UC San Diego with Cynthia McKinney as she struggled to put a coherent thought together (see my post).

http://garyfouse.blogspot.com/2013/05/hatem-bazian-cynthia-mckinney-at-ucsd.html

So now Berkeley, which is a boffo institution on its best of days, has this what-ever-you-call- it devoted to documenting any thought or utterance critical of Islam and the Islamist agenda of establishing world-wide supremacy over the rest of us and whatever other religion we may believe in.

Never mind that Muslims enjoy equal rights in America and full freedom to practice their faith-as they do in that other country so vilified by Bazian-Israel.

Never mind that in virtually every Muslim majority nation on earth, religious minorities are being actively persecuted by violent and often legal means.

Never mind that just since 9-11, there have been over 20,000 acts of terror carried out world-wide in the name of Islam.

Never mind the virulent expressions of hate spewing forth from the mouths of imams reading passages from the Koran directed toward Jews and Christians in mosques and madrassas around the world.

Never mind that on almost any day, Muslims in Iraq, Pakistan, or Afghanistan are killing other Muslims (Sunni-Shia) while Sufis and Ahmadiya Muslims are also persecuted in Muslim countries.

None of that matters, you see because all that matters is that little things like the above have given some folks a rather negative perception of Muslims.

Except for the fact that most Americans have done a good job of separating the innocent Muslims from the violent jihadists-and their apologists.

But let's take a look inside the pages of this "project" (link above). The first thing you note is the recent 4th annual study of Islamophobia conference (apparently just concluded). I wonder if Cynthia McKinney spoke at that one.

Also check out the inaugural edition of the Islamophobia Studies Journal and peruse the list of articles. They can be read in full if you are into masochism.

http://crg.berkeley.edu/content/islamophobia/islamophobia-studies-journal

Like this one from Bazian:

http://crg.berkeley.edu/sites/default/files/Bazian.pdf

"Since the events of September 11, 2001, the FBI and other security
agencies have resorted to the recruitment of Muslim informants by means of
enticement and, if necessary, threats of deportation or financial ruin. From
the cases that have come to light, it is clear that vast sections of the Muslim
community and its civic and religious institutions are the intended targets of
these FBI operations."

Bazian then goes into a lengthy treatise of the "objectionable" FBI efforts to develop sources of information within the Muslim community and likens it to the COINTEL probes of decades past. Of course, what he doesn't stress is that the objective is to save innocent lives from terrorist attacks. His article, was of course, written before the latest attack in Boston.

Speaking of Boston, there is also this gem by Professor Muhammad Tamdgidi of the University of Massachusetts at Boston, in which he quotes a definition of Islamophobia as adopted by the Runnymede Trust on Islamophobia Report of 1997.

http://crg.berkeley.edu/sites/default/files/Tamdgidi.pdf

"The Runnymede report defined Islamophobia and “closed views of
Islam” as follows:

1. Islam [is] seen as a single monolithic bloc, static and unresponsive
to new realities.
2. Islam [is] seen as separate and other—(a) not having any aims or
values in common with other cultures (b) not affected by them (c)
not influencing them.
3. Islam [is] seen as inferior to the West—barbaric, irrational,
primitive, sexist.
4. Islam [is] seen as violent, aggressive, threatening, supportive of
terrorism, engaged in ‘a clash of civilisations’.
5. Islam [is] seen as a political ideology, used for political or military
advantage.
6. Criticisms made by Islam of ‘the West’ [are] rejected out of hand."
7. Hostility towards Islam [is] used to justify discriminatory practices
towards Muslims and exclusion of Muslims from mainstream
society.
8. Anti-Muslim hostility [is] accepted as natural and ‘normal’.4
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

But our friends at the IRDP wish to define Islamophobia as follows:

"Islamophobia is a contrived fear or prejudice fomented by the existing Eurocentric and Orientalist global power structure. It is directed at a perceived or real Muslim threat through the maintenance and extension of existing disparities in economic, political, social and cultural relations, while rationalizing the necessity to deploy violence as a tool to achieve "civilizational rehab" of the target communities (Muslim or otherwise). Islamophobia reintroduces and reaffirms a global racial structure through which resource distribution disparities are maintained and extended."

According to that latter definition, I am can proudly attest that I am not an Islamophobe. Admittedly, the former, at least in certain points, is more problematical for me. I know one thing, however; I don't go around referring to people from other religions as "apes and pigs" and envision the day when I will hunt them down behind the last tree or rock to kill them. I don't know where that fits into anyone's definition of "phobia", but it must fit in somewhere.

Another featured article is by two professors at British universities who compare Islamophobia with European anti-Semitism:

http://crg.berkeley.edu/sites/default/files/Meer-Modood.pdf

What is conveniently missing from this piece is the fact that most of the anti-Semitism in Europe today is by young male Muslim immigrants who are making it impossible for Jews to walk the streets of major cities dressed in distinctive Jewish garb lest they be insulted, spat upon, accosted or assaulted by the aforementioned criminals while intimidated Europeans turn a blind eye. Also missing are images like this, which just may contribute to "British Islamophobia".

But here is where it really gets good. Introducing Professor Ramon Grosfoguel of (where else?) UC Berkeley:

Ramon Grosfoguel

http://crg.berkeley.edu/sites/default/files/Ramon-Grosfoguel.pdf

" For the sake of economizing space, when we use the term
“world-system” in this essay, we refer to the “modern/colonial Westernized
Christian-centric capitalist/patriarchal world-system” (Ibid). At the risk of
sounding ridiculous, we prefer a long phrase like this to characterize the
present heterarchical structure (multiple power hierarchies entangled to
each other in complex historical ways) of the world-system, than the limited
characterization of a single hierarchy called “capitalist world-system” with
capital accumulation as the single logic of the system (Ibid). The latter leads
to an economic reductionist understanding of the world-system, while the
former leads to a more complex, non-reductive structural-historical analysis.
Islamophobia as a form of racism against Muslim people is not an
epiphenomenon but constitutive of the international division of labor."

(It means capitalism is bad.)

"At a world level, Islamophobia has been the dominant discourse used
in the post-civil rights and post-independence era of dominant cultural racist
discourses against Arabs. The events of 911 escalated anti-Arab racism
through an Islamophobic hysteria all over the world, specifically among the
dominant elites of the United States and Israel. The latter is not surprising
given US and Israeli representation of Palestinians, Arabs and Islamic people
in general as terrorist decades before 911 (Said 1979; 1981). The
responsibility of US foreign policy is never linked to the tragic events of 911."

OK. Enough of that. I think you get the flavor. Essentially, everything about the West is bad, which leads one to wonder why the various authors have chosen to live in the West.

This is no Simon Wiesenthal Center, Folks. Keep in mind that as we speak, the 56-nation Organization of Islamic Cooperation is still working hard to get the UN to pass a resolution that all member nations should criminalize any criticism of Islam. So is it fair to ask whether this "research and documentation" project is meant to be a repository of information on all those so-called "Islamophobes", real or imagined? Is there a larger agenda at work here against capitalism, democracy, true freedom and respect for ALL religions, and other institutions we have heretofore held so dear?

How sad it is that this is what passes for scholarship in places like the University of California at Berkeley.