Comments on Informed Comment: Emanuel Apologizes to Arab-Americans; Israel Bloc...

I realize that Rahm Emmanuel didn't really have an...

2008-11-16T07:42:00.000-05:00

I realize that Rahm Emmanuel didn't really have any other options than to do this kind of politically correct apology, but actually what he says doesn't make any sense. Why should HE apologize? He hadn't done anything! He can apologize ON BEHALF OF his father, but had his father actually given him the instructions to do this? And am I really supposed to believe that "these are not the values" of his family? And "for which I was raised" could mean just about anything. Clever politics, but meaningless.

Perhaps he should just have said "I don't agree with a word of this sh.., and it's just my father shooting his mouth off again, he always does that!"

Until now, the Obama appointments and rumored appo...

2008-11-15T14:40:00.000-05:00

Until now, the Obama appointments and rumored appointments are very disappointing. It seems a reflexive Israel=Good, Arabs=Bad mentality will continue to prevail in Washington, certainly if it's true that Clinton was offered the Secretary of State job.

If Obama really needs to turn to previous administrations to fill his cabinet, couldn't he go farther back than Bill Clinton (who, on foreign policy at least, was worse than mediocre)? The last time the Israelis sat up and took notice of American restraining influence, was when George Bush Senior forced them to halt settling activity.

Here in Europe the strangling of Gaza is also underreported, but for a different reason: I think people have lost hope that Israel will ever be humane, or that the US will ever force it to. We're heading for the worst solution possible, namely ethnic cleansing, I think everyone feels that in their hearts. There's just so much fatalism in the air, and the spark of hope the Obama election created is being dimmed with every appointment.

Juan, I would love to see you weigh in on Salon or elsewhere on the Clinton possibility. Maybe the rumors are a trial balloon, if so, progressives must raise their voices.

"I personally never took the elder Emanual's comme...

2008-11-15T13:39:00.000-05:00

"I personally never took the elder Emanual's comment about "mopping floors" to be derogatory."

Really?! Then why do you immediately follow with THIS: "It seemed to me it insinuated...that Chief of Staff isn't a menial job." A menial job being, of course, the kind of job that he would have were he an Arab. And how is that not derogatory?

My God, LISTEN to yourself. Better yet, think before you speak.

.I didn't read Rahm's full letter. Did he say anyt...

2008-11-15T12:35:00.000-05:00

.
I didn't read Rahm's full letter.
Did he say anything about who IS cleaning the floors at the White House ? My guess: Somalis, Eritreans or Ethiopians, on a competed contract. If we had a real free press, someone would check that out.

Did he say anything about being "inclusive" in cabinet selections extending to Arabs or Muslims ?

There was an Arab-American Presidential candidate who came in third nationally in the popular vote. What kind of symbol would it be to have Ralph as Secretary of Commerce or some such ?

I think the idea that Obama represents fundamental change is a bunch of hooey, considering that he owes his start in politics to the Dailey machine, and his rise to the Democrats.
As a right-wing fundamentalist wing nut, I oppose almost everything Nader stands for.
But what a sweet repudiation of corporate control of the nation it would be, having a Secretary Nader at the highest levels of government. That is Change I can Believe in.
.

Lieberman has it wrong.Just don't know how Lieberm...

2008-11-15T11:22:00.000-05:00

Lieberman has it wrong.

Just don't know how Lieberman seemed right when he was Gore's VP pick. I even voted for them at the time.

I personally never took the elder Emanual's commen...

2008-11-15T11:05:00.000-05:00

I personally never took the elder Emanual's comment about "mopping floors" to be derogatory. It seemed to me it insinuated that Rahm would have the ear of the President; that Chief of Staff isn't a menial job. Be it interpreted as one will, wouldn't it be prudent of Presendent-elect Obama to include on his staff an Arab American of some repute as well? One that might also have the ear of the President?

Mr. Cole, an altogether important and spot-on post...

2008-11-15T10:36:00.000-05:00

Mr. Cole, an altogether important and spot-on posting, with one caveat. You say, "[Israel] does not have the right to half-starve civilians in a territory that is still under its occupation authority." I think you'll agree with me that Israel, nor any other country, does not have the right to half-starve civilians in any territory whatsoever, regardless of any kind of occupation status.

I'm hearing a lot of talk by the Republicans to ki...

2008-11-15T07:10:00.000-05:00

I'm hearing a lot of talk by the Republicans to kill President Elect Obama. Are you hearing that where you live? Is this a localized problem or a national conspiracy on the part of the Republicans to kill another U.S. President?

I'm concerned for President Elect Obama and his wife and children. I know from personal experience how vicious and deadly the right wing Fascist Republicans are. I take their threats very seriously. They are not to be taken lightly. They are very capable and experienced at carrying out their threats, as history shows.

The Secret Service has to be especially vigilant in its protection of President Elect and soon to be President Obama. These people are deadly serious in their threats and will go to any lengths to carry them out.

These threats are illegal. Anyone who threatened Bush’s life or any other Republican Presidents life were arrested and thrown in jail. Do we have a double standard in protecting Republican Presidents while ignoring our duty to protect Democratic (and Black) Presidents. It sure looks that way.

If the Republicans succeed in their efforts to assassinate Obama cities will burn. The country will be bathed in smoke and flame. The minorities will rise up in retribution for their fallen hero.

The Republicans are so hate filled, short sighted and stupid that they would cheerfully ignite such an incendiary situation.

May the Benevolent Power of the Universe protect and keep President Obama and his own.

So be it.

I wish you all well.

davr

Did Emanuel complete the seven page job applicatio...

2008-11-15T06:29:00.000-05:00

Did Emanuel complete the seven page job application? If he did, is it public record? If it is, please publish it.

And now Hillary Clinton is being suggested for a t...

2008-11-15T06:15:00.000-05:00

And now Hillary Clinton is being suggested for a top job - the woman who calls the Iranian army a terrorist organisation and has called (like Obama) for illegally occupied Jerusalem to be the eternal capital of the apartheid state. Obama's victory is great news for America the country, but won't change the empire.

It will take more than an apology to convince the ...

2008-11-15T04:38:00.000-05:00

It will take more than an apology to convince the Muslim world that Washington has changed and does not support war crimes such as this one pursued by Israel.

Let's see... what would a President of the United States committed to change do about the chronic crisis in Palestine?

He would immediately send food and fuel aid to Gaza and suspend all aid to Israel until the Israeli blockade of Palestine was lifted.

He would state publicly what the rest of the world has known for years, that all Israeli settlements in Palestine are illegal and must be dismantled.

He would state publicly that Israel must withdraw with in its 1967 borders and return Gaza and the West Bank to the Palestinians.

He would disavow the Fatah Contra group created by Elliot Abrams in Palestine and recognize the dutifully elected government of Hamas there.

He would encourage the Palestinians to declare their sovereign state and would be the first to recognize it.

Do think Obama's Chief of Staff will let him do that?

Or do you think it's Obama who's been sent to mop floors at the White House, to keep them clean for the Chief?

Rahm Emanuel was critical of George W. Bush for no...

2008-11-15T04:23:00.000-05:00

Rahm Emanuel was critical of George W. Bush for not being adequately supportive of Israel. 'Nough said?

And I have heard tonight confirmation that Hillary Clinton was indeed offered the job of Secretary of State. That would be Hillary Clinton who was a major cheerleader for the aggression against Iraq, and has never seen an Israeli atrocity that she could not whole-heartedly support, let alone any military violence against Arabs or Muslims that she could not endorse.

So far I am not encouraged that the Obama administration will offer any kind of change that those of us who care about the Middle East or the Muslim world can live with.