Posted on 07/25/2007 6:16:10 PM PDT by goldstategop
He hasn't yet entered the Presidential race, and yet Fred Thompson, yesterday, showed us why he's the scariest Republican Presidential candidate. And maybe the scariest of both parties.
Don't believe Thompson's claim that he understands the Islamist jihadist threat to America. His announcement, yesterday, of his choice of Spencer Abraham as campaign manager, told us everything we need to know. Although Abraham, of Lebanese descent, is a Maronite Christian, he is a career water carrier for Islamists of the most extremist stripe and made that the cornerstone of his failed, one-term Senate career and equally lousy tenure as Energy Secretary.
Spencer Abraham: Former Bush Energy Secretary, Current Pan-Islamist & Fred Thompson Campaign Manager
As a conservative--but more important, as an American concerned about the future of this country in the face of a terrorist threat--Thompson's choice of Spencer Abraham was the nail in the coffin for me in opposing Fred Thompson's quest for the White House.
I know Spencer Abraham. He wrote one of my recommendations for law school. And the Spencer Abraham that I and all of America have since experienced is bad news for everyone except CAIR, ADC, MPAC, ISNA, and all Islamists who want to endanger America.
In 2003, I wrote the definitive column on Spencer Abraham a/k/a Spence a/k/a Edward Spencer Abraham (which was quoted in The Washington Post), and I re-publish it below, with several additions I've made, updating it. At the time Spence was still Energy Secretary, but he left to become a lobbyist for Islamist countries.
As a Senator, he took marching orders from James Zogby of the pan-Islamist Arab American Institute, opposing profiling of Arabs, the use of secret evidence against Muslims (at the behest of Muslim groups), attempting to repeal the Clinton counterterrorism package, refusing to fund computer tracking of student and other foreign aliens, giving millions in our tax money right to Hezbollah, and putting CAIR on the map on Capitol Hill (taking the group's officials around to meet other Senators and Members of Congress). He took campaign contributions from the relatives of Hezbollah-backed top Lebanese officials after he got the group millions in our tax money.
Spence was one of only two Senators in the entire U.S. Senate who refused to sign a letter calling on President Clinton to condemn Palestinian terrorism and Yasser Arafat. This was at the height of a series of homicide bombings in 1999 and 2000.
As Energy Secretary, he gave top secret tours of nuclear facilities, as well as detailed information on how we secure them to Muslim nations who are our enemies. And he gave out undue post-9/11 awards to Al-Qaeda money-launderers . . . at the White House. The money launderers were raided by U.S. Customs Service agents.
After he left the Bush cabinet, Spence became a lobbyist for Mid-Eastern Muslim countries that practice the Arab boycott of Israel and don't really like us too much either. He took their money and until the Thompson race, did their bidding.
Do you really support a guy, Fred Thompson, who picked this man to head up his team? Either Thompson is clueless about Abraham, which should immediately disqualify him for the White House and frighten all of us about how he makes decisions. Or he knows about Abraham, and went with him anyway. Just as bad.
If you want to say no to jihad, you WILL say NO to Fred Thompson. He chose, and now we must choose against him:
JIHAD SPENCE: Bush's Dangerous Energy Secretary is Now Fred Thompson's Campaign Manager
By Debbie Schlussel
Since the Blackout of 2003, he's gotten lots of TV face time. But should U.S. energy policy be entrusted to Spencer Abraham?
In 2000, President Bush said his Cabinet would "look like America," nominating Abraham, the defeated Lebanese-American Senator from Michigan, to Energy Secretary--part of the Bush strategy targeting the Arab vote.
But was this political strategy in the best interest of the country? Abraham's record suggests otherwise.
In the two years since 9/11, Abraham did absolutely nothing to improve our precarious electric power situation.
That would be bad enough.
But, since 9/11, Abraham continued a controversial UN-sponsored program allowing foreign visitors from countries on the State Department terrorist list to tour U.S. nuclear reactors. A course sponsored by the UN International Atomic Energy Agency, taught by U.S. nuclear weapons lab security personnel, gives tours of Nuclear Regulatory Commission facilities and teaches participants from 57 countries--including Iran, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia--security techniques employed at American nuclear sites. "They were teaching them to black out systems, which they could use against us at labs," an official told a popular newssite.
The Clinton Administration taught the course to foreign representatives, too. But that was pre-9/11. In the post-9/11 era, Abraham irresponsibly continued it, despite protests.
Then there's Jamal Barzinji. Abraham enlisted him to find parties who helped and reached out to Muslims after 9/11, with Abraham hosting an awards ceremony for them. Problem is, Barzinji is an officer and/or director in SAFA Trust, Mar-Jac Poultry, and International Institute for Islamic Thought, all raided by Customs in March 2002 for laundering over $1.7 billion to Al-Quaida and Islamic Jihad (through indicted University of South Florida professor and alleged Islamic Jihad frontman Sami Al-Arian).
More troubling is Abraham's Senate record, ignored by his former Senate colleagues in an easy confirmation hearing.
Should a Senator who deliberately endangered national security for Arab/Muslim votes and campaign money be entrusted to oversee U.S. energy policy and access?
Abraham's frightening national security record included:
Liberal immigration policy, including lax foreign visitor tracking, at the behest of Arab/Muslim groups; Tried to End Profiling, Secret Evidence Use Against Terrorists
Abraham was Senate Immigration Subcommittee Chairman through the end of 2000. Abraham routinely caved to the demands of Arab/Muslim leaders, such as the Arab American Institute's James Zogby, on national security matters, especially immigration.
"Ever since (I first met) him, Abraham has been coming to us and giving advice, support and the benefits of his leadership," Zogby told The Detroit News.
And taking Zogby's advice, too.
Abraham actively worked to delay computer systems to track foreign visitors, which Arab/Muslim groups, including Zogby's, strongly opposed. 1996 immigration law required computerized entry and exit tracking of all temporary visas, but was gutted by Abraham and other legislators. They refused to allocate money for the program and delayed its full implementation until 2005. In 2000, Abraham, as Chairman of the Immigration Subcommittee, delayed implementation of other requirements of the 1996 immigration measure, including university-assisted enforcement student visa laws and collection of fees from foreign students to pay for computer tracking.
These programs might have prevented the Sept. 11 attacks. But Abraham desperately craved the Arab/Muslim vote in Michigan.
Abraham also sponsored and pushed for the repeal of the use of secret evidence against terrorists, a vital portion of the Clinton counterterrorism package. He also sought to outlaw profiling of Arabs and Muslims by federal law enforcement.
Foreign aid funding for Hezbollah, rewarded by pseudo-foreign campaign contributions
In July 2000, Abraham sought over $268 million in tax-funded USAID grants for Hezbollah terrorist-controlled Southern Lebanon, at Arab American Institute's Zogby's request. Iranian- and Syrian-backed Hezbollah, has targeted and murdered many Americans. Millions in similar USAID grants (which have scant strings and accountability attached) to Afghanistan were misspent on Taliban terrorist activities. Abraham enlisted Michigan Republican Congressman Joe Knollenberg, on the House International Relations Committee, to push the questionable aid package in the House. They ended up obtaining $86 million, which went straight to Hezbollah and which was never tracked thereafter. They knew this, and that's why they and Zogby sought the money for their Hezbollah friends.
Abraham and Knollenberg were repaid for their efforts, receiving thousands in campaign contributions from Nijad Fares, the Houston-based greencard-holding son of Syrian-backed Lebanese Deputy Prime Minister Issam Fares.
Soft on terrorism
Abraham was one of only two U.S. Senators who refused to sign an October 2000 letter to President Clinton condemning terrorist acts by Yasser Arafat and the P.L.O.
Abraham led the nearly successful June 2001 attempt to reverse the use of classified evidence against terrorists, sponsoring the legislation at the behest of Islamist groups, including the American Muslim Association (AMA) and the American Muslim Political Coordination Council (AMPCC), both headed by Agha Saeed.
In July 1999, Abraham wrote to Saeed, AMA, and AMPCC asking their support: "Your efforts are truly needed in the political arena. . . . You can truly make a difference in the political and policy arenas, and I remain committed to helping you achieve that goal."
But Saeed openly praised Palestinian terrorism as "armed resistance" and appeared at lectures and events sponsored by Hamas front groups, including one panel, in which he was joined by the indicted Al-Arian, entitled: "Zionism: A Racist and Colonialist Ideology." AMA-sponsored events featured these exhortations: "The trees and the stones will say, oh Muslim, there is a Jew hiding behind me. Come and kill him!" "Victory comes from Allah and Hezbollah is our model." "Hear that, Bill Clinton? We are all supporters of Hamas."
Given Spencer Abraham's record of kowtowing to Arab, Muslim, and foreign interests on virtually every national security issue, his hegemony at Energy is disturbing. He should control no form of power--political or electric.
Spencer Abraham is worse. He's a Dhimmi. A GOP Dhimmi.
Woo hoo!! Run, FRed, Run!! You must be over the target! You’ve got the Giuliani supporters running scared!!
Fred’s wife is calling the shots so blame her.
“I dare say Thompson did not just “swoop in”.”
You’re right there, as he hasn’t even swooped yet. Still waiting on the sidelines while others are doing the heavy lifting. I’m not the only one who is aggravated by this stalling tactic. It’s unseemly at this point. He’s dragged it out long enough. Time to sh*t or get off the pot.
“Debbie, it that you?”
No it that not me. Nice typing job.
“He’s a gun grabbing big govt liberal, who supports gay rights, amnesty and global warming BS.”
Can you read? Check out my last line with your specs on:
“Too bad he sucks on social issues.”
Feel better?
I read you fine.
Just voicing my opinion, that okay with you?
Oh my!!! Who is the other one? Hillary, Mitt, or Rudy?
“Oh my!!! Who is the other one? Hillary, Mitt, or Rudy?”
No, the other ones are all those who dislike his new campaign manager, Spencer Abraham. But maybe you like a pro-Arab causes, pro-immigration loser ex-Senator running Fred’s campaign. Each to their own.
“Just voicing my opinion, that okay with you?”
Yup. And so was my response.
Not a Fred Fan I take it. Fred will drag it out as long as politically advantageous and Fred will decide when to announce. In the meantime, the strategy appears to be working. To wit all his detractors and would be opponents' supporters are flustered that they can't pound him without someone saying, "The guy isn't even a candidate. Just tell us about your candidate."
When it comes to Republican candidates and their supporters, I look to see who follows Reagan's 11th commandment.
yitbos
“Not a Fred Fan I take it.”
Actually, that’s not true; I am an agnostic about Fred. I’ll listen to what he says, watch his body language, check out his past votes and the issues he supports, and then make up my mind in comparison to the other candidates (if and when he gets around to announcing). He may end up the best of the lot. He may not. But I’m not going to jump on the “Fred as Savior” holy train as some are doing without even knowing what Fred truly thinks about a variety of matters. Plus, having been burnt once by Bush Jr., I won’t rush into anything this time around and be burnt twice. Once was enough, thank you.
“Fred’s wife is calling the shots so blame her.”
No sale!
“Frankly, I don’t care what Debbie Schlussel thinks of Giuliani or why she supports him. Her backing Rooty`s campaign for POTUS undermines conservatism and promotes liberalism. That makes her politics persona non grata around Free Republic.”
B U M P
“That makes her politics persona non grata around Free Republic.”
Speak for yourself. You are not all of Free Republic by a long shot. You’ve made up your mind (cast in concrete), but others just might not agree with you (the horror of it all). Kind of egocentric of you to speak for all Freepers. Many on this website like Debbie Schussel. You don’t. However, to say her politics, which goes way beyond any support she might have for Rudy Guiliani for Prez, makes her persona non grata is blatantly ridiculous on its face. You are back and forthing right now with someone who likes Debbie. Lot’s of us do. To those of us who appreciate her viewpoints, she is anything but persona non grata. She is a smart, savvy conservative blogger who states facts that you are welcome to dispute, if you can. So unless you are the owner of this website, speak for yourself and not the rest of us, thank you. Oh, and by the way, I got it, you hate Guiliani. Some things are self evident.
JimRob has already spoken and the vast majority of FReepers agree. As I factually stated, Rooty Toot is persona non grata around FR. Guess you missed the spring cleaning effort over here: Will FR embrace socialism to make way for Rudy Giuliani as a Republican presidential candidate? Check it out and get up to speed.
Jim was very clear. Promote and advance the candidacy of the liberal Rudy Giuliani around FR and you'll be history. Zapped. If you don't like that, take it up with the head FReeper.
Conservatives don't support liberals. Period!
“Jim was very clear. Promote and advance the candidacy of the liberal Rudy Giuliani around FR and you’ll be history. Zapped. If you don’t like that, take it up with the head FReeper.
Conservatives don’t support liberals. Period!”
You sir, are an autocrat of the first order. And we were speaking of Debbie Schussel and her support of Rudy. I believe Debbie Schussel is not a Freeper, to my knowledge. Kind of hard for for you to call for her to be zapped. As if she would even care what you might think anyway. Take up your argument with her, not me. I can tell you know nothing about her positions at all on conservative issues in general.
You’d make a great dictator, just like Hugo Chavez, taking out the opposition press. I guess the concept of free speech is not in your repertoire. But frankly, I don’t like talking to you, as you aren’t comprehending anything other than to give out your kneejerk “Rudy” rant. As I don’t even support Rudy for Prez, your rants are falling on deaf ears. Go bug someone else with your Johnny one-note posts. I’m tired of you.
I'm with you on that.
I find the process most interesting this cycle. In my book, Fred has knocked out any chance of Newt running. McCain's plane has crashed again. He will soon be MIA. Rudy has bucks and dems rooting for him. Romney has a governor's organization skills.
yitbos
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