Palin Sources Claim that She was Troubled by John Birch Society's Sponsorship of CPAC

washingtonpost the fix ^ | FridayJanuary 8, 2010 | Chris Cillizza

[Bigtigermike]

Palin announced late Thursday that she would attend SRLC, joining Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal and former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee as announced speakers. Interestingly, Palin also announced on Thursday that she would not be speaking at CPAC, a gathering of conservatives in Washington in mid February -- a decision, according to those familiar with her thinking, due at least in part to the fact that the John Birch Society is one of the sponsors

[faucetman]

I agree, I find no problem with JBS.

[UB355]

DAVID KEENE ENDORSES GOVERNOR MITT ROMNEY

http://schotlinepress.wordpress.com/2007/11/30/david-keene-endorses-governor-mitt-romney/

[NormsRevenge]

lol.. Pure pootakai

I would be more willing to bite on she was saddened by the acceptance of backing from GLBT critters

I doubt Sarah has a bone up for the JBS.

[NormsRevenge]

Yours is a fair and even handed assessment.

I bristle when I see his name , a man who died at the hands of our biggest “buddy” today, no make that biggest debt holder.. a patriot who died a criminal’s death, a true patriot hooked up to those who have no knowledge of history or seem to care less that some of us do.

Poxes on all their households.

[DoughtyOne]

Frankly, I had hoped her decision was based on GOProud’s co-sponsorship.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2412398/posts

That this person thinks it’s more germane to mention the John Birch Society, isn’t particularly flattering to Palin.

I will caution folks to remember though, this is sourced from ‘a person familiar with her thinking’. Every leftist in the U.S. thinks they’re familiar with her thinking. Katie Couric thinks she’s familiar with her thinking.

[Bigtigermike]

I will caution folks to remember though, this is sourced from ‘a person familiar with her thinking’. Every leftist in the U.S. thinks they’re familiar with her thinking. Katie Couric thinks she’s familiar with her thinking.

Funny....you’re right about Perky Katie!

[Dawgreg]

That’s exactly what I saw yesterday.......:)

[DoughtyOne]

I agree completely. I’ve looked them up too.

It seems to me people have been working awfully hard to cast the JBS as something as negative as the KKK. That isn’t even close to the truth.

They may be misguided on an issue or two, but their hearts are in the right place and they make a awful lot of sense.

I didn’t see a single thing that put me off supporting them, when I looked around. I haven’t, but that doesn’t mean I don’t share a lot of their beliefs.

[Zionist Conspirator]

Sarah knows the Birch Society is anti-Israel and in fact considers pro-Israel dispensationalism a "plot" of "the Conspiracy." Why wouldn't she be troubled?

BTW, there is absolutely nothing "grass roots" about the JBS.

[Marty62]

“Palin also announced on Thursday that she would not be speaking at CPAC, a gathering of conservatives in Washington in mid February — a decision, according to those familiar with her thinking, due at least in part to the fact that the John Birch Society is one of the sponsors. “

I think Sarah is perfedtly capable of speaking for herself.

[Zionist Conspirator]

So what’s up with the John Birch Society these days? Seems like they’ve been keeping a low profile for some time, but lately I keep seeing their name pop up here and there. As I remember them from some years back, they never would have associated themselves with the mainstream political class, even if they were conservatives. In any case, I don’t see why Sarah Palin would have a problem with them, unless she is concerned that the media will try to typecast her as a conspiracy nut.

I was a member of the Birch Society from 1977 to 1981. They are bad news.

They serve as the "blue lodge" and recruiting point for the anti-Semitic movement. They indoctrinate recruits into anti-Semitism with the word "Jews" removed ("the Conspiracy"), and eventually the recruit makes the connection and becomes a Jew-hating loon.

They are also unapologetic pre-WWII right wingers. While they were all for American "interference" against Communism in most parts of the world, they were opposed to America helping Israel against its own Communist threat because "both sides" were allegedly run by "the Conspiracy" (how convenient!). Furthermore, while they were all for the draft in the Sixties (they rejected the anti-draft ideology as "libertarian" rather than conservative) but now that we're fighting moslems they're suddenly against the draft--and writing articles on how bad the draft was in WWII (another "Jewish" war).

For the record, I am also opposed to a military draft, but I am so consistently--unlike the JBS.

[yongin]

If Palin made an issue out of GOProud, then the media will bash her for being homophobic. Instead, the media is playing up the john Birch angle as proof of a smoking gun that CPAC and all conservatives are racist.

Last month, Rachel Maddow made a big stink about the JBS being a sponsor of CPAC. She went on a tirade about how the JBS supported Jim Crow laws as a means to stop Communism.

[RaceBannon]

I’d bet this is disinformation.

Thee is NOTHING wrong with John Birch, they are among the most conservative/constitutionalist organization out there

[RaceBannon]

http://www.jbs.org

http://www.thenewamerican.com

[Retired COB]

I didn’t even know there still was a John Birch Society.

Yeah, and their youth movement - the Sons of Birchers.

[SoCalPol]

JBS members I have talked to over the yrs. are anti war,
anti Israel, and usually vote for the Third Party loons who
help facilitate a Democrat victory.

JBS is part of the problem.

[RaceBannon]

DAVID KEENE:

Vigilant Freedom/910 Group Blog
Islamisation of David Keene, American Conservative Union
June 27, 2007 by Christine | 910 Group | 20:28:12 | |

David Keene, chairman of the American Conservative Union (ACU), has been moving, along with several other paleo-conservatives like Dinesh D?Souza, towards a partnership with Saudi-funded, pro-Hamas institutions. A forewarning was the appointment of Grover Norquist to the ACU board.

A second forewarning was the appointment of Suhail Khan to the ACU board.

Then Tuesday, David Keene joined United for Peace and Justice, the ACLU, the Communist Party-USA, as a speaker in the ?Day of Action to Restore Law and Justice? to

??call on Congress to restore habeas corpus, fix the Military Commissions Act, end torture and rendition and restore our constitutional rights. Activists from all fifty states will gather at Upper Senate Park on June 26, 2007 and deliver tens of thousands of signatures to Congress, urging the restoration of our rights.?

In addition to the ACU?s new imam David Keene at the rally, representing the American Conservative Union (by name, as an organization), other rally sponsors included:

Alliance for Justice
American Friends Service Committee National
Criminal Justice Program
American Humanist Association
American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee
Americans for Democratic Action
Arab American Institute
Asian American Justice Center
Bill of Rights Defense Committee
Campaign for America?s Future
Center for American Progress Action Fund
Center for Constitutional Rights
CODEPINK
Education for Peace in Iraq Center
Episcopal Church
Equal Justice Society
Friends Committee on National Legislation
Global Rights
Hip Hop Caucus
Human Rights First
Human Rights Watch
Immigration Equality
Institute for Policy Studies
Islamic Society of North America
JALSA - the Jewish Alliance for Law and Social Action
Japanese American Citizens League

League of Women Voters US
LULAC
MoveOn.org
NAACP
National Association of Social Workers
National Organization for Women
NETWORK
No2Torture
Peace Action
People For the American Way
Physicians for Human Rights
Progressive Democrats of America
Public Citizen
Religious Action Center
Rural Organizing Project
Stop Torture Permanently
TASSC International
The Shalom Center
TrueMajority.org
United for Peace and Justice
United States Student Association
US Action
Veterans for Peace
Working Assets Wireless
Women?s International League for Peace and Freedom
Young Democrats of America
Velvet Revolution

And regional groups:

Amnesty International USA - Greater
Philadelphia Area
Amnesty International USA - Puget Sound
Arab American Community Coalition (WA)
Asian Bar Association of Washington
Brandywine Peace Community
CASA Latina (WA)
CAUSA, Oregon?s Immigrant Rights Coalition
Community Alliance of Lane County (Oregon)
Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) - PA
Hate Free Zone of Washington
Japanese American Citizens Leage - Seattle Chapter
King County Asian Pacific Islander Coalition
Lancaster Coalition for Peace and Justice
League of Women Voters - PA

Liberty Center for Survivors of Torture
National Organization for Women - New York State
Northwest Immigrant Rights Project
October 22 Coalition
Oregon Peace Works
Peace Action of Central NY
Peace Action WI
Pittsburgh/Western PA Irish American Unity
Conference
Philadelphia Physicians for Social
Responsibility
Sound Nonviolent Opponents of War
Syracuse Peace Council
Thomas Merton Center
Washington Peace Center
Western Washington Fellowship of Reconciliation

In his day job, Keene is also a managing associate at the Carmen Group, Washington, DC lobbying firm. He is on the lobbying teams representing special interests (corporations, states and associations) in International, Homeland [security], Procurement Solutions, Postal, and Education areas.

And in that day job, David Keene (really productive guy BTW, kudos for his work ethic) represents among other clients, Algeria:

Washington Post: Carmen?s Africa Team Has Its Keystone

July 6, 2006

By Judy Sarasohn

The Carmen Group, which in the past year has made a play for business in Africa and hired strategically to make that happen, has scored a substantial lobbying client ? the government of Algeria.

While it might not be in the Indian casino range, the fee is a healthy $25,000 a month, for a total of $300,000 for the one-year term of the contract, according to the Carmen Group?s Foreign Agents Registration Act filing with the Justice Department. The shop also filed a lobby registration with Congress.

And for these fees, the Carmen Group says it will work to strengthen relations between the Algerian and U.S. governments and expand trade, through government relations and ?strategic advice.? The Carmen team will brief U.S. policymakers, ?project an up-to-date image of Algeria? and promote congressional, public and media support for ?Algeria?s legitimate interests and policy goals,? according to the FARA report. The shop will also promote contacts with U.S. business interests.

In a recent interview, David Carmen said there was ?no single issue? at this time to lobby on for Algeria, but the shop will be ?brand-building? in Washington and working to get more businesses to invest in that nation. Algeria as a client was in the works when the company started to work on building an Africa practice, he said.

David Keene, a managing associate at Carmen and chairman of the American Conservative Union, is responsible for managing the firm?s services for Algeria, according to the contract with Algeria. But also on the team: the aforementioned David Carmen, Gerald Carmen, John Ladd, Constance Berry Newman, William Outhier, Paul Marisa and Charles Williams.

Newman, a former assistant secretary of state for African affairs, was one of those strategic hires earlier this year, as was Williams, former chief of staff to Rep. Jim McDermott (D-Wash.) and former president of the US-Nigeria Development Institute in Abuja, Nigeria.

And last month, Michael Lempres, former vice president of the Overseas Private Investment Corp., returned after a hiatus of several years to be managing director of Carmen?s international practice and direct the Africa practice. Earlier, he was director of international affairs for the Justice Department in the administration of George H.W. Bush.

BUT WAIT! There?s more - Imam Keene, presumably representing his new Algerian clients in their PR outreach (and other clients To Be Determined) is tackling that real problem in the US of concern to American Conservative Union members natonwide - Islamophobia!

Received in yesterday?s email:

CONSERVATIVE LEADER TO SPEAK ON ?ISLAMOPHOBIA? PANEL - TOP

(WASHINGTON, D.C., 6/26/07) - On Tuesday, July 17, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) will host a panel discussion at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., entitled ?Attacking Islam: Implications for Social Cohesion and U.S. Relations with the Muslim World.?

The panel will address the increasing anti-Muslim rhetoric within the conservative movement in the United States, focusing on the negative impact of such views on religious tolerance in America and on relations with the Muslim world.

Presenters:

* David Keene, President, American Conservative Union
* Parvez Ahmed, Chairman, Council on American-Islamic Relations

WHEN: Tuesday, July 17, 2007, 9:30 a.m. - 11 p.m.
WHERE: Holeman Lounge, National Press Club, Washington, D.C.

Refreshments will be served. Admission is free but seating is limited and reservations are required. Please RSVP via e-mail to events@cair.com or call .

CAIR, America?s largest Islamic civil liberties group, has 33 offices and chapters nationwide and in Canada. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.

CONTACT: CONTACT: CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, or, E-Mail: ihooper@cair.com; CAIR Communications Coordinator Rabiah Ahmed, or, E-Mail: rahmed@cair.com; CAIR Communications Coordinator Amina Rubin,, E-Mail: arubin@cair.com

So here?s the multiple choice question: When David Keene, chairman of the ACU, makes a national effort to accuse the American public of Islamophobia and silence all criticism of Muslim Brotherhood front organizations in the U.S., whom does he represent?

a. Imam David Keene
b. The American Conservative Union members, who probably haven?t a clue this is going on
c. Algeria

d. The Muslim Brotherhood

e. CAIR

f. The new special envoy of the White House to the Organization of Islamic Conferences

g. Hmm, maybe other wealthy countries in the middle east known to have given CAIR $50 million for public relations?

h. All of the above

[RaceBannon]

I never caught any anti-semitism in JBS, where did you get that??

[Zionist Conspirator]

JBS members I have talked to over the yrs. are anti war, anti Israel, and usually vote for the Third Party loons who help facilitate a Democrat victory.

JBS is part of the problem.

Absolutely. Yet they aren't consistently anti-war. They're against the wot because it is seen as too "Jewish" (like WWII). However, they were all for American covert operations in Central America and other places (they even set up a front to promote such operations, Western Goals). They are isolationists only when Israel might benefit from American action.

Sarah Palin is pro-Israel. No wonder she is troubled by the John Birch Society.

[Funee Kat]

It’s definetly helpful to hear the perspective of someone who was a member. I just read their literature, I remember the number 2 (Gary Allen?)guy often denying that they were anti semitic claiming that he was himself Jewish. I know that many nationalist US groups from the 30’s through the 50’s were anti semetic, a mantle that seems proudly taken up by the Democratic Party now.