Beran Jeng/ Momodou Sidibeh,
Your reaction to my rather short follow-up to Jassey-Conteh's posting is
simply shadowy! In case you all need reminders, we live in a realistic
world where realistic minds will decipher and react in a realistic and
rational manner to any situation that will affect their lives. Earl's
defeat in the primary is a result of this simple concept. The voters in
Alabama are just being realistic. Simple! This is what I was trying to
convey in my rather incoherent follow-up to Conteh's posting. Blame it on
lack of mental dexterity due to fatigue at the time of writing. My
apologies.
Beran Jeng's statement: "The idea that anyone who has some association with
Gaddaffi and by extension Jammeh, is anti Gambia or anti democracy is
pathetic." Is an outrageous misconception of my stance on this issue. My
ensuing response to Sidibeh will perhaps help Beran understand that my mind
is an enquiring one. Quite contrary to what he thought - pathetic? I don't
think so, dude!
Now, Sidibeh, my assertion that Earl has learnt a lesson that a battle
against anyone supported by the Jewish community in this country is
suicidal is factual and it is the political reality in the United States as
we speak. Start from the White House down to Alabama, Jewish money, power
and influence is everywhere they want to be. This has been the case and is
even more emphasized by the Bush "War on Terror". Any politician that
underrates this fact is committing political suicide and Earl knew that.
Earl, being the first black man elected to Congress from Alabama since
Reconstruction, and a five-term incumbent faced a challenge of his life in
Davis, a 34-year-old lawyer and graduate of Harvard Law School who has
never held elective office. Why was a veteran of the House and a mainstay
of Alabama politics in political danger?
He's got a lot of stains on his record, and some of them are the kind that,
post-September 11, just won't easily wash off.
First, there's Israel. He was one of eleven members of Congress to vote
against a December 2001 resolution "expressing solidarity with Israel in
its fight against terrorism." He has lobbied members of the black caucus to
oppose pro-Israeli initiatives. In May, he was one of 21 members to vote
against another resolution supporting Israel's military offensive into
Palestinian territory.
Then there's his support for brutal, terror-sponsoring regimes: On November
13, 2001 — just two months after the attack on the World Trade Center and
the Pentagon — he introduced a bill to remove constraints from what
Americans term as "rogue nations." The "American Renewed Diplomacy Act of
2001" would terminate all American economic sanctions worldwide and require
the U.S. to form diplomatic ties with all nations within 90 days. It would
also divest the Secretary of State of the power to prohibit Americans from
visiting certain places, such as Cuba. This is all in line with his 1997
trip to Libya, which drew criticism from supporters of Israel at the time.
His defense: "Libya is an African nation. It carries no negative
connotation in my community."
Another stain unrelated to international relations is his receipt of an
official rebuke from the House ethics committee for using tens of thousands
of dollars of campaign funds for private purposes in June of last year.
According to New York Times, $50,000 went to pay the salaries of people
employed by companies owned by Earl and his family, and $16,000 for
unsecured loans to his niece and two others. And, he also has been remiss
in paying his taxes.
Arturo Davis, his challenger, has received a great deal of support from
Jewish organizations and from private Jewish donors. According to reports,
days before the primary, Davis had raised over $364,000 in two months, as
compared to Earls $157,575.
Earls' strategy was to capitalize on the newfound kinship between blacks
and Arab Muslims. He was reported to have said: "I see more and more blacks
identifying with Arabs and Muslims than with Jews. They see Arabs … being
profiled like we are."
He even resorted to dirty politics. He was seen on TV claiming that Davis
had been forced to resign as a federal prosecutor "because of a date-rape
charge."
He even had a flier that says: "Davis and the Jews: No Good for the Black
Belt."
So Sidibeh, as you can see from these facts, the voters of Alabama did do
their homework. They have concluded five terms of representation spent on
cruising around the world of "rouges" collecting handouts from tyrants is
not what they expected. They have found the alternative in Arturo Davis a
liberal Democrat with lots of promises and potential in his years to come.
For what it's worth, Earl has taken a number of good steps in supporting
some positive initiatives on immigration especially. These need to be noted
too.
Sidibeh wrote: "Apart from Mr Earl F. Hilliard´s association with Ghadaffi,
can anyone of the commentators give me a concrete reason why he is bad for
his people and why Mr Davis is better? Don`t tell me about health care
affordability in the district, persistent poverty and unemployment in the
black communities. Those problems are something the black communities are
encountering in all American cities. And remember keep his assoication to
others out of the equation, if not proven to have effected his work. I just
want to know what he has done or left undone for his people."
Let me tell you what Earl has not done for his people. He has not
introduced ONE bill in the house that has directly affected the social
status of his people. " Those problems are something the black communities
are encountering in all American cities." I will tell you that he has done
little effort in his five terms to alleviate some of those problems for his
people. Instead he was busy selling his time and effort in the House to
tyrants around the world. I am sure you are aware of the adage " all
politics is local." Well Alabama voters have found the alternative they
were looking for in Davis.
Good night and no hard feelings, just a pathetic thought, as Beran would
say.
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