What Joe the Plumber Knows that Shep Smith Ignores: Israel

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Somewhere yesterday (10/28/08) at a McCain rally, a Jewish senior citizen stepped up to the Mike and told Joe the Plumber that he thought "a vote for Obama was a vote for the death of Israel." Joe said he could agree to that. The story has morphed into Shepard Smith's (Fox News) indignant outrage directly at Joe the Plumber. How dare Joe put that dangerous idea in the heads of silly Americans. Joe said he had his opinions, and McCain could have his and Americans can research and make up their own minds. Smith did his best to skewer Joe and intimated that Joe's opinions were formed from the "hateful things spread all over the internet." Smith shook his head in dismay and disgust and in theory declared that Obama has taken up the mantle of the Jewish people, and no one could be more concerned about Israel than Obama and, oh yes,...he quoted Obama: "nothing is more important than the U.S. friendship with Israel," and then Smith said "Obama would back Israel every moment of every day." View the video at the end of this article. Here's the thing: Many of us believe that Barack Obama is not as concerned about Israel's welfare as he portends to be - and that uncertainty is a major caution. Perhaps we are wrong, but if we are, we don't know that, and neither does Shep Smith. Joe refused to give the reasons for his opinions, except in general terms which were: Obama's actions and his associations - and those actions and associations are what Shepard Smith, sitting at his very important news desk, chooses to ignore - or perhaps "news" has nothing to do with his reporting - perhaps Smith just doesn't know the news. While I can't put words in Joe's mouth, I bet just a few of my own observations may be on Joe's list of Obama's actions and associations. (all the hyperlinks should open in a separate window, allowing continued reading) 1) In 2006 Obama published his book, Audacity of Hope. In his chapter titled Race, he talks about immigrants, and says that he is often invited to speak to immigrant groups. ..."I am often quizzed on my foreign policy views - where do I stand on Cyprus, say, or the future of Taiwan?..."

Whenever I appear before immigrant audiences, I can count on some good-natured ribbing from my staff after my speech; according to them, my remarks always follow a three-part structure: "I am your friend," "[Fill in the home country] has been a cradle of civilization," and "You embody the American dream."

Then he discusses the different tone taken as he met with Arab and Pakistani Americans after 9/11:

They have been reminded that the history of immigration in this country has a dark underbelly; they need specific assurances that their citizenship really means something, that America has learned the right lessons from the Japanese internments during World War II, and that I will stand with them [Muslims] should the political wind shift in an ugly direction.

All credit to Debbie at RightTruth for the reminder of the above quote. I have a trade paperback copy of The Audacity of Hope, and as with Debbie, this quote is also on page 261 of my copy. This RightTruth post is packed with information, including more Obama quotes. 2) One of Obama's unofficial foreign policy advisors is Zbigniew Brzezinski, the former National Security Adviser to the antisemitic former President Jimmy Carter. Newsweek reports that Brzezinski's name is "toxic in the American Jewish community." The next few items involve Barack Obama's church...and NO, Shep, we cannot separate Obama from his "former" church. He gave his money and his time to further the collaborations and the missions of this church. We are facing an election and many of us are facing these truths: 3) Obama's church of 20 years, Trinity United Church of Christ (TUCC), practices the very antisemitic Black Liberation Theology (BLT). The short story here is that BLT leans far more to Islam than it does to Judiasm. 4) Obama's church of 20 years, TUCC, through the church magazine, Trumpet, gave Louis Farrakhan, the Nation of Islam leader, a Lifetime Achievement award for "epitomized greatness!" Farrakhan has often excoriated the Jews as liars and thieves, and is accused of worse, to which he replied: "The Jews don't like Farrakhan, so they call me Hitler. Well, that's a good name. Hitler was a very great man." Obama says he did not agree with giving the "greatness" award to Farrakhan, but in an interview with the late Tim Russert in February 2008, Obama lamely attempts to shield Wright by saying it was the Trumpet Newsmagazine that bestowed the award and not the church. This is not a minor point - and his point is wrong: the magazine is Wright's baby; he is the founder and CEO and his daughter is the publisher. 5) While a member of Trinity United Church of Christ, Pastor Jeremiah Wright printed the manifesto of Hamas co-founder, Musa Abu Marzook. Marzook, a man of many aliases, is the founder of of CAIR's (Council on American Islamic Relations) parent organization and the Holyland Foundation. The U.S. Treasury describes him this way:

His activities include directing and coordinating terrorist acts by HAMAS against soldiers and civilians in Israel and the West Bank and Gaza. Marzouk maintains relationships with other terrorist organizations.

Wright put Marzook's manifesto, retitled A Fresh View of Palestine on the Pastor's page of TUCC's Sunday bulletin in July 2007. Read the transcription. In the manifesto, as you read it, you can almost feel Marzook shrug his shoulders as he says he doesn't "trouble" himself with recognizing Israel, and as you read it, you may feel ambivalent toward it, but remember this: The Hamas Charter is in tenacious control of the citizens of Palestine and there is no plan to ever recognize Israel - in fact, the Hamas Charters says:

The Day of Judgement will not come about until Moslems fight the Jews (killing the Jews),...

From The Investigative Project on Terrorism

Marzook moved to the United States to pursue a Ph.D. in engineering.[3] After leaving the United States in 1992, he moved to Jordan where he lived until being expelled in 1995.[4] While living in Jordan, Marzook is suspected of having played a significant role in planning and coordinating numerous terrorist attacks within Israel.[5] On July 25, 1995 after his expulsion from Jordan, Marzook was arrested at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, where he was detained by authorities until being returned to Jordan in 1997.[6] Following a nationwide crackdown on HAMAS activities within the country, he was once again deported by Jordanian authorities in 1999.[7]

Read more on Marzook. 6) Obama, in a speech to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, said Jerusalem "must remain undivided." The Palestinian Authority hotly rejected the statement and Obama quickly maintained that he had a hands-off position and the parties must solve the issue themselves. There he goes again...saying what the crowd wants to hear. Naive and immature. 7) Senator Obama has a relationship with Rashid Khalidi, Professor of Middle East Studies at Columbia University, where he and the Obamas met and became friendly. The LA Times is refusing to release a tape of the event described below where much lauding of Palestine and denigrating of Israel is alleged to have transpired. Here's a snippet from an LA Times report:

It was a celebration of Palestinian culture -- a night of music, dancing and a dash of politics. Local Arab Americans were bidding farewell to Rashid Khalidi, an internationally known scholar, critic of Israel and advocate for Palestinian rights, who was leaving town for a job in New York. A special tribute came from Khalidi's friend and frequent dinner companion, the young state Sen. Barack Obama. Speaking to the crowd, Obama reminisced about meals prepared by Khalidi's wife, Mona, and conversations that had challenged his thinking. His many talks with the Khalidis, Obama said, had been "consistent reminders to me of my own blind spots and my own biases. . . . It's for that reason that I'm hoping that, for many years to come, we continue that conversation -- a conversation that is necessary not just around Mona and Rashid's dinner table," but around "this entire world."... And yet the warm embrace Obama gave to Khalidi, and words like those at the professor's going-away party, have left some Palestinian American leaders believing that Obama is more receptive to their viewpoint than he is willing to say.

Below is a must-see video of Obama, put on the spot during a campaign event, when asked about Khalidi. Bring on the body language experts. Obama basically repeats the man's information...stalling for time, as he often does - you can his deception. Also in this video, other sources speak to Khalidi's antisemitic background, including arranging the recent speech of Iranian President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, at Columbia University. Video: Thanks to Live Leak 8) Obama had significant dealings with convicted felon Syrian-American Tony Rezko. At least one of those "dealings" was immensely profitable to Barack and Michelle Obama - and there was Rezko's fundraiser for Obama also. Rezko was raised in Syria in a Catholic home. Ali Baghdadi offered to post bail (his home as collateral), and did post some portion, for Rezko in April 2008. Baghdadi is a pro-Palestinian activist, who GUESS WHAT, has also been published in the Trinity United Christian Church Sunday bulletin. In that article, Baghdadi labeled Israel:

"an apartheid" regime and claimed the Jewish state worked on an "ethnic bomb" that kills "blacks and Arabs."

There are many links to TUCC's bulletin, but no surprise, they've been removed from the web. Sweetness & Light reported it first and has a transcript. 9) Obama's connections to Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga. It's a violent story, and Senator Obama campaigned in Kenya for Odinga in 2007. Odinga agreed in writing the the Muslim Leadership Forum to hand over portions of Kenya to Sharia Law, including an admission that Islam is the true religion, and subjecting non-Muslim women in these areas to Islamic Law. It is a very ugly story...and one you should know if you are planning to vote for Barack Obama. His connection goes way back with Odinga. Obama's father and Odinga's fathers were very close. Odinga claims they are cousins. Here are some critical links to the Obama-Odinga story. If you have time for only post on this subject, watch this video which tells you what you need to know. It is a violent news account of the violence of Muslims against Christians. Odinga is supposedly not a follower of Islam but his followers are. And another from the Washington Post. 10) Obama's willingness to enter unconditional talks with terrorist states. Joe the Plumber and Shep Smith Video: Thanks to YouTube and Pundital