Message #162023

[Harconen]

Anti-Israel and Pro-Abortion

 

In 2003, Obama attends a dinner held in honor of Rashid Khalidi, former PLO operative, harsh critic of Israel, and advocate of Palestinian rights. Obama, who has consistently denied a close relationship with Khalidi (even though the Obamas have dined more than once at the home of Khalidi and his wife, Mona, and used them as occasional baby-sitters), praises Khalidi during the decidedly anti-Semitic event. William Ayers also attends the dinner, and both Ayers and Obama sign Khalidi’s guest book. The event is a going away party for Khalidi, who is leaving Chicago and moving to New York. The dinner is sponsored by the Arab American Action Network, to which Obama had funneled cash several times while serving on the board of the Woods Fund. One speaker at the dinner remarks that if Palestinians cannot secure a return of their land, Israel “will never see a day of peace.” [384, 387, 395, 418, 419]

            The Los Angeles Times has a videotape of the Khalidi dinner but refuses to make it public. It is assumed the tape’s contents are damaging to Obama, likely because the event includes anti-Semitic sentiments and Obama heaping praise on Khalidi. Further, appearing as entertainment at the Khalidi dinner is a children’s dance group, the Sanabel AlQuds Dabka troupe. The Milwaukee-based Muslim children’s dance group typically performs the “debka,” a Middle-Eastern dance. The group’s performances have been known to include simulated beheadings with fake swords, and stomping on American, Israeli, and British flags. It has been alleged that, in his speech at the Khalidi dinner, Obama states “Israel has no God-given right to occupy Palestine,” and there has been “genocide against the Palestinian people by (the) Israelis.” [438, 439, 440]

            Obama tells the AFL-CIO in 2003 “I happen to be a proponent of a single-payer universal health care program… and that’s what I’d like to see. But as all of you know, we may not get there immediately. Because first we have to take back the White House, we have to take back the Senate, and we have to take back the House.” Throughout the 2008 presidential campaign, Obama denies that he seeks a total government takeover of the nation’s health care system, despite proposing legislation for just such a system while in the Illinois State Senate. [74, 404]

            In 2003, the Born Alive Infant Protection Act again comes up in the Illinois Senate. Obama, chairman of the Health and Human Services Committee Obama, shelves the bill and prevents it from even being brought to the Senate floor for a vote. Obama’s Health and Human Services Committee is known for its “kiss of death” treatment of any legislation that is not leftist. Although specialty license plate legislation (for example, license plates to honor veterans or to support other causes) is normally directed to the Transportation Committee, legislation supporting Choose Life and Choose Adoption license plates is instead directed to Obama’s committee—where he refuses to allow a vote. Obama states he is “not in favor of a (license) plate benefiting adoption,” even though he says on the campaign trail that he “favors adoption as a means to reduce abortion.” [412, 413]

            Reverend Scott and Janet Willis, whose six children were killed in a tragic accident (involving Ricardo Guzman, an immigrant truck driver from Mexico who could barely speak English and who had obtained his commercial drivers license through bribery), drive three hours to the state capital in Springfield to testify in favor of a Choose Life license plate. Proceeds from the specialty license plate would be used to help fund adoption expenses. Echoing pro-abortion groups, Obama calls the issue “contentious.” The National Abortion Rights Action League (NARAL) calls it “aggressive propaganda,” and the vice-president of the Illinois National Organization for Women (NOW) calls it “a violation of free speech.” Reporters fill the hearing room, eager to record the expected emotional Willis testimony. Obama instead calls only his friendly witnesses, completely ignoring Scott and Janet Willis, and then abruptly adjourns the hearing. Obama reconvenes the hearing the next day (after the reporters have returned to Chicago), listens to brief testimony from the Reverend and Mrs. Willis, and then has his Democrat-controlled committee kill the legislation. [412, 413, 414, 2627, 2628]

            In the fall of 2003, the Bush administration pushes Congress to establish a new oversight agency to regulate and supervise Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA) fights the request, saying “Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are not in a crisis,” and “The more people in my judgment exaggerate a threat of safety and soundness the more people conjure up the possibility of serious financial losses to the Treasury, which I do not see; I think we see entities that are fundamentally sound financially and (can) withstand the [sic] some of the disaster scenarios, and even if there were a problem the federal government (would) bail them out, but the more pressure there is there then the less I think we see in terms of affordable housing.” The oversight legislation is blocked by Democrats. [2317]

            Obama and his wife Michelle declare income of $238,327 for 2003. [1278]