A Delicious Footnote In The Flynn Case

Disgraced felon and former National Security Advisor Michael "Lock Him Up" Flynn was nothing if not a stone-cold Islamaphobe, who last year called Islam a "cancer" and who peddled conspiracy theories (along with his wingnut son).  That's why it's a delicious fact that one of the two Federal prosecutors who handled Flynn's case yesterday before the U.S. District Court is Zainab Ahmad, a seasoned Federal prosecutor who successfully prosecuted multiple terrorism cases while Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, now assigned to Special Counsel Robert Mueller's "dream team." Ahmad is New York City-born of Pakistani ancestry.

This just keeps getting better.

(photo: Federal prosecutor Zainab Ahmad)

Republican Senator's Death Bed Wish? Apologize To Muslims For Trump

Former Utah Republican Senator Bob Bennett passed away on May 4.  As he slowly succumbed in a Washington, D.C. hospital, this happened:

Former GOP senator Bob Bennett lay partially paralyzed in his bed on the fourth floor of the George Washington University Hospital. He was dying.

Not 48 hours had passed since a stroke had complicated his yearlong fight against pancreatic cancer. The cancer had begun to spread again, necessitating further chemotherapy. The stroke had dealt a further blow that threatened to finish him off.

Between the hectic helter-skelter of nurses, doctors and well wishes from a long-cultivated community of friends and former aides, Bennett faced a quiet moment with his son Jim and his wife Joyce. 

It was not a moment for self-pity.

Instead, with a slight slurring in his words, Bennett drew them close to express a dying wish: “Are there any Muslims in the hospital?” he asked.

“I’d love to go up to every single one of them to thank them for being in this country, and apologize to them on behalf of the Republican Party for Donald Trump,” Bennett told his wife and son, both of whom relayed this story to The Daily Beast.  (our emphasis)

Bennett, a very conservative Senator, certainly was on the opposite side of most issues from progressives. Even so,  he lost his seat in a tea party surge to the despicable alter ego to "Tailgunner Ted" Cruz, Sen. Mike Lee.  But this episode demonstrates to us that, unlike the majority of his fellow Republicans, he had a functioning moral compass at least as far as Muslim Americans were concerned.  Good on him, and good to know.

Every Reason Young Marco Must Never Be President - In One Quote

Here's shallow, high- heeled gusano Sen. Marco "Glug Glug" Rubio (R- MIAmi) yesterday:

Republican presidential candidate Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) somehow found a way to criticize President Barack Obama's speech on Wednesday denouncing anti-Muslim bigotry.

Rubio, who often stresses religious liberty and his own faith on the campaign trail, said Obama's words at a Baltimore mosque were intended to divide, rather than unite, the American people.

"I'm tired of being divided against each other for political reasons like this president's done," Rubio said at a Wednesday campaign stop in Dover, New Hampshire. "Always pitting people against each other. Always! Look at today: He gave a speech at a mosque. Oh, you know, basically implying that America is discriminating against Muslims."  (our emphasis)

If there are any of you out there who know someone who thinks the rather transparently cynical Glug Glug is the "New Generation," please read them this quote, read this, and ask them if they think Glug Glug or the President is the one doing the dividing. Tellingly, he's in the same company as neo- fascist bag o' farts Donald "Rump" Trump in denouncing the President's courageous and moral speech on religious tolerance.

Meanwhile, in response to Bob Schooley, we plan to do our part!

We really need to start talking openly about how dumb young Marco seems to be.  https://t.co/gAJpKrnWUU

— Bob Schooley (@Rschooley) February 4, 2016

Trump Stars In Terrorist Recruitment Video (UPDATED)

Well well well.  Looks like Hillary Clinton was, at the very least, prescient about fartbag Donald "Rump" Trump being an important recruitment tool for Islamic terrorist groups (much to the "consternation" of Fox "News" and the rest of Wingnut World):

Presidential candidate Donald Trump is featured in a new recruitment video from the terrorist group Al-Shabab, according to numerous experts. Evan Kohlmann, analyst with NBC News and Chief R&D Officer for the private intelligence firm FlashPoint was one of the first to identify the new video:

A new video from al-Shabab in Somalia shows Donald Trump calling for a ban on Muslims and warns "basic human rights do not apply" in the US.

— Evan Kohlmann (@IntelTweet) January 1, 2016

Al-Shabab is an “an al-Qaeda-linked militant group based in Somalia.” It is best known for its deadly attack on a mall in Kenya in September 2003. Kohlmann, however, says Trump appearance in the video signifies his larger utility for the broader jihadist movement.

That "utility," of course, is Trump as jihadist recruiter.  But Trump is simply the biggest hot air balloon in the Republican "presidential" field;   similar Islamophobic statements have been made by all the other clowns in the Republican candidate clown car bus.  Maybe they'll be getting a cameo in a future video.  Well done (for the jihadists)!

UPDATE:  In his inimitable style, Andy Borowitz gets us to laugh about this.

Today's Cartoon - Trumpy The Snowman

(click on image to enlarge)



(Brian McFadden, via gocomics.com)

Here Come The Vandals (UPDATED)

After weeks of incitement by Republicans, the violent knuckle dragging vandals of the right are on the loose.

In Coachella, California:

A person of interest has been detained in the investigation of a suspected arson fire at a Southern California mosque, authorities said.

Riverside County sheriff's officials said late Friday that the person was being questioned but declined to provide further details. No arrests were announced.

Earlier the department released a statement calling the blaze "an intentional act" and saying it would use all available resources to investigate.

Flames were reported just after noon Friday at the Islamic Center of Palm Springs. The fire was contained to the small building's front lobby, and no one was injured.

People at the mosque described hearing a "loud boom" and seeing flames, said Reymundo Nour, the mosque's acting imam, who was not on the site at the time. He said the mosque had been "firebombed."

In St. Louis, Missouri:

Glass windows and a door at a Planned Parenthood facility in St. Louis, Missouri have been busted out in an apparent act of vandalism, St. Louis Public Radio reports.

The windows and doors were shattered with rocks in what appears to be a targeted attack on the women’s health facility on Saturday morning, Mary Kogut, head of Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri, to the radio station.  [snip]

The vandalism caused “thousands of dollars” worth of damage, she said.

Kogut told SLPR that a suspect was in custody.

In Florida:

A Muslim woman was nearly shot Thursday as she left a Florida mosque, and another woman was nearly run off the road.

Someone fired at least one gunshot at the woman as she drove away from the mosque in east Tampa, near Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, reported WTSP-TV.

She was not injured, and police have not identified or arrested a suspect.

Another Muslim woman reported a man threw rocks and other items at her and tried to run her off the road as she drove away from a mosque in New Tampa.

Then there are these drooling, heavily armed peabrains:

They are known as "Three Percenters," followers of a movement that has rallied against gun control efforts nationwide, patrolled the U.S. border with Mexico and recently begun confronting Muslim Americans.

Followers describe themselves as armed "patriots." But some of their leaders have been blamed for threats and vandalism against lawmakers, police and Muslims. One prominent member from Phoenix prompted an FBI alert in November after posting an expletive-filled Facebook video saying he was headed to upstate New York with guns to challenge a Muslim group. A Three Percenter in suburban Dallas led a mosque protest by armed, masked men that same month.  [snip]

"We will interfere with every move they (Muslims) make towards taking over our country," Dallas protest organizer David Wright said in response to questions the Associated Press sent to his personal Facebook page. "We are ready to fight back if they come at us violently."

These Three Percenter clowns are more apt to accidentally shoot holes in the pavement than they are to stop imaginary Mooslim hordes from "taking over."  But unfortunately, they like to strut around with their penis compensators near places where they can terrorize innocent people, including women and children.  If they have so much time on their hands, why don't they enlist and volunteer to parachute into ISIS territory?  After all, they have a lot in common with them.

UPDATE:  Here's a list of the anti-Muslim attacks since Paris;  and here is a multi-decades long list of anti-abortion violence.  Brought to you by "real Amurricans!"

Trump Wants To Ban Muslims; Britons Want To Ban Him

Shorter Republican front-runner and deployed air bag Donald "Rump" Trump:  the only thing we have to fear is fear itself (but that will have to do for now!):

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has gone beyond opposing the entry of Syrian refugees to wanting to stop all Muslims from emigrating into the US, NBC News reported.

Trump’s campaign said in a statement that he is calling for “a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country’s representatives can figure out what is going on.”

Meanwhile, some Brits are looking at banning an undesirable from their country:

The British Parliament could soon review a petition calling for U.S. presidential candidate and former reality TV star Donald Trump to be barred from entering the country on grounds that he has violated the U.K.’s laws against hateful and defamatory speech.

The Independent reported that a petition begun by Suzanne Kelly from Aberdeen, Scotland must gather 100,000 signatures before it can be taken up for debate by the House of Commons.

Good show!  Carry on!

BONUS:  Others react to Rump's demagoguery.

BONUS II:  Water seeking its own level.

Today's Tomorrow Cartoon - Home Of The Brave

(click on image to enlarge)

(Tom Tomorrow, via Daily Kos)

The party of fear and loathing.

Let's Pause To Laugh At Republican Charlatans (Then Let's Defeat Them)

The nightly shows are hitting the bed- wetting Republicans on their craven, politically opportunistic approach to Syrian refugees.  Let's see Seth Meyers and Steven Colbert do their things.



A little fact checking on the claims that billions/ millions/ hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees are headed here (per pathological liars "Snarly" Carly Fiorina, "Tailgunner Ted" Cruz and Rump Trump):  the number proposed is actually 10,000).



Satire exposes the charlatans and crackpots for what they are.  But we must not forget that there will be real victims should this Republican onslaught (abetted by some spineless, awful "Democrats") continue.  Too many -- what's the nicest way to put it -- low-information Americans are all too susceptible to Republican appeals to fear and hatred.  The response to this from us must be strong and relentless if there's any hope of salvaging our sense of "what we're about" as a Nation.

In case there's any question whether the Syrian refugee issue is one of principle or a political hatchet for Republicans, there's this:

Republicans say they'll use the vote on the House bill in political ads during next year's presidential election.

"We'll crucify them," said a senior House GOP aide.

That's the vicious nihilism that needs to be defeated.

We're A Nation Being Dragged Down By Morons

If this story doesn't make you ashamed to be living in the same country as these morons, we don't know what will:

A ninth-grade student in Irving, Texas, was arrested and sent to juvenile detention Monday after bringing a homemade clock to school, according to The Dallas Morning News.

Ahmed Mohamed, a 14-year-old at MacArthur High School who is Muslim, told the outlet he's passionate about robotics and decided to link a circuit board, power supply and digital clock display together inside a pencil case. He brought the device to school hoping to impress some teachers, but the first one who saw the clock immediately told him "not to show any other teachers."

Later that day, Mohamed was pulled out of class and taken to the principal's office. He says he was threatened with expulsion, asked if he tried "to make a bomb" and led out of the school in handcuffs by police officers.

As is pointed out in the article, if the child's name were "Jimmy," this would never have escalated into handcuffing and juvenile detention.  The picture in the linked article of the child in handcuffs is enough to make your blood boil.

Every yahoo peabrain involved in this outrage, from teacher to principal to police, should be fired and then sued, period.  Call it "Zero Tolerance - for Morons."

COOL UPDATE:

Assumptions and fear don't keep us safe—they hold us back. Ahmed, stay curious and keep building. https://t.co/ywrlHUw3g1

— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) September 16, 2015

COOL UPDATE II:  More invites for Ahmed.

Two Stories Behind The Paris Attacks

The usual Islamophobic suspects are using the terrorist attacks in France as another opportunity to stoke religious bigotry against the vast majority of Muslims worldwide who reject the radical jihadists that have hijacked their religion for political ends.  Against that narrative is the fact that one of the Paris police officers murdered defending the Charlie Hebdo office was a Muslim, Ahmed Merabet.  His brother made a tearful plea for unity against anti-Muslim and anti-Semite bigots:

“I address myself now to all the racists, Islamophobes and anti-Semites that one must not confuse extremists with Muslims.  Mad people have neither color nor religion.”

Also revealed was the fact that a Muslim clerk in the Paris kosher supermarket, Lassana Bathily, hid 15 of the store's customers in a storage area, likely saving their lives.

As the story at the link indicates, the owner of the Fux disinformation enterprise and moral dumpster fire Rupert "Aargh" Murdoch seems to think all Muslims need to be accountable for not stopping the radical, murderous jihadists among them.  Actually, it's far less of a stretch to argue that Aargh and his wingnut operation should be held accountable, say, for when a right-wing extremist fire bombs an NAACP office, or when "Christian" sovereign citizens murder cops, or deadbeats refuse to pay Federal grazing fees because they reject gummint.  What's Aargh done lately to take responsibility?

BONUS:  J.K. Rowling had a great response to Aargh Murdoch.  Also, these.

BONUS II:  The UK's conservative Prime Minister David Cameron calls out a Fux "analyst" as a "complete idiot" for comments about Birmingham, England being under virtual siege by Muslims.

Islamophobia's Threat

As we've been noting in recent days, the Norwegian terrorist Anders Breivik was a fan of U.S. right-wing bloggers. Think Progress catalogs the citations that the terrorist made to these far-right U.S. sites:
If we don't deal with the vile hatred being spewed by the far right, we will continue to deal with the consequences.

Ron Paul's Gutsy Stand

We're not big fans of libertarian Rep. Ron Paul. His social Darwinist economic philosophy calls for phasing out most beneficial government activities such as Medicare and Social Security. But Paul does stand for principles that the far right has long since abandoned. He issued a strong statement blasting the "sunshine patriots" that are trying to block the "not at Ground Zero" Islamic community center in Manhattan, and fingers the neocon/Likudnik cohort of the far right as the hatemongers:

"In my opinion it has come from the neo-conservatives who demand continual war in the Middle East and Central Asia and are compelled to constantly justify it.

They never miss a chance to use hatred toward Muslims to rally support for the ill conceived preventative wars. A select quote from soldiers from in Afghanistan and Iraq expressing concern over the mosque is pure propaganda and an affront to their bravery and sacrifice.

The claim is that we are in the Middle East to protect our liberties is misleading. To continue this charade, millions of Muslims are indicted and we are obligated to rescue them from their religious and political leaders. And, we’re supposed to believe that abusing our liberties here at home and pursuing unconstitutional wars overseas will solve our problems."

What's sad is not that this rebuke to the hatemongers came from a libertarian like Paul; what's sad is that so many progressive Dems are hiding in the corner while the bigots control the false message. (See also Richard Cohen's surprisingly good column on the same subject in the Kaplan Daily. As they say, occasionally even a blind squirrel finds a nut).

Another Frank Rich Sunday

This is becoming a routine: read Frank Rich in the New York Times, and marvel at his ability to destroy the latest right-wing canard. Today is no exception, where he goes after what he calls the "Rupert Murdoch axis of demagoguery" on the proposed Islamic center in the vicinity of "ground zero." Key quote:

"The ginned-up rage over the “ground zero mosque” was not motivated by a serious desire to protect America from the real threat of terrorists lurking at home and abroad — a threat this furor has in all likelihood exacerbated — but by the potential short-term rewards of winning votes by pandering to fear during an election season."

He also points up Murdoch's NewsCorp's shameless hypocrisy in fanning an anti-Muslim backlash in America, while pushing for nation building in Iraq and Afghanistan ostensibly to help their Muslim populations, all while having a significant share of their company owned by a Saudi royal prince. SOBs.

This Just In. . . .

Check the caption above. CNN plays this like there's a "on the one hand, on the other hand" validity to right-wing nuttery. Sad to say, the White House is a participant.