Barack Obama’s about-face on the Palestinian cause
Barack Obama’s about-face on the Palestinian cause
In a March 4th opinion piece written by Ali Abunimah, co-founder of the Electronic Intifada, a pro Palestinian website, he lamented about Obama’s about-face on the Palestinian cause.
I first met Democratic presidential hopeful Senator Barack Obama almost ten years ago when, as my representative in the Illinois state senate, he came to speak at the University of Chicago.
….Over the years since I first saw Obama speak I met him about half a dozen times, often at Palestinian and Arab-American community events in Chicago including a May 1998 community fundraiser at which Edward Said was the keynote speaker (pictured below). In 2000, when Obama unsuccessfully ran for Congress I heard him speak at a campaign fundraiser—Obama was forthright in his criticism of US policy and his call for an even-handed approach to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
The last time I spoke to Obama was in the winter of 2004—As he came in from the cold and took off his coat, I went up to greet him. He responded warmly, and volunteered, “Hey, I’m sorry I haven’t said more about Palestine right now, but we are in a tough primary race. I’m hoping when things calm down I can be more up front.” He referred to my activism, including columns I was contributing to the The Chicago Tribune critical of Israeli and US policy, “Keep up the good work!”
But Obama’s gradual shift into the AIPAC camp (American Israel Public Affairs Committee) had begun as early as 2002 as he planned his move from small time Illinois politics to the national scene.—Among his early backers was Penny Pritzker — now his national campaign finance chair
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Barack Obama’s actions speak louder than his rhetoric. An examination of his political career shows that he is an opportunist. He will say whatever is politically expedient. Read the information on this web site. Barack Obama cannot beat John McCain in the general election.
The issue is the ‘Message’ (’Black Liberation Theology’), not the ‘Messenger’ (Jeremiah Wright). Barack Obama listened to ‘Black Liberation Theology’ for 20 years and gave significant amounts of money to support the preaching of ‘Black Liberation Theology.’He exposed his daughters to ‘Black Liberation Theology.’
Linda Chavez wrote “Afrocentrism Is the Problem” in the 3/19/2008 edition of ‘National Review Online.’ Search the archives at:
http://www.nationalreview.com/archives/?q=MjAwODAzMTc