Tom Davis himself has sought the support of the congregation at the Dar Al Hijrah Islamic Center, at a candidate forum on October 14, 2006. All the other 8th, 10th, and 11th District candidates were there as well, except for Frank Wolf. No Senate candidates were there, but Jim Moran spoke for Jim Webb; no one spoke for George Allen.

n/t

No, I didn't hear any explanation. I'm pretty sure there was no one from Wolf's campaign there at all -- no brochures or posters, and definitely no one speaking for him. I figured he just didn't think it was worth the bother -- and he was correct, as it turned out in November.

Both Tom Davis and Tom O'Donoghue, the Republican running against Moran, were there, along with Democrats Moran, Feder, and Hurst, and independent Hurysz.

Same thing happened at the Tysons Tunnel meeting last winter, except that Jim Moran attempted to explain why Wolf wasn't there (supposedly he couldn't deal with it, all that he had worked for his whole life was going down the drain before his eyes, blah blah blah...).  Wolf simply isn't serious if he can't show up for meeting like these.  And he's certainly not "moderate" if he can't bring himself to denounce outright bigotry in his party.  Or maybe he just lacks the courage?

Frankly -- pun intended -- I'm "biased" against Republicans who blindly support George W. Bush on Iraq, who oppose potentially life-saving embryonic stem cell research, who vote against SCHIP (before flip-flopping under political pressure and voting for it), who won't speak out against bigotry in their own party, who support infringements on our civil liberties, etc., etc.  If you want to support people like Frank Wolf, be my guest, but you're dead wrong.  For my part, I will continue to be "biased" against phony "moderates" like Frank Wolf, and "biased" in FAVOR of superbly qualified Democrats like Judy Feder (who I strongly supported last year and again this year).  Go Judy!

Lowell, are you still the Feder netroots coordinator?

through her victory in November 2008.

would be one iota different if I was NOT Feder's netroots coordinator?  For instance, if you go back you'll see that I've been blasting Wolf long before I started working for Judy in August 2007.  So what's the point exactly?

Above you reject the suggestion the idea of a Judy Feder bias, but you have within the last few months posted you were her netroots coordinator for 2008.

In 2006 you added to all your senate race posts that you were the Webb netroots coordinator.

Since there was no such mention here, I was curious if you were no longer doing it.

Like I said in the subject line, I was just curious.  Sorry to get everyone's blood pressure racing!

the issue at hand, you throw out red herrings and question the legitimacy of my dedication to Judy Feder.  I really think you're better than that.

I am better than that...I just wanted to know if you were still doing the netroots based on how you posted in 2006.

I really did not think my question would lead to me getting whacked by one person because they think my question is trying to paint you as too much in the Feder camp, and you whack me because you think my question paints you as too little in the Feder camp.

Again, I apologize for the raising of blood pressures.

of the diary?

the anti-Muslim bigotry in your party?

Sorry I was unable to get back sooner.

Do I condemn?  I leave that to judges, juries, preachers, and those who are more convinced of their moral superiority than I am of mine...

Do I think it is right?  Absolutely not.  This country has an unfortunate dichotomy between what it represents and the way it acts.  It dates back to the Declaration of Independence, and one manifestation is an ongoing willingness to judge by the color of skin rather than the content of character.

W/rare exception our various race and heritage wars are a manifestation of fear...fear for security and safety, fear of the unknown, fear of losing ones place.  That is an unfortunate and terrible thing to say, but it seems to be true.  When you add to the mix those who seek to use that fear for political advantage, it is even more troubling.

To paraphrase Abraham Lincoln, I would prefer that in the troubled present we would respond to the better angels of our nature and not blame an entire race or nationality of people for the actions of the few.

Winston Churchill, in speaking of the actions taken during the Amritsar Massacre, said "Fear is not part of the British pharmacopia"  I hope the day comes soon when that can be said of all americans when it comes to matters of race and heritage, and that we embrace the melting pot of a combined people seeking to live as one and not the mosaic concept where we celebrate and perceive more highly that which makes us different than that which we share.

of the (very) few Republicans blogs RK links to.  You are eloquent as always, and I greatly appreciate your willingness to say that anti-Muslim bigotry is not right.  Now if only Frank Wolf, Tom Davis and other elected officials could speak as you do, we'd all be better off.  Thanks again.

If Lowell wasn't the netroots coordinator for Feder would it mean that we could trust and value everything he says about Frank Wolf or Judy Feder?

And just becuase he is the netroots coordinator, does that mean everything he says about Wolf or Feder is suspect and potentially biased?

No, of course, not, in either case. You're smarter than than Bwana...seriously.

Lowell is raising totally legitimate questions about both Wolf and Davis.

attack.  It's utterly lame.  I mean, I could play this game all day, "Bwana, you're a Republican so you're biased and I shouldn't listen to a word you say."  Right, that's assinine, which is why I don't do it.  I may be a lot of things, but I try not to be assinine as much as possible in my life.  Ask my wife how much I succeed at that...ha. :)

I first must confess that in matters Islamic I would always root for the warring faction that wears yomulkas over the armed supporters of the Death to Israel armed invaders.  That is my middle-East position, unchanged, never wavering, since 1948.  It has nothing to do with my feelings that Israel is not always right on the issues, that she has at times has done atrocious things to its enemies; but I recognize that she is next door to people who would drive her into the sea, if they could, slaughtering all they could in the process.  So there are mitigating circumstances for a nation which has only to lose one war to cease to exist.  But I know Israel is not wholly withou her sins.

That being said I also confess that I believe Islam has a right to exist, over there and here, and that Muslims should not be attacked using blind anti-Islamic crude racial/religious bigotry.

As for Wolf and Davis, "moderates" both (is a moderate one who doesn't believe we should string 'em all up and let God sort 'em out?), certainly they should take a stance against Goode's attack on the Koran and Hargrove's inanity.  But they won't, probably weighing the political challenge of being righteous on one issue of decency and thereby losing some rabid supporters.

The issue you raise in particularly pertinent and interesting in that yesterday the government's case against Mohammad el-Mezain, former chairman of the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development, just fell apart.  A  jury just aquitted el-Mezain on almost all charges brought against him and evenly split their votes on almost all charges brought against four former leaders of the charity.  THe decisions were seen as a "setback for the Bush administration, which had frozen the group's finances rhree months after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and indicted its officials three years later on charges they had provided funds in support of Hamas...."

Note that the government's case was NOT that the charity directly supported Hamas, which we consider a terrorist group.  Rather, the government asserted that the charity gave money to West Bank and Gaza committees that were controlled by Hamas and that this created good will toward Hamas and helped it recruit members.  The government did not argue that the moneys went for food and medicine for the poor.

The trial in Dallas brought forth the comment from one juror that "the case was strung together with macaroni noodles."  No need here for further details, of which there are plenty (read this a.m.'s Post), but note that the government had been keeping this case on tap since 1993, through FBI investigations at first, later expanded.  Still, the case was unproved.

This case seemingly had much more, overwhelmingly more,  going for it than accusations against the Muslims of Northern Virginia, yet the political Goodes pander to their populace by persisting in branding innocents as terrorists.  Do the Muslims root for Islam against Israel?  Against the U.S.?  Probably "Yes" to the former, maybe, who knows, "Yes" to the latter.  But neither is a crime, and the doctrine of fairness ought to be invoked by the propagandists of the despicable Right.

 

in cozy tete a tete with Washington Imam Mohamed Magid, head of the Dulles Area Muslim Society--- the photo is right there on page 6 of the November 2007 Washingtonian, and was taken at the magazines "Power 150" dinner recently.  It would be hard to find anyone harder right then no-tax Norquist (he of the "Drown government in a bathtub" fame).  Why aren't the frothing-at-the-mouth republican right-wingers howling about this? hahahaha... such selective frothing at the mouth.