Thread: Democrats blast Bush on civil rights at Arab American confer

Democrats blast Bush on civil rights at Arab American conference
October 28, 2007

By NIRAJ WARIKOO

FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER

Speaking to an Arab American audience in Detroit, Democratic leader Howard Dean slammed those who divide the U.S. by scapegoating Americans with Middle Eastern ancestry.

"You have been singled out unfairly and unjustly ... by politicians who hope to have a cheap electoral trick." Dean, chair of the Democratic National Committee, said today.


Dean spoke to a crowd on the last day of the Arab American Institute's National Leadership Conference, which has drawn Arab Americans and politicos from across the U.S., including several Presidential candidates. In his speech, Dean cited successful Arab Americans such as former U.S. Sen. Majority Leader George Mitchell and Apple CEO Steve Jobs.

"It is important for us to stand and recognize these leaders at a time when this community is under siege by those who would divide America in order to win elections," Dean said.

A big theme of the conference was preserving the U.S. Constitution, which they said has come under attack under the Bush administration.

"I will follow the Constitution of the United States," Gov. Bill Richardson, a Democratic presidential candidate, said today to loud applause from the audience. "The erosion of our civil liberties is not just something that is felt by minorities -- it affects all Americans ... No more torture. No more extraordinary rendition. No more eavesdropping on our citizens without a court order. And the first day in office, I will close that symbol of American oppression. It's called Guantanamo Bay."

In a recorded video message played today at the conference, U.S. Sen. John Edwards said he too would close Guantanamo. U.S. Sen. Barack Obama also spoke in a recorded message, saying that under his administration, "the rights of every American will be fully respected and protected."

U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich was the first candidate to speak today at the conference. He spoke about meeting with victims of war in southern Lebanon and criticized current U.S. foreign policy.

"We have to move away from this reach for empire and domination and start working on cooperation with the peoples of the world, and stop trying to tell people, it's our way or the highway," he said.

The major speakers today were all Democrats. Republican candidates were also invited; among them, only Ron Paul addressed the conference.

Contact NIRAJ WARIKOO at nwarikoo@freepress.com

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/arti ... /1001/NEWS

U.S. Sen. Barack Obama also spoke in a recorded message, saying that under his administration, "the rights of every American will be fully respected and protected."

Talk about 2 faced! The rights of every American are under attack by the same illegal aliens Obama protects!

Americans come in all colors, shapes & sizes and all have ONE thing in common..the LEGAL RIGHT to be here! Illegal aliens are NOT citizens or legal immigrants, they have NO right to be in the US.

Heed your own words Obama & stop pandering to illegals.

Originally Posted by miguelina

U.S. Sen. Barack Obama also spoke in a recorded message, saying that under his administration, "the rights of every American will be fully respected and protected."

Talk about 2 faced! The rights of every American are under attack by the same illegal aliens Obama protects!

Americans come in all colors, shapes & sizes and all have ONE thing in common..the LEGAL RIGHT to be here! Illegal aliens are NOT citizens or legal immigrants, they have NO right to be in the US.

Heed your own words Obama & stop pandering to illegals.

Not only that, Barack promised 20+million illegals amnesty -- also, he SUPPORTS the same 'foreing policy of intervention" that concerns most arab americans.. .... Yeah, Barack is a lamebrain...

Anyone know what Paul had to say?

Originally Posted by MW

Anyone know what Paul had to say?

The Detroit News had a small blurb on that MW. If I find more I'll post.

Monday, October 29, 2007
Dearborn
Some candidates court Arab-American vote
Gregg Krupa / The Detroit News

DEARBORN -- Arab-Americans said Sunday they are feeling estranged from the Republican presidential field because the GOP's policies are hostile to them, and just one candidate, dark horse Ron Paul, attended their three-day national leadership convention.

None of the top three Democratic candidates for the White House attended in person.

"On the Republican side it says that their debate is moving in such a negative direction that they simply are not, most of them, in a position to come before this audience," said James Zogby, founder and president of the American Arab Institute, which sponsored the National Leadership Conference in Dearborn.

Advertisement

"They have been building themselves up rhetorically and politically in such a hostile direction on these issues that I think it would be difficult."

Zogby and others said the Democratic presidential candidates felt they were caught in a cross-fire between the state Democratic Party and national party officials. While they were granted waivers by the national Democratic Party to appear in Michigan, which has run afoul of national party rules by scheduling a Jan. 15 primary, the candidates were concerned that coming here would send the wrong message to Democrats beyond Michigan. "The front-runners were busy looking over their shoulders at whether one would come and whether they'd take potshots for coming," Zogby said. "We heard that from a number of them."

The Republicans are likely to pay a heavy cost in the Arab-American community, the leaders said, for positions that have alienated Arab-Americans, many of whom are nominally Republicans and supported President Bush in 2000. That support ebbed, largely, over issues of civil liberties, national security and the Iraq war.

Michigan Republican Party Vice Chair Gerry Mason spoke to the convention and said the Arab-American community in Metro Detroit is "a source of pride for the entire state" and that Republicans were grateful for past support.

Paul of Texas, the lone Republican to address the gathering, said other Republicans missed an opportunity.

"Why do they think people from the Middle East, who have become American citizens and that are voting, are unimportant?" Paul said.

http://detroitnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/ar ... /710290413