West Virginia Congressman to Fly to Iraq

Associated Press ^ | Wednesday, September 11, 2002

[Dog Gone]

BECKLEY, W.Va. (AP) -- A congressman skeptical of the need for U.S. military action against Iraq says he is flying to Baghdad, hoping to answer questions about a possible invasion and seeking a meeting with Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.

Rep. Nick Rahall, D-W.Va., said he wants to reassure Iraqi citizens that Americans are ``not out to wage war for war's sake.''

``I'm not going as a secretary of state,'' Rahall said Tuesday. ``I'm not going as a weapons inspector. And I'm not calling upon this administration to do one thing or another. I just have a lot of questions.''

Rahall, who was to leave early Wednesday evening, said he would tell the Iraqi president he should allow United Nations weapon inspectors ``unconditional and unfettered access to his country so we can find answers to a lot of questions the Congress has.''

Among others going is former Sen. James Abourezk, a South Dakota Democrat.

The trip is sponsored by the Institute for Public Accuracy, a group that says it seeks to foster the point of view of ``those whose perspectives are commonly drowned out by corporate-backed think tanks.''

Rahall said the group, which has been arranging the trip for months, has meetings scheduled with Foreign Minister Naji Sabril and other government leaders, as well as Scott Ritter, a former U.N. weapons inspector who has become a critic of Washington's Iraq policies.

President Bush is campaigning for support in Congress and abroad for military action against the Hussein regime, as his father did more than a decade ago.

[irish guard]

May God protect his foolish soul.

Actually Saddam is not stupid, he will use this guy, just like he used Scott Ritter last weekend!

[TheRedSoxWinThePennant]

Rep. Nick Rahall, D-W.Va

Am I the only one suprised to see a (D) after this persons name

[Thane_Banquo]

Title should read, "Liberal Congressman going to Iraq to give away sensitive US intelligence secrets."

[rellimpank]

--Abourezk was probably one of the most left-leaning Senators in history. His family fortune was made selling liquor on the border of the Sioux reservation in South Dakota--

[Dog Gone]

The trip is sponsored by the Institute for Public Accuracy, a group that says it seeks to foster the point of view of ``those whose perspectives are commonly drowned out by corporate-backed think tanks America is terrible and President Bush is an evil bug.''

[vannrox]

This is how it should actually read...

---

West Virginia Ddemocrat to Fly to Iraq

Associated Press ^ | Wednesday, September 11, 2002

BECKLEY, W.Va. (AP) -- A democrat congressman skeptical of the need for U.S. military action against Iraq says he is flying to Baghdad to speak with Saddam personally. He plans to do this for the obstensive purpose of answering questions about a possible invasion. His true motive is based on using this opportunity to add to his rapidly depleting election campaign coffers. It is his belief that a sudden influx of Iraqi money could save his election chances.

While Rep. Nick Rahall, D-W.Va., said he wants to reassure Iraqi citizens that Americans are ``not out to wage war for war's sake.'' He is in reality planning to negotiate a financial arrangement between himself and Saddam, independent of any war outcome.

Rahall, who was to leave early Wednesday evening, said he would tell the Iraqi president he should provide him with "protection money" and that he would guarantee insight on closed door administration meeting content, and unilateral Democratic Party support for any action that he may take against the US in the future.

Among others going is former Sen. James Abourezk, a South Dakota Democrat. His intention to to make sure that the flow of money from Iraq goes to his election and personal coffers as wqell.

The trip is sponsored by the "Institute for Public Accuracy", a extremely left wing socialist liberal organization that was granted tax-exempt status under the Clinton Administration. The organization is currently under investigation by the FBI for Money Laundering and other non-definewd crimes.

Rahall said the group, which has been arranging the trip for months, has meetings scheduled with Foreign Minister Naji Sabril and other government leaders, as well as Scott Ritter, a former U.N. weapons inspector who has become a critic of Washington's Iraq policies.

[Dog Gone]

Dead on.

[Catspaw]

Rahall should be denied readmitance to the US on his return from Iraq, but sent back to Bagdad to live out the rest of his days.

[cav68]

Well now I have heard it all, West Virginiain heading to Iraq. This is going to be a fact finding mission for sure, when this man was elected he informed the people of West Virginia he was going to DC and where ever else the roads out of West Virginia would take him. I think this man has watched a little too much Beverley Hillbillies. Should one of his cohorts in congress help find him a mule and send him home, I say H--L Yes. Along with a side of bacon and some grits.

[Drango]

Take Jessie Jackson with you...

[Malcolm]

I guess he prefers Hussein's word over Bush's; astonishing.....

[putupon]

May God protect his foolish soul.

and remove it from it's earthly container.

[Wondervixen]

Rahall's heritage is Arab-American (probably 25/75)...He won't look too much like a westerner over there.

[js1138]

Just like the Nazi-symps before WWII.

[BulletBrasDotNet]

Stupid is as stupid does. These guys are naive bone-heads.

[Dog Gone]

Rep. Nick Rahall

[Wondervixen]

What'd I tell ya?...A turban & some facial hair & he'd fit right in!

[Billthedrill]

Well, I'm sure the McKinneys would be tagging along, but 'twould appear they're short of a gig at the present time...

[AmericanInTokyo]

Don't be so sure. The sap could be morphed into a NOC job. Spooks probably will have him wired but good.

[Non-Sequitur]

...said he would tell the Iraqi president he should allow United Nations weapon inspectors ``unconditional and unfettered access to his country so we can find answers to a lot of questions the Congress has.''

Well, crap. Why didn't we try this before? If Saddam had only known that Congress had questions he would have soiled himself in his haste to let the inspectors back in. </sarcasm>, in case nobody could tell.

[Dog Gone]

The whole inspections dance is a gigantic ruse to buy more time for Saddam. We all know that Saddam will never permit discovery of his most critical facilities.

Yet, we may be forced to find one and be turned away before the missiles fly. It's crazy.

[white trash redneck]

And with a name like Rahall, I suspect that he is also of Arab descent, like Abourezk.

[AnnaZ]

Rep. Nick Rahall, D-W.Va

Am I the only one suprised to see a (D) after this persons name

Nah... the only surprise is that the AP mentioned it. 

[Old Professer]

Grits are not a staple in WVa.

[mountaineer]

Nick Joe Al-Rahall's been championing Arab causes in the Congress since he got there.

[paul51]

Stay there a**hole. It's fools like this that mislead our enemies into thinking we are weak and and embolden them thus increasing the danger for the rest of us. As far as I am concerned, they should be shot as traitors

[mwl1]

Rahall has no business going, period, end of subject. This should be tied like an albatross around Minority Leader Gephardt... both personally and politically... aid and comfort to the enemy. Period.

[Wondervixen]

Ditto...The whole West Virginia stereotype is a skewed combination of three or four states reputations & none are truly Mountaineer (I know, I'm married to one).

Correct you are that grits are not a West Virginia staple. Brown beans, cornbread, fried potatoes, chicken, and dumplings are.

Incestuous dating isn't a West Virginian stereotype either. That'd (crassly) be a Southern state joke, and after seeing the type of man who occupied the White House the past eight year administration, maybe there's something to it.

Barefoot hicks? That, too, would be predominantly Southern Appalachian, but SOME of it is Mountaineer. Moonshine Stills were a part of the state's heritage, but so too was it all up and down that mountain region of states.

NOTE: The Beverly Hillbillies were from TENNESSEE and the state of Kentucky is legendary for exceptional bourbon.Hollyweird did, however, give the Mountain State "The Real McCoys", which was fraught with incorrect stereotypes (The McCoys of Hatfield & McCoy fame were from the Kentucky side of the Ohio river border).

So, what IS West Virginian? Hunting, trapping, fishing, coal mining, & historic mine disasters come to mind. Crooked politics of the Democrat persuasion would be the other. After all, West Virginia was sort of the Australia of pre-Civil War Virginia. All the scoundrels & criminals who were wanted by the state of Virginia knew they could escape justice there by high-tailing it "over the mountain" that soon became the border of the new state born in 1863, and that Virginia wouldn't waste the effort coming after them.

[Republican Wildcat]

this would make a good campaign ad for his opponent. Who is it?

[Republican Wildcat]

I think that's what he/she meant. That the "D" was included in the article. That is actually quite surprising.

[buckalfa]

Rahall is of Mid-East descent, and he made a similar trip
to Iraq in 1990 pre-Desert Storm. Many of WV's prominent
business men (Bennedum, Haddad, Yarid) are of Arabic heritage. Rahall is just about as left as you can get, but
he occupies probably the safest seats in Congress. The
GOP can rarely muster a sacrifical lamb to challenge
Rahall, and when they do, Nick Joe's plurality runs over
90 percent. Despite being pro-choice and pro-gun control,
I guess he keeps getting re-elected by promoting the
welfare state. Unfortunately, he has to be considered the
leading candidate to replace Robert C Byrd in the Senate
when the former klansman goes to his final reward.