Posted on 07/24/2014 5:18:11 PM PDT by Patton@Bastogne
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"The success of Hamas in closing Israeli airspace is a great victory for the resistance, and is the crown of Israels failure, a Hamas spokesman said today.
When Israel declared independence on May 14, 1948, the United States became the first country in the world to recognize the Jewish state, just 11 minutes later. That recognition, however, came after one of the greatest foreign policy disputes in American historya fight in which Secretary of State George C. Marshall told President Truman that if the President were to [recognize Israel] and if in the elections I were to vote, I would vote against the President.
This was an astonishing rebuke coming from any cabinet officer, and more so coming from Marshalla popular figure who as Chief of Staff of the Army during World War II had helped win the warand directed at Truman, one of the least popular presidents in recent history. But Truman was still the president, and he had the wisdom to forge with Israel what has become one of our countrys closest friendships. Later, when Syria and Egypt invaded Israel in the 1973 Yom Kippur War, President Nixon airlifted heavy arms and supplies to help Israel defend itself. Contrast those strong actions with President Obamas response to the current crisis threatening our ally. The Presidents FAA-imposed ban on flights into Ben Gurion International Airport is the most hostile step any American president has taken toward Israel in its entire existence. The restriction deals a major psychological blow to our friends, prevents Israelis across the world from returning home, stops tourists and others from leaving, and creates a major disruption to the countrys economy its tourism industry especially. Even worse, it hands an extraordinary victory to Hamas, a terrorist organization that also happens to be the government in Gaza. The decision can only be interpreted as a willful attack by the United States and one of its closest allies at a time of great crisis. It was clearly deliberate. If the restriction had been an accidentan unfortunate mistake by some bumbling bureaucrat at the FAA the President could simply have reversed it when he found out about it. Given the circumstances, it is impossible to believe the cessation of flights was not a deliberate act on the part of the Obama administration to undermine Israel and bully it into accepting the ceasefire President Obama and Secretary Kerry desperately want. The Israelis maintain that their airport is safe. Their own airline, El Al, continues to fly. They have demonstrated with impressive accuracy the ability of their Iron Dome missile defense shield to protect Tel Aviv from Hamas rockets. Except for a single rocket discovered about a mile from the airport, there is no evidence to support the FAAs decision. Thats the same FAA that allows flights into Baghdad. That allows flights into Kabul. Into Peshawar and Kandahar. It allows flights, for that matter, into Kiev. These are all places where the FAA might apply the same logic as it did in Tel Avivthere are bad people in the neighborhood who sometimes do bad things. Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg stood bravely against the administrations bullying tactics when he released a statement last night announcing:
Mike Bloomberg is exactly right about the effects of the administrations decision, which is even more damaging in the context of the American governments latest pronouncements. All week Secretary Kerry and President Obama have been pressuring Israel to accept a ceasefire against an enemy that is actively trying to kill Israelis. They warn Israel that the United States is deeply concerned about civilian casualties in Gaza. Indeed, everyone is worried about civilian casualties. Everyone except Hamas. Have Obama and Kerry forgotten how the current violence started? It started with Palestinian terrorists firing hundreds of rockets at Israeli civilians. It continued with the discovery of hidden tunnelsdozens of themwhich Hamas has dug into Israel with the intention, apparently, of launching an invasion of terrorists into Israel to kidnap Israelis and drag them back through the tunnels into Gaza. A few militants who made it through the tunnels were found to be carrying tranquilizers and handcuffs. Today Israel discovered a tunnel filled with a trove of Israeli Defense Force uniforms in which the terrorists were evidently planning to disguise themselves. This is the stuff of nightmares. And in the middle of Israels campaign to stop such atrocities, Obama and Kerry are criticizing Israel for causing civilian casualties? Theyre handing a victory, with the flight cancellations, to Hamas, which hides its weapons and its militants in civilian homes to use women and children as human shields. It is an act of enormous cowardice. President Obama should immediately reverse the FAAs ban on flights into Ben Gurion International Airport and should apologize to Israel for the mistake. And Congress should hold hearings on the decision process to determine for certain if this was a deliberate political attack by the Obama White House on Americas ally.
Your Friend, ~Newt Gingrich, 2012
July 23, 2014
Newt Gingrich : Obamas Attack on Israel
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Newt
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Newt Gingrich 2012 Speech Constitutional Removal of Radical-Liberal Federal Judges
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"We have to frankly break the back of the secular-socialist machine, elect people committed to representing the American people, and then methodically rip the system apart."
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Not only because of his personal life, but because of that global warming ad with him and Nancy Pelosi on a loveseat telling us how important it is to tax us into penury in order to stop the make-believe global warming bogey man.
Actually, oversimplified and not quite accurate description of what happened. Newt is often "lost in translarion" and quite often "cuts his losses" does not bother to waste time explaining to those who don't understand or are "invested in not understanding" what he says or does which in politics could be less than optimal.
What really happened is much more prosaic, but does explain "the dumbest thing I've done in recent years" statement, which refers not to his attempt to wrest the "green" / "environmental" issues from near-exclusive province of Democratic Party, but to the political aftermath of the ad photo repeatedly posted as the "proof" that he is the AGW Global Warming advocate and believer. In politics, taking chances to do something productive rather than just talking party line is seldom rewarded.
From Pelosi Fires back at Gingrich - FR, post #9, by untwist, 2014 January 08
He was snookered by the left who wanted to use him for leverage to push their wild plans. He agreed in principle to invest in alternative energy. He never was in line with Pelosi's model for strong-handed leftist coercion. This is what has not been explained properly.
From Pelosi Fires back at Gingrich - FR, post #27; 2014 January 08
..... Meanwhile, Gingrich's staff balked at what Gore's Alliance for Climate Protection wanted the former speaker to say in the ad. They refused to clear the words "crisis" to describe climate change or for him to say "We need new laws" to address it ..... < snip >
..... "We rejected the initial script because it stated positions that we just didn't believe were true," said Tyler. "They wanted Newt to basically talk about global warming, which we would not do. At the time, 'climate change' was seen as a safe thing to say." ..... < snip >
..... About a month after the commercial began airing, Gingrich's now defunct political action group, American Solutions for Winning the Future, began its own advertising campaign a pro- oil "Drill Here, Drill Now, Pay Less," mantra aimed at blocking legislation co-sponsored by Senators Joseph I. Lieberman, a Connecticut independent, and John Warner, a Virginia Republican, to combat climate change by curbing carbon emissions. ..... < snip >
Other facts debunking the multitude of myths about Gingrich are in these links / references, for those who are really interested, so here are some myth-busters (some posts contain links and references within them, so please forgive repetition) :
Refs :
Gingrich: If it comes to a shutdown, the GOP should stick to its principles - FR, post #104, 2012 February 12
Gingrich admits ABC claim was false [Politico] - FR, post #32 / WSJ, No-Fault Newt, by James Taranto, 2012 January 20
"Cain/Gingrich 2012"? - FR, posts #64, #69, 2011 October 06
'Stop Romney' Christian conservatives give nod to Santorum ahead of S.C. balloting - FR, posts #67, #19, 2012 January 15
To Newt Gingrich haters (vanity) - FR, posts #1, #122, 2012 April 13
Gingrich: The challenge confronting Republicans - FR, posts #1, #2, #26, #81, 2012 December 24
Gingrich urges U.S. Republicans to move beyond Obama opposition - FR, posts #59, #60, 2013 August 15
Trick or truth! Can you even tell the difference? - FR, posts #14, #17, 2014 May 18
Gingrich's Secret Weapon: Newt Inc. - FR, posts #1, #2, #14, 2012 January 25
Does Ryan Now Agree with Gingrich? [And now, here's the rest of the story] - FR, posts #43, 2012 February 18
Reagan Had the Recipe for Success. Let's Follow It (Newt Gingrich in WSJ) - FR / WSJ, posts #1, #17, #19, 2012 December 29
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