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Cruz’ ex co-chair in Virginia heads to Syria, praises Assad
WTOP News (Washington DC) ^ | 27 April 2016 | WTOP News (Washington DC)

Posted on 04/27/2016 6:49:44 PM PDT by COBOL2Java


RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Sen. Ted Cruz’s former campaign co-chairman in Virginia has traveled to Syria and promised support for the government of President Bashar Assad, who U.S. officials have repeatedly said has lost the legitimacy to rule the war-torn country.

Virginia state Sen. Dick Black’s trip to a Middle Eastern country in the midst of a civil war and his comments in the face of official U.S. foreign policy are highly unusual for a state lawmaker.

Black, an outspoken Republican, is a part-time state senator who has no role in official U.S. foreign policy. Still, he has met with Assad government officials and said he would advocate for better relationships between Assad and the U.S., according to the official Syrian news agency.

“I will be Syria’s voice,” Black said, according to the news agency.

An aide to Black said Wednesday evening that Black resigned as co-chair of the Cruz campaign in Virginia shortly before his trip. In a resignation letter dated April 21 the aide provided to The Associated Press, Black said he was resigning to “avoid any possible distraction” related to his trip.

(Excerpt) Read more at wtop.com ...


TOPICS: Front Page News; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Virginia
KEYWORDS: assad; cruz; syria; vageneralassembly; virginia
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1 posted on 04/27/2016 6:49:44 PM PDT by COBOL2Java
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To: COBOL2Java

We should be completely out of Syria. Out!


2 posted on 04/27/2016 6:50:31 PM PDT by austinaero
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To: All

Well, this is a little........unusual......


3 posted on 04/27/2016 6:57:02 PM PDT by JBW1949
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To: austinaero

“We should be completely out of Syria. Out!”

Thanks to Obama’s meddling and supplying the terrorists in Syria with weapons, we are partially to blame for the mess there...again.

Of course Obama won’t do what is necessary to kill the vermin in Syria so we have to wait for the Russian and Syrian to finish the job.


4 posted on 04/27/2016 6:58:20 PM PDT by Azeem (There are four boxes to be used in the defense of liberty: soap, ballot, jury and ammo.)
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To: JBW1949
Well, this is a little........unusual......

A Virginia state rep traveling to Syria to express his support for a foreign leader of a country engaged in a civil war?

Yeah, I'd say so.

5 posted on 04/27/2016 7:02:10 PM PDT by johniegrad
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To: johniegrad

Makes you kinda wonder what kind of people Cruz hires, huh????


6 posted on 04/27/2016 7:04:01 PM PDT by JBW1949
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To: COBOL2Java

Seems like today is the day for cruzlim hubris. I guess, in the big picture there’s really little difference between being a distant second place primary candidate and announcing your VP running mate, and being a VA state senator wrestling with US foreign policy issues in one of the world’s hottest hot spots.


7 posted on 04/27/2016 7:04:34 PM PDT by Joe 6-pack (Qui me amat, amat et canem meum.)
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To: JBW1949

Paleoconservatives?


8 posted on 04/27/2016 7:05:04 PM PDT by 1rudeboy
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To: COBOL2Java
Once you go, Black,
you'll never come back!
9 posted on 04/27/2016 7:07:53 PM PDT by grey_whiskers (The opinions are solely those of the author and are subject to change without notice.)
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To: COBOL2Java
As no one wants to say it, I will. The problem in the middle east is the false religion known as Islam. Read the Koran and make your conclusions. If upon reading the book you cannot see the truth concerning this false religion and false “prophet” known as Mahomet (British spelling), then you are lost and will never see the truth.
10 posted on 04/27/2016 7:12:26 PM PDT by Fungi
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To: COBOL2Java

Didn’t this guy just violate the Logan Act
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logan_Act


11 posted on 04/27/2016 7:16:31 PM PDT by MaxistheBest
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To: COBOL2Java

Could this have something to do with refugees and Christian persecution? Dick Black is well respected. WTOP will put an anti-conservative spin on each and every story.


12 posted on 04/27/2016 7:17:07 PM PDT by HokieMom (Pacepa : Can the U.S. afford a president who can't recognize anti-Americanism?)
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To: johniegrad

Really?

What country engaged in a civil war did he travel to?


13 posted on 04/27/2016 7:18:54 PM PDT by MrEdd (Heck? Geewhiz Cripes, thats the place where people who don't believe in Gosh think they aint going.)
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To: HokieMom

Yes..you are right.

Assad letter[edit]
In April 2014 Black sent an official letter to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad,[24] thanking “the Syrian Arab Army for its heroic rescue of Christians in the Qalamoun Mountain Range”,[24] and praising Assad for “treating with respect all Christians and the small community of Jews in Damascus”.[24][25] In an interview with Politico, Black congratulated the Syrian Army saying they did “a spectacular job” and compared events of this rescue operation to a movie.[26] Democratic Virginia Senator A. Donald McEachin called the letter “bizarre”.[27] Republican Senator Bill Stanley later joked “What’s the matter, Dick? Was Kim Jong-un not returning your text messages?”.[28]


14 posted on 04/27/2016 7:20:42 PM PDT by MaxistheBest
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To: HokieMom
Could this have something to do with refugees and Christian persecution?

At least in part, the linked article addresses that.

But again, despite a good intention, this is questionably ordered. This media outlet might be trying to make the Republican-Cruz connection when perhaps it could have been portrayed more as a matter of his personal conscience.

But at best, it's odd.

15 posted on 04/27/2016 7:21:43 PM PDT by johniegrad
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To: johniegrad

Dick Black, along with his pro- Cruz delegate slate, received the most votes a few weeks ago at our 10th District Convention. The timing of the trip does seem odd.


16 posted on 04/27/2016 7:26:57 PM PDT by HokieMom (Pacepa : Can the U.S. afford a president who can't recognize anti-Americanism?)
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To: MaxistheBest

Thank you. Dick Black’s Congressman for many years was Frank Wolf who loved humanitarian trips in support of efforts to liberate persecuted Christians. Now that Frank is retired, perhaps Dick wants to fill the void.


17 posted on 04/27/2016 7:31:54 PM PDT by HokieMom (Pacepa : Can the U.S. afford a president who can't recognize anti-Americanism?)
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To: MaxistheBest

Didn’t Hillary violate the Espionage Act?


18 posted on 04/27/2016 7:42:09 PM PDT by P-Marlowe (Freep mail me if you want to be on my Fingerstyle Acoustic Guitar Ping list.)
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To: P-Marlowe

Good luck reading the Riot Act to her!


19 posted on 04/27/2016 8:16:04 PM PDT by BradyLS (DO NOT FEED THE BEARS!)
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To: P-Marlowe

http://freebeacon.com/issues/prosecutor-in-pollard-spy-case-predicts-espionage-act-charges-in-clinton-email-probe/


20 posted on 04/27/2016 8:25:29 PM PDT by MaxistheBest
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