My own random thoughts; pray that Jay Nordingler doesn't see this and pursue legal action.

Okay, I've decided to dip my toe into the water and post my first vanity thread. Hooray!

You can think of this as a less polished version of NRO's very fine "Impromptus" section; I'm not using the exact title, lest I incur the wrath of National Review's legal department. So, for the time being, let's just call this "FreeRepublic Palaver." I know, the title's kind of lame, but it'll have to do for now.

Anyway, I want to start off this discussion by posing a question to all of you FReepers living out there on the West Coast.

Have any of you heard about a resolution passed by the floor of the Democratic convention in Washington State, which condemns Israel and calls for the immediate imposition of trade sanctions on our closest ally in the Middle East?

I first heard about this yesterday morning, while listening to Rabbi Joseph Potasnik and Fr. Joseph Keenan interview Va. congressman Eric Cantor.

I have to tell you, my initial reaction was one of disbelief. As much as I detest the people that comprise the current Democratic Party in WA., I could not believe that the entire party had been hijacked-and I use that word intentionally-by the kind of people you'd find frequenting halal shops and burning Israeli flags over in Patterson, New Jersey.

Has Patty "Osama's like a father-figure to me" Murray somehow seized control of her party's state apparatus? What could possibly explain an action as reprehensible as this? I wouldn't be surprised in the least if this resolution had been passed by the San Franciso Board of Supervisors, or by the Dearborn City Council. But by the whole of Democrats in the state of Washington? I must confess that I'm somewhat dumfounded by this action; perhaps I shouldn't be, but I am.

On a slightly related topic, what do you guys think about the incident that occurred recently to an obscure-but now very famous-owner of an art gallery in San Franciso?

I know that there's already another thread covering this topic, but I thought that I'd add my two cents worth, without having to re-post every time I wanted to make another comment.

In my opinion, I don't believe anything ever justifies raising your hand to-let alone, assaulting-a woman who has done nothing to physically provoke you into defending yourself.

Even though I think Lori Haigh's pseudo-art is beneath contempt-both esthetically and morally-I don't see how repeatedly punching her in the face is going to persuade her to jetisson her anti-American viewpoint, or to even entertain your side of this argument.

That being said, I thought her comments to the ravenous press corps were the height of hyperbole. "I guess I'm not brave enough to live in America." Puh-leeze!

If she were really interested in defending the 1st Amendment, she would have stuck to her guns instead of cowering like a frightened schoolchild after some thug jacked her. I know that this was probably a jarring incident for her, but I don't think that closing up shop is exactly a ringing endorsement of freedom of speech.

Marial Solis had a report earlier tonight on a riot that occured at the Cleavlander, a restaurant located in Miami Beach.

Now, the part of her report that really got me was the title: "Hip-hop festival turns violent, as riot erupts."

I'm sorry, but have the people who produce these segments even watched the programming of their own station? I'm referring of course, to The Source Awards, years 1, 2,3...You get the picture.

I think the best summation of this situation came at the segment's conclusion, when an inebriated reveller exclaimed: "Miami baby!" My thoughts exactly.

Have any of you gotten the buzz on this new, Kitty Kelly hatchet-job on President Bush. I heard about it on the Ch. 11 news tonight, and was slightly amused when the anchors revealed what Kelly planned on exposing in her upcoming book. One of the revelations was that she had interviewed the ex of Neil Bush, Sharon Bush.

I don't know about you all, but somehow an embittered ex-wife of someone who isn't even close to his brother in the first place does not strike me as a particularly damning piece of evidence in the putative case against the president.

One final noteworthy story that was broadcast on tonight's WB11 Nightly News; this time, simply the bumper for an upcoming segment:

Perhaps the Rabbi was referring to this story:

More than 300 Muslims gather for Seattle banquet
By Dominic Gates Seattle Times staff reporter
American Muslims mingling in a ballroom at the Washington State Convention and Trade Center in downtown Seattle last night showed no outward sign of the pressure many are feeling. At the annual banquet for the Seattle chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the issues of war abroad and civil rights at home surfaced at the podium, and participants were ready with opinions when asked.
Yet this formal gathering of more than 300 people breathed the warmth and intimacy of a close-knit community.
Children dressed in their best filled the room with a family feeling.
Men from Africa, the Middle East and Malaysia greeted each other with broad smiles, tight bear hugs and soft kisses to the cheek.
Young women mostly wore headscarves, and a few had their faces veiled.
One overt political note was sounded as U.S. Rep. Jim McDermott, D-Seattle, was introduced and given CAIR's public-official-of-the-year award for his support of the Muslim community.
Before giving McDermott his plaque, Samia El-Moslimany, CAIR vice chair, announced "tremendous news."
She told the crowd that the King County Democratic Party, meeting earlier in the day elsewhere within the Convention Center, had voted into its platform a commitment to "withhold U.S. tax dollars from Israel while it is in violation of international law."
"This is a memorable day," said El-Moslimany.
The anti-Israel statement was one of 235 amendments to the party's platform, according to Greg Rodriguez, King County party chairman. Reached at home last night, Rodriguez could not recall the exact wording, but said, "I would imagine that probably did get in."

Following El-Moslimany to the podium, McDermott said that passage of the platform commitment should encourage all American Muslims to get involved in the political process.
Afterward, Naseem Tuffaha, local director of the Seattle chapter of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee who introduced the anti-Israel proposal at the Democratic party meeting, said that, though the platform is not binding, "it's a source of influence."
Yet political influence seemed remote to many at the banquet.
On the way in, many paused in the lobby to watch video footage of Capt. James Yee, the U.S. Army Muslim chaplain who spent 76 days in prison on allegations of spying at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, before all charges against him were dropped in April.
Yee, who had not spoken publicly since his release, gave a short speech at the dinner. Having joined three other men for Muslim prayers in a quiet corner just before he addressed the crowd, Yee made a point of stating at the outset that he was not speaking in any official capacity or as a member of the military.
His lawyer has said that Yee received orders since his return to duty at Fort Lewis restricting what he may say publicly.
Yee declined to speak with the press, and confined his remarks from the stage to thanking all who had supported him, and thanking CAIR in particular for its organized efforts.
"I encourage you to stand for justice and to support (CAIR)," he concluded, "My name is Yusuf Yee, your brother in Islam."
Earlier, some participants spoke of the fears aroused by cases such as Yee's.
"Every once in a while, someone gets picked on," said Jeremy Mseitif, a Lebanese-born American. "It seems you are guilty until proven innocent."
Brian Shaheed, a California-born convert to Islam who had traveled with his wife from Longview for the banquet, told of how his wife had obscenities yelled at her; how they had been refused service in several businesses and told to go back to their own country (both are white Americans who wear Islamic-style attire).
"We get nervous," Shaheed said.
Atefeh Naeemi, a young Iranian-born American, compared the pressures currently facing her community to those faced by African Americans in Jim Crow days and Japanese Americans during World War II.
"Maybe this is the Muslim-American time to be tested," Naeemi said.
Dominic Gates: 206-464-2963 or dgates@seattletimes.com

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