Posted on 06/02/2004 8:10:01 AM PDT by mountaineer
CHARLESTON – Congressman Nick Rahall made shocking remarks about a U.S. Army veteran who has worked for the State Department and the United Nations. Then, Rahall tried to kill the story by threatening legal action against a TV station if it aired his outrageous comments.
Reporter Brian Albert of WVVA-TV Newschannel 6 had previously aired a story regarding Rahall’s ties to a group that allegedly has connections to Islamic terror organizations. Some of the allegations were based on information provided by Paul Chapman, who ran against Rahall in 2002.
Chapman is an Army veteran, 101st Airborne Infantry. He has served honorably in several foreign counties, and has worked for the State Department and United Nations in Kosovo and Afghanistan, where he was tasked with the protection and training of government officials and foreign police officers.
Chapman, in fact, just recently returned from Afghanistan where he was one of the 16 professionals chosen to start Regional Training Centers for Afghan police officers. Last week, he was contacted and asked to be on the Personal Protection Team of the U.S. Ambassador to Iraq.
Chapman has served in three war zones in the last five years. But Nick Rahall responded to his allegations by referring to Chapman as “a bigoted, rightwing, redneck, racist whacko.”
Then, according to reporter Albert, “I spoke to Congressman Rahall on my cell phone outside Newschannel 6’s Raleigh County bureau. Rahall told me that Paul Chapman, a former Logan County police officer, is more harmful to America than the terrorists who flew planes into the World Trade Center on 9-11.” Later, Rahall passed up a chance to retract his comments.
But Newschannel 6 refused to run the story, apparently after Rahall threatened legal action.
“This is the most shocking, outrageous statement I’ve ever heard from a United States Congressman,” said state GOP Chairman Kris Warner. “The people of the 3rd Congressional District need to know about these comments, and the contempt Nick Rahall has for someone like Paul Chapman who has served his country with honor.”
The West Virginia Republican Party has obtained a complete transcript of the story Brian Albert had prepared for broadcast, presented here in its entirety.
ON CAM
Bite: Anchor
CONGRESSMAN NICK RAHALL RESPONDS TO ALLEGATIONS THAT HE IS TIED TO A GROUP THAT HAS TIES TO TERROR ORGANIZATIONS. NEWSCHANNEL SIX’S BRIAN ALBERT HAS THE STORY.
TAKE PKG
OC: SOC, TRT: 2:00
Track: Brian Albert
LAST WEEK, NEWSCHANNEL SIX BROUGHT YOU THE STORY ABOUT CONGRESSMAN NICK RAHALL’S TIES TO A GROUP THAT IS ALLEGED TO HAVE TIES TO ISLAMIC TERROR ORGANIZATIONS. NOW, RAHALL RESPONDS TO THE STORY, AND HIS RESPONSE MAY SHOCK YOU.
Track: Brian Albert
CONGRESSMAN RAHALL DECLINED TO SPEAK ON CAMERA, BUT IN A STATEMENT TO NEWSCHANNEL SIX, HE CALLED PAUL CHAPMAN, THE MAN WHO BROUGHT THIS STORY TO THE MEDIA, A BIGOTED, RIGHT-WING, REDNECK, RACIST WACKO.
Track: Brian Albert
BUT WHAT MAY BE MORE SHOCKING IS WHAT ELSE RAHALL SAID ABOUT CHAPMAN, THE ARMY VETERAN WHO RAN A LOSING CAMPAIGN AGAINST THE LONG-TIME INCUMBENT TWO YEARS AGO.
Bite: Brian Albert
(standing outside Raleigh County bureau)
I spoke to Congressman Rahall on my cell phone outside Newschannel Six’s Raleigh County bureau. Rahall told me that Paul Chapman, a former Logan County police officer, is more harmful to America than the terrorists who flew planes into the World Trade Center on 9-11.
Track: Brian Albert
TWO DAYS LATER, I CALLED CONGRESSMAN RAHALL’S OFFICE TO FIND OUT IF RAHALL REALLY MEANT WHAT HE SAID ABOUT PAUL CHAPMAN BEING MORE HARMFUL THAN AL QAEDA TERRORISTS.
Bite: Brian Albert
(on telephone w/ Rahall’s press secretary)
Congressman Rahall said to me that Paul Chapman is more harmful to America than the terrorists who flew planes into the World Trade Center on 9-11. Does he believe that?
Track: Brian Albert
THROUGH HIS PRESS SECRETARY, CONGRESSMAN RAHALL DECLINED TO DENY HIS INFLAMMATORY COMMENTS ABOUT THE ATTACK ON 9-11.
Bite: Josh Jones
(Rahall’s press secretary on voice mail)
After a full day of working for West Virginia, after walking his dog, the Congressman still has better things to think about than his last political opponent.
Track: Brian Albert
PAUL CHAPMAN SAYS HE’S OUTRAGED THAT RAHALL WOULD COMPARE HIM TO THE MURDERERS OF THREE THOUSAND INNOCENT PEOPLE JUST FOR SPEAKING OUT AGAINST HIS CONGRESSMAN … AND HE STANDS BY HIS CRITICISM OF RAHALL FOR ATTENDING A FUNDRAISING DINNER FOR AN ORGANIZATION TIED TO TERROR.
Bite: Paul Chapman
If one dime of that money goes to support terrorism, then Nick Rahall has as much blood on his hands as anyone in the Middle East.
Track: Brian Albert
AS FOR PAUL CHAPMAN, HE’LL SOON BE RETURNING TO AFGHANISTAN, HELPING TO BUILD A POLICE ACADEMY FOR A U-S GOVERNMENT CONTRACTOR … HIS PERSONAL CONTRIBUTION TO THE WAR ON TERROR. FOR NEWSCHANNEL SIX, I’M BRIAN ALBERT.
Unbelieveable ping.
_____________________
It should not be surprising that Arab Americans, like most Americans, are deeply troubled by the horrific events unfolding in the Middle East. But they are also frustrated. Many in the community, while recognising the progress they've made in recent years, are concerned that their voices are not being heard in this election year. Some of this frustration was in evidence this month at the Arab American Institute Foundation's "Kahlil Gibran Spirit of Humanity Awards Dinner". The gala black tie event, which honours individuals and institutions that have made significant contributions to promoting understanding and humanitarian ideals, has continued to grow in each of its six years of existence. This year's event brought almost 1,000 participants together to honour Mohamed Ali, American Near East Refugee Aid (ANERA), a civic project "Rock the Vote", and a remarkable Palestinian-American entrepreneur, Walid Ali. A special award named after recently deceased Najeeb Halaby was presented by his daughter Queen Noor to West Virginia Congressman Nick Rahall. The Halaby prize will be given annually to an Arab American who has displayed excellence in public service and pride in his heritage. Al-Ahram Weekly
Sedition Ping!
Typical dem, kerry action--hit and run(then cry about it)
-- From FR thread of 3/25/03.
BTTT
On what grounds did this congreeman believe he had a right to sue?
On the grounds that no one is permitted to tell the truth about Democrats, apparently.
Just as I thought.
Is this well known in West Virginia now?
maybe the fact that the transcript doesn't say much about actually having the congresscritter saying what he supposedly said on tape is why he could sue?
From the way I read it, the transcript was produced AFTER he threatened to sue.
I doubt it, considering the story isn't in the news, but was revealed in a press release from the WVGOP. Perhaps this will come out in Rahall's district within the next few days, but considering they keep reelecting this terrorist apologist, it may not make much of a ripple.
The press release may not have explained the situation very well. The way I read it, the reporter spoke to Rahall by phone, and the congressman made the comments about Chapman. The reporter then prepared the TV report about the comments (the transcript of which is posted above), but Rahall intervened with the TV station, which did not air the report.
Just wondering, is Pvt Jessica Lynch from his district?
That would be interesting. I bet Lynndie England is...
BTTT.
I know for certain that Jessica Lynch is not in Rahall's district and I'm fairly certain that Lynndie England isn't either. It'll be tough to get this story widely disseminated in WV ....... the press here are old pro's at taking care of their Democrat buddies like Rahall.
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