Conservative Blogger
Wednesday, April 13, 2016
Bibles are being removed from Missing Man tributes at VA clinics and military bases. Why?
It really takes a special kind of low-life to desecrate a military
display honoring prisoners of war and those missing in action.
Over the past several months the M
It really takes a special kind of low-life to desecrate a military display honoring prisoners of war and those missing in action.
Over the past several months the Military Religious Freedom Foundation has waged a campaign to have Bibles removed from “Missing Man” displays located on federal property. They claim the inclusion of the Bible is a violation of federal law.
Click here to join Todd’s American Dispatch: a must-read for Conservatives!
So far at least three VA medical clinics and one Air Force base have complied with the MRFF’s demands to cleanse the displays of the Good Book.
I have been reporting on this religious cleansing for the past two years – and now a group of conservative organizations is preparing to fight back against the MRFF.
Fox News has exclusively obtained a letter sent to Robert McDonald, secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs – urging him to reinstate the Bible to the Missing Man displays.
“The removal of the Bible not only violates the integrity of these displays, but insults those returned POWs who gained daily strength from their faith in the prisons of our enemies,” they wrote. “When a governmental agency such as the VA removes any part of the display, it is a grave insult to the nation’s veterans who often gather together to honor those who have not returned, while also interfering with the message being expressed.”
The letter was signed by representatives from Family Research Council, American Family Association, First Liberty Institute, Chaplain Alliance for Religious Liberty, Center for Military Readiness, Freedom Alliance, Liberty Counsel, Alliance Defending Freedom, Freedom X, Judicial Watch, LION Associates, Military-Veterans Advocacy, Stand Up America US and the International Conference of Evangelical Chaplain Endorsers.
Secretary McDonald did not return my telephone calls or emails.
“There is definitely an all-out assault on the Christian faith within our military today,” said Lt. Gen. (Ret.) William Boykin, executive vice president of the Family Research Council and one of the signers.
Boykin accused the VA of having a “knee-jerk” reaction to the Military Religious Freedom Foundation.
“It’s a sad situation that a guy would actually try to destroy the traditions of our military and the basic values of our country,” he told me.
The Missing Man Table was established during the Vietnam era. It was a solemn reminder of those who were Prisoners of War or Missing in Action.
The tables are typically displayed on military bases and VA clinics – and they are steeped in tradition. There are empty chairs for each of the five services, a red rose, an inverted glass, a yellow ribbon, salt sprinkled on a plate, a lemon slice, a candle – and a Bible.
“The Bible represents the strength gained through faith to sustain us and those lost from our country, founded as one nation under God,” reads the official ceremony script.
But the Military Religious Freedom Foundation believes the Bible’s presence on the Missing Man table represents a violation of the law.
Mikey Weinstein, the founder and president of the MRFF, demanded VA clinics in Youngstown, Ohio and Akron, Ohio remove the Bibles from the displays.
In a disgusting act of cowardice, VA officials in Youngstown and Akron obeyed Weinstein’s demands and removed the Bibles. The MRFF also reports that a VA clinic in Houston got rid of the Bible, too.
The Youngstown clinic replaced the Bible with a “generic book” – a prop - “One whose symbolism can be individualized by each of our veterans as they pay their respects,” a VA official told Vindy.com.
In a separate incident, the Bible was also removed from a display at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.
“This is not persecution or victimization of Christianity,” Weinstein told the Air Force Times. “This is simply an example where the Air Force should have a policy that makes it absolutely clear that nobody’s religious affiliation is on (exclusive) display.”
A base spokesperson confirmed to the newspaper that the Bible had been stripped from the display.
“Mutual respect is an essential part of the Air Force culture and we must ensure we create an environment in which people can realize their highest potential, regardless of one’s personal religious or other beliefs,” spokesperson Marie Vanover told the Times.
And by mutual respect – they mean anything remotely related to the Christian faith must be cleansed from the United States military.
I hope Secretary McDonald follows the wise counsel of conservative leaders like Gen. Boykin.
And I also hope he listens to the words of people like Ann Mills-Griffiths, the chairman of the board for the National League of POW/MIA Families.
Her brother, Commander James B. Mills, disappeared somewhere over North Vietnam on Sept. 21, 1966. The 26-year-old naval aviator remains classified as missing in action.
“The Bible kept many of our POWs alive and sustained their families through decades of uncertainty,” she told me. “The Bible has always been a part of the tradition. Until now – no one has ever suggested the Bible should be removed from the table.”
Mikey Weinstein and the Military Religious Freedom Foundation should be ashamed – declaring war on such a revered military tradition.
The Missing Man table is not about you, Mr. Weinstein. It’s about brave patriots like Commander James B. Mills and their families.
Never forget that.
has waged a campaign to have Bibles removed from “Missing Man” displays located on federal property. They claim the inclusion of the Bible is a violation of federal law.
Click here to join Todd’s American Dispatch: a must-read for Conservatives!
So far at least three VA medical clinics and one Air Force base have complied with the MRFF’s demands to cleanse the displays of the Good Book.
I have been reporting on this religious cleansing for the past two years – and now a group of conservative organizations is preparing to fight back against the MRFF.
Fox News has exclusively obtained a letter sent to Robert McDonald, secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs – urging him to reinstate the Bible to the Missing Man displays.
“The removal of the Bible not only violates the integrity of these displays, but insults those returned POWs who gained daily strength from their faith in the prisons of our enemies,” they wrote. “When a governmental agency such as the VA removes any part of the display, it is a grave insult to the nation’s veterans who often gather together to honor those who have not returned, while also interfering with the message being expressed.”
The letter was signed by representatives from Family Research Council, American Family Association, First Liberty Institute, Chaplain Alliance for Religious Liberty, Center for Military Readiness, Freedom Alliance, Liberty Counsel, Alliance Defending Freedom, Freedom X, Judicial Watch, LION Associates, Military-Veterans Advocacy, Stand Up America US and the International Conference of Evangelical Chaplain Endorsers.
Secretary McDonald did not return my telephone calls or emails.
“There is definitely an all-out assault on the Christian faith within our military today,” said Lt. Gen. (Ret.) William Boykin, executive vice president of the Family Research Council and one of the signers.
Boykin accused the VA of having a “knee-jerk” reaction to the Military Religious Freedom Foundation.
“It’s a sad situation that a guy would actually try to destroy the traditions of our military and the basic values of our country,” he told me.
The Missing Man Table was established during the Vietnam era. It was a solemn reminder of those who were Prisoners of War or Missing in Action.
The tables are typically displayed on military bases and VA clinics – and they are steeped in tradition. There are empty chairs for each of the five services, a red rose, an inverted glass, a yellow ribbon, salt sprinkled on a plate, a lemon slice, a candle – and a Bible.
“The Bible represents the strength gained through faith to sustain us and those lost from our country, founded as one nation under God,” reads the official ceremony script.
But the Military Religious Freedom Foundation believes the Bible’s presence on the Missing Man table represents a violation of the law.
Mikey Weinstein, the founder and president of the MRFF, demanded VA clinics in Youngstown, Ohio and Akron, Ohio remove the Bibles from the displays.
In a disgusting act of cowardice, VA officials in Youngstown and Akron obeyed Weinstein’s demands and removed the Bibles. The MRFF also reports that a VA clinic in Houston got rid of the Bible, too.
The Youngstown clinic replaced the Bible with a “generic book” – a prop - “One whose symbolism can be individualized by each of our veterans as they pay their respects,” a VA official told Vindy.com.
In a separate incident, the Bible was also removed from a display at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.
“This is not persecution or victimization of Christianity,” Weinstein told the Air Force Times. “This is simply an example where the Air Force should have a policy that makes it absolutely clear that nobody’s religious affiliation is on (exclusive) display.”
A base spokesperson confirmed to the newspaper that the Bible had been stripped from the display.
“Mutual respect is an essential part of the Air Force culture and we must ensure we create an environment in which people can realize their highest potential, regardless of one’s personal religious or other beliefs,” spokesperson Marie Vanover told the Times.
And by mutual respect – they mean anything remotely related to the Christian faith must be cleansed from the United States military.
I hope Secretary McDonald follows the wise counsel of conservative leaders like Gen. Boykin.
And I also hope he listens to the words of people like Ann Mills-Griffiths, the chairman of the board for the National League of POW/MIA Families.
Her brother, Commander James B. Mills, disappeared somewhere over North Vietnam on Sept. 21, 1966. The 26-year-old naval aviator remains classified as missing in action.
“The Bible kept many of our POWs alive and sustained their families through decades of uncertainty,” she told me. “The Bible has always been a part of the tradition. Until now – no one has ever suggested the Bible should be removed from the table.”
Mikey Weinstein and the Military Religious Freedom Foundation should be ashamed – declaring war on such a revered military tradition.
The Missing Man table is not about you, Mr. Weinstein. It’s about brave patriots like Commander James B. Mills and their families.
Never forget that.
Over the past several months the M
It really takes a special kind of low-life to desecrate a military display honoring prisoners of war and those missing in action.
Over the past several months the Military Religious Freedom Foundation has waged a campaign to have Bibles removed from “Missing Man” displays located on federal property. They claim the inclusion of the Bible is a violation of federal law.
Click here to join Todd’s American Dispatch: a must-read for Conservatives!
So far at least three VA medical clinics and one Air Force base have complied with the MRFF’s demands to cleanse the displays of the Good Book.
I have been reporting on this religious cleansing for the past two years – and now a group of conservative organizations is preparing to fight back against the MRFF.
Fox News has exclusively obtained a letter sent to Robert McDonald, secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs – urging him to reinstate the Bible to the Missing Man displays.
“The removal of the Bible not only violates the integrity of these displays, but insults those returned POWs who gained daily strength from their faith in the prisons of our enemies,” they wrote. “When a governmental agency such as the VA removes any part of the display, it is a grave insult to the nation’s veterans who often gather together to honor those who have not returned, while also interfering with the message being expressed.”
The letter was signed by representatives from Family Research Council, American Family Association, First Liberty Institute, Chaplain Alliance for Religious Liberty, Center for Military Readiness, Freedom Alliance, Liberty Counsel, Alliance Defending Freedom, Freedom X, Judicial Watch, LION Associates, Military-Veterans Advocacy, Stand Up America US and the International Conference of Evangelical Chaplain Endorsers.
Secretary McDonald did not return my telephone calls or emails.
“There is definitely an all-out assault on the Christian faith within our military today,” said Lt. Gen. (Ret.) William Boykin, executive vice president of the Family Research Council and one of the signers.
Boykin accused the VA of having a “knee-jerk” reaction to the Military Religious Freedom Foundation.
“It’s a sad situation that a guy would actually try to destroy the traditions of our military and the basic values of our country,” he told me.
The Missing Man Table was established during the Vietnam era. It was a solemn reminder of those who were Prisoners of War or Missing in Action.
The tables are typically displayed on military bases and VA clinics – and they are steeped in tradition. There are empty chairs for each of the five services, a red rose, an inverted glass, a yellow ribbon, salt sprinkled on a plate, a lemon slice, a candle – and a Bible.
“The Bible represents the strength gained through faith to sustain us and those lost from our country, founded as one nation under God,” reads the official ceremony script.
But the Military Religious Freedom Foundation believes the Bible’s presence on the Missing Man table represents a violation of the law.
Mikey Weinstein, the founder and president of the MRFF, demanded VA clinics in Youngstown, Ohio and Akron, Ohio remove the Bibles from the displays.
In a disgusting act of cowardice, VA officials in Youngstown and Akron obeyed Weinstein’s demands and removed the Bibles. The MRFF also reports that a VA clinic in Houston got rid of the Bible, too.
The Youngstown clinic replaced the Bible with a “generic book” – a prop - “One whose symbolism can be individualized by each of our veterans as they pay their respects,” a VA official told Vindy.com.
In a separate incident, the Bible was also removed from a display at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.
“This is not persecution or victimization of Christianity,” Weinstein told the Air Force Times. “This is simply an example where the Air Force should have a policy that makes it absolutely clear that nobody’s religious affiliation is on (exclusive) display.”
A base spokesperson confirmed to the newspaper that the Bible had been stripped from the display.
“Mutual respect is an essential part of the Air Force culture and we must ensure we create an environment in which people can realize their highest potential, regardless of one’s personal religious or other beliefs,” spokesperson Marie Vanover told the Times.
And by mutual respect – they mean anything remotely related to the Christian faith must be cleansed from the United States military.
I hope Secretary McDonald follows the wise counsel of conservative leaders like Gen. Boykin.
And I also hope he listens to the words of people like Ann Mills-Griffiths, the chairman of the board for the National League of POW/MIA Families.
Her brother, Commander James B. Mills, disappeared somewhere over North Vietnam on Sept. 21, 1966. The 26-year-old naval aviator remains classified as missing in action.
“The Bible kept many of our POWs alive and sustained their families through decades of uncertainty,” she told me. “The Bible has always been a part of the tradition. Until now – no one has ever suggested the Bible should be removed from the table.”
Mikey Weinstein and the Military Religious Freedom Foundation should be ashamed – declaring war on such a revered military tradition.
The Missing Man table is not about you, Mr. Weinstein. It’s about brave patriots like Commander James B. Mills and their families.
Never forget that.
has waged a campaign to have Bibles removed from “Missing Man” displays located on federal property. They claim the inclusion of the Bible is a violation of federal law.
Click here to join Todd’s American Dispatch: a must-read for Conservatives!
So far at least three VA medical clinics and one Air Force base have complied with the MRFF’s demands to cleanse the displays of the Good Book.
I have been reporting on this religious cleansing for the past two years – and now a group of conservative organizations is preparing to fight back against the MRFF.
Fox News has exclusively obtained a letter sent to Robert McDonald, secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs – urging him to reinstate the Bible to the Missing Man displays.
“The removal of the Bible not only violates the integrity of these displays, but insults those returned POWs who gained daily strength from their faith in the prisons of our enemies,” they wrote. “When a governmental agency such as the VA removes any part of the display, it is a grave insult to the nation’s veterans who often gather together to honor those who have not returned, while also interfering with the message being expressed.”
The letter was signed by representatives from Family Research Council, American Family Association, First Liberty Institute, Chaplain Alliance for Religious Liberty, Center for Military Readiness, Freedom Alliance, Liberty Counsel, Alliance Defending Freedom, Freedom X, Judicial Watch, LION Associates, Military-Veterans Advocacy, Stand Up America US and the International Conference of Evangelical Chaplain Endorsers.
Secretary McDonald did not return my telephone calls or emails.
“There is definitely an all-out assault on the Christian faith within our military today,” said Lt. Gen. (Ret.) William Boykin, executive vice president of the Family Research Council and one of the signers.
Boykin accused the VA of having a “knee-jerk” reaction to the Military Religious Freedom Foundation.
“It’s a sad situation that a guy would actually try to destroy the traditions of our military and the basic values of our country,” he told me.
The Missing Man Table was established during the Vietnam era. It was a solemn reminder of those who were Prisoners of War or Missing in Action.
The tables are typically displayed on military bases and VA clinics – and they are steeped in tradition. There are empty chairs for each of the five services, a red rose, an inverted glass, a yellow ribbon, salt sprinkled on a plate, a lemon slice, a candle – and a Bible.
“The Bible represents the strength gained through faith to sustain us and those lost from our country, founded as one nation under God,” reads the official ceremony script.
But the Military Religious Freedom Foundation believes the Bible’s presence on the Missing Man table represents a violation of the law.
Mikey Weinstein, the founder and president of the MRFF, demanded VA clinics in Youngstown, Ohio and Akron, Ohio remove the Bibles from the displays.
In a disgusting act of cowardice, VA officials in Youngstown and Akron obeyed Weinstein’s demands and removed the Bibles. The MRFF also reports that a VA clinic in Houston got rid of the Bible, too.
The Youngstown clinic replaced the Bible with a “generic book” – a prop - “One whose symbolism can be individualized by each of our veterans as they pay their respects,” a VA official told Vindy.com.
In a separate incident, the Bible was also removed from a display at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.
“This is not persecution or victimization of Christianity,” Weinstein told the Air Force Times. “This is simply an example where the Air Force should have a policy that makes it absolutely clear that nobody’s religious affiliation is on (exclusive) display.”
A base spokesperson confirmed to the newspaper that the Bible had been stripped from the display.
“Mutual respect is an essential part of the Air Force culture and we must ensure we create an environment in which people can realize their highest potential, regardless of one’s personal religious or other beliefs,” spokesperson Marie Vanover told the Times.
And by mutual respect – they mean anything remotely related to the Christian faith must be cleansed from the United States military.
I hope Secretary McDonald follows the wise counsel of conservative leaders like Gen. Boykin.
And I also hope he listens to the words of people like Ann Mills-Griffiths, the chairman of the board for the National League of POW/MIA Families.
Her brother, Commander James B. Mills, disappeared somewhere over North Vietnam on Sept. 21, 1966. The 26-year-old naval aviator remains classified as missing in action.
“The Bible kept many of our POWs alive and sustained their families through decades of uncertainty,” she told me. “The Bible has always been a part of the tradition. Until now – no one has ever suggested the Bible should be removed from the table.”
Mikey Weinstein and the Military Religious Freedom Foundation should be ashamed – declaring war on such a revered military tradition.
The Missing Man table is not about you, Mr. Weinstein. It’s about brave patriots like Commander James B. Mills and their families.
Never forget that.
RNC head defends nomination process as Cruz claims Trump backers threatening delegates
 |
The head of the Republican National Committee defended the party's
presidential nominating process late Tuesday in a social media post
directed at party front-runner Donald Trump.
Trump has repeatedly complained about the delegate-selection system after this past weekend's Colorado state convention, at which Texas Sen. Ted Cruz gained all 34 delegates to this summer's Republican National Convention in Cleveland.
"Our Republican system is absolutely rigged. It's a phony deal," Trump told a rally in a packed airport hangar in Rome, N.Y., Tuesday evening. The real estate mogul told the crowd the delegate-selection system was set up by "crooked politicians" to make sure a candidate like him could never win.
"These are dirty tricksters," he said, placing the blame on the Republican National Committee. "They should be ashamed of themselves for allowing this kind of crap to happen," he added, saying that both Republicans and Democrats have set up "phony rules and regulations" that makes it "impossible for a guy that wins to win."
He went further a few hours later during a CNN town hall in New York City, suggesting the RNC was actively working to defeat him.
"The RNC doesn't like this happening. They don't like
that I'm putting up my own money because it means they don't have any
control over me," Trump said, arguing that the deck is "stacked against
me by the establishment."
Meanwhile, Cruz tore into Trump in a radio interview Tuesday, accusing his rival of being a bully, inciting violence and using dirty tricks to intimidate voters and delegates.
Cruz unloaded on Trump over reports that his supporters were publishing the home addresses of delegates in Colorado and threatening to make public the hotel room numbers of delegates at the convention this summer.
"That is the tactic of union thugs," Cruz told host Glenn Beck. "That is violence. It is oppressive. The idea that Donald is threatening delegates, we're seeing that pattern over and over again."
Cruz even compared Trump to the lead character from "The Godfather."
"Donald needs to understand he's not Michael Corleone," Cruz said. "Donald needs to stop threatening the voters. He needs to stop threatening the delegates. He is not a mobster."
Cruz also discounted the seriousness of the Trump candidacy, saying: "There was a real chance this was a lark, this was 'let's get some publicity, let's have some fun.' And I think he was surprised as anybody."
Cruz also joked that Trump is doing so poorly in securing delegates that he would have to fire himself from his reality show, "The Apprentice", and even got in a jab at New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who endorsed Trump after dropping out of the race.
"Chris Christie right now is trapped in his own private hell," Cruz said. "When Chris was standing behind Donald holding his jacket, the look in his eyes. You could see the screaming."
Meanwhile, Trump released a new radio ad, that referenced Cruz's shot at "New York values" during a GOP debate, telling voters in next week's primaries that "other candidates do not like us."
Cruz conceded that Trump will do well in upcoming primaries, including in Trump's home state of New York next Tuesday.
"He ought to win his home state convincingly," Cruz said, setting expectations high for Trump. "If Donald isn't substantially above 50 percent in New York, it will be a big loss for him."
Cruz said he will fare better when the race shifts back west to Indiana, Nebraska, South Dakota and Montana, before finishing in California on June 7.
"If and when the people of California vote against Donald Trump, he's going to scream that they're stealing the election," Cruz said. "Apparently when anyone votes against him it's an act of theft."
Trump urged his supporters to turn out next Tuesday, not only to support his bid but to send a message to their party.
"You've got to show the Republican Party that they can't get away with this stuff any longer," he said.
Trump has repeatedly complained about the delegate-selection system after this past weekend's Colorado state convention, at which Texas Sen. Ted Cruz gained all 34 delegates to this summer's Republican National Convention in Cleveland.
"Our Republican system is absolutely rigged. It's a phony deal," Trump told a rally in a packed airport hangar in Rome, N.Y., Tuesday evening. The real estate mogul told the crowd the delegate-selection system was set up by "crooked politicians" to make sure a candidate like him could never win.
"These are dirty tricksters," he said, placing the blame on the Republican National Committee. "They should be ashamed of themselves for allowing this kind of crap to happen," he added, saying that both Republicans and Democrats have set up "phony rules and regulations" that makes it "impossible for a guy that wins to win."
He went further a few hours later during a CNN town hall in New York City, suggesting the RNC was actively working to defeat him.
The latest headlines on the 2016 elections from the biggest name in politics. See Latest Coverage →
Meanwhile, Cruz tore into Trump in a radio interview Tuesday, accusing his rival of being a bully, inciting violence and using dirty tricks to intimidate voters and delegates.
Cruz unloaded on Trump over reports that his supporters were publishing the home addresses of delegates in Colorado and threatening to make public the hotel room numbers of delegates at the convention this summer.
"That is the tactic of union thugs," Cruz told host Glenn Beck. "That is violence. It is oppressive. The idea that Donald is threatening delegates, we're seeing that pattern over and over again."
Cruz even compared Trump to the lead character from "The Godfather."
"Donald needs to understand he's not Michael Corleone," Cruz said. "Donald needs to stop threatening the voters. He needs to stop threatening the delegates. He is not a mobster."
Cruz also discounted the seriousness of the Trump candidacy, saying: "There was a real chance this was a lark, this was 'let's get some publicity, let's have some fun.' And I think he was surprised as anybody."
Cruz also joked that Trump is doing so poorly in securing delegates that he would have to fire himself from his reality show, "The Apprentice", and even got in a jab at New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who endorsed Trump after dropping out of the race.
"Chris Christie right now is trapped in his own private hell," Cruz said. "When Chris was standing behind Donald holding his jacket, the look in his eyes. You could see the screaming."
Meanwhile, Trump released a new radio ad, that referenced Cruz's shot at "New York values" during a GOP debate, telling voters in next week's primaries that "other candidates do not like us."
Cruz conceded that Trump will do well in upcoming primaries, including in Trump's home state of New York next Tuesday.
"He ought to win his home state convincingly," Cruz said, setting expectations high for Trump. "If Donald isn't substantially above 50 percent in New York, it will be a big loss for him."
Cruz said he will fare better when the race shifts back west to Indiana, Nebraska, South Dakota and Montana, before finishing in California on June 7.
"If and when the people of California vote against Donald Trump, he's going to scream that they're stealing the election," Cruz said. "Apparently when anyone votes against him it's an act of theft."
Trump urged his supporters to turn out next Tuesday, not only to support his bid but to send a message to their party.
"You've got to show the Republican Party that they can't get away with this stuff any longer," he said.
Obama to decide on declassifying 9/11 documents within 60 days
 | |
| Did members of Saudi royal family fund terrorism against US? |
President Obama will decide whether to declassify 28 pages of sealed
documents — which some suspect show a Saudi connection to the 9/11
attacks — within 60 days, according to a former senator who co-chaired
the 2002 joint congressional inquiry into the attacks.
Former Florida Sen. Bob Graham told Fox News late Tuesday that the White House had informed him that a decision whether declassify the documents would be made in one to two months.
Graham, who has pressed for the documents to be made public, told Fox he was "pleased that after two years this matter is about to come to a decision by the president."
Both the George W. Bush and Obama administrations have refused to unseal the documents, claiming it would jeopardize national security. Critics say the reluctance is a calculated move to hide Saudi Arabia’s involvement in the attacks that killed almost 3,000 people.
Obama had come under renewed pressure to release the documents ahead of a planned presidential trip to Saudi Arabia for a summit of Gulf leaders next week.
New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand told CBS’ “60 Minutes” she believes the documents, which she has seen, should be made available to the family members of 9/11 victims.
“I don’t know how the Saudi government will react to it, but I think it’s just information,” Gillibrand said Sunday.
Gillibrand is among a growing, bipartisan group of lawmakers advocating for the release of the documents.
"If the president is going to meet with the Saudi Arabian leadership and the royal family, they think it would be appropriate that this document be released before the president makes that trip, so that they can talk about whatever issues are in that document," Gillibrand said.
Asked about the renewed information requests on Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said he doesn’t know whether Obama has read the 28 pages but they are the subject of an intelligence community “classification review.”
Earnest said Obama has “confidence” in their ability to “consider those documents for release.” Asked about any potential Saudi ties to 9/11, Earnest cited the 9/11 Commission's findings that there was no evidence the Saudi government or senior Saudi officials funded Al Qaeda.
But House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said she, too, wants the pages declassified.
"As the former Ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee and top the House Democrat on the Joint Congressional investigation looking into the 9/11 attacks, I agree with former Senator Bob Graham that these documents should be declassified and made public, and that the Bush Administration's refusal to do so was a mistake," Pelosi said in a written statement. "I have always advocated for providing as much transparency as possible to the American people consistent with protecting our national security."
Last year, convicted Al Qaeda member Zacarias Moussaoui implicated high-level Saudi royals in the 9/11 attacks. fueling the ongoing congressional effort to declassify the official report.
Some Saudi connections to the attacks are already well-known, including that 15 of the 19 hijackers were Saudi Arabian citizens -- and that mastermind Usama bin Laden was the son of a wealthy Saudi Arabian contractor with close ties to the Saudi royal family.
“There are a lot of rocks out there that have been purposefully tamped down, that if were they turned over, would give us a more expansive view of the Saudi role,” Graham told "60 Minutes."
"The Saudis know what they did. We know what they did," Graham said.
Fox News earlier reported on the Saudi connection to the 9/11 hijackers and the mysterious 28 pages in a 2011 documentary called “Secrets of 9/11.”
Graham has said in the past the 28 classified pages lay out a network of people he believes helped the hijackers obtain housing in the U.S. and enroll in flight school.
“You believe that support came from Saudi Arabia?” CBS reporter Steve Croft asked.
"Substantially," Graham responded.
"And when we say, 'the Saudis,' you mean the government, the -- rich people in the country? Charities?" Kroft pressed.
"All of the above," Graham confirmed.
Nineteen militants associated with Al Qaeda hijacked four airliners and carried out attacks in New York, Washington, D.C. and Pennsylvania on 9/11. Two of the planes were flown into the World Trade Center in New York City. Another plane hit the Pentagon while a fourth crashed in a field in Pennsylvania.
The United States went after the masterminds behind the attack and, in May 2011, killed the terror group’s leader Usama bin Laden.
Former Florida Sen. Bob Graham told Fox News late Tuesday that the White House had informed him that a decision whether declassify the documents would be made in one to two months.
Graham, who has pressed for the documents to be made public, told Fox he was "pleased that after two years this matter is about to come to a decision by the president."
Both the George W. Bush and Obama administrations have refused to unseal the documents, claiming it would jeopardize national security. Critics say the reluctance is a calculated move to hide Saudi Arabia’s involvement in the attacks that killed almost 3,000 people.
Obama had come under renewed pressure to release the documents ahead of a planned presidential trip to Saudi Arabia for a summit of Gulf leaders next week.
New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand told CBS’ “60 Minutes” she believes the documents, which she has seen, should be made available to the family members of 9/11 victims.
“I don’t know how the Saudi government will react to it, but I think it’s just information,” Gillibrand said Sunday.
Gillibrand is among a growing, bipartisan group of lawmakers advocating for the release of the documents.
"If the president is going to meet with the Saudi Arabian leadership and the royal family, they think it would be appropriate that this document be released before the president makes that trip, so that they can talk about whatever issues are in that document," Gillibrand said.
Asked about the renewed information requests on Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said he doesn’t know whether Obama has read the 28 pages but they are the subject of an intelligence community “classification review.”
Earnest said Obama has “confidence” in their ability to “consider those documents for release.” Asked about any potential Saudi ties to 9/11, Earnest cited the 9/11 Commission's findings that there was no evidence the Saudi government or senior Saudi officials funded Al Qaeda.
But House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said she, too, wants the pages declassified.
"As the former Ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee and top the House Democrat on the Joint Congressional investigation looking into the 9/11 attacks, I agree with former Senator Bob Graham that these documents should be declassified and made public, and that the Bush Administration's refusal to do so was a mistake," Pelosi said in a written statement. "I have always advocated for providing as much transparency as possible to the American people consistent with protecting our national security."
Last year, convicted Al Qaeda member Zacarias Moussaoui implicated high-level Saudi royals in the 9/11 attacks. fueling the ongoing congressional effort to declassify the official report.
Some Saudi connections to the attacks are already well-known, including that 15 of the 19 hijackers were Saudi Arabian citizens -- and that mastermind Usama bin Laden was the son of a wealthy Saudi Arabian contractor with close ties to the Saudi royal family.
“There are a lot of rocks out there that have been purposefully tamped down, that if were they turned over, would give us a more expansive view of the Saudi role,” Graham told "60 Minutes."
"The Saudis know what they did. We know what they did," Graham said.
Fox News earlier reported on the Saudi connection to the 9/11 hijackers and the mysterious 28 pages in a 2011 documentary called “Secrets of 9/11.”
Graham has said in the past the 28 classified pages lay out a network of people he believes helped the hijackers obtain housing in the U.S. and enroll in flight school.
“You believe that support came from Saudi Arabia?” CBS reporter Steve Croft asked.
"Substantially," Graham responded.
"And when we say, 'the Saudis,' you mean the government, the -- rich people in the country? Charities?" Kroft pressed.
"All of the above," Graham confirmed.
Nineteen militants associated with Al Qaeda hijacked four airliners and carried out attacks in New York, Washington, D.C. and Pennsylvania on 9/11. Two of the planes were flown into the World Trade Center in New York City. Another plane hit the Pentagon while a fourth crashed in a field in Pennsylvania.
The United States went after the masterminds behind the attack and, in May 2011, killed the terror group’s leader Usama bin Laden.
Tuesday, April 12, 2016
SEIU reportedly spent millions on minimum wage initiative as enrollment drops
The Service Employees International Union is believed to have spent
$20 million on its campaign to have the minimum wage raised to $15 last
year, according to a new report.
The report by the Center for Union Facts, a watchdog group, says that the new figure is in addition to the $50 million already spent since 2012. The numbers come from the 2015 financial disclosures released by the SEIU that were was analyzed by the CUF.
What the CUF discovered was that a majority of the $20 million spent for the “Fight for 15” campaign last year went to various organizing committees and that the powerhouse union was likely spending even more, due to staff salaries, legal services and money paid to minimum wage advocacy groups such as the National Employment Law Project (NELP) and the Economic Policy Institute (EcPI).
“While the SEIU has made some headway in its push for a job-killing $15 minimum wage, working Americans appear to be sending a clear message to SEIU big spenders: ‘Find a way to create jobs rather than diminishing them.’" CUF Executive Director Richard Berman said in a statement. “The $15 campaign may generate some legislative wins, but even former SEIU boss Andy Stern has acknowledged that this big-spending strategy isn't sustainable."
The $70 million figure since 2012 is close to estimates from November, when it was believed that the SEIU had spent $80 million since 2012—a low cost compared to the potential of revenue it stands to make from unionizing fast food workers.
Unionizing just a third of the nation’s estimated 3.6 million fast-food workers could bring in more than $400 million per year in dues to the SEIU, according to one estimate at the time.
In order to woo potential union members, the SEIU financially backed the “Fight for 15” movement, which was presented in some areas as a grassroots initiative for struggling fast food workers and activists.
“The SEIU is sponsoring ‘Fight for 15’ to do its dirty work,” Jared Meyer, a fellow at the Manhattan Institute for Public Policy Research, told FoxNews.com last November.
The fast food industry has long been coveted for
unionization. Experts say that previous efforts to organize have
stumbled in part because of the high-turnover rate and reliance on young
and part-time workers who do not see the value in paying union dues.
A vast majority of fast-food workers also do not see their current jobs as a full-time career, in contrast to workers in other industries such as manufacturing or education, say experts.
The SEIU’s efforts, however, may be for naught.
As their spending has increased, their numbers have been dwindling, losing 6,000 members in 2015 alone, according to the CUF.
That figure is on top of membership numbers that have consistently dropped for the past five years.
The newest filing shows that the SEIU claimed 1,921,786 union members in 2011, the year prior to the start of the Fight for $15--almost 34,000 more than it had in 2015.
The report by the Center for Union Facts, a watchdog group, says that the new figure is in addition to the $50 million already spent since 2012. The numbers come from the 2015 financial disclosures released by the SEIU that were was analyzed by the CUF.
What the CUF discovered was that a majority of the $20 million spent for the “Fight for 15” campaign last year went to various organizing committees and that the powerhouse union was likely spending even more, due to staff salaries, legal services and money paid to minimum wage advocacy groups such as the National Employment Law Project (NELP) and the Economic Policy Institute (EcPI).
“While the SEIU has made some headway in its push for a job-killing $15 minimum wage, working Americans appear to be sending a clear message to SEIU big spenders: ‘Find a way to create jobs rather than diminishing them.’" CUF Executive Director Richard Berman said in a statement. “The $15 campaign may generate some legislative wins, but even former SEIU boss Andy Stern has acknowledged that this big-spending strategy isn't sustainable."
The $70 million figure since 2012 is close to estimates from November, when it was believed that the SEIU had spent $80 million since 2012—a low cost compared to the potential of revenue it stands to make from unionizing fast food workers.
Unionizing just a third of the nation’s estimated 3.6 million fast-food workers could bring in more than $400 million per year in dues to the SEIU, according to one estimate at the time.
In order to woo potential union members, the SEIU financially backed the “Fight for 15” movement, which was presented in some areas as a grassroots initiative for struggling fast food workers and activists.
“The SEIU is sponsoring ‘Fight for 15’ to do its dirty work,” Jared Meyer, a fellow at the Manhattan Institute for Public Policy Research, told FoxNews.com last November.
Related Image
Much of the SEIU spinoff campaign's fight has been waged against fast-food giant McDonald's. (AP)
A vast majority of fast-food workers also do not see their current jobs as a full-time career, in contrast to workers in other industries such as manufacturing or education, say experts.
The SEIU’s efforts, however, may be for naught.
As their spending has increased, their numbers have been dwindling, losing 6,000 members in 2015 alone, according to the CUF.
That figure is on top of membership numbers that have consistently dropped for the past five years.
The newest filing shows that the SEIU claimed 1,921,786 union members in 2011, the year prior to the start of the Fight for $15--almost 34,000 more than it had in 2015.
Hillary Clinton, NYC Mayor De Blasio draw criticism over racially-tinged joke at charity dinner
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and Democratic presidential
front-runner Hillary Clinton were forced to defend a joke made by the
mayor at a charity dinner that critics considered racially offensive.
The incident occurred Saturday night, when Clinton and De Blasio took part in a skit at the Inner Circle dinner, a black-tie event in which New York City's political press corps and politicians spend the evening making fun of each other.
Clinton took the stage ostensibly to thank De Blasio, a former aide, for his belated endorsement of her for the Democratic nomination.
"Took you long enough," Clinton said.
De Blasio responded, "Sorry, Hillary. I was running on C.P. time." The phrase, popular in pop culture, is a reference to the stereotype that African-Americans are typically late for appointments.
Broadway actor Leslie Odom Jr., who was also on stage with Clinton and De Blasio and appeared to be in on the joke, said, "That's not - I don't like jokes about that, Bill."
Clinton then turned to Odom and delivered the punch line, "Cautious Politician Time. I've been there."
The exchange takes place at the 8:30 mark of this video, posted on the NYC Mayor's Office YouTube channel.
 
The joke was widely criticized in the media, with New York magazine calling it "amazingly unfunny, terribly executed". Left-leaning website Salon called it "cringeworthy", as did The Root, which bills itself as a site for "Black News, Opinion, Politics, and Culture."
The skit came at an awkward time for Clinton, who has ridden strong African-American support to several wins in key primary states but has also been criticized by some for using the term "superpredator" during her husband's administration to describe criminals.
Last week, former President Bill Clinton clashed with Black Lives Matter activist and defending his criminal justice policies at an appearance in Pennsylvania. Hours before her Inner Circle appearance, Hillary Clinton told the New York Daily News that she also agreed with critics who say the bill contributed to high levels of incarceration for non-violent crimes, like drug offenses.
De Blasio told CNN Monday evening that critics of the skit were "missing the point."
It was clearly a staged show. It was a scripted show and the whole idea was to do the counter intuitive and say 'cautious politician time,'" he said. "Every actor involved, including Hillary Clinton and Leslie Odom Jr., thought it was a joke on a different convention."
A Clinton spokesman said in a statement to ABC News, "We agree with the mayor."
The incident occurred Saturday night, when Clinton and De Blasio took part in a skit at the Inner Circle dinner, a black-tie event in which New York City's political press corps and politicians spend the evening making fun of each other.
Clinton took the stage ostensibly to thank De Blasio, a former aide, for his belated endorsement of her for the Democratic nomination.
"Took you long enough," Clinton said.
De Blasio responded, "Sorry, Hillary. I was running on C.P. time." The phrase, popular in pop culture, is a reference to the stereotype that African-Americans are typically late for appointments.
Broadway actor Leslie Odom Jr., who was also on stage with Clinton and De Blasio and appeared to be in on the joke, said, "That's not - I don't like jokes about that, Bill."
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The exchange takes place at the 8:30 mark of this video, posted on the NYC Mayor's Office YouTube channel.
 
The joke was widely criticized in the media, with New York magazine calling it "amazingly unfunny, terribly executed". Left-leaning website Salon called it "cringeworthy", as did The Root, which bills itself as a site for "Black News, Opinion, Politics, and Culture."
The skit came at an awkward time for Clinton, who has ridden strong African-American support to several wins in key primary states but has also been criticized by some for using the term "superpredator" during her husband's administration to describe criminals.
Last week, former President Bill Clinton clashed with Black Lives Matter activist and defending his criminal justice policies at an appearance in Pennsylvania. Hours before her Inner Circle appearance, Hillary Clinton told the New York Daily News that she also agreed with critics who say the bill contributed to high levels of incarceration for non-violent crimes, like drug offenses.
De Blasio told CNN Monday evening that critics of the skit were "missing the point."
It was clearly a staged show. It was a scripted show and the whole idea was to do the counter intuitive and say 'cautious politician time,'" he said. "Every actor involved, including Hillary Clinton and Leslie Odom Jr., thought it was a joke on a different convention."
A Clinton spokesman said in a statement to ABC News, "We agree with the mayor."
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