Dear Blog Readers:
James ("Jim") J. Zogby From a Christian Lebanese family, Zogby received a bachelor's degree from Le Moyne College, he earned his PhD in Islamic studies from Temple University, in 1975. In 1976, at Princeton University, he was a National Endowment for the Humanities post-doctoral fellow and a very smart man to be sure!
During the late 1970s and early 1980s, Zogby was a founding member and leader of the Palestine Human Rights Campaign, the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, and Save Lebanon, Inc. I respect him for his stand for WORLD PEACE!!
As co-president of Builders for Peace, Zogby promoted US-Arab business investment in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Then United States Vice President Al Gore tapped Zogby to help lead the effort in 1993, following the signing of the Israeli-Palestinian peace accord in Washington. The next year, Zogby led a US delegation to the signing of the agreement in Cairo, Egypt, along with his Builders co-president, former US Congressman Mel Levine. I have advocated for Peace in the Middle East since the 1970's and have long questioned America's blind support of Israel knowing that they displaced Palestinian people who did nothing to them except live in the place they wanted.
Since 1992, Zogby has written a weekly column on American politics for major Arab newspapers,'Washington Watch', and authored a number of books, including What Ethnic Americans Really Think and What Arabs Think: Values, Beliefs and Concerns. He also blogs at The Huffington Post. I agree with much of what he has to say!
In 1995, Zogby was elected as co-convener of the National Democratic Ethnic Coordinating Council (NDECC). Zogby also serves on the Human Rights Watch Middle East Advisory Committee and on the national advisory boards of the American Civil Liberties Union and the National Immigration Forum, and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. If Al Gore likes him that makes im A.O.K. in my book!
Zogby's ancestors immigrated from Lebanon. He is married to Eileen Patricia McMahon and is the father of five children. I also admire a man who has a nice sized family and trys to make the American Dream come true!
Some of us would do very well to remember: America's good friend Hussein bin Talal, King of Jordan (November 14, 1935 – February 7, 1999) was the ruler of Jordan since his father, King Talal, abdicated in 1952, until his death. Hussein guided his country through the volatile Cold War and four decades of Arab-Israeli conflict, successfully balancing the pressures of Arab nationalism and the allure of Western-style development against the stark reality of Jordan's geographic location. While Hussein IS Barack Obama's middle name making fun of it is just plain stupid. It is the act of a stupid minded child, not a grown up person!
I feel the need to say this! All together now: Barack HUSSEIN Obama. Barack HUSSEIN Obama. Repeat as many times as you need until that middle name loses its shock value. For most normal Americans, once ought to be enough. Republicans seem to be unable to get enough of it. Who said elephants never forget?
We hold to the belief that any boy and girl can grow up to be president of this democracy, no matter what name their parents give them. But some opponents of the Illinois Democrat's presidential bid are pushing the idea that someone with a foreign-sounding name — especially a Muslim-sounding name — is not to be trusted. How sophomoric. How provincial. How racist. As a liberal Yellow-dog Democrat I have, for my entire adult life fought this sort of thinking.
Mr. Obama gave these rubbish peddlers more ammunition by being photographed dressed in Somali garb when he visited Africa a couple of years ago, going native as so many globe-trotting politicians do, but again the simple minded jumped on this. Nobody thought Calvin Coolidge was a Native American when he wore a head-dress.
See, his enemies insinuate, he's different, someone to fear. When this tempest in a teapot boiled over, we thought of the famous photograph of Calvin Coolidge in a war bonnet and wondered if any voters back in the 1920s who might have unjustly held American Indians in ill repute thought the less of Silent Cal and his campaign get-up. Nobody outside of the Ku Klux Klan, we wager. You would think the stupid assholes would remember what Bush and his fear mongering got us.
I do give Sen. John McCain (R) Az. credit for trying to quash this campaign nonsense. A conservative radio talk show host, Bill Cunningham (a true mental midget), recruited by local McCain boosters to warm up the crowd at the presumptive Republican presidential nominee's rally in Cincinnati Tuesday night, mounted a personal attack against Mr. Obama that included liberal use of "Hussein," which he called "a proud Muslim name." Never mind that Mr. Obama is a longtime member of the United Church of Christ, a Protestant denomination. I got about 7 emails from people who believed Obama is a Muslim deserving our fear and concern...to which I replied bullshit!
Mr. McCain, who was not present at the time, later said, "I absolutely repudiate such comments ... It will never happen again." Mr. McCain has noted that there are plenty of substantive issues that can be used to draw a sharp line between him and the Democratic nominee, either Mr. Obama or Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton . Good for you, Mr. McCain. In case you didn't hear that...
Good for you, Mr. McCain!!!
A middle name is a non-issue, this coming from a guy who grew up with the name Dick Payne, so forgive me if I don't laugh!
Wishing you love!
Richard A. Payne
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