Jake Johnson at Common Dreams writes—'We Will Have Her Back': Jewish Constituents Rally Behind Rashida Tlaib Amid Trump Attacks:
Dozens of Rep. Rashida Tlaib's Jewish constituents rallied in Detroit Friday evening during Shabbat to show solidarity with their congresswoman as she faces attacks from President Donald Trump over her refusal to visit Israel under the Netanyahu government's restrictive conditions.
Beth Miller, government affairs manager for Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) Action, which organized the event, applauded Tlaib's courage and said it is "heartbreaking that Rashida had to spend this evening with us instead of her beloved family."
"And it's enraging that the Israeli government would hold a member of Congress's family hostage unless she agrees to censor herself," said Miller. "For as long as it's existed, the Israeli government has forced these kinds of heart wrenching and impossible choices on Palestinians. It's time for all of us to insist our elected officials hold Israel accountable."
Tlaib, who attended the rally Friday night, fought back tears as she thanked her constituents for their support.
"I can't wait to show my grandmother how I was supported by all of you—it would bring her so much joy," said Tlaib, the first Palestinian-American woman ever elected to Congress. "Thank you for hearing me, thank you for seeing me, thank you for loving me. And thank you for allowing me to be not just your congresswoman, but also a granddaughter of a grandmother living under occupation." [...]
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“Pick a leader who will not only bail out banks and airlines, but also families from losing their homes -- or jobs due to their companies moving to other countries. Pick a leader who will fund schools, not limit spending on education and allow libraries to close. Pick a leader who chooses diplomacy over war. An honest broker in foreign relations. A leader with integrity, one who says what they mean, keeps their word and does not lie to their people. Pick a leader who is strong and confident, yet humble. Intelligent, but not sly. A leader who encourages diversity, not racism. One who understands the needs of the farmer, the teacher, the doctor, and the environmentalist -- not only the banker, the oil tycoon, the weapons developer, or the insurance and pharmaceutical lobbyist.”
~~Suzy Kassem, Rise Up and Salute the Sun: The Writings of Suzy Kassem, 2011
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BLAST FROM THE PAST
At Daily Kos on this date in 2013—GOP senator howls about the 'environmental jihad':
Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson may not be up for re-election until 2016, but he is not letting a League of Conservation Voters ad against him go without a bout of whining—and fundraising:
“The League of Conservation voters is not an organization with a balanced approach to a cleaner environment,” states the email from the Johnson campaign. “They are an extreme left group on an environmental jihad.”
The email, which also solicited donations from supporters, denounced what Johnson said was an “unholy alliance” between LCV and the Obama campaign that gives the green group “unlimited resources and campaign expertise.”
Ah, yes, the "extreme" "unholy" "jihad" of the League of Conservation Voters, with their ads filled with facts about severe weather's cost in human life and property damage, Johnson's big donations from oil and gas, his votes in favor of continuing pollution, and his general record of climate change denial. Those scoundrels. Send Ron Johnson money, so he can "respond to their attack ads with the truth." Is he implying that he actually doesn't deny the reality of climate change, or is that the truth of ... him being a giant climate change denier, but with an explanation of how he's proud of his position because capitalism?