Sami Merhi strikes back

After being strung along by the Democratic Party for the past few months, Sami Merhi has finally decided to fight back. He has filed a law suit against Passaic County Democratic Chairman John Currie and other party leaders, claiming that he was only stripped of the Democratic nomination to run for countywide office because he is Arab-American.

This represents a major tactical change for Merhi, who had clearly been "playing the victim" up until now, much to the chagrin of myself and my Arab-American GOP colleagues. In any case, Merhi has clearly altered his approach and decided to confront his party head-on for their betrayal, and I like it. I like it when people stand up to the paper-tiger bosses of machine politics.

The Record and the Herald News discuss the lawsuit, which is scheduled to be heard in court on Thursday, here. The article also gives background on the case.

Democratic leaders immediately chastised Merhi's lawsuit, especially Currie, who called it "ridiculous". The most telling remark, though, came from longtime Merhi advocate Congressman Bill Pascrell.

"Sami is my friend. Although I appreciate how he feels, I wish he hadn't taken this path."

First of all, it is widely known Passaic County Democratic factions loyal to Currie and Pascrell, respectively, have been feuding on and off. So should we really believe that Pascrell - whose prominence in some quarters of the Democratic Party has waned, and whose son was only reappointed to a cushy job as Passaic County Counsel because former GOP freeholders Mike Mecca and Walter Porter provided crucial votes in his favor (actually moving and seconding his renomination) - is actually disappointed to see John Currie taken to court?

Democratic Party insiders suggest that Pascrell, after a somewhat anemic electoral showing relative to fellow Democrat and rival Sheriff Jerry Speziale in the 2004 race, appears to have been using any and all political means at his disposal to erode Currie's power base, including the shameless use of Republican proxies. Apparently indifferent to a continued Republican presence on the Freeholder Board to re-appoint his son to the cushy post, he appears to have solidified an alliance with Mecca and his puppeteer, convicted felon and former Republican County Chairman Peter Murphy.

Mecca and Murphy recently led the charge to strongarm the republican executive committee to vote against appointing a GOP challenger to Pascrell, who is seeking his 6th term. (I challenged him 2 years ago for the sake of the party). How can they claim to be loyal Republicans when they would allow one of the top Democrats in Passaic County to go unchallenged? They are carrying his water, just as they did in 2004.

Time and time again, Mecca and Murphy demonstrate that their key motivation is not standing up for conservative principles or for the Republican Party. They are in politics for themselves, and they are certainly not above cutting sweetheart deals with Democrat bosses like Pascrell.

Sources say that Pascrell is really betting on Murphy, who will likely seek a new term as GOP Chairman in the June 13th intramural election. Accordingly, he has reportedly registered discontent with Murphy's GOP opponent, the slow-to-anger lacrosse-playing Mayor of Wayne, Scott Rumana.

Passaic County Democrats need to question why Sami Merhi got a raw deal, why their inept leadership is playing musical chairs on the ballot, and why a United States Congressman spends so much time intervening in local Republican politics, even making alliances with a felon.

Passaic County Republicans need to clean our own house. Let's leave it at that for now.
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The American Conservative

All Republicans, and those inside and outside the USA who are convinced that all Republicans are warmongers, need to read these excepts from the mission statement of "The American Conservative".

...And yet there is a great, often unarticulated discomfort in the ranks of many who considered themselves conservative during the past few decades. A friend of ours recently told of an encounter with one of his colleagues. "You're a conservative," the colleague said, "so you must agree with Paul Wolfowitz that we should attack Iraq, Iran, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and all those places."

Well, no. Not all conservatives do agree that the United States should engage — for reasons that hardly touch America's own vital interests — in an open-ended war against much of the Arab and Muslim world.

We will be different.

Many voices will appear in the pages of The American Conservative — often in disagreement with one another. We are of course in considerable part Buchananite — well disposed to the web of ideas that drew millions of voters during three Buchanan presidential bids. But our magazine's mission is broader: to ignite the conversation that conservatives ought to have engaged in since the end of the Cold War, but didn't.

And we will discuss, frequently, America's role in the world, turning a critical eye on those who want to cast aside every relevant American foreign policy tradition — from Robert Taft-style isolationism to prudent Dwight Eisenhower-style internationalism, in favor of go it alone militarism, where America threatens and bombs one nation after another, while the world looks on in increasing horror.

We believe conservatism to be the most natural political tendency, rooted in man's taste for the familiar, for family, for faith in God. We believe that true conservatism has a predisposition for the institutions and mores that exist. So much of what passes for contemporary conservatism is wedded to a kind of radicalism — fantasies of global hegemony, the hubristic notion of America as a universal nation for all the world's peoples, a hyperglobal economy. In combination with an increasingly unveiled contempt for America's long-standing allies, this is more a recipe for disaster.

Against it, we take our stand.

Music to my ears!
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Libertarians and traffic lights

2 years ago, during the congressional campaign, the League of Women Voters sponsored a debate in Livingston, NJ. Because the town is split between the 8th (where I live) and the 11th Districts, Congressman Frelinghuysen and his opponents were also invited, in addition to me, Pascrell, and Green Party perennial candidate Joe Fortunato. Frelinghuysen drew 3 opponents, a Democrat, a Constitution Party guy (I think) and a Libertarian named Austin Lett.

I must admit, Lett stole the show that evening. He had the audience laughing with his no-holds-barred plans to slash and burn the federal government down to practically nothing. He shocked the audience by admitting, that as a Vietnam Vet, he sent $25 to the Swift Boat Vets for Truth group to embarrass John Kerry. His plan for education, if I recall correctly, was essentially to shut down every public school, pay each teacher a $1 bonus, and ask them to invest that $1 in running the same school as a private institution.

Indeed the audience found his ideas intriguing, even if they were a little out there. One woman turned to her husband and said, "wow, he's got some really interesting ideas, don't you think?"

The man turned to her with an incredulous look, and dismissively replied, "Are you kidding me? If people like that were in charge, we wouldn't even have traffic lights!"

and so goes the fate of Libertarian candidates...

p.s.
the man and woman in the audience were my parents. And, thanks to Ed for re-invigorating my interest in Libertarian philosophy.
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The court case of folk-hero كيلو - Kelo AND Kilo

Today is one of those interesting days to be an American of Syrian origin.

Why? Well, in the morning I attended a political breakfast meeting frequented by a number of NJ conservative organizations, who distribute their materials to an obviously captive audience. One of these was a clipping from Congressional Quarterly, entitled "The Kelo Conundrum". Of course, the title refers to American homeowner Susette Kelo, who sued the city of New London, Connecticut because they decided to confiscate her working class neighborhood, destroy it, and rebuild a more أكابر development.

Shockingly, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the town! Conservatives rightfully expressed outrage. The House has acted to contravene the decision, and the Senate Judiciary Committee plans its own populist legislative push soon.

The interesting part is, these days, when I hear "the كيلو case", my mind immediately thinks of Syrian political activist Michel Kilo, who sparked outrage after he and a number of his colleagues were arrested last week by the Syrian authorities.

While the spelling of their names may be different, both Susette and Michel are folk heros, and I wish both of them the best of success in their legal battles.
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If you want to bash Iran...

...consider holding your breath, and counting to 10 first. Certainly there is plenty to criticize about the Iranian regime's behavior, but that does not mean we should believe everything we read or hear without checking the facts, especially if we are going to spread the news.

Case and point: 2 days ago, news began to break that Iran would require non-Muslim religious minorities to wear color-coded insignia to identify them.

"Iran's parliament passed a new law this week that would force the country's Jews, Christians and other religious minorities to wear color-coded ID badges.

Iranian expatriates confirmed reports the Iranian parliament, or Majlis, has approved a law that would require non-Muslims to adhere to a dress code which mandates they wear 'standard Islamic garments,' according to Canada's National Post.

The roughly 25,000 Jews living in the Islamic Republic would have to attach a yellow strip of cloth to their clothing, Christians would wear red badges and Zoroastrians would wear blue ones." (UPI)

I immediately thought this story smelled a bit funny when I read it. First of all, here is a tip: whenever you are reading a story about the Middle East and see the words, "...expatriates confirmed reports", you should instantly get suspicious.

So I contacted a colleague of mine, a political consultant working in Tehran (who shall remain anonymous), and here is what he had to say:

"The thing about the badges is essentially complete nonsense and fully fabricated...there is a bill in the Iranian Parliament to outline 'national/Islamic dress', which means that 'decadent Western influences' are to be eliminated. But this bill and many similar to it have bounced in and out of the Majlis (parliament) for the past three years without anything coming of them.

Even so, it has nothing to do with marking out religious minorities or even forcing people to wear the national dress but is merely a desperate attempt to stop what this regime considers a cultural slide."

A Jewish member of the Iranian Parliament, Maurice Motammed, added:

"This report is a complete fabrication and is totally false. It is a lie, and the people who invented it wanted to make political gain...This is an insult to the Iranian people and to religious minorities in Iran."

So how did Washington respond?

Well, to their credit, the Bush Administration, never loathe to take a whack at Iran, "held its breath for 10 seconds". State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said:

"I have seen the news reports. These have, I think, recycled over time. There is -- as I understand it, there is a -- some law currently in the parliament, the exact nature of which is unclear, so I'm not going to try to delve into giving a definitive comment or a detailed comment about something about which I don't have all the facts...The exact nature of that law is a little bit unclear and the exact motivations behind that are a little unclear. So I can't offer, like I said, a detailed comment about it."

Very nicely stated. Now, let's contrast this with Demagoguocratic Senator Chuck Schumer, who recently drew comparisons between the government of Dubai and skinheads with his exceptionally brilliant and informed commentary on the Dubai Ports issue. Not surprisingly, on this most recent issue, he once again jumped right off the diving board:

"[Schumer] said the legislation proved that Iran's Islamic regime 'does not belong among civilized governments...Just at the time when you think the Iranian regime can't be more lunatic or pernicious, they outdo themselves.'"

Don't get me wrong, I am no fan of the Iranian regime's behavior, and it certainly deserves its share of criticism. But if we race to the microphone to bash Iran without first checking the facts, on grounds that turn out to be shaky, we only dilute the potency of legitimate arguments that are morally indisputable.
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"Globetrotting Condi" for Prez? Smashing! Lovely! Splendid!

On my recent visit to London, I was peppered with questions by my friends and colleagues living in England, about the aspirations of Condoleezza Rice to ascend to the Presidency. According to them, the British press seems convinced that the current Secretary of State has her eyes on the White House in 2008.

Here are some press clippings from her recent UK visit:

"Work out with most powerful woman in the world; Is Condoleezza Rice's exercise video a prelude to running for President?" - The Times

"The world may have changed dramatically but Clinton v Rice remains the dream ticket for Washington's political classes...If Ms Rice is persuaded to enter the contest, despite her insistence she is not interested, all bets are off." - The Guardian

"Americans woke up to their new-look 'Secretary of Style' a year ago, when the normally staid Washington Post gushed about her dominatrix look after a visit to US troops in Germany." - Daily Telegraph
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James Rubin - a newscaster???

If you thought James Rubin stunk as a policy maker (Clinton-era State Department Spokesman and Chief Foreign Policy Adviser for John Kerry's abysmal Presidential bid), wait until you see him as a newscaster on Sky News!

I saw him on the air during my recent visit to London, and he was atrocious. I can't believe the Brits would accept such low quality.
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Federal Inmate # 12677-050

Every Republican in New Jersey, especially Passaic County, needs to know that a CONVICTED FELON is mounting a bid to once again lead the Party that he left in shambles when dragged off to PRISON in 2001 following a bribery conviction.

How can America provide a leadership example for Democracy while we sit back and actually allow a FELON to assume leadership of the Passaic County Republican Party?

Peter Murphy is a CRIMINAL. If you need a reminder, have a look:

source: Federal Bureau of Prisons
Today in the Herald News, he all but declared his candidacy for County Chairman:

"I have never stated that I was running for chairman or wasn't running for it," he said Wednesday. "As of right now, I will take a close look at it."

Is he kidding? Somebody ought to tell Jailbird: maybe that kind of line fooled your pals in the prison mess hall, but we ain't buyin'.

Murphy also revealed in this article that he was indeed behind the "off-the-line" County Committee petitions filed in Clifton, Wayne, and Paterson (see my previous post about his cronies getting trounced in Clifton's City Council race). This contradicts the statements made by current County Chair Mike Mecca, as reported on politicsnj.com on May 1, in which he said:

"We settled our differences," says Mecca. "We're united...We're working together to win in November."

So Mecca was lying then, clearly. Is this kind of leadership we want for the Passaic County Republican Party?

I knew Mecca was lying about that all along. In an email on Friday, May 5, I called him out on it:

"I agree that unity is important. Unfortunately, as you know doubt know, a few dozen County Committee candidates have decided to run off the line in Clifton, Wayne, and Paterson, presumably in an attempt to undermine the municipal leaders there. Since the municipal leaders represent the PCRRO, these off-the-line candidates are working against the unity that we all seek. Shocking, don't you think? I can't imagine who organized such an effort!

I believe that your clout as duly elected Chairman of the Passaic County GOP would be an important boost to the candidates running ON the line in those districts, since they represent the PCRRO.

I propose that I will pay for a letter, signed by you, strongly endorsing the 'Line' candidates. The letter will be sent to all registered Republicans in those districts being contested.

I look forward to your response."

I got no response, of course. But that's okay, Jailbird confirmed it today. And then he tried to blame it on Jose Sandoval, who actually had the courage this year to step up and take on Bill Pascrell for US Congress (like I did 2 years ago), while the Mecca/Murphy faction voted to let Pascrell run unopposed! So much for standing up for Republican principles.

These are just the most recent indicators of why Passaic County Republicans must not allow Peter Murphy the CONVICTED FELON to regain leadership of the Party.
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Africa Day in London

I just returned yesterday evening from a brief visit to my old stomping grounds, centered around an "Africa Day" conference at my alma mater, the London Business School on Saturday, May 13. The theme was Africa 2020: A Vision for Empowering an Enterprising People, and the event was simply outstanding and inspirational.

The day itself consisted of opening remarks by Baroness Valerie Amos of the British House of Lords, who is of African origin. Then there were 2 panel discussions focused on entrepreneurship and investment. The final address was given by a Coca-Cola executive named Larry Drake, a black American stationed in Nigeria. Then we were treated to a wonderful reception, featuring the motivational speaker René Carayol, a Brit of Gambian origin.

I have attended many similar events at the London Business School in the past, but this was by far the most lively. It was refreshing to see the participants in such good humor, able to laugh about Africa's corruption and poverty, but at the same time confronting the issue head-on. There was no politically-correct BS at this conference.

I was also delighted to see the consensus decidedly against the foreign aid paradigm that has had mediocre results. The emerging generation of African leaders recognize that investment must be made in human capital to allow the entrepreneurial spirit of people throughout Africa to shine through to its true potential. Indeed there are tremendous business opportunities in Africa - Europe and certainly China realize this, but sadly America is missing the boat (if there even is a boat!)

Here are some memorable quotes and discussion points from the Africa Day conference:

"If Bill Gates had looked only at financial models, he would not be the world's richest man." - George Twumasi, CEO of African Broadcasting Network Holdings, a social enterprise

"...invisible capital..." - an audience member, who humorously chided Nigerian tech entrepreneur Bruce Ayonote about the family connections that enable a select few to raise capital in Africa. Bruce and his team raised a significant sum to start up Suburban (a telecom), on the premise that they would pay it back in 1 year, which they did! The audience member suggested that perhaps without the "invisible capital" Bruce likely possessed, he would not have even raised a small fraction of the start-up funds he and partners managed to obtain. Bruce politely countered by suggesting that it was the skills-set of he and his team that was needed in Nigeria to make any use of the new IT and Communications infrastructure. That is why they succeeded in raising the money and becoming very successful.

"Those Coke bottles are used in riots." - an audience member, while asking Coca-Cola executive Larry Drake why the company chooses glass bottles as its primary delivery mechanism. Drake's talk was humble and moving. Often having an "African-American" address proper Africans can be a recipe for disaster. But Drake was simply amazing, talking about learning from falling down and getting up again, with a passion for development in Africa and making a positive contribution. He is the real deal, not a corporate fake by any means.

"Rich. Struggling. Poor. Subsistence." - Coca-Cola Executive Larry Drake, outlining the 4 classes in Nigeria that his company uses to segment the market.

"When self-belief and humility are in equal measure, we are in a very special place." - René Carayol
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Revolution in Clifton

MAJOR upsets in the Clifton, NJ City Council race held today.

Unofficial winners (in order of vote total):
Jim Anzaldi (a City Hall fixture who grew up near my father's childhood home on Vreeland Avenue)
Tony LaTona (a fresh face, 32 years old)
Peter Eagler (after getting dumped by the Democrats for State Assembly AND Freeholder in 2005, Peter makes a mini-comeback in his hometown)
Joe Cupoli (my man, I supported him all the way)
Gloria Kolodziej (a Democrat, but I voted for her anyway because I respect a woman who has stood up to archaic chauvanists for so many years)
Steve Hatala (a leftover of the old regime)
Frank Fusco (third time's the charm for Frank, good for him!)

That means that Clifton voters threw out the following incumbents:
Ed Welsh
Stefan Tatarenko (he supported me 2 years ago, I am disappointed to see him lose, despite some other GOP differences of taste between he and I)
Don Kowal
Frank Gaccione (15th place out of 16, I might add)

I will leave it other Cliftonians to analyze the impact of 3 new, young faces on the Council in detail. This can only be a good thing.

Finally, I would like to add that if this election is any indication of the June 6 Primary outcome, the Mike Mecca/Peter Murphy (the convicted felon) wing of the Passaic County GOP will continue to wane, considering that their allies, especially Gaccione, Tatarenko, and Welsh all lost convincingly.
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Can a US Senate candidate spare 7 hours?

Following the Gibran Awards dinner, the Arab American Institute's (AAI) National Policy Council (a group of 30+ activists, both Republican and Democrat, from all around the United States) met on Thursday to discuss efforts to engage the Arab American community in the mid-term elections of November 2006.

I suggested to my colleagues, particularly those that in states like New Jersey that have hotly contested Senate races, that Arab-Americans should approach the campaigns with respect to any trips to the Middle East on the part of the candidates.

Since groups like AIPAC have a long track record of organizing visits to Israel for prominent candidates, it would be prudent for Arab-Americans, I proposed, to offer the campaigns the opportunity to augment these trips by meeting with citizens and leaders in the West Bank or even the neighboring Arab countries, which the AAI could help arrange.

In addition to appealing to both Arab-American and American Jewish consituencies, geographically balanced trips will likely receive more favorable press coverage and bolster a candidate's peacemaking credentials, thereby courting a much wider voter base.

Anyway, after I made my suggestion, AAI President James Zogby chimed in, suggesting that the AAI has considerable experience in organizing such visits. Jim specifically mentioned the potential to meet with progressive Palestinian leaders like Hanan Ashrawi, and suggested that Ramallah, a town in the West Bank just a few miles from Jerusalem, had a prominent community of Palestinian business leaders