It's true that LW is not running for re-election. The point is that LW is one of the most progressive members of Congress, precisely because she represents one of the most progressive districts. She is progressive on issues that people are mobilized on and following, like ending the war in Afghanistan. People are not mobilized around and following Bahrain. If they were, she would be better on the issue.
95% of Congress would have been happy to live with Mubarak forever. When Americans saw Egyptians on TV demanding their freedom, it was a new story. Unfortunately, the fact that some folks are willing to assume that Woolsey is good on this issue, just because she is "one of the most progressive Members of Congress," is itself evidence of a key problem we face. With 95% of Congress, it doesn't work like that. You have to fight each thing anew. She's no Dennis Kucinich, nor even a John Conyers. On Thu, Oct 20, 2011 at 4:21 PM, Eugene Coyle <[email protected]> wrote: > When I wrote that Robert Naiman's post was very strange I was thinking that > Lynn Woolsey is one of the most progressive representatives in Congress, and > for Naiman to jump to his interpretation of her statement in Bahrain was > strange. And then to preface his post with the bit about her safe voting > district, suggesting that she was in so safe a district that she didn't have > to kowtow to the right was even more strange, for she is not running for > re-election in the first place. I read the report Naiman cites as what he > relies on and make the inference that there was real difficulty in language > understanding in the meeting described. Naiman should look at this again. > Gene > > On Oct 20, 2011, at 12:49 PM, ken hanly wrote: > > The sale approval has been postponed > http://www.arabianbusiness.com/us-delays-53m-arms-deal-bahrain-426333.html > > The Obama administration has agreed to delay a $53m arms sale to Bahrain > pending the outcome of a local investigation into alleged human-rights > abuses since an uprising in February. > > Among other reasons for the postponement was a letter asking for it from 5 > Democratic senators. However human rights organisations had asked for the > deal not to go ahead as well. > http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204774604576627470496026438.html > > he State Department had no immediate response to the letter, sent by > Democratic Sens. Richard Durbin of Illinois, Benjamin Cardin of > Maryland, Robert Menendez of New Jersey, Ron Wyden of Oregon and Bob Casey > of Pennsylvania. Mr. Durbin is the assistant Democratic leader in the > Senate. > > Of course none of this excuses the actions of the representatives Naiman > discusses. Although the inquiry into torture etc. was set up by the king > apparently some rights groups nevertheless approved of it from some reports > I saw. Personally I would be very suspicious of the inquiry.. > Cheers, ken > ________________________________ > From: Robert Naiman <[email protected]> > To: Progressive Economics <[email protected]> > Sent: Thursday, October 20, 2011 12:25:15 PM > Subject: [Pen-l] Woolsey and Payne Coddle Dictator in Bahrain > > Some of the most progressive congressional districts in the country, > districts that won't elect a Republican unless the Democratic > incumbent is caught red-handed in a major crime the week before the > election, are represented by people who, when the curtains of big > media are drawn, oppose the basic human rights that most Americans > take for granted. > > http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-naiman/bahrain-us-relations_b_1021650.html > > > -- > Robert Naiman > Policy Director > Just Foreign Policy > www.justforeignpolicy.org > [email protected] > _______________________________________________ > pen-l mailing list > [email protected] > https://lists.csuchico.edu/mailman/listinfo/pen-l > > > _______________________________________________ > pen-l mailing list > [email protected] > https://lists.csuchico.edu/mailman/listinfo/pen-l > > > _______________________________________________ > pen-l mailing list > [email protected] > https://lists.csuchico.edu/mailman/listinfo/pen-l > > -- Robert Naiman Policy Director Just Foreign Policy www.justforeignpolicy.org [email protected] _______________________________________________ pen-l mailing list [email protected] https://lists.csuchico.edu/mailman/listinfo/pen-l
