From I4P
The other day our good friend at Desertpeace made a post about Congressman Brian Baird of Washington USA. Who has come out swinging (in a good way) on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. When I read DP's post I was shocked that an American congressman would have the "Chutzpah" to say things like that, what with AIPAC. I even left a comment on DP's blog where I said; I hoped Congressman Baird had a food taster and good security at his home. I also said I hoped he did not expect to ever get re-elected, what with AIPAC who will assuredly be "hot on his trail" to ensure a swift demise of his political career much like a redux of Charles Freeman. But now I have the answer as to why Congressman Baird felt free enough to speak the truth. The answer follows an excerpt of original post below:
Stand up and notice, an American Congressman, Brian Baird of Washington, is fighting for Gaza. Currently Congressman Baird is in GazaOk, so I promised you the answer as to why he spoke the truth, a rare thing in US politics. And here's the answer from his own website:
on his third trip there.
A visit to his website gives his statement on the Goldstone Report with his strong statement of why it should not be discounted by HR 867: “
Israel and Gaza Deserve Better than a Misguided Resolution” Writing from his own convictions after gaining his own first hand knowledge of the situation in Gaza he wrote:
Since scarcely a dozen House Members have actually been to Gaza, what actual first-hand knowledge do the rest of the Members of Congress possess on which to base their judgment of the merits of H.Res. 867 or the Goldstone report?Now Congressman Baird is calling for the immediate lifting of the blockade of Gaza. But not only is he calling for this, he is also calling for a massive lift of aid to Gaza.
What will it say about this Congress and our country if we so readily seek to block “any further consideration” of a human rights investigation produced by one of the most respected jurists in the world today, a man who led the investigations of abuses in South Africa, the former Yugoslavia, Rwanda, Kosovo and worked to identify and prosecute Nazi war criminals as a member of the Panel of the Commission of Enquiry into the Activities of Nazism in Argentina?
“We ought to bring roll-on, roll-off ships and roll them right to the beach and bring the relief supplies in, in our version of the Berlin airlift,” he said, adding that the supplies could be delivered to U.N. aid agencies.
link Congressman Baird Announces He Will Not Seek Reelection (December 9 2009) Washington, D.C. — Serving our country and representing the people of Southwest Washington in Congress has been the highest honor and greatest responsibility of my life. Since the time I first announced I would seek election in November of 1995, I have done my utmost to work hard, tell the truth, listen, and do what was right for our nation. I am proud of the record of achievements for our district and I am incredibly grateful to the voters who have entrusted me with this responsibility. I am also appreciative to my staff, all of the friends, supporters and volunteers who have helped along the way.Which only serves to prove what we ALL know about AIPAC and the Jewish Lobby in America. Only when you are free from having to worry about re-election can you then become a human being and speak the truth. Surely he must be thinking to himself "Free at last, free at last, thank God almightly I'm free at last"
The time has now come to pursue other options, other ways of serving. Hence, I am announcing today that I do not intend to seek reelection to Congress in 2010. This is not an easy decision to be sure, but I believe it is the right decision at the right time. I look forward to serving the remainder of this Congress with the same level of commitment I have always given the people of this district. There is much yet to be done for our region and our nation and I fully intend to be part of that work during the remainder of my term in office and in new ways when that term has ended. Again, I want to thank my family, friends, supporters, staff and most importantly the people of Southwest Washington.
River to Sea
Uprooted Palestinian
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