Peter King

[Howey]

Is he guilty of supporting terrorists at the same time he's wanting to mimic McCarthy with his extreme Islamophobia?

http://www.politicsdaily.com/2011/03/09/peter-kings-ira-support-resurfaces-as-lawmaker-probes-muslim-ra/

As Rep. Peter King gets ready to open hearings Thursday on Muslim radicals in the U.S., the New York lawmaker is facing questions about his own past as an unapologetic supporter of the anti-British Irish Republican Army.

From his days as the elected Nassau County comptroller in the early 1980s, King has spoken out for the IRA, a nationalist group that waged a bloody bomb-and-bullet campaign for three decades in an effort to drive the British out of Northern Ireland. To King and other supporters, the IRA volunteers were freedom fighters. But to others, including many Irish Americans, the Provisionals (as the main IRA group was known) were terrorists.

In 1982, the New York Republican told a pro-IRA rally on Long Island, "We must pledge ourselves to support those brave men and women who this very moment are carrying forth the struggle against British imperialism in the streets of Belfast and Derry," according to an extensive account in the New York Times that traced King's IRA ties. A few years later, King said, "If civilians are killed in an attack on a military installation, it is certainly regrettable, but I will not morally blame the IRA for it."

King goes on to say.
..

"I understand why people who are misinformed might see a parallel," he told the Times. "The fact is, the IRA never attacked the United States. And my loyalty is to the United States."

From The Washington Monthly:

That's not a bad spin, I suppose, for someone desperate to maintain some shred of credibility. But I have a quick follow-up question for King: Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Muslim Brotherhood never attacked the United States, either. Is he comfortable with them, too?

To be sure, the differences between the IRA and al Qaeda are plentiful and important, and it's absurd to equate the two. In a general sense, however, both are fairly described as terrorist organizations, and that's relevant in the debate over King's crusade because we're left with a Republican chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee who's argued, publicly and repeatedly, that some terrorist activities are fine with him. King is anti-terror with an asterisk -- it depends on whether he's sympathetic to those doing the killing.

[ekg]

well, he is patriotic.. with his.. 'Hey, I'm all for terrorists who bomb and terrorize our biggest ally the Brits, but I draw the line when  they come here. Terrorists can kill all the innocent Brits they want, but don't expect my support if you kill my kind of people..' (paraphrased) position.. 

I expect Huckabee to give us a lesson on King's 'anti-colonialism' pov any day now..

There are so many (news)things out there today..I simply don't know where to start and really don't think it would make any difference if I did.. some one, somewhere, would agree strictly because it's their party doing it.. who cares at the extreme gov't growing that's going on with these tactics, and the monopolization of our states by selected corporations.. as long as it's their party, they don't care.. their party is just, and will take care of them in the long run... 

I have to work for a few hours, will elaborate more later..

[Howey]

More from our beloved dork:

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-march-8-2011/peter-king-wants-to-investigate-any-american-muslim-who-is-not-actively-stopping-terrorist-plots-?xrs=share_copy

[lil mike]

I can't disagree with this.  King is part of a long line of Irish pols who supported the IRA in it's heydey.  Irish politicians have been given a pass for decades.  But I think King is the first one, at least in my memory, who has been called out on it by the news media.  They've usually kept that on the DL.

As far as his committee goes, I think it's just a stunt.  I think the issue is worth investigating, but by the intelligence community, not Congress. 

[44nutman]

What lil Mike said, King is Irish, so one mans terrorist is another mans freedom fighter.

He is an ass for being in office since 1993 which means he only knows how to take handouts now. He also voted for the bailouts which of course means he is a Tea Party libertarian now.

[ekg]

What lil Mike said, King is Irish, so one mans terrorist is another mans freedom fighter.

He is an ass for being in office since 1993 which means he only knows how to take handouts now. He also voted for the bailouts which of course means he is a Tea Party libertarian now.

HA!  that made me a 'snort'.. HA!

[lil mike]

What lil Mike said, King is Irish, so one mans terrorist is another mans freedom fighter.

He is an ass for being in office since 1993 which means he only knows how to take handouts now. He also voted for the bailouts which of course means he is a Tea Party libertarian now.

I doubt King would describe himself as any sort of libertarian.  He is a New York Republican after all.  That's like a moderate dem in the rest of the country.

[Howey]

I doubt King would describe himself as any sort of libertarian.  He is a New York Republican after all.  That's like a moderate dem in the rest of the country.

King is certainly basking in the love of Libertarians everywhere, and like Libertarians, but he shares your love with a certain Libertarian heroine:

New York Congressman Peter King plans to hold hearings on American Muslims stonewalling investigation efforts of terrorist operations within the U.S. Among his potential guests, former Member of the Dutch Parliament, and friend and colleague of Dutch libertarian Geert Wilders.

From Politico.com, "Muslim groups nervous about King hearings"

Possible witnesses, according to King, include Dutch critic of Islam Ayaan Hirsi Ali and M. Zuhdi Jasser, president and founder of Arizona-based American Islamic Forum for Democracy. Jasser is a sharp critic of leading American Muslim groups, whose agenda he calls “Islamist.”
In related news, Ayaan Hirsi Ali will be delivering a speech to UofF.

From UFL.edu:

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Ayaan Hirsi Ali, one of the most forceful and provocative feminist critics challenging Islam today, will discuss her views on the state of Muslim women in the United States and around the world during a visit to the University of Florida’s Bob Graham Center for Public Service on Jan. 20.

A resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington, D.C., Hirsi Ali is the author most recently of “Nomad,” a memoir of her political awakening.
See our article, from 2008 - "Ayaan Hirsi Ali: The World's Greatest Libertarian"

[lil mike]

King is certainly basking in the love of Libertarians everywhere, and like Libertarians, but he shares your love with a certain Libertarian heroine:

 

Ayaan Hirsi Ali?  She's a hero of mine!

I think I may change my mind about these hearings after all.  She's an elequent voice of reason that the country, and most particularly Congress, would benefit from listening to.