A legitimate Obama-terrorist link?

[Engels]

News today that Obama has selected Illinois Congressman Rahm Emanuel (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rahm_Emanuel) to be his White House Chief of Staff.

Where is the terrorist connection? Emanuel's father, Jerusalem-born Benjamin M. Emanuel, was a member of Irgun (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irgun), a 1940s era Jewish militant organization that was labelled "Terrorist" and was responsible for the bombing of the King David Hotel (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_David_Hotel_Bombing) in 1946.

What does this tell us? Well, if nothing else it certainly seems to contradict Joe The Plumber's claim (http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/10/28/joe-plumber-backs-claim-obama-bring-death-israel/) that Obama would bring "death to Israel". Emanuel jr. was a volunteer in Israel during the first Gulf War, and has consistently supported Israeli causes.

On the other hand, maybe we ought to think about making too many conclusions based on "guilt by association." Rahm Emanuel certainly isn't a terrorist, and can't be held responsible for the actions of his father before he was born.

Secondly, when discussing terrorism, maybe we ought to remember that it is not just a recent phenomenon, and that it has affected other countries besides the United States.

Lastly, and this simply goes in the "its a small world category": Rahm Emanuel is often cited as the inspiration for the Josh Lyman character on The West Wing. And as an even more suprising coincidence: His brother Ari, a succesful Hollywood talent agent, is cited as the inspiration for the Ari Gold character on the HBO series Entourage.

[vrodderD]

First I am hearing of it, but stranger things have been shown to be true as time goes by. No one believed that the communists had infiltrated the FDR/Truman administrations until 50 years later as the details of Project Verona were declassified.

Don't believe anything you hear, half of what you read and question what you see.

[MYCAR47562]

lol is this going to be a constant thing everytime obama elects someone yall are going to run on here to defend the fact that he isnt a terriost? why is it that everybody has a connection somewhere to one?

[Engels]

why is it that everybody has a connection somewhere to one?

The problem is that if you look far enough, you can find connections between virtually any two people.

For instance, George W. Bush and Barack Obama have been found to be 11th cousins. Their common relatives? Samuel and Sarah Soole Hinckley of 1600s era Massachusetts. (Does the name Hinckley sound familiar to anyone?)

But it gets worse! Obama is also a 9th cousin of Vice President Dick Cheney, by way of Mareen and Susannah Duvall, 17th century French immigrants.

So, obviously based on these close family connections we can reliably conclude that Obama will be a failed President, with a secret agenda to support France, he may shoot a friend in the face, and will try later to assassinate a President of the United States before being commited to a mental hospital.

[MYCAR47562]

That Sounds Like What Im Thinking Obama Will Do Lol

But Man Seriously I Mean I Can Understand A Father But Seems Every Politician Has Friends That Arent Moral

[Engels]

On a more serious note: Dan Schnur, who was the National Communications Director of John McCain's 2000 Presidential Campaign, just weighed in on Emanuel's selection as White house Chief of Staff.

Writing in the NY Times (http://campaignstops.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/11/06/hail-to-the-chief-of-staff/?hp) (registration required), Schnur makes the case that Emanuel is well qualified to help keep Obama's administration on a more centrist course:

Mr. Emanuel, who served on the White House staff when President Clinton ran into these types of difficulties during his first two years in office, is the one member of the Democratic Congressional leadership who understands the perils of over-reaching. Just as important, he is the type of political brawler capable of pushing back hard at his former colleagues who would try to yank President Obama further toward the left end of the political and policy spectrum.

[MYCAR47562]

so is the guy who advised clinton to roll over on nafta?