Only Explosion at CAIR Event was Applause

In today's Delco Times, Stephanie K. Whalen writes: Sestak cheered during CAIR speech

In what will surely be a great disappointment to Gil Spencer, Sestak did NOT call for Death to America. Instead, he gave a rousing speech about CAIR doing the important task of fighting discrimination. From the Delco article:

"CAIR does such important and necessary work in a difficult environment to change such perceptions and wrongs -- from racial profiling and civil rights to promoting justice and mutual understanding -- at a time when it is challenging to be an American-Muslim and pass, for example, through an airport checkpoint," Sestak said during his speech.

To my personal diappointment (but not suprise), Sestak took the easy road to pacify his critics by calling on CAIR to specifically denounce Hamas and Hezbollah. (I guess Joe didn't get to read my earlier blog entry.) If he's going to start singling out groups, he should also have tossed the crowd a bone by including the JDL (Jewish Defense League) which plotted to blow up a Los Angeles mosque in 2001. It hardly seems fair to ask CAIR to denounce only Islamic terrorist groups.
Why does everybody have to denounce things as a litmus test? Sean Hannity is alway using "failure to denounce" as a tactic in place of the real debate.
But, Sestak wants to get re-elected so he made sure to cover his left and right cheeks by mentioning both Hamas and Hezbollah on the record. (If he were a horse, he would have received a sugar cube and a pat on the head.) This gives him political cover in the Jewish community where he has been heavily (and unfairly) criticized.

Outside the Hilton Hotel, things were lively as well. A small group of protesters against Sestak were led by Joe Kauffman of the misnamed group: Americans Against Hate. It seems like the word Against slipped their minds.
On their website Joe Kauffman condemned Congressman Ellison in a piece entitled: "Keith Ellison's Friends, Our Enemies. Also on their site, Kauffman basically accused the Hilton Hotel management of supporting Hamas because CAIR was allowed in the building and his protesters were not allowed on Hilton property. What did he expect a "Protesters Welcome!" sign? I think the Daily Show may another contender for Bob Novak's douche-bag of the week award.

Also, a small group of counter-protesters supporting Sestak showed up outside the event and had some unkind words for Kauffman and his group. (Though kinder than what I might used.)

My conclusions about the whole CAIR affair:

Sestak comes out a winner by handling himself with grace and steadfastness under pressure (with the minimum obligitory politically pandering).

Gil "The Shill" Spencer served up several helpings of intolerance and ignorance, while showcasing a parade of neocon frontmen like Daniel Pipes and Dr. Zuhdi Jasser. We were treated to the open bigotry of Anonymous posters opposing civil rights and the presumption of innocence for Muslims, while embracing xenophobia and paranoia.

CAIR came out ahead too. They took a lot of heat as the anti-CAIR crowd got active. However, the anti-CAIR groups overplayed their hands and exposed their underlying racism. I heard the CAIR event was sold out. I suspect by people showing CAIR support against the propaganda and hate speech. So, the artificial anti-CAIR controversy wound up being free advertising for the event.

The Jewish community disappointed me by allowing itself to be so easily manipulated into turning on Joe like a group of fair-weather friends. They can apologize to Joe in the polling booths in November 2008.

As for me, I felt like a contestant on the show 1 vs 100 (though the Anonymous posters seems more like contestants on Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader?)

I leave you with one of my favorite lines from Spencer Tracy (not to be confused with Gil Spencer) in Inherit the Wind:

Because fanaticism and ignorance is forever busy, and needs feeding. And soon, your Honor, with banners flying and with drums beating we'll be marching backward, BACKWARD, through the glorious ages of that Sixteenth Century when bigots burned the man who dared bring enlightenment and intelligence to the human mind!