This is from an e-mail circulating around the Internet which someone in my family received:
HB 1388 PASSED !!
You just spent $20,000,000 to move members/supporters of Hamas, a terrorist organization, to the United States ; They get housing, food, the whole enchilada.
HB 1388 PASSED
Whether you are an Obama fan, or not, EVERYONE IN THE U. S. needs to know…..
Something happened…. H.R. 1388 was passed, behind our backs. You may want to read about it.. It wasn ‘ t mentioned on the news… just went by on the ticker tape at the bottom of the CNN screen. Obama funds $20M in tax payer dollars to immigrate Hamas Refugees to the USA . This is the news that didn ‘ t make the headlines…
By executive order, President Barack Obama has ordered the expenditure of $20.3 million in “migration assistance” to the Palestinian refugees and “conflict victims” in Gaza . (…including by contributions to international, governmental, and nongovernmental organizations…”) The “presidential determination”, which allows hundreds of thousands of Palestinians with ties to Hamas to resettle in the United States , was signed and appears in the Federal Register.
It sounds really sinister, doesn’t it? Thankfully it’s all a pack of lies designed to mislead the ignorant.
If it’s a House Resolution (H.R.) it passed in the House of Representatives and is not an Executive Order. It would also have to pass the Senate and be signed by the President to become law. This person is mixing apples and oranges. Whatever they are concerned about can be either an Executive Order or a bill that passed Congress, not both. For someone who knows anything about how the American legislative process works that should be the first obvious clue that something is very wrong with this e-mail.
So, let’s take a look at H.R. 1388 and see what it’s all about. The title of the bill is: “The Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, an Act to reauthorize and reform the national service laws.” It’s an extension and expansion of the National and Community Service Act of 1990, first signed by President George H.W. Bush. In 1993 this was expanded with the founding of AmeriCorps, created by by the National and Community Service Trust Act of 1993, signed by President Clinton and expanded by 50% by President George W. Bush. H.R. 1388, which was signed into law back in May, is about Americans doing national service: public service work for the country. It has absolutely NOTHING to do with the Middle East or Palestinians or Hamas. After repeatedly mentioning H.R. 1388 the e-mail has no specifics and completely misrepresents the bill.
OK, maybe the author got his or her numbers wrong and really wants us to look at an Executive Order. He or she was even kind enough to provide a link to the Federal Register, so naturally I followed the link to see what it’s all about. I assume the author was hoping that either nobody would actually follow the link or that they simply wouldn’t bother to read the details. The Presidential determination in question, which I do remember well, spent funds already allocated for refugee assistance. It is dated January, a full eight months ago, and has nothing to do with any bill currently before Congress or which passed Congress recently. Second, the idea, as I read it, was to help people flee Hamas, not help Hamas. These are refugees from Hamas, not Hamas supporters. If you followed the news at the time you know that Hamas used the conflict with Israel as cover for arrests, torture, and murder of Fatah members in Gaza and any remaining non-Muslim Palestinians (mainly Christians) in the territory. The idea of helping these people did have support from members of Congress of both parties: the same members of Congress who voted unanimously to support Israeli defensive actions in Gaza just three weeks earlier.
The author goes on to list a bunch of other horrible things that President Obama has done, from closing Guantanamo (which hasn’t actually happened) to federally funding abortions (which also actually hasn’t happened). It ends with the ominous line: “We are losing this country at a rapid pace.” Actually, the far right and the know-nothings among the conservative movement haven’t figured out that they lost the 2006 and 2008 elections. They already lost the country as the American people have rejected their agenda.
What is so galling about this is that it’s all lies. Nothing new has passed Congress, President Obama hasn’t signed any new laws or issued any new executive orders regarding Hamas or the Palestinians. If he had I’d be the first to write about it. If this President supported Hamas in any way, shape, or form I’d be up in arms about it. Here’s reality: it never happened. It’s just part of the right wing smear campaign, the hatred directed at President Obama, which goes on each and every day in this country. It absolutely disgusts me.
October 1st, 2009 at 8:53 am
the right wing conservatives are a bunch of wakos . when you have the christian end timers and right wing know nothing american zionist as allies ,they’re bound to get up to no good and base their arguments on lies and propoganda not benificial to american interests.
February 11th, 2010 at 9:35 pm
Whoa! Back up the horses. I am a right wing conservative Christian. I too hate emails and lies like the one mentioned in the article. Do you really know the origin of this email? Why would someone give a bill identification number or a link to a site that would disprove the validity of the information in the email if they wanted to sway the minds of people? I personally would more suspect someone who is trying to make conservatives look bad but maybe it is just someone with a twisted sense of values.
We need to be careful about attaching labels to any group of people less we become guilty of doing that which we hate, namely being prejudice.
As I said earlier, I am a right wing conservative Christian. I say that with neither pride nor shame but as a matter of fact. Now let me tell you my position concerning our president (and this is the position of other I know who agree with my position.) President Obama is the duly elected president of the United States of America and therefore I will honor and respect him. I would lay down my life to defend and protect him. There are many areas where I disagree with him politically but I will defend his right to his belief and let the ballet box sort out who will sit in the oval office. He is my president! I hate lies told about him just as I hated lies told about former presidents and there were many told about President Bush.
Oh I have never been called an “American Zionist” before. As I understand the term Zionist I would not qualify because I am not seeking to move to Israel but if it just means someone who is very Pro-Israel then I will proudly accept the term.
February 12th, 2010 at 9:50 am
@Bill: Thank you for your thoughtful comments. The folks passing around the e-mail were definitely conservatives. There is a fringe of the conservative movement who seems to feel the end justifies the means when it comes to demeaning and attacking the current President. I certainly don’t mean to tar and feather all conservatives.
I don’t see where what I wrote mentions “American Zionists”. There are most certainly American Christians who label themselves as “Christian Zionists” and they mean that they are strong supporters of the State of Israel. You are correct that doesn’t fit the traditional definition of Zionism (really Israeli/Jewish nationalism) but I appreciate any support they give so long as it doesn’t have strings attached, religious or otherwise. I am certainly not anti-Christian.
Like you I respect this President and the office he holds. Like you I have concerns about some of his policies, particularly in the area of foreign policy. Legitimate criticism of Obama administration policy and debate about issues is a health part of American democracy. Smear campaigns and outright lies are not.
February 12th, 2010 at 7:11 pm
@ Chana: You didn’t use the phrase “American Zionists” I was referring to the comment just before mine.
Yes there are fringe of the conservative who use smear tactics but there are liberals that do the same thing and I hate such tactics no matter who is using it.
I really enjoy your blog. Keep up the good work.