July 24, 2012

Huma Abedin and the Saudi Lobby

I don't have any inside information on Huma Abedin, Hillary Clinton's close personal advisor, so let me speculate irresponsibly.

Abedin is a rich South Asian-ancestry but Saudi-raised woman who is also (amusingly enough) the wife of disgraced ex-Congressman Anthony Weiner. 

Michelle Bachmann got herself in all sorts of trouble with Respectable Washington by pointing out that Abedin's family has had lots of ties over the decades to the now-ascendant Muslim Brotherhood, such as her father founding the Institute of Muslim Minority Affairs, a Saudi outreach program. (Her Pakistani mother is a professor in Saudi Arabia.)

John McCain, for example, was apoplectic at Bachmann's effrontery.

Washington insider Ed Rollins, Bachmann's own former campaign manager, went berserk on Fox News:
Shame on you, Michele! You should stand on the floor of the House and apologize to Huma Abedin and to Secretary Clinton and to the millions of hard working,loyal, Muslim Americans for your wild and unsubstantiated charges. As a devoted Christian, you need to ask forgiveness for this grievous lack of judgment and reckless behavior.

Wow, sounds like Bachmann struck a nerve ...

My guess would be that Ms. Abedin is not some sort of radical Islamist Manchurian Candidate who has had a baby with her Jewish politician husband just to cover her Islamist tracks. 

But, I suspect that Bachmann struck a nerve with the Bipartisan Establishment because Abedin has so many Saudi ties. The Fourth Rail of Washington imperial politics is the Saudi Lobby (the Third Rail is the Israeli Lobby). 

The Saudis have more money than God, but, like the Kuwaitis in 1990, they are too lazy and cowardly too defend their unearned oil wealth. But, unlike the Kuwaitis, who were too arrogant to even pretend to like America before Saddam's invasion, the Saudis have long been using their oil money prudently to buy themselves friends in Washington. 

One way they do it is by doing actual favors for the United States of America. Most notably, at the Reagan Administration's request, the Saudis pumped so much oil in 1986 that it drove oil prices low enough to pound the last nail in the Soviet Union's economic coffin. That was a big one, and I am grateful. 

Currently, the Saudis appear to be funding the Sunni uprising in Syria. Is that at the request of the Obama Administration? (I haven't been following the news out of Syria.) Obviously, this is wildly hypocritical after the Saudis sent tanks in to Bahrain to crush democracy protests there last year, but such is the way of the world.

Unfortunately, the Saudi rulers aso have interests not at all aligned with America's. Most notably, the Royal Family buys off local hotheads by subsidizing them to stir up Muslim hotheads abroad.

On the other hand, while occasionally the Saudis will do a genuine expensive favor for the U.S. like cutting the price of oil to hurt a mutual foe, most of the time they find it more cost effective just to do favors for members of the American ruling class. 

Consider the amazing career of Prince Bandar bin Sultan, Saudi ambassador to America from 1983-2005. The illegitimate son of a royal prince and a part black slave girl, Bandar never had a hope of rising to the throne himself, but he made himself the most valuable servant of Saudi state by insinuating himself into almost every crack in Washington with his charm and money. For example, when George W. Bush told his dad that he really ought to finally learn something about American foreign policy if he were going to run for President, George H.W. Bush sent him to Bandar for tutoring.

Personally, I've always admired Bandar as a patriot who did much for his country. But, I would have kicked him out of the U.S. for being too good at his job. (His mental health finally broke under the stress and he went home in 2005.)

What does all this say about Huma Abedin's rise to power within the American government? I'm not sure. It may just be personal. But, the principle matters to the Important People in Washington, and the principle is that the public isn't supposed to think about how chummy they are with the Saudis. So, no thinking about Huma!

75 comments:

Anonymous said...

"The Saudis have more money that God"

Do not blaspheme. And I say this as an atheist.

DaveinHackensack said...

"Gadfly" -- that's a new one. One of the sad things about Gaddafi's passing is that we haven't had any more of Steve's increasingly eccentric spellings of his name.

Anonymous said...

If one wants to be a conspiracy nut, one can say Huma married a Jew to enter the American elite class. Or one can say a Jew married someone of Muslim background to gain access to the Muslim world. I suppose in the past, marriages among the elites had a strong political cast to them. Kings and noblemen married their sons and daughters off to the kids of other powerful families to gain advantages. In those days, most marriages were arranged, and even the kids understood it... which is why having mistresses was tolerated. Since guys often married women they didn't love, they got some fun with other women. And even some noblewomen could have mistrerrers--if such they be called--if they were discreet enough. I suppose one could say the marriage of the Clintons and Riches had a kind of power-marriage about it.
But really, modern marriages in the West are NOT arranged. People fall in love and get married... just like with Amy Chua and whoozitowicz.

EVEN SO--even if individuals do marry out of love in our world--, there is an ethnic angle to these marriages. Even if a Jewish guy marries a Chinese woman out of love, he may well be aware that there are certain cultural, political, and economic advantages to marrying someone of ethnic significance. I mean marrying someone who is Chinese may pay off more dividends than marrying someone who is Nepalese or Eskimo. And marrying someone who is Jewish certainly is more advantageous than marrying someone who is Congolese or New Guinean. So, we can't totally overlook the ETHNIC SIGNIFICANCE of marriages.

Anyway, what is most pathetic about the whole business is this:

Bachmann thinks she is being so pro-Zionist, but Jews hate her. 90% of Jews find her disgusting, and even the 10% of Jews who might support her do so only because she's such a rabid dog for Zionism. No Jew respects her as a human being. So, what a sorry sight to see her suck up to Zionists. It's like a dog barking for its master but the master finding the barking annoying and kicking the dog. But the dog keeps barking thinking that it's doing the master a favor.

As for McCain, didn't he fan the flames to serve Zionists at every turn? Didn't he sensationalize every piece of news to fan the flames of possible wars with Iran, Russia, and China? He's been one of the most rabid, deranged, and insane barking dogs for Zionism. Yet, now he's acting like Mr. Gentleman and calling for sanity and attacking Bachmann for 'over the top' talk? I mean gimme a break.

This reminds me of the controversy with S.E. Cupp.

http://takimag.com/article/two_sides_one_cupp_kathy_shaidle/print#axzz21beuNKcb

Cupp is a 'conservative' but even liberals came to her rescue when Larry Flynt smeared her good name. Shaidle thinks it's because Cupp is one of the media Establishment, and so the media big shots circled the wagons.

And it just so happens that Huma is part of the Washington elite, and so McCain circled the wagons too. But where was McCain when Israel was dropping bombs on Gazan civilians? What does he have to say about Obama's illegal war on Libya? What does he have to say about drone attacks that have killed so many civilians in the Middle East? Nothing! He's only circling the wagons because he's a pet dog of the Washington Elite and Huma happens to be one too.

Clyde said...

'And marrying someone who is Jewish certainly is more advantageous than marrying someone who is Congolese or New Guinean.'

But not Kenyan.

jody said...

if only john mccain had attacked obama with the same zeal and vigor he reserves for attacking white conservatives.

i've noticed this pattern for a while now. for at least 10 years, guys who are afraid to confront non-whites and instead let their bad behavior slide, instantly attack whites for perceived transgressions with the ardor of a zealot. you couldn't believe how fast jim boner (deliberately mispelled) and the rest of the republican leadership would love to come down on any white conservative who steps out of line and goes off script.

in the NFL we call this the false disciplinarian, the head coach who comes down like a 10 ton hammer on white players for minor violations to show he's "tough" on bad behavior, but who then turns around and allows arrested and convicted black criminals on his team and loves to put his arm around their shoulder and talk about what fine, upstanding young men they are. in his later years, NCAA coach joe paterno was a profligate practitioner of this fine art.

this behavior is extensive in US society now. total, genuine abject fear to confront people if they are not european, but near religious ferver to keep other europeans in line.

Anonymous said...

"Most notably, at the Reagan Administration's request, the Saudis pumped so much oil in 1986 that it drove oil prices low enough to pound the last nail in the Soviet Union's economic coffin."

The Soviet Union abolished itself. It didn't run out of money. I mean, after it was abolished, it WAS pilfered, so money did run out eventually, but that happened in the 1990s, not the 1980s. Gorbachev wanted to seem cool, wanted to be a reformer. He came to power in 1985, not in 1986. He had shown himself to be a reformer (in the Economist magazine sense of that word, i.e. a traitor to his own people) very quickly after coming to power, before 1986 started.

Anonymous said...

If Richard Nixon had had a long-term, intimate relationship with, say, Kruschev's brother, I'm quite sure the New York Times would have had nothing to say about it whatsoever.

Anon.

DaveinHackensack said...

Anon,

I think you're using "Zionists" a little too broadly there. What's the Zionist angle to McCain provoking Putin, for example? Putin and the Israelis seem to get along fairly well. Same with Israel and the Chinese. McCain, remarkably, has more enemies than Israel.

If by "Zionist" you are referring to elite US Jews, they seem to have (oddly enough) a modus vivendi with the Saudis, just as the rest of US elites do. Consider that a Saudi prince was the largest shareholder in Citigroup at the time it was run by a Jew (Sandy Weill). It's also telling that Neocon Jews (and non-Jews), to my recollection at least, didn't advocate for any military action against Saudi Arabia in the wake of 9/11, but adocated instead against Iraq, which had attacked both Saudi Arabia and Israel in the first gulf war.

DaveinHackensack said...

"The Soviet Union abolished itself. It didn't run out of money. I mean, after it was abolished, it WAS pilfered, so money did run out eventually, but that happened in the 1990s, not the 1980s."

In 1998, oil dropped to around $10 per barrel. Not coincidentally, that's the year that Russia's economy collapsed and it defaulted on its debt. Today, with oil at ~$90 per barrel, Russia is flush with foreign currency reserves and has little debt.

Auntie Analogue said...

Our Western rulers do not give a flying tinker's damn about how we, their subject-citizens of the hoi polloi must live, about what sort of religion or ethnicity migrates to the West and dominates the lives of the lowly, so long as we keep their cash registers ringing at the gas pump and the Walmart and the media providers. At least the Moslem potentates and the Chinese party bosses keep Westerners out of their internal affairs - they don't burden their people with multiculturalism the way the West's rulers burden their subject-citizens with swarms of foreign immigrants. The strict internal homogeneity and socio-economic superiority of their people is one thing the Saudis are particularly keen on.


I give Bachman big points for her having struck a nerve, for having gotten a rise out of the political class who front for rich, powerful "American" globalists who have gotten and keep getting themselves cozily in bed with the call-the-shots Saudis. These lucrative relationships are why our political class - who are bought and sold by rich, powerful "American" globalists - does its "No See Islam" dance every time a Nidal Hassan guns down a few Americans here, or Afghan cretins, often in "Allied" (cough-cough) uniform, bag some more of our boys and girls overseas, and even run interference for Moslem slum lords like imam Rauf and his sleazy Mohammedan developer when they wanted to build their Ground Zero mosque. It's why the West's political class has no problem with ordering TSA goons to frisk old white ladies, nuns, the wheelchairborne, and little white kids. Saudi money talks, Western counterjihadists walk because there's no money in counterjihad for the West's rich globalists - and no jobs for the poliical class whose nominations they make and whose election campaigns they fund. Oh, did I mention that it's the West's rich globalists who own our Media-Pravda which wags its finger at us whenever we, the lowly point out Islam being the common denominator in all, you know, instances of jihad? Well, then you need to know that a lot of Arab oil kingpins and other Moslems also own hefty chunks of our Media-Pravda. And why do you think Hillary's been spending plenty of time in the Mideast, making soothing noises to Morsi and the Saudis, and saying the nicest things about the "Arab Spring" desire for "democracy."


As for Huma Abedin, I just don't think it's good for us little folks when a foreigner rises so fast and so high in our political class - especially in our political class's foreign policy or security departments. Look at Huma this way: would you feel comfy if an individual born in Red China, and whose parents followed the Communist Party line, rose so high in our State Department? Where are the American-born Christians in the Saudi cabinet or the American-born Boston brahmins in the Red Chinese poliburo?

jody said...

yeah i remember 1999, that was right when prudhoe bay was at it's peak flow rate and 87 octane gasoline in the US actually fell below 1 dollar per gallon for a few months.

crazy times, driving around in my maxima, seeing the sign say 99 cents, then going back to work on my HTML and javascript and style sheets, upload it to the production server. ah, the dot com era. this new high tech thing called the internet, AND 1 dollar gasoline, all at the same time?

such an era will NEVER return.

jody said...

hmm just checked and north slope peaked in 1989 not 1999. wonder what i was thinking. still getting almost 2 million barrels per day in 1999 though from the trans-alaska pipe.

Anonymous said...

The Saudis have more money than God, but, like the Kuwaitis in 1990, they are too lazy and cowardly too defend their unearned oil wealth.

If they tried to defend it, the US would promote regime change to install a gov't that would outsource its defense to the US and recycle oil revenues into dollars.

Anonymous said...

She's a real horseface. Huge set of chompers on her.

Anonymous said...

in the NFL we call this the false disciplinarian

Are you in the NFL?

Anonymous said...

There's a Saudi prince who's a big investor type that's on the news every once in a while and looks like Father Guido Sarducci.

Anonymous said...

My impession is the MSM are denying that the allegations are even true. If they're true, meaning members of Huma's immediate family have direct connections to the Muslim Brotherhood, I would think that is a security risk. How big of a risk I can't say, but why is it verboten to ask the question?

Simon in London said...

It's a good analysis, but she will have Brotherhood links and will be (a) passing on information to them as well as to the Saudis and (b) making sure they are seen in a positive light by Hillary & co. I would expect that the US media's recent incredible description of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, as "moderate" Muslims contrasted with the "radical Salafis" (even though Salafism is the ideology created by the Brotherhood!), was partly her doing.

The Brotherhood are brilliant at infiltrating Western organisations and co-opting sympathetic Western politicians, bureaucrats et al. When my wife worked in a UK government quango, it was only her objection that stopped them having Tariq Ramadan over for a presentation on what to think about Islam. Mind you the woman at the next desk was a former Red Brigade terrorist, so they had form.

Anonymous said...

Good God!,

US politics seems to resemble a snake-pit, something like the court intrigues that distinguished the monarchies of medieval Europe - think of the Borgias, the Tudors etc - all big money, dirty politicians and the occassional ripped bodice and heaving breasts.
Ironically, politics in the UK (the USA's former colonial master), an unabashed monarchy with hereditary toffs still ensconced in the highest echelons (now that really raised George Washington's ire) are a damned sight cleaner. Quite frankly the people who run Britain are of a higher moral caliber, the old school toff political establishment had an in-built sense of honor and duty to their homeland - basically there was no sacrifice they wouldn't make for their nation and the idea of being 'bought' by foreigners would have filled them with utter revulsion.
The new rulers of Britain, alas, aren't so honorable, but even so the meanesst modern Labour or Tory MP seems to have more moral fiber than yer typical high on the hog fat living US dirty poliician.

Simon in London said...

"If by "Zionist" you are referring to elite US Jews, they seem to have (oddly enough) a modus vivendi with the Saudis, just as the rest of US elites do. Consider that a Saudi prince was the largest shareholder in Citigroup at the time it was run by a Jew (Sandy Weill). It's also telling that Neocon Jews (and non-Jews), to my recollection at least, didn't advocate for any military action against Saudi Arabia in the wake of 9/11, but adocated instead against Iraq, which had attacked both Saudi Arabia and Israel in the first gulf war."

Israel is generally friendly with the Saudis; the Israelis see Iran & the Shia (including Hezbollah) as a bigger threat so they work together to keep the Shia down. A Gulf Arab pointed out to me that the main funder of Hamas is not Saudi but the EU. Saudi Arabia and Israel did not support the invasion of Iraq since they knew it would replace a Sunni regime with a pro-Iran Shia regime, but Saudi does strongly support and fund the rebellion in Syria against the Alawites as that should bring Sunni Islamists to power.

Steve accused Saudi of hypocrisy, but they have never claimed to promote democracy. They follow a consistent line of promoting Sunni Islam, preferably Wahabbi/Salafi; so they support the Sunni ruler of Bahrain vs his Shia subjects, and the Sunni insurgents in Syria vs the Alawite Shia rulers. It's the USA that is hypocritical.

Anonymous said...

I really don't know what to think about Saudi.
On the one hand it's run by the most horrible, decadent, hypocritical regime you coud possibly imagine.
Imported sub-cons do all the work , and unlike the soft-headed, soft-dicked west, hey are always but always booted out when they ceases to be useful - no moaning about 'racism' over there then.
Saudis's rapidly rising population suffers mass unemployment I beileve they all get a dole (unlike the subcons) and while away their wasted youth dreamiing of revolution.
Will it stay or fall? - I don't know. After Syria falls, Iran will be next and once that happens Saudi will look very wobbly.

Simon in London said...

anon:
"The new rulers of Britain, alas, aren't so honorable, but even so the meanesst modern Labour or Tory MP seems to have more moral fiber than yer typical high on the hog fat living US dirty poliician."

Well we do have Peter Mandelson! There are corrupt British politicians, though most of those are corrupt at a low-level expenses-fiddling sort of way. I would agree that American politics is more corrupt overall, and has been since the big wave of mid-19th century immigration from Ireland and eastern Europe.

I think that in terms of sex and money, the US is not particularly corrupt compared to many other countries. In terms of foreign influence it is, but this may be because foreign governments and non-state actors put a lot more influence into corrupting US politicians, media figures etc than they do into corrupting the leaders of less important countries. But sanctimony of US media/politico hypocrisy in attacking the rare honest characters does seem particularly vile - the most shameful characters are the ones most likely to shout "Shame on you!". I don't see this in the UK, France, Russia etc.

Simon in London said...

BTW the half-Arab woman I knew had been married to a Gulf Arab on the board of the Carlyle Group, she met the Bushes etc. She told me a lot about life among the Saudi/Kuwaiti elite. The main impression I got of them (other than their incredible vileness) was that the Arabs were very afraid of the Americans, and so naturally they put a lot of effort into influencing American behaviour. I have to say that their fear seems perfectly rational to me.

Anonymous said...

"this behavior is extensive in US society now. total, genuine abject fear to confront people if they are not european, but near religious ferver to keep other europeans in line."

I noticed this too sometime ago.

Anonymous said...

"Do not blaspheme. And I say this as an atheist."

Go away.

Simon in London said...

anon:
"Will it stay or fall? - I don't know. After Syria falls, Iran will be next and once that happens Saudi will look very wobbly."

That's not how the Saudis see it. Saudi has a big Shia population in the north-east, and lots of disparate ethnies who need to be kept under control. The Saudis see an Iran-backed Shia uprising, not Al-Qaeda, as the big threat. From their POV taking down the Iranian Shi'ite regime would help secure them in power.

Personally I don't think Iran is likely to fall, it's not an Arab country (though it is about 25% Arab AIR) and its regime seems on firmer ground than Syria. One reason for this is that Iran represents Islamist religious fundamentalism, and that is the wave of the future, whereas Syria is a secular nationalist state, and secular Arab nationalism seems clearly to be on the way out. This transition from nationalism to Islamism is making the Middle East even more horrible than it was already. In Egypt the thin crust of Westernised urban middle-class liberals who opposed Mubarak were backed by tens of millions of lower-class Islamists. In Iran the Westernised urban middle-class is actually larger, but the tens of millions of lower-class Islamists support the Islamist regime.

Anonymous said...

"Israel did not support the invasion of Iraq"

How about the israeli Operation: Bramble Bush?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Bramble_Bush

sabril said...

"they are too lazy and cowardly too defend their unearned oil wealth. "

From what I hear, the problem is that they know that if they set up a bona fide army, the top brass would have a military coup sooner or later.

Anonymous said...

"Saudi Arabia and Israel did not support the invasion of Iraq"

Yeah.. right...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bandar_bin_Sultan#Bush_presidencies

Anonymous said...

"But, the principle matters to the Important People in Washington, and the principle is that the public isn't supposed to think about how chummy they are with the Saudis"

How about Amerabia, Steve?

Anonymous said...

She has huge teeth.

dearieme said...

"The Saudis have more money that God"

Carry on blaspheming. I say this as an atheist with Christian sympathies.

bjdubbs said...

"What's wrong with dual loyalty anyway?" seems to be the guiding principle, here and in the case of the Israel lobby. Of my four youngest nephews and cousins, four have Euro passports. I asked their parents why one passport wasn't enough and they looked at me like I was stupid. But didn't Bachmann herself have a Swiss passport?

Anonymous said...

All this discrimination against foreign born or connected citizens cannot stand the liberal tornado. Even the 'native born' anomaly is bound to be ironed out to smooth the way for any subsequent Kenyan.

Right now, the 'Conservative' prime minister of Britain is reforming the rules of succession for his monarch. There is to be no discrimination on grounds of 'gender' or religion.

Gilbert Pinfold.

josh said...

For what its worth, at age 22, Huma got a very vey sweet deal on an apartment in Foggy Bottom (now why would a 22 year old want to live in foggy bottom?). Incidentally, the man she bought it from imediately went on to become, "out of nowhere" the front runner in an African presidential campaign. The world is full of strange things.

Anonymous said...

I think its just the idea that ethnicity might bring into question loyalty - that's what hits a nerve with our scots irish friends.

Anonymous said...

My Bandar story.

When I was on my honeymoon in Bermuda back in 1987, the wife and I were told there was an issue with our room and we had been moved from the hotel proper to another site; we ended up in a beautiful townhouse accommodation right next tot the hotel beach club. The reason: Prince Bandar decided on a whim to vacation there and was taking up the entire 4th floor of the hotel.

He was a regular in the hotel lounge, working his way through a couple bottles of Dom brought to his table unopened by a bodyguard. The hotel blocked off a portion of the beach for the prince and family, the women conspicuously NOT veiled. It was my introduction to the fact that, away from prying eyes, followers of Mohammed are as variably observant as those of Jesus.

Simon in London said...

bjdubbs:
""What's wrong with dual loyalty anyway?" seems to be the guiding principle, here and in the case of the Israel lobby"

My American wife has always refused to take British citizenship, because it would mean swearing allegiance to the Queen. But she seems to be a vanishing breed. I saw her Texan (but pure Czech by blood) friend take UK citizenship a few years ago, and I have to say I was not entirely convinced her oath of allegiance to Queen Elizabeth was 100% heartfelt. She's back in Texas now, anyway.

Simon in London said...

" Anonymous said...
"Saudi Arabia and Israel did not support the invasion of Iraq"

Yeah.. right...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bandar_bin_Sultan#Bush_presidencies"

Bandar & co wanted Saddam overthrown by another Sunni stong-man in a military coup. They did *not* want Iraq ruled by its majority Shia population! Don't you remember the aftermath of Gulf War 1 in 1991?

I seem to recall Saudi did not even allow the use of her territory for the 2003 invasion, and it had to all go through Kuwait.

Anonymous said...

We should give Saudi Arabia the full Iraq treatment, or rather a more successful combined strategy. Go in pretending there are WMDs, invade and occupy with Egyptian troops so as not infuriate the faithful.At the same time we could instigate a timely Arab spring and have the mob go medieval on the royals.Put a puppet military régime in place and get the oil pumping at $20 a barrel.Even if we had to bribe every single member of the Saudi lobby(including the whole congress and senate) with a billion.it would still be worth it.Think: no more Muslim unrest and cheap oil.

Chicago said...

We really dodged a bullet in not having McCain as our president. Don't these people ever retire or try their hand at something else? It seems likely that Abedin would feed information to the Saudis. Her connection to them is way too close to entrust people like her with classified information. It seems rather obvious. Out of all the people we have here a competent person without foreign ties or loyalties can't be found to work in these positions?

Nanonymous said...

OT but indicative and outrageous. In today's "news":

Romney Advisor Says Offensive Thing Right Before Olympics
The Atlantic Wire


http://news.yahoo.com/romney-advisor-says-offensive-thing-olympics-054122739.html

So, what was the horribly offensive thing said? This one: "Romney has a special bond with Englanders because of "an Anglo-Saxon heritage." See how horribly racist this statement is?

kaganovitch said...

Auntie Analogue wrote "As for Huma Abedin, I just don't think it's good for us little folks when a foreigner rises so fast and so high in our political class - especially in our political class's foreign policy or security departments. Look at Huma this way: would you feel comfy if an individual born in Red China, and whose parents followed the Communist Party line, rose so high in our State Department?"

unless Kalamazoo ,MI is a foreign country our darling Huma is american born

Anonymous said...

You're the best blogger out there Steve, keep the good work.

josh said...

Did you see the pic of their baby? UGH!

TontoBubbaGoldstein said...

The Saudi's have more money than God.

That's not saying a lot.

I say this as an agnostic AND a George Carlin fan.

TontoBubbaGoldstein said...

Oh, and when "both sides of the aisle" vehemently denounce something ....bet everything you own that they (both sides of the aisle), are absolutely, totally, provably WRONG.

Same rule applies when they are in agreement that something is good.

Our only hope is gridlock.

Thomas A. Quinas said...

The Saudis have more money that God

Actually, like many celebrities, God has no need of carrying around money. Other people always appreciate the privilege of paying the bill for them.

Whiskey said...

Switzerland is not the same as Saudi Arabia. The Saudis are friend/enemies, while the Swiss are a minor nation of no real importance outside chocolate, watches, and banks (now subject to US banking laws btw).

Bachman's outing of Abedin plays well among her voters who don't like Muslims, want a "traditional" American policy of defending interests in the Middle East with muscle, and detest Obama. Basically the flip-side of Elizabeth "Big Heap Fake Indian" who is on target to beat Scott Brown despite scandal after scandal handily. Why? Because demography is destiny. Ordinary White folks think and act like Bachman, MA is made up single White women, non-Whites, and the wealthy who think and act like Warren. Not even a hunk like Brown can change that.

Given that many Muslims kill women who even casually date let alone marry outside Islam, one has to wonder WHY Huma Abedin was not honor-killed by her brother. Since it is so common in Britain and the US for brothers, mothers, and fathers to kill Muslim women who are Western and even worse, date non-Muslim women.

It is not as if the guy who ran the "Bridges" TV channel promoting Muslim understanding in the West beheaded his wife in an honor killing. Oh no.

The MacFrankfurt School said...

My impession is the MSM are denying that the allegations are even true. If they're true, meaning members of Huma's immediate family have direct connections to the Muslim Brotherhood, I would think that is a security risk. How big of a risk I can't say, but why is it verboten to ask the question?

Because then you mouth-breathing bible-thumping gun-toting troglodytes might start asking about David MacAxelrod's mother, Myril MacAxelrod, and whether she was writing Stalinist propaganda at PM magazine.

And we can't have that, now can we?

MOO HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!!!

NOTA said...

I think this is all about social class and being "one of us." Bachman is prominent and has some power, but is not one of the elite--she doesn't fit in their culture, doesn't share their background or beliefs or ideas, doesn't sound like them or mouth their platitudes. She's attacking Huma, who despite ethnic and religious differences is "one of us" to the elites in media and politics.

Now, I'm pretty skeptical that Bachman has much useful to say about anything. And I rather doubt that Huma is slippign secret information to the Muslim Brotherhood. But most of the elite response is like the response of all the other useless nobility, if some peasant somewhere stands up and calls one of their number useless--it's not *about* the truth of the accusation, it's about whose team is on top, and who has to defer to whom. To the extent those elites can enforce their values, the Bachmans and Palins and Huckabees of the world will have to treat the Humas and Hillarys and Rahms with a decent amount of deference and respect, as befits a peasant addressing her betters.

Anonymous said...

Some news organization needs to investigate McCain's ties to the corrupt Saudi royal family. McCain's lobbyist flew members of the Saudi royal family after 9/11. Recently McCain called for America to follow the example of the Saudis and supply arms to the syrian opposition.

Anonymous said...

Prince Bandar wants "democracy" in Syria, Iraq and Iran... but not in Saud Arabia.

peterike said...

The stranger than strange media thought process.

1. Media says for months: The Muslim Brotherhood are fine moderates, people we can work with! We are behind them!

2. Bachman says "Huma be all up with the Muslim Brotherhood."

3. Media says: How dare you sully Huma's fine name!

What... by saying she's hooked up with those people you keep telling us are just swell?

Anonymous said...

"The Saudis are friend/enemies"

They are frenemies, cmon whiskey, get on with the times.
btw any opinion on the scots-irish? S&M?

"It was my introduction to the fact that, away from prying eyes, followers of Mohammed are as variably observant as those of Jesus. "

it's not like one needs to look far

Anonymous said...

"Quite frankly the people who run Britain are of a higher moral caliber...the meanesst modern Labour or Tory MP seems to have more moral fiber than yer typical high on the hog fat living US dirty poliician."

The UK's politicians are just as bought and by exactly the same group of zero-loyalty globalist billionaires.

Anonymous said...

So thats why America didn't invade Saudi Arabia? 15 of the 19 high-jackers are Saudis if anyone had forgotten.

The US Military is doing the job that the Israelis and Saudies armies should be doing themselves.

Anonymous said...

In France and the UK, even leftists have called for cuts in immigration. When was the last time the Democrats called for cuts? Heck, when was the last time a Republican called for cuts?

Seriously, our politicians are easily the worst.

gummy of your gummy is your gummy said...

Frenemy of your frenemy is your frenemy. World Order in a nutshell.

Anonymous said...

Did you see the pic of their baby? UGH!

Her teeth and gums, his nose.

Anonymous said...

Saudi people are bad and crazy.

Saudi elites are not the people and cool and good allies.

Saudi elites would not survive though if they did everything we wanted to beat down the Saudi people.

Why is that so hard for you people to understand?

Anonymous said...

"the Bachmans and Palins and Huckabees of the world will have to treat the Humas and Hillarys and Rahms with a decent amount of deference and respect, as befits a peasant addressing her betters."

Right wing christians are the new underclass?

Anonymous said...

"In France and the UK, even leftists have called for cuts in immigration. When was the last time the Democrats called for cuts? Heck, when was the last time a Republican called for cuts?

Seriously, our politicians are easily the worst."

You should read this:

http://www.wvwnews.net/story.php?id=9797

The USG is beyond any reform that goes against current orthodoxy.

Simon in London said...

NOTA:
" And I rather doubt that Huma is slippign secret information to the Muslim Brotherhood."

I'd be astounded if she were not. It's not that she is an Islamist, it's about family. In the MME everything is about family.

Svigor said...

In fact, generally speaking, you can accuse anyone accusing you of racism, bigotry, and hypocrisy, with confidence. If he objects, you can prove it via questioning.

Anonymous said...

I open my dead-tree Forbes almost every month to see a Saudi centerfold spread.

NOTA said...

peterike:

This is diplomacy, right? Last year, we were backing our guy (Mubarrek) whose secret police were regularly rounding your members up for beatings and torture and murder. Now, you're in power, and hey, we've *always* liked you guys.

Presumably, if the Saudis ever re-invent the guillotine and use it the way France did to rid themselves of a bunch of useless royalty, we will do our best to be friends with the revolutionaries there, too.

TGGP said...

Huma seems too good looking to be a lesbian. On the other hand, Portia de Rossi.

David Davenport said...

Here's one of my conspiracy theories:

The Saudi A. government must be subsidizing Muslims emigrating to the USA. It's pretty obvious.

/////////////////////

So-and-so was on Sean Hannity's radio show this afternoon, saying that both [ House Speaker ] John Boehner as well as Juan McCain have been defending Huma and trying to shut up Michelle Bachman.

I didn't hear 'em say why.

Anonymous said...

"Huma seems too good looking to be a lesbian."

Well if it's a case of getting a helping hand with one's career then she wouldn't neccessarily have to be an actual lesbian herself.

nb I think the lack of tongue in cheek comments about the alleged lesbian angle to this story is an indication that people feel the looming shadow of the economic crisis over their shoulders.

Anonymous said...

Wasn't Bush practically a puppet of the Saudis, and a great admirer of their social system, to the point of being a Christian Wahhabi?

Anonymous said...

Consider the amazing career of Prince Bandar bin Sultan, Saudi ambassador to America from 1983-2005.

"Syria reportedly eliminated Bandar bin Sultan in retaliation for Damascus bombing"

http://www.voltairenet.org/Syria-reportedly-eliminated-Bandar

"Prince Bandar had just been appointed head of Saudi intelligence on July 24: a promotion which was interpreted as a reward for having organized the attack in Damascus on July 18. The Saudi services, with logistical support from the CIA, had managed to blow up the headquarters of the Syrian National Security during a Crisis Cell meeting: Generals Assef Chaoukat, Daoud Rajha and Hassan Tourkmani were killed instantly. General Amin Hicham Ikhtiar died soon after from his wounds. This operation, called "Damascus Volcano" was the signal for the attack on the capital by a swarm of mercenaries, mainly coming from Jordan.

Prince Bandar was himself the target of a bomb attack on July 26, and subsequently succumbed to his injuries."

IHTG said...

"Syria reportedly eliminated Bandar bin Sultan in retaliation for Damascus bombing"

WTF?

Londoner said...

An ambassadorship of 22 years? Isn't that almost unheard of? The average ambassadorial post probably lasts 3-4 years.

22 years is a long time to build up a power base, political contacts/puppets etc.

Saudi Arabia ia an enemy of Iran. Little wonder it rubs along cosily with Israel.

Anonymous said...

"Consider the amazing career of Prince Bandar bin Sultan..."

A career that is now over.

It seems the Syrians have just offed Prince Bandar bin Sultan, barely a week after he was appointed director general of the Saudi Intelligence Agency.

The Times of Israel reports that the Syrian hit against Prince Bandar was revenge for the July 18 Damascus bombing that killed several of Bashar Al-Assad’s most senior ministers and aides. The Syrians evidently believed the Saudis were behind the attack.

Full story:

http://www.timesofisrael.com/pro-assad-websites-claim-syria-has-killed-saudi-intelligence-chief-to-avenge-damascus-bombing/