I enjoyed the opportunity to address the Sweet Union Republican Women's Club this past week. Great group of women (and men) who get the challenges that lay ahead of us.
Jan 30, 2010
Sweet Union Republican Women Club Meeting Photos
I enjoyed the opportunity to address the Sweet Union Republican Women's Club this past week. Great group of women (and men) who get the challenges that lay ahead of us.
Jan 24, 2010
Photos from Allegro Foundation Fundraiser
Last night, we attended the Allegro Foundation fundraising event at Felix Sabates' South Blvd. dealership location. A very moving, touching and worthy event for a great cause. This photo is
of Sue and Juan Pablo Montoya, former Formula One racer, former Indy 500 winner and current NASCAR driver.
Sue with IndyCar and Grad Prix driver Graham Rahal, son of Indy great Bobby Rahal.
NASCAR driver Kurt Busch and Sue Myrick
Felix Sabates, Sue and the Ambassador from Monaco.
Sue and South Carolina Lt. Governor Andre Bauer
Long time Charlotte media fixture Larry Sprinkle (MC for the night's event) and Sue.
Sue with long time friend and Allegro Foundation founder Pat Farmer
Charlotte Pipe and Foundry Visit
I enjoyed the opportunity to address a group of employees and local officials who gathered this past week at Charlotte Pipe and Foundry. We talked about terrorism and I presented a power point called Radicalization 101. We had a frank and enjoyable discussion.
Washington, DC Job Leads
* Please note in additional to the leads below, our office in Washington is now accepting applications / resumes for the staff assistant position. Send me your resume if interested.
January 21, 2010
Legislative Assistant – Republican Congressman Frank Wolf (VA-10) is seeking a legislative assistant to handle health care and budget issues. Candidates must have at least one year of experience as an LA to be considered. Writing samples will be required as part of interview process. Fax resume and cover letter to: (202) 225-0437. Please, no calls or e-mails. Note: Whether a candidate follows directions is a criteria for hiring
Unpaid Intern - Republican Congressman John Kline (MN-02) is currently seeking a full time intern for the 2010 spring semester. Candidates should have an interest in public policy and the legislative process. Interns will have the opportunity to attend committee hearings and briefings and assist the legislative team with research and constituent correspondence. Responsibilities will also include: answering phones, processing constituent mail, conducting tours of the Capitol, and performing other general office duties. Applicants should be enthusiastic, reliable, and hard-working. Minnesota ties are preferred but not required. Interested candidates should fax their resume and cover letter to (202) 225-2595 or email clair.silliman@mail.house.gov .
January 18, 2010
Paid Internship – Republican Congressman Lee Terry (NE-02) is seeking a spring semester intern to work in his Washington, D.C. office. The intern will have the opportunity to attend committee hearings, conduct research for legislative staff, and experience all aspects of work in a congressional office. Administrative duties will include answering the phone, sorting mail and other tasks as assigned. The start date and hours are flexible. Candidates should be currently enrolled undergraduate students, though recent college graduates might be considered. Preference will be given to applicants with Midwest ties. An interested candidate should send a cover letter, resume and two writing samples to brenda.plantikow@mail.house.gov.
January 14, 2010
Legislative Assistant – Rep. Tim Murphy (R-PA), an active Member on the Energy and Commerce Committee and Co-Chair of the Natural Gas Caucus, is seeking a candidate with substantial policy background and legislative experience on energy, environment, and climate issues. The applicant should demonstrate extensive knowledge of America’s energy and environment policy. Skills include superior writing and editing; mature demeanor with the ability to build and maintain relations on and off the Hill; superior analytical skills with attention to detail and accuracy; understanding of how to shape message and build coalitions to support proposals; ability to work on complex policy issues. Other policy issues could include tax, trade, telecommunications, steel caucus and other economic issues. Specific duties include brief Member on relevant policy developments, work legislative hearings and mark-ups, formulate legislative proposals, interact with federal agencies and government affairs representatives, draft and aggressively move legislation. Hill, agency or Executive Branch experience helpful, as candidate must be able to work in a fast-paced environment. Please email cover letter and resume to PA18.energy@mail.house.gov with "Energy LA" in the subject line. No calls, drop-ins, or faxes, please.
Staff Assistant - Senior California Republican seeks enthusiastic, personable, well-organized staff assistant to answer phones, distribute incoming mail, handle constituent tour and flag requests. Must have strong verbal and written communication skills. California background required. Please fax a cover letter and resume to 202-225-1100. No phone calls, please.
Unpaid Interns - Republican Congressman Rob Wittman (VA-01) is seeking unpaid interns for the Summer of 2010. Candidates should have an interest in public policy. Interns will have the opportunity to attend committee hearings and briefings for staff members, assist in the constituent correspondence process, as well as assist with other constituent services. Responsibilities include: taking phone calls, processing constituent mail, and performing other general office duties. Applicants should be interested in the legislative process, enthusiastic, reliable, and hard-working. Full or part time internships with flexible schedules are available. Ties to Virginia’s First Congressional District are preferred but not required. Interested candidates should fax their resume and cover letter to (202) 225-4382 or email gordon.neal@mail.house.gov .
Unpaid Interns - The office of Congressman Jeff Fortenberry (NE-01) is currently seeking 2 full-time interns for the spring semester of 2010 in the Washington, D.C. office. Responsibilities include conducting tours of the Capitol, answering the telephones, organizing and inputting constituent correspondence, and aiding legislative staff on special projects. Interns are also given the opportunity to attend hearings and briefings to enhance their experience on Capitol Hill. Successful candidates will be highly motivated, detail oriented, and able to multi-task. This is an unpaid internship that, dependant upon your institution, may be eligible for college credit. Qualified applicants should send a resume and cover letter to danielle.barrow@mail.house.gov .
January 11, 2010
Experienced Office Administrator/Scheduler – Republican Member is seeking experienced office administrator/scheduler for active, energetic office. Must have significant organizational ability and excellent oral and written communication skills. Thorough knowledge of House office accounts or comparable financial system would be a plus. New Jersey ties preferred. Please submit a resume and cover letter, identifying the position by title, and any other information you feel is relevant to opportunity2442@gmail.com .
Scheduler - Senior House Republican seeks a scheduler. Congressional and scheduling experience preferred, along with Kentucky connections. Please send resumes to HouseofRep.jobs@mail.house.gov.
Paid Internship - A Midwestern conservative Republican is currently seeking pro-life conservative internship applicants with a good work ethic to start immediately for the winter/spring semester. This internship provides an opportunity to observe and interact with the inner-workings of a Congressional office, as well as provide learning opportunities though attending hearings, briefings, conducting tours of the Capitol, and assisting office staff with various duties and projects. Full-time interns will receive a one time stipend of $500 at the end of the internship. Interested parties should send a resume, cover letter, and references to hillinternship11@gmail.com. Midwest ties preferred but not required.
January 5, 2010
Legislative Assistant - Congressman Doc Hastings seeks a Legislative Assistant to work with Legislative Director and Senior Legislative Assistant to implement agenda. Applicant must have excellent writing skills, knowledge of the legislative process, and the ability to work in a team oriented environment. Capitol Hill experience is required. Please email resume and cover letter to resumeswa04@mail.house.gov.
January 21, 2010
Legislative Assistant – Republican Congressman Frank Wolf (VA-10) is seeking a legislative assistant to handle health care and budget issues. Candidates must have at least one year of experience as an LA to be considered. Writing samples will be required as part of interview process. Fax resume and cover letter to: (202) 225-0437. Please, no calls or e-mails. Note: Whether a candidate follows directions is a criteria for hiring
Unpaid Intern - Republican Congressman John Kline (MN-02) is currently seeking a full time intern for the 2010 spring semester. Candidates should have an interest in public policy and the legislative process. Interns will have the opportunity to attend committee hearings and briefings and assist the legislative team with research and constituent correspondence. Responsibilities will also include: answering phones, processing constituent mail, conducting tours of the Capitol, and performing other general office duties. Applicants should be enthusiastic, reliable, and hard-working. Minnesota ties are preferred but not required. Interested candidates should fax their resume and cover letter to (202) 225-2595 or email clair.silliman@mail.house.gov .
January 18, 2010
Paid Internship – Republican Congressman Lee Terry (NE-02) is seeking a spring semester intern to work in his Washington, D.C. office. The intern will have the opportunity to attend committee hearings, conduct research for legislative staff, and experience all aspects of work in a congressional office. Administrative duties will include answering the phone, sorting mail and other tasks as assigned. The start date and hours are flexible. Candidates should be currently enrolled undergraduate students, though recent college graduates might be considered. Preference will be given to applicants with Midwest ties. An interested candidate should send a cover letter, resume and two writing samples to brenda.plantikow@mail.house.gov.
January 14, 2010
Legislative Assistant – Rep. Tim Murphy (R-PA), an active Member on the Energy and Commerce Committee and Co-Chair of the Natural Gas Caucus, is seeking a candidate with substantial policy background and legislative experience on energy, environment, and climate issues. The applicant should demonstrate extensive knowledge of America’s energy and environment policy. Skills include superior writing and editing; mature demeanor with the ability to build and maintain relations on and off the Hill; superior analytical skills with attention to detail and accuracy; understanding of how to shape message and build coalitions to support proposals; ability to work on complex policy issues. Other policy issues could include tax, trade, telecommunications, steel caucus and other economic issues. Specific duties include brief Member on relevant policy developments, work legislative hearings and mark-ups, formulate legislative proposals, interact with federal agencies and government affairs representatives, draft and aggressively move legislation. Hill, agency or Executive Branch experience helpful, as candidate must be able to work in a fast-paced environment. Please email cover letter and resume to PA18.energy@mail.house.gov with "Energy LA" in the subject line. No calls, drop-ins, or faxes, please.
Staff Assistant - Senior California Republican seeks enthusiastic, personable, well-organized staff assistant to answer phones, distribute incoming mail, handle constituent tour and flag requests. Must have strong verbal and written communication skills. California background required. Please fax a cover letter and resume to 202-225-1100. No phone calls, please.
Unpaid Interns - Republican Congressman Rob Wittman (VA-01) is seeking unpaid interns for the Summer of 2010. Candidates should have an interest in public policy. Interns will have the opportunity to attend committee hearings and briefings for staff members, assist in the constituent correspondence process, as well as assist with other constituent services. Responsibilities include: taking phone calls, processing constituent mail, and performing other general office duties. Applicants should be interested in the legislative process, enthusiastic, reliable, and hard-working. Full or part time internships with flexible schedules are available. Ties to Virginia’s First Congressional District are preferred but not required. Interested candidates should fax their resume and cover letter to (202) 225-4382 or email gordon.neal@mail.house.gov .
Unpaid Interns - The office of Congressman Jeff Fortenberry (NE-01) is currently seeking 2 full-time interns for the spring semester of 2010 in the Washington, D.C. office. Responsibilities include conducting tours of the Capitol, answering the telephones, organizing and inputting constituent correspondence, and aiding legislative staff on special projects. Interns are also given the opportunity to attend hearings and briefings to enhance their experience on Capitol Hill. Successful candidates will be highly motivated, detail oriented, and able to multi-task. This is an unpaid internship that, dependant upon your institution, may be eligible for college credit. Qualified applicants should send a resume and cover letter to danielle.barrow@mail.house.gov .
January 11, 2010
Experienced Office Administrator/Scheduler – Republican Member is seeking experienced office administrator/scheduler for active, energetic office. Must have significant organizational ability and excellent oral and written communication skills. Thorough knowledge of House office accounts or comparable financial system would be a plus. New Jersey ties preferred. Please submit a resume and cover letter, identifying the position by title, and any other information you feel is relevant to opportunity2442@gmail.com .
Scheduler - Senior House Republican seeks a scheduler. Congressional and scheduling experience preferred, along with Kentucky connections. Please send resumes to HouseofRep.jobs@mail.house.gov.
Paid Internship - A Midwestern conservative Republican is currently seeking pro-life conservative internship applicants with a good work ethic to start immediately for the winter/spring semester. This internship provides an opportunity to observe and interact with the inner-workings of a Congressional office, as well as provide learning opportunities though attending hearings, briefings, conducting tours of the Capitol, and assisting office staff with various duties and projects. Full-time interns will receive a one time stipend of $500 at the end of the internship. Interested parties should send a resume, cover letter, and references to hillinternship11@gmail.com. Midwest ties preferred but not required.
January 5, 2010
Legislative Assistant - Congressman Doc Hastings seeks a Legislative Assistant to work with Legislative Director and Senior Legislative Assistant to implement agenda. Applicant must have excellent writing skills, knowledge of the legislative process, and the ability to work in a team oriented environment. Capitol Hill experience is required. Please email resume and cover letter to resumeswa04@mail.house.gov.
Jan 17, 2010
Elkin Stump Speech: Weatherman Style
For all of you who either live in Elkin, used to live in Elkin or want to consider moving to Elkin, NC, I invite you to attend a banquet on February 26th at 6:30 pm, where I have the honor of serving as the keynote speaker.
This will be a fun night and hopefully entertaining. I will be giving an outsider's look at a wonderful place I used to call home. My understanding is that the limited tickets are nearly all sold, so hurry up and buy one.
Proceeds go to benefit the group (CACHE) that is fighting the proposed Fibrowatt plant in Elkin. It is not too late to stop this thing. Please help.
Not familiar with Elkin? Consider Napa Valley 20 years before its prime, and right when it starts to take off, the town builds a manure burning plant. Get the picture?
For those of you who grew up with me and me with you when we all lived in Elkin, please come out. I would love to see each of you and catch up.
Details for the event are as follows:
Citizens’ Alliance for a Clean, Healthy Economy (CACHE) presents:
Envisioning Elkin’s Future in the Yadkin Valley
Friday, February 26
6:30 PM
Elkin First Methodist Church
Featuring Guest Speaker Hal Weatherman
Chief of Staff for US Representative Sue Myrick
Tickets: $20 per person (Tax Deductible)
Tickets Available from any CACHE Member, or call 336-366-3567 or 336-366-3444
Thoughts on the UNC/Duke Radicalization Report
Some of you have emailed me asking for an opinion on the recent report issued by UNC/Duke University regarding the effectiveness of the de-radicalization efforts in the US Muslim community.
I am re-posting a rebuke of the study issued by our friend Steve Emerson and his staff at the Investigative Project on Terrorism. His take is right on the mark.
My personal feeling is that the report is severely flawed in its methodology. For instance, the report is premised on the idea that only 139 people nationwide have been linked to terrorist violence since 2001. The only way to come up with a number like 139 is to ignore the facts. In 2008, the trial of the Holy Land Foundation resulted in convictions on all 108 counts of laundering money to the terrorist group, HAMAS ($12 million). In that trial alone, just that one trial, just over 300 individuals or groups were named as un-indicted co-conspirators! The UNC/Duke Study says only 139 people are linked to terrorism in the US? What about the 300 plus people whom the US Justice Department linked to terrorism in that one trial alone? Absurd. This study, which was funded by the federal government is a white wash of the issue and should be completely rejected on the grounds of incompetence. Just my two cents.
Little to Learn from Duke/UNC Study of Anti-Terror Lessons
IPT NewsJanuary 11, 2010
http://www.investigativeproject.org/1632/little-to-learn-from-duke-unc-study-of-anti
'Little to Learn from Duke/UNC Study of Anti-Terror Lessons',
http://www.investigativeproject.org/1632/little-to-learn-from-duke-unc-study-of-anti,
http://www.investigativeproject.org/1632/little-to-learn-from-duke-unc-study-of-anti,
Reading "Anti-Terror Lessons of Muslim-Americans," a new report by researchers at Duke and the University of North Carolina, it seems like these two NCAA rivals came together to violate this cardinal principle of scholarly research.
The report's headline is that the threat of homegrown extremism is exaggerated. That's an odd conclusion just a week into 2010. While the authors acknowledge 2009 was an unusually active year for homegrown terror plots, the litany of cases is insufficient to alter, or even place an asterisk by their conclusion.
"The recent spike of cases in 2009 is disturbing," the authors write, "but it is far too early to know if this is an aberration or a trend. Even if the levels of radicalization of Muslim-Americans do increase, it is important to emphasize that the numbers of individuals engaged in these activities are extremely small."
This seems to rebut an argument no one has made while miscasting the very nature of terrorism. Terrorism does not require large numbers of people to achieve its purpose, which is the creation of fear through calculated and often symbolic acts of violence or the threat of such acts. Terrorist groups have lasted decades and wreaked havoc without having more than a couple dozen members. Further, it doesn't take an army of thousands to generate death and devastation. Ten Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists were able to kill more than 180 people and hold Mumbai – a city of more than 14 million people - hostage over three days. Pointing out that relatively few people become terrorists is irrelevant.
Nidal Malik Hasan killed 13 soldiers and wounded 30 more at Fort Hood on his own.
Even national Islamist organizations, loathe to acknowledge the very existence of Islamic extremism, admitted in December that they need to do more to combat radicalization among young Muslim Americans.
The Duke/North Carolina study, funded by the Justice Department's National Institute of Justice, identifies 139 people linked to terrorist violence since 2001, an average of 17 people per year. But in the past 14 months, 20 young Somalis disappeared from the Minneapolis area and are thought to have gone to East Africa to join the jihad there. Five D.C. area college students were arrested in Pakistan last month as they tried to join the jihad against American troops in Afghanistan.
Jihad, group leader Ramy Zamzam explained outside a courtroom last week, is not terrorism.
Narrow Definitions
Like the Zamzam group, most of the cases included in the study involve terrorist plots outside the United States. For example, David Headley is charged with plotting to attack the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten and with helping the Mumbai plotters by scouting possible targets. The report devotes a page to the North Carolina jihad plot, emphasizing the group's desire to wage jihad abroad. But it fails to mention that Daniel Patrick Boyd is accused of scouting the Marine base at Quantico for a possible attack and that he and defendant Hysen Sherifi were charged in September with plotting to kill American soldiers.
And the data doesn't count cases involving terrorist financing, listing them as "exclusively non-violent activities … because, in our view, individuals have not fully radicalized unless they are willing and have taken steps toward violent action to further their radical views."
It is simply bad social science to view the phenomenon of terrorism as isolated from all other factors and activities besides violent acts. Terrorist acts are at the tail-end of a process of radicalization through which an individual comes to believe in the necessity of radical action through interactive social processes often fostered and guided by Islamist movements. Violent Islamist movements do not just blow things up. They produce propaganda, raise funds, engage in dawah and educational efforts, and often provide services to their constituency. All of these efforts are an interrelated part of a whole and cannot be separated – not even by two universities with first-rate basketball teams. We should expect better from a research team that prominently features a sociologist.
The emphasis on the number of people prosecuted diminishes significance of the threat of terrorism because plots were interdicted before they had a chance to succeed. If even a fraction of them were successfully executed, the death toll could reach into the thousands. It's a fundamental weakness of the argument to argue this threat is exaggerated.
Their definition ignores the radical dogma that goes along with "non violent activities" and the often-used Koranic solicitation that those who finance jihadists are blessed the same as if they participated.
It also buys in to the "covenant of security" understanding many Britons now regret. In essence, radical groups were tolerated as long as their violence did not target the United Kingdom.
The report also seems plagued by other arbitrary standards. The research team interviewed 120 people in four mid-sized U.S. communities. It found that Muslim communities do a good job of self-policing against radical elements and that "Muslim-American organizations and leaders have consistently condemned terrorist violence here and abroad since 9/11, arguing that such violence is strictly condemned by Islam."
It isn't clear how those subjects were chosen or whether the researchers sought out contrary points of view. They are not difficult to find.
Writer Tarek Fatah, founder of the Muslim Canadian Congress, sees American Muslim leadership as a part of the problem more than as part of the solution. In the wake of the Zamzam arrests in Pakistan, Fatah noted the radical ties of those expressing concern and making vows to combat the extremist trend. "[T]he leaders of the American Mosque establishment have still not yet recognized that their rhetoric no longer works and that most Americans can see through their tired old cliches about 'peace' and 'love'."
After the Fort Hood massacre, journalist Asra Nomani described Nidal Malik Hasan's slaughter as "a cautionary tale to all Muslim communities about the consequences when we fail to win the war of ideas in the Muslim world with moderate interpretation of Islam over rigid, literal interpretations."
She interviewed a man who attended the same Maryland mosque as Hasan and debated theology with him. Hasan espoused clearly radical views and a literal interpretation of the Quran. "No one in the mosque responded with concerns about Hasan's extremist views," Nomani wrote. But they did object when his interlocutor handed out a newspaper article about an Afgan suicide bomber who accidentally killed his mother and other family members. An angry mosque member accused him of creating a "fitna," or division, in the community.
Nomani met with the same anger when she tried to change her mosque's policy of segregating women from men during prayer.
The report credits the Islamic Society of North American (ISNA), Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the Muslim American Society (MAS), but makes no mention of their well-documented radical ties and the counter-productive ideologies they espouse.
Warts Ignored
ISNA was created by Muslim Brotherhood activists in the United States, some of whom remain active. While it engages in numerous interfaith outreach programs, it has a history of tolerating radical statements in its conferences and by some of its own activists.
For example, Jamal Badawi, a senior member of ISNA's leadership, the Majlis A-Shura, and scholar of the ISNA-directed Fiqh Council of North America, spoke last February at
the Chebucto Mosque of Halifax, Nova Scotia, on the topic of "Understanding Jihad and Martyrdom." He justified the actions of those who die fighting the enemy, particularly "the noble Mujahideen" of Gaza. Concerning these Gazan jihadists, he said:
"Indeed Allah purchased from the believers, their lives and their property, in return for Paradise. They fight in the Way of Allah, they slay and they get slain themselves… And then it [the Qu'ran] says, "Who is more faithful to his covenant or promise, than Allah (swt), then rejoice with this bargain." You see, it's a bargain. Allah bought it [life], but he gives something in return."
As we've reported, ICNA is related to the Jamaat-i-Islami, which advocates for revolution to create an Islamist state in Pakistan. While officials expressed shock that American college students were arrested in Pakistan as they tried to join a jihad against American troops in Afghanistan, the group canonized an American who died waging jihad in Kashmir 12 years earlier.
Then there's CAIR. The FBI cut off contact with the group, despite its political profile, because it has not determined "whether there continues to be a connection between CAIR or its executives and HAMAS." That connection was demonstrated in documents admitted into evidence at the Hamas-support trial of the Holy Land Foundation, which ended with sweeping convictions in November 2008.
CAIR, along with MAS, often perpetuate the notion that American anti-terror efforts amount to a war on Islam, a message considered pivotal in radicalization.
Even if their intentions are good, their efforts are likely to fall short based upon the organization's inherent beliefs, wrote M. Zuhdi Jasser, founder and executive director of the American-Islamic Forum for Democracy.
"CAIR and [the Muslim Public Affairs Council] have typically renounced the use of terror and violence, but they have never taken a position against the ideology of political Islam," Jasser wrote. "They have also been constant antagonists to efforts by law enforcement to understand and mitigate the real stages of radicalization of Muslims in America. Just recently these groups called for government to naively "decouple religion from terror."
These organizations have a history of reacting defensively, of crying entrapment when informants help expose plots before they turn violent and even impeding law enforcement investigations. That fact is not analyzed in the report, which casts the groups as a part of the solution.
"Muslim-American organizations and the vast majority of individuals that we interviewed firmly reject the radical extremist ideology that justifies the use of violence to achieve political ends," David Schanzer, the co-author of the study, said in a statement.
When one reads such a statement about groups that have recommended one of Osama bin Laden's favorite books – Sayyid Qutb's Milestones – it is hard not to laugh. If he modified this statement to explain they only rejected the use of violence to achieve political ends here, but not elsewhere, Dr. Schanzer would have been closer to the truth.Read more at: http://www.investigativeproject.org/1632/little-to-learn-from-duke-unc-study-of-anti
The report's headline is that the threat of homegrown extremism is exaggerated. That's an odd conclusion just a week into 2010. While the authors acknowledge 2009 was an unusually active year for homegrown terror plots, the litany of cases is insufficient to alter, or even place an asterisk by their conclusion.
"The recent spike of cases in 2009 is disturbing," the authors write, "but it is far too early to know if this is an aberration or a trend. Even if the levels of radicalization of Muslim-Americans do increase, it is important to emphasize that the numbers of individuals engaged in these activities are extremely small."
This seems to rebut an argument no one has made while miscasting the very nature of terrorism. Terrorism does not require large numbers of people to achieve its purpose, which is the creation of fear through calculated and often symbolic acts of violence or the threat of such acts. Terrorist groups have lasted decades and wreaked havoc without having more than a couple dozen members. Further, it doesn't take an army of thousands to generate death and devastation. Ten Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists were able to kill more than 180 people and hold Mumbai – a city of more than 14 million people - hostage over three days. Pointing out that relatively few people become terrorists is irrelevant.
Nidal Malik Hasan killed 13 soldiers and wounded 30 more at Fort Hood on his own.
Even national Islamist organizations, loathe to acknowledge the very existence of Islamic extremism, admitted in December that they need to do more to combat radicalization among young Muslim Americans.
The Duke/North Carolina study, funded by the Justice Department's National Institute of Justice, identifies 139 people linked to terrorist violence since 2001, an average of 17 people per year. But in the past 14 months, 20 young Somalis disappeared from the Minneapolis area and are thought to have gone to East Africa to join the jihad there. Five D.C. area college students were arrested in Pakistan last month as they tried to join the jihad against American troops in Afghanistan.
Jihad, group leader Ramy Zamzam explained outside a courtroom last week, is not terrorism.
Narrow Definitions
Like the Zamzam group, most of the cases included in the study involve terrorist plots outside the United States. For example, David Headley is charged with plotting to attack the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten and with helping the Mumbai plotters by scouting possible targets. The report devotes a page to the North Carolina jihad plot, emphasizing the group's desire to wage jihad abroad. But it fails to mention that Daniel Patrick Boyd is accused of scouting the Marine base at Quantico for a possible attack and that he and defendant Hysen Sherifi were charged in September with plotting to kill American soldiers.
And the data doesn't count cases involving terrorist financing, listing them as "exclusively non-violent activities … because, in our view, individuals have not fully radicalized unless they are willing and have taken steps toward violent action to further their radical views."
It is simply bad social science to view the phenomenon of terrorism as isolated from all other factors and activities besides violent acts. Terrorist acts are at the tail-end of a process of radicalization through which an individual comes to believe in the necessity of radical action through interactive social processes often fostered and guided by Islamist movements. Violent Islamist movements do not just blow things up. They produce propaganda, raise funds, engage in dawah and educational efforts, and often provide services to their constituency. All of these efforts are an interrelated part of a whole and cannot be separated – not even by two universities with first-rate basketball teams. We should expect better from a research team that prominently features a sociologist.
The emphasis on the number of people prosecuted diminishes significance of the threat of terrorism because plots were interdicted before they had a chance to succeed. If even a fraction of them were successfully executed, the death toll could reach into the thousands. It's a fundamental weakness of the argument to argue this threat is exaggerated.
Their definition ignores the radical dogma that goes along with "non violent activities" and the often-used Koranic solicitation that those who finance jihadists are blessed the same as if they participated.
It also buys in to the "covenant of security" understanding many Britons now regret. In essence, radical groups were tolerated as long as their violence did not target the United Kingdom.
The report also seems plagued by other arbitrary standards. The research team interviewed 120 people in four mid-sized U.S. communities. It found that Muslim communities do a good job of self-policing against radical elements and that "Muslim-American organizations and leaders have consistently condemned terrorist violence here and abroad since 9/11, arguing that such violence is strictly condemned by Islam."
It isn't clear how those subjects were chosen or whether the researchers sought out contrary points of view. They are not difficult to find.
Writer Tarek Fatah, founder of the Muslim Canadian Congress, sees American Muslim leadership as a part of the problem more than as part of the solution. In the wake of the Zamzam arrests in Pakistan, Fatah noted the radical ties of those expressing concern and making vows to combat the extremist trend. "[T]he leaders of the American Mosque establishment have still not yet recognized that their rhetoric no longer works and that most Americans can see through their tired old cliches about 'peace' and 'love'."
After the Fort Hood massacre, journalist Asra Nomani described Nidal Malik Hasan's slaughter as "a cautionary tale to all Muslim communities about the consequences when we fail to win the war of ideas in the Muslim world with moderate interpretation of Islam over rigid, literal interpretations."
She interviewed a man who attended the same Maryland mosque as Hasan and debated theology with him. Hasan espoused clearly radical views and a literal interpretation of the Quran. "No one in the mosque responded with concerns about Hasan's extremist views," Nomani wrote. But they did object when his interlocutor handed out a newspaper article about an Afgan suicide bomber who accidentally killed his mother and other family members. An angry mosque member accused him of creating a "fitna," or division, in the community.
Nomani met with the same anger when she tried to change her mosque's policy of segregating women from men during prayer.
The report credits the Islamic Society of North American (ISNA), Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the Muslim American Society (MAS), but makes no mention of their well-documented radical ties and the counter-productive ideologies they espouse.
Warts Ignored
ISNA was created by Muslim Brotherhood activists in the United States, some of whom remain active. While it engages in numerous interfaith outreach programs, it has a history of tolerating radical statements in its conferences and by some of its own activists.
For example, Jamal Badawi, a senior member of ISNA's leadership, the Majlis A-Shura, and scholar of the ISNA-directed Fiqh Council of North America, spoke last February at
the Chebucto Mosque of Halifax, Nova Scotia, on the topic of "Understanding Jihad and Martyrdom." He justified the actions of those who die fighting the enemy, particularly "the noble Mujahideen" of Gaza. Concerning these Gazan jihadists, he said:
"Indeed Allah purchased from the believers, their lives and their property, in return for Paradise. They fight in the Way of Allah, they slay and they get slain themselves… And then it [the Qu'ran] says, "Who is more faithful to his covenant or promise, than Allah (swt), then rejoice with this bargain." You see, it's a bargain. Allah bought it [life], but he gives something in return."
As we've reported, ICNA is related to the Jamaat-i-Islami, which advocates for revolution to create an Islamist state in Pakistan. While officials expressed shock that American college students were arrested in Pakistan as they tried to join a jihad against American troops in Afghanistan, the group canonized an American who died waging jihad in Kashmir 12 years earlier.
Then there's CAIR. The FBI cut off contact with the group, despite its political profile, because it has not determined "whether there continues to be a connection between CAIR or its executives and HAMAS." That connection was demonstrated in documents admitted into evidence at the Hamas-support trial of the Holy Land Foundation, which ended with sweeping convictions in November 2008.
CAIR, along with MAS, often perpetuate the notion that American anti-terror efforts amount to a war on Islam, a message considered pivotal in radicalization.
Even if their intentions are good, their efforts are likely to fall short based upon the organization's inherent beliefs, wrote M. Zuhdi Jasser, founder and executive director of the American-Islamic Forum for Democracy.
"CAIR and [the Muslim Public Affairs Council] have typically renounced the use of terror and violence, but they have never taken a position against the ideology of political Islam," Jasser wrote. "They have also been constant antagonists to efforts by law enforcement to understand and mitigate the real stages of radicalization of Muslims in America. Just recently these groups called for government to naively "decouple religion from terror."
These organizations have a history of reacting defensively, of crying entrapment when informants help expose plots before they turn violent and even impeding law enforcement investigations. That fact is not analyzed in the report, which casts the groups as a part of the solution.
"Muslim-American organizations and the vast majority of individuals that we interviewed firmly reject the radical extremist ideology that justifies the use of violence to achieve political ends," David Schanzer, the co-author of the study, said in a statement.
When one reads such a statement about groups that have recommended one of Osama bin Laden's favorite books – Sayyid Qutb's Milestones – it is hard not to laugh. If he modified this statement to explain they only rejected the use of violence to achieve political ends here, but not elsewhere, Dr. Schanzer would have been closer to the truth.Read more at: http://www.investigativeproject.org/1632/little-to-learn-from-duke-unc-study-of-anti
Jan 16, 2010
Contract with America
POLITICS
GOP Eyes New 'Contract With America'
Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2010
Reposted from CongressDaily PM
House Republicans are planning to draft a new "Contract with America," listing specific legislative commitments and priorities they would pursue next year if they win back control of the House.
Minority Leader Boehner told the Republican Conference this morning that the idea would be patterned after the original 1994 Contract with America that is widely credited with helping the GOP win majority status for the first time in 40 years.
According to officials who heard this morning's presentation, Boehner conceded to rank-and-file Republicans during the closed-door meeting that there is a need to define "what we're for," in addition to opposing President Obama's agenda.
Boehner pointed to several Republican alternatives to healthcare reform legislation being devised by congressional Democrats as a good example of what could go into such a document. According to an aide, Boehner said: "The bottom line is, I believe we can beat this bill. The American people are with us."
Whether this document ends up actually being called a "contract" or an agenda, or something else, Boehner is described as saying that its development and promotion should involve House Republicans who are seeking re-election and candidates recruited to run for other House seats.
Boehner announced during the meeting that he has asked Chief Deputy Minority Whip Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., to head the effort to develop document in conjunction with the National Republican Congressional Committee.
No time frame has been set for completing the document and having members sign it.
The 1994 Contract with America was introduced in September 1994 -- more than a month before that year's mid-term election. It was signed by all but two Republican incumbents and the party's other House candidates.
That document specifically outlined legislation and proposals to be introduced within the first 100 days of the 104th Congress if Republicans took control, such as tax cuts and a balanced budget.
House Democrats will devote the opening hours of the majority party's retreat this afternoon to focusing on the 2010 elections. Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Chris Van Hollen of Maryland will brief members on the political landscape as the three-day conference gets started.
"Turning back the clock is not something that is going to be fondly embraced by the American people," he said of the GOP plan.
by Billy House
GOP Eyes New 'Contract With America'
Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2010
Reposted from CongressDaily PM
House Republicans are planning to draft a new "Contract with America," listing specific legislative commitments and priorities they would pursue next year if they win back control of the House.
Minority Leader Boehner told the Republican Conference this morning that the idea would be patterned after the original 1994 Contract with America that is widely credited with helping the GOP win majority status for the first time in 40 years.
According to officials who heard this morning's presentation, Boehner conceded to rank-and-file Republicans during the closed-door meeting that there is a need to define "what we're for," in addition to opposing President Obama's agenda.
Boehner pointed to several Republican alternatives to healthcare reform legislation being devised by congressional Democrats as a good example of what could go into such a document. According to an aide, Boehner said: "The bottom line is, I believe we can beat this bill. The American people are with us."
Whether this document ends up actually being called a "contract" or an agenda, or something else, Boehner is described as saying that its development and promotion should involve House Republicans who are seeking re-election and candidates recruited to run for other House seats.
Boehner announced during the meeting that he has asked Chief Deputy Minority Whip Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., to head the effort to develop document in conjunction with the National Republican Congressional Committee.
No time frame has been set for completing the document and having members sign it.
The 1994 Contract with America was introduced in September 1994 -- more than a month before that year's mid-term election. It was signed by all but two Republican incumbents and the party's other House candidates.
That document specifically outlined legislation and proposals to be introduced within the first 100 days of the 104th Congress if Republicans took control, such as tax cuts and a balanced budget.
House Democrats will devote the opening hours of the majority party's retreat this afternoon to focusing on the 2010 elections. Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Chris Van Hollen of Maryland will brief members on the political landscape as the three-day conference gets started.
"Turning back the clock is not something that is going to be fondly embraced by the American people," he said of the GOP plan.
by Billy House
Jan 15, 2010
Video Recommendation
For those of you concerned with the rise of radical Islam in America today I strongly recommend you watch the following video. PJTV did a good job in putting together a factual piece on the depth and scope of the problem. A lot of people have a hard time believing this is possible in America. The enemy is very clear in their goal. The real question is do we as Americans have the will to acknowledge their activities for what they are (IE- treason / sedition) and develop the will to stop it? http://www.pjtv.com/v/2930
Jan 12, 2010
On the Road: January 11, 2010
Sue addressing the Gaston County GOP Executive Committee.
Sue fielding questions from her Youth Advisory Council in our Gaston County office.
Sue presiding over economic development meeting of several Gaston County Mayors.
Interview with Carolina 14.
Lunch time Q and A with the NC Agriculture Forum in Bessemer City.
Gastonia Mayor Jennie Stultz and Sue Myrick.
Ribbon cutting the opening of the Gastonia Regional office of the Census Bureau along with Rep. Patrick McHenry.
Latest Job Leads on Capitol Hill
January 11, 2010
Experienced Office Administrator/Scheduler – Republican Member is seeking experienced office administrator/scheduler for active, energetic office. Must have significant organizational ability and excellent oral and written communication skills. Thorough knowledge of House office accounts or comparable financial system would be a plus. New Jersey ties preferred. Please submit a resume and cover letter, identifying the position by title, and any other information you feel is relevant to opportunity2442@gmail.com .
Scheduler - Senior House Republican seeks a scheduler. Congressional and scheduling experience preferred, along with Kentucky connections. Please send resumes to HouseofRep.jobs@mail.house.gov.
Experienced Office Administrator/Scheduler – Republican Member is seeking experienced office administrator/scheduler for active, energetic office. Must have significant organizational ability and excellent oral and written communication skills. Thorough knowledge of House office accounts or comparable financial system would be a plus. New Jersey ties preferred. Please submit a resume and cover letter, identifying the position by title, and any other information you feel is relevant to opportunity2442@gmail.com .
Scheduler - Senior House Republican seeks a scheduler. Congressional and scheduling experience preferred, along with Kentucky connections. Please send resumes to HouseofRep.jobs@mail.house.gov.
Staff Assistant - New Jersey Republican seeks highly-motivated, personable individual to serve as Staff Assistant to handle front office responsibilities. Duties include front office coordination, fielding constituent correspondence, scheduling and delegating constituent tours, overseeing constituent services such as flag and greeting requests, and assisting with correspondence. Responsibilities will also include assisting the senior staff with various projects and opportunities may arise for more substantive legislative work as well. Applicant must have strong writing skills and outgoing personality. Please submit a resume and cover letter, identifying the position by title, and any other information you feel is relevant to opportunity2442@gmail.com .
Paid Internship - A Midwestern conservative Republican is currently seeking pro-life conservative internship applicants with a good work ethic to start immediately for the winter/spring semester. This internship provides an opportunity to observe and interact with the inner-workings of a Congressional office, as well as provide learning opportunities though attending hearings, briefings, conducting tours of the Capitol, and assisting office staff with various duties and projects. Full-time interns will receive a one time stipend of $500 at the end of the internship. Interested parties should send a resume, cover letter, and references to hillinternship11@gmail.com. Midwest ties preferred but not required.
January 5, 2010
Legislative Assistant - Congressman Doc Hastings seeks a Legislative Assistant to work with Legislative Director and Senior Legislative Assistant to implement agenda. Applicant must have excellent writing skills, knowledge of the legislative process, and the ability to work in a team oriented environment. Capitol Hill experience is required. Please email resume and cover letter to resumeswa04@mail.house.gov.
Legislative Assistant - Congressman Doc Hastings seeks a Legislative Assistant to work with Legislative Director and Senior Legislative Assistant to implement agenda. Applicant must have excellent writing skills, knowledge of the legislative process, and the ability to work in a team oriented environment. Capitol Hill experience is required. Please email resume and cover letter to resumeswa04@mail.house.gov.
Scheduler/Executive Assistant – The office of Congressman David Dreier (CA-26) is looking for an experienced Scheduler/Executive Assistant. Hill experience is strongly preferred. California ties are a plus, but not required. Please email resume and cover letter to Alisa Do at alisa.do@mail.house.gov.
December 31, 2009
Legislative Correspondent - The Office of Congressman Randy Forbes (R-VA) is seeking a Legislative Correspondent. The position will include writing legislative mail and has the potential to include other legislative duties. Demonstrated writing skills, attention to detail, and a strong work ethic are a must. Ties to Virginia and experience with CapCor are preferred. Please email resume, cover letter, and a sample constituent letter to va04jobs@mail.house.gov with subject line: “Legislative Correspondent”. No calls or faxes, please.
Legislative Correspondent - The Office of Congressman Randy Forbes (R-VA) is seeking a Legislative Correspondent. The position will include writing legislative mail and has the potential to include other legislative duties. Demonstrated writing skills, attention to detail, and a strong work ethic are a must. Ties to Virginia and experience with CapCor are preferred. Please email resume, cover letter, and a sample constituent letter to va04jobs@mail.house.gov with subject line: “Legislative Correspondent”. No calls or faxes, please.
Internship - Congressman Tim Murphy (PA-18) is currently accepting applications for Spring interns. Responsibilities include: conducting Capitol tours, assisting with constituent calls and requests, handling flag requests, processing mail, researching legislative issues, and attending hearings and briefings. Southwestern Pennsylvania ties are preferred but not required. Interested applicants should e-mail a resume and cover letter to michael.thom@mail.house.gov with ‘Internship’ in the subject.
December 28, 2009
Legislative Aide – Congressman McClintock is seeking a Leg Aide for his DC office. Responsibilities include assisting with constituent mail: sorting mail, drafting responses, and using the IQ program. This position also requires tackling various research projects for the Congressman, providing support for legislative staff, and processing community casework requests for federal government grants. Excellent writing skills are a must, as well as an ability to multi-task and a desire to learn and grow in the position. This position requires interaction as a team member in a small office. Qualified candidates should submit a resume and cover letter to: ca04.jobs@mail.house.gov, please include “LegAide” in the subject line.
Legislative Aide – Congressman McClintock is seeking a Leg Aide for his DC office. Responsibilities include assisting with constituent mail: sorting mail, drafting responses, and using the IQ program. This position also requires tackling various research projects for the Congressman, providing support for legislative staff, and processing community casework requests for federal government grants. Excellent writing skills are a must, as well as an ability to multi-task and a desire to learn and grow in the position. This position requires interaction as a team member in a small office. Qualified candidates should submit a resume and cover letter to: ca04.jobs@mail.house.gov, please include “LegAide” in the subject line.
Intern - Congressman Bob Goodlatte (VA-6) is seeking an intern for his Washington D.C. office to assist his staff with various legislative and administrative responsibilities. Duties include but are not limited to legislative research, answering phones, opening and sorting mail, attending committee hearings and assisting the rest of the staff with day-to-day responsibilities. This internship is a unique opportunity for individuals to gain first-hand experience of the legislative process while working in a dynamic office environment. This position is unpaid, available immediately and subject to flexible scheduling. Interested individuals may fax cover letter and resume to (202)225-9681 or e-mail them to zach.agee@mail.house.gov.
Spring Interns - Congressman Sam Graves (MO-06) is looking for Spring interns for his Washington DC office. Applicants should possess conservative values, be personable, and have strong writing skills. Duties include administrative tasks, attending hearings, leading capitol tours for constituents, and helping legislative staff with research on important projects. There will also be an opportunity to work on issues that interest him or her. Position is great for Capitol Hill experience. Start and end dates are negotiable and both part/full-time positions are available. Interested applicants should send resume and brief cover letter summarizing their interest in working for Rep. Graves to Caitlin.Callahan@mail.house.gov with “Spring Internship” as the subject.
December 21, 2009
Intern - The congressional office for New Jersey District 2 (NJ-02) seeks applicants for an intern position in the DC office for the spring 2010 semester, beginning in January and going through May. The ideal candidate will call New Jersey their home and possess an interest in politics. Current students and recent graduates are welcome to apply. A strong writing background is preferred. Our interns assist staff with giving tours of the Capitol, answering phones, data entry, sorting mail and general clerical duties. They will also occasionally attend public hearings or briefings and can conduct research for legislative staff. This is a good opportunity to see how a congressional office works. Additionally, interns will gain professional office experience useful for future career choices. Applicants must be available at a least two to three full days per week. Please email your resume and cover letter to NJ02Spring2010@mail.house.gov.
Intern - The congressional office for New Jersey District 2 (NJ-02) seeks applicants for an intern position in the DC office for the spring 2010 semester, beginning in January and going through May. The ideal candidate will call New Jersey their home and possess an interest in politics. Current students and recent graduates are welcome to apply. A strong writing background is preferred. Our interns assist staff with giving tours of the Capitol, answering phones, data entry, sorting mail and general clerical duties. They will also occasionally attend public hearings or briefings and can conduct research for legislative staff. This is a good opportunity to see how a congressional office works. Additionally, interns will gain professional office experience useful for future career choices. Applicants must be available at a least two to three full days per week. Please email your resume and cover letter to NJ02Spring2010@mail.house.gov.
December 17, 2009
Communications Director – Conservative Republican Congressman in search of a Communications Director to manage active and aggressive press operation. Candidate should possess strong writing skills and have an ability to message a variety of major policy issues. Candidate should also be a highly-motivated self-starter who is able to handle multiple tasks simultaneously, including drafting statements, speeches, and press releases; devising an overall media strategy; and managing communication with and inquiries from the media. Looking for a team player who brings a “no job is too small” attitude to the office with a genuine interest in conservative issues and Republican politics. Capitol Hill experience is preferred, background working with national media a plus. Please email resume, references, and 2 writing samples to pressjob2010@gmail.com
Communications Director – Conservative Republican Congressman in search of a Communications Director to manage active and aggressive press operation. Candidate should possess strong writing skills and have an ability to message a variety of major policy issues. Candidate should also be a highly-motivated self-starter who is able to handle multiple tasks simultaneously, including drafting statements, speeches, and press releases; devising an overall media strategy; and managing communication with and inquiries from the media. Looking for a team player who brings a “no job is too small” attitude to the office with a genuine interest in conservative issues and Republican politics. Capitol Hill experience is preferred, background working with national media a plus. Please email resume, references, and 2 writing samples to pressjob2010@gmail.com
Speechwriter/Senior Policy Advisor - Midwest Republican is currently seeking an experienced Speechwriter and Senior Policy Advisor. Candidate must have impeccable writing skills, be well versed in a broad range of policy issues, and possess a thorough understanding of the legislative process. Previous legislative management experience is a plus. Position offers significant growth potential. Qualified candidates should submit resume, brief writing sample, and three references to OH3jobs@mail.house.gov. Please no phone calls, unsolicited emails to staff or drop bys.
Internship - The office of Congressman Jeff Flake has an internship opening for the ‘winter semester’. The date range is January 4th through April 23rd, Monday through Friday. AZ ties encouraged. Please send resume and letter of intent to nikki.bullock@mail.house.gov (indicate INTERN in the subject line).
Internship - The office of Congressman Jeff Flake has an internship opening for the ‘winter semester’. The date range is January 4th through April 23rd, Monday through Friday. AZ ties encouraged. Please send resume and letter of intent to nikki.bullock@mail.house.gov (indicate INTERN in the subject line).
December 14, 2009
Legislative Correspondent - Rep. Pete Olson (TX-22) seeks a Legislative Correspondent (LC) for his Washington office. Candidate must have demonstrated knowledge of the legislative process, excellent writing and organization skills. Job Duties include managing correspondence for the Congressman through Intranet Quorum (IQ), handling issue areas, and assisting Legislative Team. The ideal applicant will have Hill experience, significant writing experience, and be able to handle a large volume of mail. Texas ties strongly preferred. Interested applicants should email resume, cover letter and writing sample to Texas22Jobs@gmail.com. No phone calls, faxes or drop-offs please.
Office Manager/Press Assistant - The Republican Staff of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming is seeking an office manager/press assistant. The position will assist with all staff-support activities. These responsibilities include, but are not limited to, administrative and payroll paperwork, budget oversight, staff-requested assistance with research, and other miscellaneous tasks. Further, the position will serve as intern coordinator and be responsible for acquiring interns and overseeing intern activities. The position will also assist the Communications Director with daily clips and press releases. To apply, please send your resume and cover letter to EIGWR.Jobs@mail.house.gov or fax it to 202-225-0095.
Internship - Congressman Steve Austria (OH-7) is currently seeking interns for the spring 2010 semester for his Washington, DC, Springfield and Lancaster district offices. This internship will provide individuals with the opportunity to gain valuable hands-on experience in a Congressional office and a greater understanding of the legislative process. Intern responsibilities generally include answering phones, logging and drafting constituent correspondence, and aiding staff with various projects. Intern duties in the Washington, DC office also include scheduling and conducting tours of the U.S. Capitol building. The ideal candidate will be detail oriented and possess strong written and oral communications skills. Ohio ties are preferred, but not required. Interested candidates should send a brief cover letter and resume (including grade level, major and cumulative GPA) to Intern.OH07@gmail.com.
December 10, 2009
Legislative Correspondent - Rep. Randy Neugebauer (R-TX) seeks a Legislative Correspondent. Candidate must have excellent writing skills, solid working knowledge of the legislative process and current issues, and the ability to use Internet Quorum (IQ). Must be a self-starter, able to maintain deadlines without constant supervision and able to manage sizeable amounts of incoming and outgoing mail. Texas ties as well as previous Hill experience are preferred. Interested applicants should email resume, cover letter and writing sample to TX19jobs@mail.house.gov. No phone calls, faxes or drop-offs please.
Internship (unpaid) - Congressman Frank D. Lucas (R-OK) is currently seeking interns for the spring of 2010 for his Washington DC office. The internship involves assisting with incoming mail, researching legislative issues, attending lectures and hearings, giving tours, working with legislative staff on special projects and assisting with other general office duties. Candidates must be self-starters, detail oriented, have excellent writing and communication skills, and be able to multi-task. This is a great opportunity for college students and graduates seeking Capitol Hill experience. Please email your cover letter and resume to Jason.Grassie@mail.house.gov. Oklahomans are encouraged to apply.
Intern - Congressman John Boozman (AR-3) has an immediate opening for a Spring internship in his Washington, DC office. Ideal candidates will be highly motivated, dependable, and professional individuals. Interns will have the opportunity to learn the legislative process and gain valuable Capitol Hill experience by assisting with administrative and legislative tasks, answering phones, sorting mail and conducting Capitol tours. Arkansas ties are encouraged, but not required. Interested candidates should send résumé and cover letter to catherine.mckinney@mail.house.gov.
Paid Internship - Congressman Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) is seeking interns to work in his Capitol Hill office. Rep. McCarthy represents California’s 22nd Congressional District which includes most of Kern County, several communities in San Luis Obispo County and the Lancaster area of Los Angeles County. Recognized as a “rising star” by Roll Call, Capitol Hill’s newspaper, he serves on the Financial Services and House Administration Committees. As Chief Deputy Republican Whip, he also serves as part of the Republican Leadership team. Interns assist with policy research and projects, constituent services such as leading tours of the Capitol, and general office administrative duties. The internship is an excellent opportunity for college students to learn how Congress works. Join our dynamic office and experience first-hand the political and public policy process. Applicants should have a minimum 3.0 GPA. Both paid and unpaid internships are available. To apply, please complete the internship application available on the website: https://owa.house.gov/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.kevinmccarthy.house.gov/. Include days and times available, attach a resume, and send to mailto:marysue.englund@mail.house.gov..
December 7, 2009
Unpaid Intern - The Office of Congressman Bill Shuster (PA-09) is seeking unpaid interns for the Spring of 2010 in his Washington, DC office. Candidates should be self-motivated, team players that are ready to work in a faced-paced environment. The internship will provide individuals with an opportunity to gain a hands-on experience in a Congressional office while gaining a valuable understanding of the Legislative Branch of the Federal Government. Responsibilities include but are not limited to: answering phones, sorting constituent mail, attending committee hearings and briefings for staff, data entry, and giving tours of the Capitol. Although this position is unpaid, we will work with the student to fulfill requirements for school credit programs. Interested candidates should e-mail a cover letter, resume, and 1-3 page writing sample to PA09jobs@gmail.com with Spring Internship in the subject line.
December 3, 2009
Press Secretary - Midwest Republican Congressman in search of an energetic, driven, and media savvy press secretary. Candidate should possess strong writing skills and have a firm grasp of major policy issues. Candidate should also be a highly-motivated self-starter who is able to handle a variety of tasks simultaneously, including drafting statements, speeches, and press releases; devising an overall media strategy – both online and print; and managing communication with and inquiries from the media. Looking for a team player who embraces new challenges and brings a “no job is too small” attitude to the job. Capitol Hill experience is preferred. Please email resume and 2 writing samples to press.secretary2010@gmail.com
Spring Interns - The office of Congressman Anh “Joseph” Cao currently has openings for Spring Internships in the Washington, D.C. office. Responsibilities include answering phones, greeting visitors in the front office, organizing and distributing mail, managing tour requests of the Capitol and other government facilities, and assisting legislative staff in research and writing projects. Strong writing skills and Louisiana ties are desired. Please email cover letter, resume, and references to jobswithcao@gmail.com with “Spring Internship ‘10” for the subject line.
Unpaid Internship - Republican Governor is requesting resumes for hard working, detail oriented, and self motivated students interested in a unique and active internship program in his Washington, D.C. Office. The candidate will gain valuable intergovernmental experience learning the state’s role in Federal Relations. You must be friendly, have basic administrative skills, and the drive to work hard in a small office environment. Please email resume to mailto:craig@nevadadc.org .
Legislative Correspondent - Rep. Pete Olson (TX-22) seeks a Legislative Correspondent (LC) for his Washington office. Candidate must have demonstrated knowledge of the legislative process, excellent writing and organization skills. Job Duties include managing correspondence for the Congressman through Intranet Quorum (IQ), handling issue areas, and assisting Legislative Team. The ideal applicant will have Hill experience, significant writing experience, and be able to handle a large volume of mail. Texas ties strongly preferred. Interested applicants should email resume, cover letter and writing sample to Texas22Jobs@gmail.com. No phone calls, faxes or drop-offs please.
Office Manager/Press Assistant - The Republican Staff of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming is seeking an office manager/press assistant. The position will assist with all staff-support activities. These responsibilities include, but are not limited to, administrative and payroll paperwork, budget oversight, staff-requested assistance with research, and other miscellaneous tasks. Further, the position will serve as intern coordinator and be responsible for acquiring interns and overseeing intern activities. The position will also assist the Communications Director with daily clips and press releases. To apply, please send your resume and cover letter to EIGWR.Jobs@mail.house.gov or fax it to 202-225-0095.
Internship - Congressman Steve Austria (OH-7) is currently seeking interns for the spring 2010 semester for his Washington, DC, Springfield and Lancaster district offices. This internship will provide individuals with the opportunity to gain valuable hands-on experience in a Congressional office and a greater understanding of the legislative process. Intern responsibilities generally include answering phones, logging and drafting constituent correspondence, and aiding staff with various projects. Intern duties in the Washington, DC office also include scheduling and conducting tours of the U.S. Capitol building. The ideal candidate will be detail oriented and possess strong written and oral communications skills. Ohio ties are preferred, but not required. Interested candidates should send a brief cover letter and resume (including grade level, major and cumulative GPA) to Intern.OH07@gmail.com.
December 10, 2009
Legislative Correspondent - Rep. Randy Neugebauer (R-TX) seeks a Legislative Correspondent. Candidate must have excellent writing skills, solid working knowledge of the legislative process and current issues, and the ability to use Internet Quorum (IQ). Must be a self-starter, able to maintain deadlines without constant supervision and able to manage sizeable amounts of incoming and outgoing mail. Texas ties as well as previous Hill experience are preferred. Interested applicants should email resume, cover letter and writing sample to TX19jobs@mail.house.gov. No phone calls, faxes or drop-offs please.
Internship (unpaid) - Congressman Frank D. Lucas (R-OK) is currently seeking interns for the spring of 2010 for his Washington DC office. The internship involves assisting with incoming mail, researching legislative issues, attending lectures and hearings, giving tours, working with legislative staff on special projects and assisting with other general office duties. Candidates must be self-starters, detail oriented, have excellent writing and communication skills, and be able to multi-task. This is a great opportunity for college students and graduates seeking Capitol Hill experience. Please email your cover letter and resume to Jason.Grassie@mail.house.gov. Oklahomans are encouraged to apply.
Intern - Congressman John Boozman (AR-3) has an immediate opening for a Spring internship in his Washington, DC office. Ideal candidates will be highly motivated, dependable, and professional individuals. Interns will have the opportunity to learn the legislative process and gain valuable Capitol Hill experience by assisting with administrative and legislative tasks, answering phones, sorting mail and conducting Capitol tours. Arkansas ties are encouraged, but not required. Interested candidates should send résumé and cover letter to catherine.mckinney@mail.house.gov.
Paid Internship - Congressman Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) is seeking interns to work in his Capitol Hill office. Rep. McCarthy represents California’s 22nd Congressional District which includes most of Kern County, several communities in San Luis Obispo County and the Lancaster area of Los Angeles County. Recognized as a “rising star” by Roll Call, Capitol Hill’s newspaper, he serves on the Financial Services and House Administration Committees. As Chief Deputy Republican Whip, he also serves as part of the Republican Leadership team. Interns assist with policy research and projects, constituent services such as leading tours of the Capitol, and general office administrative duties. The internship is an excellent opportunity for college students to learn how Congress works. Join our dynamic office and experience first-hand the political and public policy process. Applicants should have a minimum 3.0 GPA. Both paid and unpaid internships are available. To apply, please complete the internship application available on the website: https://owa.house.gov/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.kevinmccarthy.house.gov/. Include days and times available, attach a resume, and send to mailto:marysue.englund@mail.house.gov..
December 7, 2009
Unpaid Intern - The Office of Congressman Bill Shuster (PA-09) is seeking unpaid interns for the Spring of 2010 in his Washington, DC office. Candidates should be self-motivated, team players that are ready to work in a faced-paced environment. The internship will provide individuals with an opportunity to gain a hands-on experience in a Congressional office while gaining a valuable understanding of the Legislative Branch of the Federal Government. Responsibilities include but are not limited to: answering phones, sorting constituent mail, attending committee hearings and briefings for staff, data entry, and giving tours of the Capitol. Although this position is unpaid, we will work with the student to fulfill requirements for school credit programs. Interested candidates should e-mail a cover letter, resume, and 1-3 page writing sample to PA09jobs@gmail.com with Spring Internship in the subject line.
December 3, 2009
Press Secretary - Midwest Republican Congressman in search of an energetic, driven, and media savvy press secretary. Candidate should possess strong writing skills and have a firm grasp of major policy issues. Candidate should also be a highly-motivated self-starter who is able to handle a variety of tasks simultaneously, including drafting statements, speeches, and press releases; devising an overall media strategy – both online and print; and managing communication with and inquiries from the media. Looking for a team player who embraces new challenges and brings a “no job is too small” attitude to the job. Capitol Hill experience is preferred. Please email resume and 2 writing samples to press.secretary2010@gmail.com
Spring Interns - The office of Congressman Anh “Joseph” Cao currently has openings for Spring Internships in the Washington, D.C. office. Responsibilities include answering phones, greeting visitors in the front office, organizing and distributing mail, managing tour requests of the Capitol and other government facilities, and assisting legislative staff in research and writing projects. Strong writing skills and Louisiana ties are desired. Please email cover letter, resume, and references to jobswithcao@gmail.com with “Spring Internship ‘10” for the subject line.
Unpaid Internship - Republican Governor is requesting resumes for hard working, detail oriented, and self motivated students interested in a unique and active internship program in his Washington, D.C. Office. The candidate will gain valuable intergovernmental experience learning the state’s role in Federal Relations. You must be friendly, have basic administrative skills, and the drive to work hard in a small office environment. Please email resume to mailto:craig@nevadadc.org .
Unpaid Interns - The Office of Congressman Paul Broun (GA-10) is seeking unpaid interns for the Spring of 2010 in his Washington, DC office. This internship is a perfect opportunity to gain Capitol Hill experience for individuals with an interest in public policy. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to, greeting visitors, answering phones, sorting constituent mail, data entry, conducting Capitol tours, occasionally attending hearings, and assisting staff members. Applicants should have basic knowledge of the legislative system and possess strong organization and communication skills. Georgia ties are preferred but not required; energetic, hard working self-starters that have the ability to multi-task and work well under pressure are encouraged to apply. This position can be either full or part-time with flexible scheduling available. Interested applicants should submit a cover letter and resume to GA10internship@gmail.com, with “Spring Internship” in the subject line. No drop ins or phone calls please.
Unpaid interns - Republican Congressman Rob Wittman (VA-01) is seeking unpaid interns for the Spring of 2010. Candidates should have an interest in public policy. Interns will have the opportunity to attend committee hearings and briefings for staff members, assist in the constituent correspondence process, as well as assist with other constituent services. Responsibilities include: taking phone calls, processing constituent mail, and performing other general office duties. Applicants should be interested in the legislative process, enthusiastic, reliable, and hard-working. Full or part time internships with flexible schedules are available. Candidates who reside in Virginia’s First Congressional District are preferred. Interested candidates should fax their resume and cover letter to (202) 225-4382 or email gordon.neal@mail.house.gov.
Jan 9, 2010
Don't Get Your Panties in a Wad
Question: If our justice system is willing to plea bargain with Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab aka The Panty Bomber in return for his cooperation / information sharing, doesn't that violate our Government's long standing position of NOT Negotiating with Terrorists?
New Developments on the US Border
Following are pictures I took this week along the San Diego section of the US-Mexican Border. Two developments of which you need to be aware. First, there is now a steady trend of illegal aliens from countries of interest coming up through Venezuela, where they perfect their Spanish (sometimes for up to two years), often change their middle eastern names to Latino-sounding names, procure false Venezuelan documentation and then present themselves at the US border seeking entry as Venezuelans.
Second, there is an up tick in the numbers of illegals coming across the Southern border with Hezbollah and Hamas tattoos on their person. The implication of this trend is obvious. It rather obviously implies relationships between the drug cartels (whom you must have permission from to cross the Mexican border from the Mexican side if you are a smuggler) and those terrorist organizations. Gang members bearing the tattoos of both their gang and middle eastern terrorist organizations, living in the United States should not make you feel especially safe.
Let me just say that the Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) does so much, with so little. Congress as a whole does not support them at the levels they should. Every member of Congress should be required to tour the US border and see the crap these men and women have to put up with and how little resources they have to do their jobs. They are literally on the front lines of securing the nation. The illegal transhipment of bad guys through Venezuela is unacceptable. Perhaps our President should spend less time shaking hands with Chavez and more time shaking hands with our border agents.
Jan 1, 2010
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