ANDY MARTIN'S THOUGHTS ON OBAMA'S TRIP TO TUCSON AND POSSIBLE POLITICAL EXPLOITATION

Conservative candidate and columnist Andy Martin says that Barack Obama may be exploiting his ceremony in Tucson by inviting a stream of politicians to attend and by allowing the solemnity of the occasion to be diluted

NEWS FROM:

ANDY MARTIN /2012

"The Right Republican" for

President of the United States

www.AndyMartinforPresident.com

Campaign mail:

P. O. Box 1851

New York, NY10150-1851

(866) 706-2639

www.AndyforPresident.blogspot.com

www.AndyforPresident.wordpress.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Republican Presidential CandidateAndy Martin asks whether President Barack Obama's "production" in Tucson is genuinely sincere on just another example of political correctness

Martin says the stable of politicians and judges Obama is carting to Arizona raises questions about Obama's real motives

"Genuine grieving should be genuine grieving," says Martin

(NEW YORK)(January 12, 2011) Well, Barack Obama is going to Arizona to express his "sincere" concern for the tragedy in Tucson. Personally, I do not believe Obama is capable of any form of sincerity except his own self-love. I am concerned that the aftermath of Obama's production in Tucson may be to

undermine the solemnity of the tragedy.

At noon today, the Washington Post reported that Obama's "ceremony" in Tucson would be called "Together We Thrive." In my opinion, the use of the term "thrive" is as poorly chosen as Sarah Palin's use of the term "blood libel."

Americans are not coming together to "thrive." They are coming together to grieve. They grieve for the victims, and they grieve for the unspeakable assault on our democracy. "Thriving" is not a word I usually associate with solemn occasions.

If Obama wanted to speak as our national leader, I would suggest it could be done just as effectively and much more safely from the Oval Office. That is where I think President Ronald Reagan would have chosen to address the nation. Instead, Obama has allowed a carnival-type event to be created in which his presence is diluted by the added presence of many unnecessary distractions.

The Washington Post's 12:30 version (of the same report, which has since been updated) reported that Obama's presentation would feature a "Native American blessing," although "Native Americans" had nothing to do with the events in Tucson. Attorney General Eric Holder and Homeland Secretary Janet Napolitano would also speak. Huhhh? What relevance do Holder and Napolitano have to a lengthening list of speakers? When combined with the "Native American blessing," the Obama "event" becomes more and more of an exercise in political correctness than a moment of shared sacrifice and national mourning for the victims.

Obama is cheapening the grief and exploiting the tragedy.

By 5:00 P.M. tonight the Washington Post's updated story reported that Obama's passenger list on Air Force One had been expanded to include former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (Pelosi???), a justice of the U. S. Supreme Court ("All the better to lobby you, Your Honor"), and an assemblage of politicians. In other words, what had begun as a solemn address to the nation by the chief executive is rapidly deteriorating into nothing more than a jamboree of politicians seeking to slice off a little bit of the tragedy for their own personal use.

What is missing here?

In my opinion, American public officials are losing the ability to be sincere. Genuinely sincere. Maybe that is why political leaders, and Obama in particular, have lost the ability to lead the American people.

Television has homogenized "grief" into a "process" that has to be pursued as a TV production after each national tragedy. It is almost as though we follow a script every time something unspeakably sad and inappropriate happens. The spontaneity is gradually draining from national events of rememberance. The only person missing from Obama's grief circus is Tucson's clown Sheriff Dupnik who blamed Republicans and conservatives for the killings in his city.

Obama could have used Tucson as, in his own words, "a teachable moment," to unite the nation. Instead, his remarks will soon be forgotten and their impact will be minimal.

Obama claims to have been working on his Tucson "speech" since Monday. If I was calling the family members of the victims and soliciting ideas for a eulogy, I would not have been asking them to suggest how we are "thriving in the wake of the tragedy," or what they thought of an ever-lengthening guest list on Air Force One. Ironically, although Pelosi is joining Obama in Tucson, wounded Representative Giffords voted against Pelosi as speaker last week.

My prediction, Obama's remarks will fade because of their patent and transparent insincerity. His motives are so transparently political, and his assemblage is so embarrassingly politically correct, that the very people he wants to reach, his adversaries and critics, will be turned off by the patently insincere production in Tucson.

Grief must be expressed in a solemn manner, not by creating a one-hour floor show of politicians and entertainers performing "Native American blessings" and other distractions.

But then Obama has always been a "production" instead of a genuine and authentic "leader."

Nothing has changed. Obama is still Obama. He always will be.

My prayers go out to the survivors of the victims in that they will have to endure Barack Obama's latest extravaganza in self-promotion and synthetic and stage-managed grief.

The American people deserve better. We have suffered a loss. We should mourn with dignity and solemnity and not with Nancy Pelosi on board Air Force One.

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MEDIA CONTACT: (866) 706-2639 or CELL (917) 664-9329
E-MAIL: Andy@AndyMartinforPresident.com

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LISTEN TO ANDY'S TALK RADIO INTERVIEWS(cut and paste the entire link below and not just the underlined portion):

http://www.briantilton.com/

[See December 29th entry, for two-part podcast]

To hear Andy in Denver go to www.khow.com, click on Peter Boyles show, go to left margin for "Past Shows" and look for January 7, 2011 and December 31, 2010 Andy Martin audio (you can download) (Boyles can also be heard on EinhornPress link below)

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LINKS TO THIS STORY (cut and paste the entire link below and not just the underlined portion):

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/

content/article/2011/01/12/

AR2011011202782.html

http://www.khow.com/pages/boyles.html

Bloggers go wild over Andy's campaign:

(These are totally independent blog postings and are not part of Andy's official campaign; we are not responsible for the content):

http://einhornpress.com/AndyMartinforPresident

NewsandPictures.aspx

From Peter Boyles Show on Frank Marshall Davis (independent blog):

http://www.reformation.org/frank-marshall-davis-obama.html

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ABOUT ANDY: Chicago Public Radio calls Andy Martin a "boisterous Internet activist." Andy is the legendary New York and Chicago-based muckraker, author, Internet columnist, radio talk show host, broadcaster and media critic. He has over forty years of background in radio and television and is the dean of Illinois media and communications. He promotes his best-selling book, "Obama: The Man Behind The Mask" [www.OrangeStatePress.com] and his Internet movie "Obama: The Hawaii' Years" [www.BoycottHawaii.com]. Martin has been a leading corruption fighter in Illinois for over forty years. He is currently sponsoring www.AmericaisReadyforReform.com. See also www.FirstRespondersOnline.us

Andy is the Executive Editor and publisher of the "Internet Powerhouse," www.ContrarianCommentary.com. He comments on regional, national and world events with more than four decades of investigative and analytical experience. He holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Illinois College of Law and is a former adjunct professor of law at the City University of New York (LaGuardia CC, Bronx CC).

UPDATES:
www.twitter.com/AndyMartinUSA
www.Facebook.com/AndyMartin

Andy's columns are also posted at ContrarianCommentary.blogspot.com; ContrarianCommentary.wordpress.com.

ContrarianCommentary.typepad.com

[NOTE: We try to correct any typographical errors in our stories; find the latest version on our blogs.]

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© Copyright by Andy Martin 2011

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Andy Martin is running for Senate - look what he's discovered!

Illinois corruption fighter and U. S. Senate candidate Andy Martin discloses legal confirmation that Obama Secretary of Education Arne Duncan is being investigated by the Chicago Public Schools for financial fraud and some sort of connection to the death/suicide/murder of Michael Scott in November. The U.S. Department of Justice and FBI are also evaluating Martin's separate Freedom of Information demands.

Chicago corruption exclusive:

Chicago Board of Education links Obama Secretary of Education Arne Duncan to investigation of financial fraud at Chicago Public Schools, death of Michael Scott

U. S. Senate candidate Andy Martin discloses Arne Duncan is subject of Chicago Board of Education financial fraud investigation

NEWS FROM:

ANDY MARTIN /2010

"The name you can trust"

Republican for U. S. Senator

30 E. Huron Street, Suite 4406

Chicago, IL60611-4723

(312) 440-4124

www.AndyforUSSenator.com

www.AndyforUSSenator.blogspot.com

www.AndyforUSSenator.wordpress.com

www.MarkKirk.us

www.IllinoisHighSpeedTrains.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

ATTENTION DAYBOOK/ASSIGNMENT EDITORS

ANNOUNCEMENT OF SUNDAY NEWS CONFERENCE IN CHICAGO

Political corruption fighter Andy Martin says there is a clear "Chicago way" coverup of financial fraud by an Obama cabinet official

Martin says the refusal by Chicago officials to release Arne Duncan's financial records is a legal confirmation that Duncan is linked to an investigation of financial fraud at the agency

(CHICAGO)(December 13, 2009) Republican U. S. Senate candidate and insurgent "Internet Powerhouse" Andy Martin will hold a Chicago news conference Sunday, December 13th to announce that the Chicago Board of Education is refusing to release Obama Secretary of Education Arne Duncan's financial records because of an ongoing corruption investigation linked to the death of Michael Scott.

In a Freedom of Information request, Martin asked for copies of all of the "credit card payments/statements using Chicago Public Schools credit cards" for both Scott and Duncan (see letter below).

Attorneys for the Board of Education have refused to turn over either Scott's or Duncan's credit card records on the grounds they are both under investigation.

"If they won't turn over Arne Duncan's financial records at the Chicago Public Schools because they are 'under investigation,' then Arne Duncan is under investigation for financial fraud," Martin will charge in his news conference.

"Barack Obama, Richard Daley and Arne Duncan owe the American people an immediate and complete explanation of why Duncan's financial records are being investigated. My letter seeking release, and the Board's refusal to release them, are self-explanatory. Someone is under investigation for financial fraud, and that 'someone' includes an Obama cabinet secretary, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.

"We are appealing the refusal to produce the records of both Scott and Duncan.

"Once again I am leading the way in exposing corruption in Illinois. When I go to Washington as a U. S. Senator I will do to Barack Obama in Washington what I have been doing to Obama in Chicago: exposing his corrupt practices and associates," Martin says. "Who vetted Duncan? Why is he under investigation?"

December 13h news conference details:

WHO:

U. S. Senate candidate and Internet Powerhouse Andy Martin

WHERE:

Southeast corner of Huron and Wabash Streets,

WHEN:

Sunday, December 13, 20091:00 P.M.

WHAT:

Internet Powerhouse and U. S. Senate candidate Andy Martin discloses that Obama Secretary of Education Arne Duncan is linked to Chicago financial fraud, death of Michael Scott

MEDIA CONTACT:

(866) 706-2639; Cell (917) 664-9329 (not always turned on)

E-MAIL:

AndyforUSSenator@aol.com

-----------------------------

ANDY MARTIN

"The name you can trust"

Republican for U. S. Senator/2010

Suite 4406, 30 E. Huron Street

Chicago, IL60611-4723

Toll-free tel. (866) 706-ANDY

Toll-free fax (866) 707-ANDY

Web site: http://www.AndyforUSSenator.com

E-mail: AndyforUSSenator@aol.com

Please donate:

www.AndyforUSSenator.com

Blogs:

www.AndyforUSSenator.blogspot.com

www.AndyforUSSenator.wordpress.com

www.IllinoisHighSpeedTrains.com

www.MarkKirk.us

November 19, 2009

Chicago Board of Education

125 S. Clark Street

Chicago, IL 60603

via fax (773) 553-1601

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST

Pursuant to Illinois' Freedom of Information laws, 5 ILCS 140/1 et seq. I hereby request the following:

1. Complete records for all credit card payments/statements using CPS credit cards for Michael Scott for 2000-2009;

2. Complete records for all credit card payments/statements using CPS credit cards for Arne Duncan for 2000-2009.

Please confirm receipt of this request.

Respectfully submitted,

ANDY MARTIN

AM:sp

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Copy of Board of Education letter available on request (can't send as a document with Constant Contact)

THIS ONE'S FOR THE BIRTHERS!

Before you read the following, remember, in order to be President, your parents must be born in the USA, too. See my post on Michael Savage/Dr. Orly Taitz and listen to what she says. ANDY MARTIN Republican for U. S. Senator/2010 "He Works for the People of Illinois" Suite 4406, 30 E. Huron Street Chicago, IL 60611-4723 Toll-free tel. (866) 706-ANDY Toll-free fax (866) 707-ANDY Web site: http://www.AndyforUSSenator.com E-mail: AndyforUSSenator@aol.com Please donate: www.AndyforUSSenator.com Blogs: www.AndyforUSSenator.com www.AndyforUSSenator.blogspot.com www.AndyforUSSenator.wordpress.com www.MarkKirk.us August 4, 2009 Hon. Eric Holder Attorney General Department of Justice 950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC20530-0001 via fax (202) 307-6777 and Hon. Robert S. Mueller Director Federal Bureau of investigation 935 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC20535-0001 via fax (202) 323-2079 Re: Barack Obama "Kenyan" birth certificate Dear General Holder and Director Mueller: In the past few days, an attorney has filed a copy of what purports to be some sort of Kenyan birth record of President Barack Obama. There has been a great flurry of comment about this document in a wide cross-section of the media, both meathead media (my name for the "mainstream" media) and untraditional channels. In 2008 I authored the book "Obama: The Man Behind the Mask," and I have written extensively on Obama's origins. Some credit me with being the "originator" of the birther movement. That is partly true and partly untrue. I have indeed written about the president's somewhat opaque origins; but I have not by any means subscribed to many of the more extreme claims that have been made. In fact, in some cases I have debunked "birther" theories. While I have questioned Obama's origins, I have never believed he was born in Kenya. There has been a lot of back-and-forth about the president's birth. Many, including myself, expected that most of the energy behind these questions would dissipate after the election. I was mistaken. Questions about the president are "growing, not slowing." Some people think he gains politically by painting the "birthers" (as the meathead media have styled them) as cookie, other disagree. I have filed a lawsuit in Hawai'i state courts seeking access to Mr. Obama's original, 1961 typewritten certificate because I believe it is an archive of American history that should be open to the public. Release of the original document would alleviate at least some of the doubt which exists. Frankly, I do not think the president profits from prolonging the controversy about his legitimacy. That is my considered political judgment based on over 40 years in national and state politics. Rather, I see a slowly but steadily increasing public consensus that something is amiss. I think it would be beneficial if at least some of the doubts about the president's origins could be put to rest. The "Kenyan birth certificate" ("KBC")(which is admittedly not a birth certificate eo nomine) was filed in a federal court. There is a high probability that the document is a forgery. But who forged the KBC? Was it opponents or proponents? When was the KBC forged? I have publicly adduced one theory, and suggested the existence of a second, more sinister, explanation for the appearance of the document. But no one really knows. Someone apparently forged a birth document concerning the President of the United States. The American people have a right to a thorough and impartial investigation of this matter. If it turns out that someone in fact forged the KBC to obstruct justice, then that person should be criminally prosecuted. There is no place for forgery or lies on either side of the Obama birth controversy. I have consistently rejected lies as an appropriate response to Barack Obama's own stream of distortions and fabrications. Because the document is on file in a federal court, and because the document may represent an attempt to obstruct justice, the Department of Justice indisputably has jurisdiction to conduct an investigation of such a document. Most respectfully, I would urge you to do the following: First, I would suggest you consider appointing an independent counsel (or "special prosecutor"), preferably someone who is a Republican but an attorney who has a criminal justice, and not an actively political, background. Second, if a preliminary review of the document reveals that it is not authentic, and I am sure that will not take a great deal of effort on a threshold basis, I would suggest you allow the counsel to convene a grand jury to investigate the provenance of the material. Even a forged document can have a continuing corrosive effect on the legitimacy of the president. I am prepared to come to Washington (or possibly California where the KBC was uttered) and testify as an expert witness on the controversy. I have no expertise in examining the authenticity of paperwork. In closing, let me be clear. I have no investment in the document, or the swirl of activity concerning the document and related claims. I have devoted myself to seeking factual information about Mr. Obama, and seeking to ascertain the truth. Nothing more. Substantially all of the controversial claims I have made about the president in my book and columns have subsequently been confirmed. I bear him no ill will. But I do respectfully disagree with those, who may include the president, who feel the continuing existence of the growing doubts is not a serious matter. Respectfully submitted, ANDY MARTIN AM:sp

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Andy Martin strikes Obama again!

Martin's "euthanasia" attacks draw increasing attention from pro-socialized medicine mainstream media in Washington. Martin says Congressman Mark Kirk should join his good friend Rahm Emanuel in the Obama administration. Internet Powerhouse Andy Martin's "euthanasia" attacks draw blood from Obama Andy's mom calls Obama's plans "Obamascare" Martin says "mainstream media" are deceiving their readers and viewers by failing to disclose the "end game" of Obamascare NEWS FROM: ANDY MARTIN /2010 Republican for U. S. Senator "He works for the People of Illinois" Suite 4406 30 E. Huron Street Chicago, IL 60611-4723 (312) 440-4124 www.AndyforUSSenator.com www.AndyforUSSenator.blogspot.com www.AndyforUSSenator.wordpress.com www.MarkKirk.us ATTENTION DAYBOOK/ASSIGNMENT EDITORS ANNOUNCEMENT OF SATURDAY NEWS CONFERENCE IN CHICAGO FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: MARTIN PREVIOUSLY WROTE "ANDY MARTIN SAYS 'OBAMACARE' CAN BE REDUCED TO ONE WORD: EUTHANASIA" MARTIN SAYS HIS MOM CALLS OBAMA'S PROPOSAL TO CUT OFF SENIOR MEDICAL CARE "OBAMASCARE" MARTIN SAYS "OBAMASCARE" AMOUNTS TO OBAMA'S "KENYAN WITCH DOCTOR" MEDICINE FOR AMERICA'S SENIORS MARTIN SLAMS EMANUEL BROTHERS "BEST BUD" REPUBLICAN LIBERAL MARK KIRK (CHICAGO)(August 1, 2009) For the past five years Andy Martin has relentlessly pursued Barack Obama. Obama has responded in kind, with his special "dirty tricks" operation directed at neutralizing Martin's activity and smearing him politically. But "Dr. Martin" is once again drawing blood from President Obama, with Martin's characterization of Obama's medical reform proposals with "one word: euthanasia." www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/ content/article/2009/07/31/ AR2009073103148.html?hpid=topnews "The Washington Post, which has written extensively about my Internet influence, is afraid to even mention my name," says Martin. "That's the kind of fear I put in the mainstream media and their proto-socialists on Capitol Hill. "The pro-Obama, pro-socialized medicine, mainstream media are terrified that, once again, we are doing to 'Obamascare' what we did to Obama's birth certificate and religion: puncturing Obama's myths and obfuscations and defining Obama as a threat to the American people. "Obviously, senior citizens are the most vulnerable, which is why Obama's 'medical experiments' target seniors by restricting their care. When I saw Rahm Emanuel's brother's plans to cut off care to seniors, I was reminded of the Third Reich. Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel is truly a successor to 'Dr. Death.' www.nypost.com/seven/07242009/ postopinion/opedcolumnists/ deadly_doctors_180941.htm "No doctor should call for limiting medical procedures or medicines. What is Obama going to do with all the seniors he wants to kill? Make lampshades out of them? "There is another reason, an evil reason, why Obama is targeting seniors. Seniors are not only physically vulnerable, they are mentally and emotionally vulnerable. They don't have the 'fight' to battle bureaucracies the way younger, healthier people do. The 'old, old' are often alone, most often women. So Obama is picking on elderly women 'because he can.' "The senate campaign begins in earnest next week, so I took a few days off to spend with my mother in Florida. She calls Obama's proposals to curtail her Medicare 'Obamascare.' That's my new term for what Obama is proposing. "My mother would kill me if I released her real age, but she depends on medicines and doctors to stay alive. I don't want Obama's 'witch doctors,' starting with Dr. Mengele's successor, 'Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel,' to cut off vital care for my mom. "As both a senate candidate and source of strength for conservatives on the Internet, I do not want Obama to apply his witch doctor medicine to any of America's citizens, not to any seniors, not to anyone else. "Obama may be of Kenyan origins but we do not want Kenyan witch doctors substituting for medical doctors in American hospitals and doctors' offices. "As for the Emanuel brothers, and their Republican friend, my primary opponent, Mark Kirk, I despise their attempt to revive the medical practices of the Third Reich by seeking to exterminate vulnerable senior citizens. Kirk and the Emanuel brothers grew up on the NorthShore of suburban Chicago. On what meat do these 'little Caesars' feed? "Obama-the-Witch-Doctor should allow congress to enact intelligent medical reforms for American citizens, not for illegal aliens. "I will continue my efforts to expose Obamascare for what it is: in a word, 'euthanasia,'" Martin will state. "We will continue to urge Mark Kirk to join the Obama administration, where he can be assured of a job by his good buddy Rahm Emanuel, maybe working with Emanuel's demented brother 'Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel.' "I want to ensure that every American makes the connection between 'Dr. Mengele' and 'Dr. Emanuel.' "We have the greatest health care in the world. It needs improvements, absolutely. I am a strong supporter of targeted reforms. But we are not going to let Obama-the-Witch-Doctor destroy American medicine and reduce us to the level of care received by Kenyans. We will fight to block 'Obamascare' to protect the lives and longevity of every American's mom and dad." NEWS CONFERENCE DETAILS: WHO: Internet Powerhouse and national anti-Obama leader, Author/Editor/Internet Columnist/Senate candidate Andy Martin WHAT: National anti-Obama leader Andy Martin triggers a new anti-Obama firestorm with Martin's use of the term "euthanasia" to describe "Obamascare" WHERE: Southeast corner of Huron and Wabash Streets, Chicago WHEN: Saturday, August 1, 2009; 4:00 P. M. MEDIA CONTACT: (866) 706-2639; CELL (917) 664-9329 ------------------------------------------ Readers of Obama: The Man Behind The Mask, say the book is still the only gold standard and practical handbook on Barack Obama's unfitness for the presidency. Buy it. Book orders: Amazon.com or http://OrangeStatePress.com. Immediate shipment from Amazon.com or signed copies (delayed for signing) from the publisher are available. ------------------------------ URGENT APPEAL: The Committee of One Million to Defeat Barack Obama raises money to oppose President Barack Obama's radical agenda and also to support www.BoycottHawaii.com. www.CommitteeofOneMilliontoDefeatBarackObama.com Please give generously. Our ability to fight and defeat Barack Obama's political agenda is directly dependent on the generosity of every American. "The Committee of One Million to Defeat Barack Obama has no bundlers, no fat cats and no illegal contributions. Obama is opposed to almost everything America stands for," says Executive Director Andy Martin. "But while Obama has raised a billion dollar slush fund, his opponents lack sufficient resources. Americans can either contribute now, or pay later. If we do not succeed, Obama will." ----------------------------------- Andy Martin is a legendary Chicago muckraker, author, Internet columnist, radio talk show host, broadcaster and media critic. He has over forty years of broadcasting background in radio and television and is the dean of Illinois media and communications. He is currently promoting his best-selling book, Obama: The Man Behind The Mask and producing the new Internet movie "Obama: The Hawai'i years." Andy is the Executive Editor and publisher of www.ContrarianCommentary.com. Martin comments on regional, national and world events with more than four decades of experience. He holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Illinois College of Law and is a former adjunct professor of law at the City University of New York. UPDATES: www.twitter.com/AndyMartinUSA www.facebook.com/AndyMartin Andy's columns are also posted at ContrarianCommentary.blogspot.com; contrariancommentary.wordpress.com. [NOTE: We frequently correct typographical errors and additions/subtractions on our blogs, where you can find the latest edition of this release.] MEDIA CONTACT: (866) 706-2639 or CELL (917) 664-9329 (cell not always on) E-MAIL: AndyMart20@aol.com © Copyright by Andy Martin 2009.

Andy Martin on Iran

Foreign policy expert Andy Martin says the conflict in Iran has become a civil war. Barack Obama is essentially powerless to act or react. Andy Martin on the evolving civil war in Iran ContrarianCommentary.com Andy Martin Executive Editor "Factually Correct, Not Politically Correct" FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Iran Andy Martin breaches a taboo by becoming the first analyst to call the conflict in Iran a "civil war"` America's most experienced independent foreign policy and intelligence analyst predicts the destabilization of the entire region Martin says President Obama is helpless to act. (PALM BEACH)(June 21, 2009) As I wrote on June 15th, the most terrifying night of my life was spent in the middle of a riot in Iran thirty years ago. The images of what was a living bedlam are still vivid in my memory. I jumped into a crowd of persons who were preparing to attack an opposition strongpoint and rescued a woman who was probably doomed. There were crowds of opposing Iranians fighting each other, tracer rounds flying everywhere, machine guns in the distance, people rushing to the "front." The night culminated in my arrest as an alleged spy. There has never been another night like that, neither before nor after. Even after leaving Iran, I went back. Watching the constant images of the violence in Tehran today reminds me of my earlier experiences. You can almost feel the tension and terror of a taunt crowd, just before it explodes. A civil war has begun. I am experiencing the emerging Iranian civil war in a multitude of ways. So what do my feelings tell me? First, Joe Biden was ridiculed during the campaign for predicting that Barack Obama would be "tested" in the first six months of his administration. Iran is that challenge. What Biden did not understand was that the "challenge" he anticipated would not come from a direct threat to the United States but rather from the need to navigate policy in the unknown byways of what is becoming the Iranian civil war. (Yes, I am the first analyst to use the term "civil war.") Because of my reputation as a critic of Barack Obama (and that is a correct characterization of my views) I am usually criticized by Obama's opponents when I apply impartial analysis to BHO's actions or don't reflexively attack his every action. But my sense of personal integrity and independence compel me to write what I believe, not what some people want to hear. I have two completely contradictory views on what is unfolding in Iran. First, within the United States, Republicans are winning the Iranian presidential election. They are demanding tough words and concrete actions. Politicians will always play to their "base," and the Republican base feels frustrated and helpless watching events in Iran. There is a tremendous temptation to "do something." Something. Yet nothing could be more detrimental to the foreign policy interests of the United States. Second, despite criticism of Obama's restrained approach, and perhaps despite Obama's own misguided beliefs behind his limited actions, his policy in Iran is the correct one. Obama is caught in a situation where he will almost certainly lose politically, but where has to run the risk of loss in order to maintain the strategic stability of his foreign policy. Published reports Saturday night indicated that presidential candidate Mir Hussein Moussavi has stated he is ready for "martyrdom." If this statement is true, then the challenge facing Obama has just metastasized far beyond his control. No revolution can survive without a martyr; indeed, every revolution often begins with an act of self-denial and martyrdom. "Martyr" comes from the Greek word for "witness" and can invoke both observation and testimony or disclosure. The long night I endured thirty years when I risked my life and was arrested, occurred in Moussavi's home town of Tabriz. Moussavi's "roots" become critical to comprehending what he has now done and to explaining where the Iranian civil war is headed. Azerbaijan is a very different part of Iran. Although Moussavi's strongest support comes from the great urban areas, including Tabriz, Azerbaijani Moussavi's independent streak is driving his willingness to suffer the consequences of risking his life. The leading opposition ayatollah to Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini was an Azerbaijani. No doubt that rebel religious leader (who favored a form of government nearer to separation of church and state) was close to Moussavi. No one has previously made this connection; but now it is out in the open. The Azerbaijani angle will prove crucial in the days ahead. What transpires inside a human being when they literally move beyond their own bodies to become a sacrificial vessel for rebellion or revolution? No one really knows. If Moussavi has indeed passed into that zone, where he has abandoned and renounced his own personal needs, he has become the missile that will hit the ruling junta in Tehran with lethal impact. The Russian Revolution managed to hang on for seventy years. That was in an age when communications were nonexistent to primitive. Today communications are instantaneous. The thirty-year-old "Islamic" revolution appears to have reached its end on a truncated timetable. Abraham Lincoln was not elected to wage a civil war; he sought to save the union. He ended up fighting a war in order to succeed. Gorbachev and Yeltsin did not believe their demands for reform would bring down the Soviet empire; on the contrary their goal was to preserve and liberalize the existing system. But they demolished a government that was already dead. Likewise, Moussavi did not become a presidential candidate to eradicate the Islamic revolution. But he too has fallen into the unplumbed and uncontrollable clutches of history. He has become a martyr to, of all things, open and honest elections, freedom of speech and respect for the human rights of every individual. Republicans and conservatives, of course, are demanding stirring rhetoric strong action from Obama. But this is one time when Obama must stand virtually mute. Yes, he has proclaimed support for universal rights of peaceful assembly and free speech. And yes, as bloodshed escalates his remarks can also increase in intensity. But no, the Republicans are wrong. It is precisely by being a bystander that America will exercise its greatest influence over events. The very essence of a civil war is that the conflict is between two competing domestic narratives. When the conflict is between slavery and freedom, there is very little outsiders can add. When the test concerns communism versus free markets, likewise bystanders are helpless. When the question is whether there will be separation of mullah and state, no one can insert themselves into this most personal of conflicts. Ironically, Obama faces a multiplied and magnified threat of the same dimension I faced thirty years ago. If I had fought back, or raised my voice, I was a dead man (a rifle was pointed at me). I had to stay quiet. It was wrenching. A friend who came to my aid and raised his voice was threatened with getting both of us shot. I said "thanks," and asked him to go away. I had no idea what I faced, but I knew I had to stay calm and stand still. And alone. In a global sense, Obama faces the identical crossroads. He sees the Republicans nipping at his heels, and he probably wants to offer more vigorous encouragement to the demonstrators. He certainly sees that his carefully calibrated approach to Iran, seeking a deal with the existing regime, is disintegrating. Because U. S. understanding of Iran is notoriously deficient, Obama has been given no clear conception of what could unfold (he better be reading this column). So he is antsy. And so is his staff. Who expected the "great challenge" to come from a civil war in Iran? Who? How do you respond to a civil war? How do you react when people of a nation are killing each other, when neighbor is bludgeoning neighbor, when literally "all hell breaks lose?" Throughout the Cold War American leaders repeatedly faced similar challenges. President Eisenhower was urged to "bomb Hanoi." In 1954. He resisted the temptation. Two years later, the Hungarian revolution created calls for direct U. S. action. Ike again resisted calls for intervention. In 1968, I sat on the Danang River in Vietnam and watched from the sidelines as a revolution unfolded in Czechoslovakia. Then came the Russian invasion. Alexander Dubcek was the martyr in that conflict. During the Islamic revolution in 1979, President Carter was castigated for failing to attack to free the U. S. Embassy hostages. In all of the foregoing instances, "conservatives" called for robust action, and action was exactly the wrong approach. Ronald Reagan finally won the Cold war without America ever having dropped a bomb or launched an invasion. The Soviet Union imploded without any U. S. action. Reagan made the hostages "too hot to handle" and the ayatollahs relented. The "Islamic Revolution" is now doomed. But whether it falls in five hours or five days or five months or five years, America is helpless to determine. Much as we like to think we can influence, and even control, events we are helpless observers as the civil war in Iran expands. No, Islam is not going to disappear as a force in Iran. But Islam as a controlling set of principles to organize a complex modern society has failed. The inevitable "liberalization" which we are likely to see in the months and years ahead will not be because American military power was projected anywhere, but simply as an unanticipated dividend of the implosion of the Iranian theocracy. The sixty years of the Soviet empire are likely to be compressed as a result of modern communications into the thirty years of the doomed Islamic experiment. No one, not even the anointed one some people have been waiting for, Obama himself, can control the pace of the Iranian civil war. No one. Politically, Obama has been thrust into the same situation as Jimmy Carter. He appears weak because he can't project strength. If he attempts to act strong, he will be immeasurably weakened. So what does all of this mean politically? First, Obama is not acting because he is powerless to act. There is no time at which a foreign military power is as helpless as when another nation is undergoing the catharsis of a civil war. Second, Obama will pay a price domestically for exercising restraint internationally. He is powerless to do otherwise. Third, ultimately the 2010 election is not going to turn on what happens in Iran. Iran was a problem, and Iran will continue to be problem. Obama's star will rise or fall not based on what happens in and what comes of the Iranian civil war. Obama's political prospects are controlled by the American economy and nothing else. In closing, I am reminded once again of the great legacy we received from the founding generation of Americans: separation of church and state. America has no "established" church and yet we are the most religions of nations. Mullahs have tried to impose Islam on a great nation. The people of Iran are in rebellion. All they are asking for is the freedom to choose. To choose when and when not to pray; how and how not to dress; when and when not to think as they wish. But whether a dictatorship is run by religious extremists in Iran, or political extremists in the former Soviet empire, or by a local madman as in Venezuela, these regimes inevitably collapse. This I know: On Monday, June 22nd the United States of America will open for business. Some of us love Barack Obama (I am not among that deluded minority) and some of us reject Obama (yes, that's me) and some of us are disillusioned with Obama (a growing group). We will have our say, and we will vote in adequate but not perfect elections in 2010. We have room for Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow on one side and Sean Hannity and Bill O'Reilly on the other, and everyone in between and even outside those four corners (I'm in there somewhere). And out of this great gumbo every day there comes a national commitment to peaceful debate and decision. So, God bless America. And please ask him to keep his mitts off our government. Right now he has his hands full in Iran. I wish the wonderful people of Iran peace and freedom. It is your battle to win or lose. Today, tomorrow, whenever. Your "religious republic" is dead. What will follow in its place, and when, is unknown. As for Mr. Moussavi, "welcome to the club." History called. You answered. Now what? ----------------------------- Readers of Obama: The Man Behind The Mask, say the book is still the only gold standard and practical handbook on Barack Obama's unfitness for the presidency. Buy it. Book orders: Amazon.com or http://OrangeStatePress.com. Immediate shipment from Amazon.com or signed copies (delayed for signing) from the publisher are available. ------------------------------ URGENT APPEAL: The Committee of One Million to Defeat Barack Obama raises money to oppose President Barack Obama's radical agenda and also to support www.BoycottHawaii.com. www.CommitteeofOneMilliontoDefeatBarackObama.com Please give generously. Our ability to fight and defeat Barack Obama's political agenda is directly dependent on the generosity of every American. "The Committee of One Million to Defeat Barack Obama has no bundlers, no fat cats and no illegal contributions. Obama is opposed to almost everything America stands for," says Executive Director Andy Martin. "But while Obama has raised a billion dollar slush fund, his opponents lack sufficient resources. Americans can either contribute now, or pay later. If we do not succeed, Obama will." ----------------------------------- Andy Martin is a legendary Chicago muckraker, author, Internet columnist, radio talk show host, broadcaster and media critic. He has over forty years of broadcasting background in radio and television and is the dean of Illinois media and communications. He is currently promoting his best-selling book, Obama: The Man Behind The Mask and producing the new Internet movie "Obama: The Hawai'i years." Andy is the Executive Editor and publisher of www.ContrarianCommentary.com. Martin comments on regional, national and world events with more than four decades of experience. He has over forty years of experience in Asia and the Middle East, and is regarded overseas as America's most respected independent foreign policy, military and intelligence analyst. He holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Illinois College of Law and is a former adjunct professor of law at the City University of New York. He is an announced candidate for Barack Obama's former U. S. Senate seat. UPDATES: www.twitter.com/AndyMartinUSA His columns are also posted at ContrarianCommentary.blogspot.com; contrariancommentary.wordpress.com. [NOTE: We frequently correct typographical errors and additions/subtractions on our blogs, where you can find the latest edition of this release.] MEDIA CONTACT: (866) 706-2639 or CELL (917) 664-9329 (cell not always on) E-MAIL: AndyMart20@aol.com © Copyright by Andy Martin 2009.