Nancy Pelosi Manipulated the Armenian Genocide Issue

Message to the American Public: Nancy Palosi is second in line for the Presidency should the President be unable to continue service.

Message to the rank and file members of the Democratic Party: Nancy Palosi probably does not reflect your values.

Message to the leaders of the Democratic Party: Nancy Palosi is your gal, and she does reflect your values.

Message to Armenians: Nancy Palosi is (was) making political hay on the back of your historical misery.

In my posting, “Armenian Genocide is the Excuse to Undercut Iraq War,” I asked,

What is Pelosi’s political imperative? It surely is not Armenian votes.

History of the resolution:

The legislation, which has been introduced for decades, often originates from California lawmakers, said John Pitney, a political science professor with Claremont McKenna College in Claremont, California. About 232,000 Armenian Americans live in the state, 54 percent of the U.S. total, according to 2006 Census data.

California citizens of Armenian ancestry are distributed throughout the State. The major California Armenian political strongholds are Fresno, and the Glendale-Pasadena areas.

Nancy Palosi’ CA 8th Congressional District incorporates only part of the City/County of San Francisco. According to the 2000 census, San Francisco’s Armenian population is 0.3% of the total. That puts to bed the idea that Palosi is motivated by votes to keep her in office.

Adam Schiff, the author of the genocide resolution, is from the CA 29th Congressional District, which includes both Glendale and Pasadena. He is a member of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues. It is reasonable to assume that Armenian votes and money are important to Schiff.

The Armenian community has a considerable amount of financial assets available to influence political issues. The only political contributions which I found that were given by Armenians to Palosi since 2003 was in the 2003-2004 campaign year when the Armenian American Pac gave her $1500. That pretty much ends any speculation that the Armenians bought Palosi.

As stated previously, the efforts for an Armenian resolution is not suddenly a new issue. Why is it that Palosi took on the resolution at this particular juncture in time? Clearly it was not to benefit her in terms of votes or money. It is equally clear that Palosi made a deliberate decision to continue her advocacy after learning that Turkey threatened retaliation, which would place American service personnel in greater danger.

In the hours before a House panel approved the resolution Oct. 10, Pelosi was told in a tense meeting with Turkey's ambassador that the vote would endanger his country's alliance with the U.S. She had a warmer session with an Armenian cleric and representatives of Armenian-Americans, who have a large presence in her home state of California. In both, she made clear she intended to bring the resolution to a full House vote.

Her vow to bring the measure to a vote outraged Turkey, which recalled its ambassador and threatened to cut off the use of its military bases to resupply U.S. troops in Iraq. On Oct. 17, Pelosi said it ``remains to be seen'' whether the vote would occur after more than a dozen lawmakers pulled their names from the measure and some Democrats asked her to drop it.

The two meetings House Speaker Nancy Pelosi attended before a vote on a resolution labeling the massacre of Armenians in Ottoman Turkey a genocide foreshadowed the biggest political misstep of her speakership.

"She dug in her heels to find that she didn't have her members with her,'' said Representative Ray LaHood, an Illinois Republican. ``If you get too far out in front of them, it can be embarrassing.''

Embarrassing? Political misstep? Palosi is again meddling in foreign policy where she does not belong. Yes, it is a misstep for Palosi because she revealed her true radical nature. She is a political opportunist working at odds to the welfare of the American people. And, she stepped on the backs of Armenians in her un-American quest to harm the Iraq war effort.

Labeling Palosi a disgrace as an American is the kindest thing that I can think to say about her.

Links in this Blog:
Armenian Genocide is the Excuse to Undercut Iraq War

Pelosi Makes Political Misstep in Reversal on Armenian Genocide

San Francisco Ancestry

Pelosi 2003 2004 campaign contributions

Update 12/3/2007:
Read this piece on politics and treason:
'When Does Politics Become Treason?'