So let's give it a little more press
This is really funny to me because it's so counter-productive. This Imam doesn't like the press coverage given to Magdi Allam's conversion to Roman Catholicism.
Muslim leaders said that the highly public conversion was being viewed in some quarters as an open challenge to Islam rather than an individual's private religious choice. The spokesman for the Union of Islamic Communities in Italy, Imam Issedin Elzir of Florence, said that "the case garnered more attention than it merited, given that each day many convert to Islam and many to Christianity."
So now the press is going to interview Mr. Elzir regarding these statements and give it a few more minutes of press.
Someone should point out to the good Imam that Allam is a well-known journalist; hence the press attention. Of course, maybe Mr. Elzir's purpose is to garner a bit of press for himself and he can't think of anything nice to say, so here come the sour grapes.
off topic -- thanks for indulging me pauli
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oh lookee here Patrick and Andy. dateline today:
"Bear Stearns Sale to JPMorgan to Be Probed by Senate"
By Ryan J. Donmoyer
March 26 (Bloomberg) -- The top lawmakers on the Senate Finance Committee said they are reviewing the terms of the taxpayer-backed sale of Bear Stearns Cos. to JPMorgan Chase & Co.
Committee Chairman Max Baucus, a Montana Democrat, and Iowa Senator Charles Grassley, the panel's top Republican, sent a letter to Bear Stearns Chief Executive Alan Schwartz, JP Morgan Chief Executive Jamie Dimon, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke, and New York Fed President Timothy Geithner seeking details on how the buyout was negotiated.
``Americans are being asked to back a brand-new kind of transaction, to the tune of tens of billions of dollars,'' Baucus said in a statement. ``With jurisdiction over federal debt, it's the Finance Committee's responsibility to pin down just how the government decided to front $30 billion in taxpayer dollars'' for the deal, Baucus wrote.
The committee's inquiry may herald a broader congressional backlash to the agreement, which Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada has described as a ``bailout.''
``Economic times are tight on Main Street as well as on Wall Street, and we have a responsibility to all taxpayers to review the details of this deal,'' Baucus wrote. Grassley said the panel wants to determine whether the arrangement sets a precedent ``for federal involvement when other firms overextend themselves'' and ``whether taxpayers will lose money here.''
....
Is the reason for this review the volume of mail these Senators have gotten? Wasn't that the source of the debate you and Patrick had: whether or not writing letters to your Senator or congressman makes a difference?
ReplyDeleteIs the reason for this review the volume of mail these Senators have gotten?
ReplyDeleteIt's more likely that they have -- like you, Andy -- realized the absolute futility of the democratic system and, having come to terms with the great burden of responsibility laid upon them by sheer twist of fate, have ventured with stout hearts and faces set like flint to, you know, "do the right thing anyway".
Also, "Baucus" is a way cool name for a politician or other famous dude. "Rock us, Baucus, see you at the caucus."
I see no evidence from this story that it was a massive letter-writing campaign that triggered this activity on the part of the congressmen.
ReplyDeleteOff-off-off-topic: maybe I'm in a disgusting sort of mood, but I was just thinking about how getting "probed" by the Senate doesn't sound very pleasant to me.
ReplyDeleteandy, i wish for your sake that you were joking. but i know you're not.
ReplyDeleteNo, I'm not joking. Nothing in the story makes reference to a letter-writing campaign on behalf of consitutents. That's not a joke; it's a fact. Nor do I think it's an irresistable inference that one is moved to draw from the story.
ReplyDeleteI changed my mind; I think someone threatened to tickle them.
ReplyDeletepauli, you've got to be right, someone must have threatened to tickle them. but now we must ask ourselves the following, highly relevant question: whether the tickling threat came via a "massive letter-writing campaign" or some other method of communication (say, carrier pigeon, smoke signals or coded messages on talk radio).
ReplyDeleteYawn.
ReplyDeleteYawn? Hey, man, I'm just getting fired up... ready to hit the after hours clubs. Let's go.
ReplyDeleteroll over, sleepy andy
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