Lebanon Army boosts security measures near Ain al-Hilweh
Heavy congestion was reported at the entrances to Ain al-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp in southern Lebanon Friday...
Friday, 23 January 2015
Lebanon Army finds 3 more bodies of soldiers as guns fall silent
Lebanon Army finds 3 more bodies of soldiers as guns fall silent
The Army discovered three more bodies Saturday of soldiers killed during intense fighting with jihadi militants the...
West Wing Week: 1/23/15 or, "B is for Believe"
This week, the White House was a flurry of activity during the lead up to -- and aftermath of -- the President's State of the Union Address, featuring follow up trips to Kansas and Idaho, the second annual "Big Block of Cheese Day," and YouTube stars bringing their flair to the East Room to interview the President. That's January 16th to January 22nd or, "B Is For Believe."
The TSA Discovered More Than 2,000 Guns At Airports Last Year
Here's a way to end your week with fresh pangs of anxiety: The Department of Homeland Security announced that TSA agents discovered upwards of 2,000 firearms at domestic airports in 2014. The TSA found an average of six weapons per day—83 percent of which were loaded—for a 22 percent year-over-year increase in overall discoveries. The TSA also found an estimated 1,400 gun-like objects, including replicas and stun guns.
At LAX, agents found an Mk 2 hand grenade in a carry-on bag. In Honolulu, an IED training kit was discovered inside a checked bag. In Tampa, six blocks of inert C-4. And on June 4, 2014, a record 18 firearms were discovered in various carry-on bags around the country.
Read the full list here (if you can stand it).
[H/T: NPR]
Abdullah Lebanon’s great friend, leaders say
BEIRUT: Lebanon announced Friday three days of mourning for the death of Saudi King Abdullah, with Lebanese leaders describing the late monarch as Lebanon’s great friend and biggest supporter.
Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Tammam Salam will fly to Saudi Arabia Saturday with a delegation of MPs and ministers to pay condolences to King Salman, Crown Prince Muqrin and Deputy Crown Prince Mohammad bin Nayef.
The Saudi Embassy in Lebanon announced that it would be receiving condolences over three days Saturday, Sunday and Monday at Mohammad al-Amin Mosque in Downtown Beirut.
Berri offered his condolences through cables to Saudi King Salman, Crown Prince Muqrin and Deputy Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Nayef.
For his part, Salam said that Lebanon had lost the wisest of Arabs and a great friend of Lebanon.
“It is with great sorrow and grief that we announce to the Lebanese the [death] of the wisest of Arabs and Lebanon’s greatest friend, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, his Majesty King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz, after a long life of service to his country and [Arab] nation,” Salam said.
He said with the death of King Abdullah: “Lebanon lost [a figure of] support and backing who always stood by his side in times of crisis, and never hesitated to extend a helping hand.”
Salam praised him for what he said were his numerous initiatives that were aimed at boosting Lebanon’s national unity, peace and security.
Lebanon and other Arab and Muslim countries “lost a unique, courageous leader who had always upheld their causes and concerns.”
Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri called on fellow Lebanese to mourn King Abdullah “who has continually offered support for Lebanon.”
“The Arab and Islamic nation lost a brilliant leader and an exceptional figure, who marked the history of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the region with great achievements and initiatives that will remain a benchmark for political interaction, economic progress and social growth for the kingdom and its Arab surrounding,” Hariri said in a statement.
Hariri called on the Lebanese people, “who always had a special place in the heart of King Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz, that rose to the level of a father-son relationship,” to declare a day of mourning in all areas “as an expression of popular loyalty to a man who always supported Lebanon and stood by it in the most difficult times.”
In an interview with Al-Arabiya later in the day, Hariri recalled a phone call he received from Abdullah after jihadi gunmen overran Lebanon’s northeastern border of Arsal last summer.
“He offered a lot to the Lebanese Army, and he believed that he should support the fight against terrorism in Lebanon. He therefore gave Lebanon a $1 billion grant to fight this kind of terrorism and extremists,” he said.
“He called me that day, late at night, and insisted on the announcement of this grant, because he saw the gravity of extremism.”
In a separate interview with Future News TV, Hariri said that ties between Lebanon and Saudi Arabia would not change under King Salman, who he said was a great admirer of Lebanon.
Hariri took part in King Abdullah’s funeral in Riyadh.
MP Walid Jumblatt tweeted: “The great Arab knight departed...”
In a second tweet Jumblatt praised King Abdullah, describing him as the biggest friend of his slain father Kamal Jumblatt, assassinated in 1977.
Kataeb Party leader Amine Gemayel offered his condolences as well to King Salman. “We were bereaved with the passing away of King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz, who was a friend of Lebanon and a brother of all the Lebanese under all circumstances,” Gemayel said in a cable.
“When I was a president and even after that, I personally felt how much he cares about Lebanon,” he added.
Five Lebanese soldiers killed in battles with militants
BAALBEK, Lebanon: Lebanese troops, backed by heavy artillery and helicopter gunships, battled Syria-based jihadis on Lebanon’s northeastern border Friday, killing at least 18 militants and losing five soldiers.
Sixteen soldiers were also wounded in the fierce clashes which continued through Friday night in a serious escalation with Islamist militants entrenched in caves in the rugged mountains of the northeastern town of Arsal near the border with Syria.
A senior military official said the clashes, which began at 7:30 a.m. in Tallet al-Hamra and on the outskirts of the village of Ras Baalbek near Lebanon’s eastern frontier with Syria, caused “a large number of casualties among the terrorists.”
“The Army has lost five martyrs and 16 wounded,” the official told The Daily Star. He added that troops were using heavy artillery and helicopter gunships to pound militant hideouts on the outskirts of Arsal.
Prime Minister Tammam Salam threw his weight behind the Army in its ongoing battle against terrorism. He spoke by telephone with Army commander Gen. Jean Kahwagi to assure him of the government’s “full support” for the military’s action to defend Lebanon and safeguard the security of the Lebanese.
“The Lebanese stand united behind their Army. They have no choice but to win in this battle which has been imposed on them,” Salam said in statement released by his office.
“They will not let a bunch of terrorists break their national conviction and tamper with their stability.”
A security source said a soldier went missing and at least 18 militants were also killed in the clashes, which erupted after the militants attacked and tried to capture an Army post in Tallet al-Hamra.
“The terrorists’ attack came in response to the Army’s recent successes in foiling a series of suicide attacks and dismantling vehicles laden with explosives,” the military official said.
Earlier, the Army said in a statement that it recaptured the Tallet al-Hamra post after militants briefly overran it in the morning.
The statement said the attack came in light of an Army ambush Wednesday night against militants attempting to infiltrate the Wadi Hmayyed checkpoint in nearby Arsal, during which four militants were killed. The statement also linked the attack to the foiling of an attempt to transport a bomb-rigged car to Lebanon Thursday.
“As a result of the fierce clashes that erupted between the Army forces and terrorist groups, these forces tightened their control of Tallet al-Hamra at noon today after expelling the terrorist elements, inflicting a large number of casualties among them,” the statement said. It added that the Army suffered “a number of martyrs and wounded.”
“The Army will continue to boost its measures and target the gatherings and routes of the gunmen on the outskirts [of Arsal] with heavy weaponry, in addition to combing the area of the clashes in search for hiding gunmen,” the statement said.
Earlier Friday, Kahwagi warned the militants against tampering with the country’s stability. “The Army is carrying out its duties to the fullest, and it is able to repel any attempt to infiltrate peaceful villages in the eastern Bekaa Valley or [those] tampering with the internal stability on all Lebanese territory,” he told reporters at his office at the Defense Ministry in the Beirut suburb of Yarze.
Separately, a brief clash erupted overnight between militant groups themselves on the outskirts of Arsal. Local media said the fight pitted ISIS militants against Liwaa al-Tawhid, an armed rebel Syrian group that was originally formed to coordinate the battle for Aleppo.
The Army dismissed media reports that military outposts in Wadi Hmayyed and Wadi Hosn on Arsal’s outskirts came under militant attacks.
Militants last month ambushed an Army convoy on the outskirts of Ras Baalbek, killing six soldiers. ISIS and Nusra Front militants are still holding 25 soldiers and policemen hostage on Arsal’s outskirts after killing four.
New U.N. envoy pushes for new president
BEIRUT: It is important that Lebanon elects a new president as soon as possible, the U.N.’s new envoy to Lebanon, Sigrid Kaag, said Friday during meetings with Lebanese officials, urging all sides to prevent the security situation in the south from deteriorating. Kaag had a meeting with Prime Minister Tammam Salam at the Grand Serail, after which she told reporters that she and the premier discussed a number of key issues.
“I don’t need to spell them out but they relate to the overall situation of stability, security and stabilization of the country which is so precious to all of us, [and] the importance of finding an early mechanism to elect a president. The significance of this of course is very well understood,” Kaag said.
She said the U.N. would continue to support Lebanon’s government and its partners “in addressing all the wider range of needs, be they on the political front, security, ensuring progress toward implementation of Security Council Resolution 1701, but also looking at effective ways of implementing the [Lebanese Crisis Response Plan].”
The LCRP was announced by the government late last year. It sets out ways for the government to deal with the presence of over 1.1 million registered Syrian refugees and requires $2.14 billion of funding.
Kaag said the U.N. would work on securing funds so the organization, the Lebanese government and its partners could effectively address the huge needs of both Syrian refugees and Lebanese host communities.
As for the security situation, Kaag said she discussed with Salam last week’s Israeli strike on a Hezbollah convoy in Qunaitra in Syria, which killed six party fighters and an Iranian commander. The attack raised fears of retaliation from Hezbollah, which would hurt security in the southern area bordering Israel.
“I reiterated, and the prime minister very much spoke to this, the statement by the Secretary-General urging all parties to refrain from any action that could directly or indirectly lead to an escalation of the current situation. So we come back to SCR 1701, [and] the tremendous role and collaboration that UNIFIL provides in the country,” Kaag said.
Kaag assumed her duties as U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon last week, replacing Derek Plumbly.
Later in the day Kaag met with Hezbollah’s international relations officer Ammar Musawi, according to the group’s press office. She also visited Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea at his Maarab residence and Kataeb Party leader Amine Gemayel in Bikfaya.
Defense lawyers poke holes in Diab’s STL testimony
BEIRUT: Former MP Salim Diab endured a grueling cross examination at the Special Tribunal for Lebanon Friday, as the defense sought to cast him as an unreliable witness. Antoine Korkmaz, the lead defense attorney for suspect Mustafa Baddredine, repeatedly drew attention to apparent inconsistencies and opaque points in statements that Diab had given to U.N. investigators in the wake of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri’s assassination.
Diab, who was Hariri’s electoral campaign manager, testified that on two occasions he had shared information with the U.N. International Independent Investigation Commission (IIIC), the body charged with looking into the massive blast which ripped through Downtown Beirut on Feb. 14, 2005, killing the former prime minister and 21 others.
Diab admitted that he had told investigators about hearing a rumor regarding an individual who was supposedly paid $500,000 to change the route of Hariri’s convoy the day of the assassination. Diab apologized in court Friday, saying that he could not recall the source of that information.
Diab also said that after hearing that the Syrian government wanted to kill him in the summer of 2005 he pleaded with an important sheikh from Aleppo to resolve his case. Diab apologized profusely once again, saying that he did not remember the name of the sheikh.
Diab shrugged off some of the questions by responding that he was in “a state that was very bad” for months after the assassination.
When pressed by Korkmaz to “make an effort,” Diab insisted that he was not willingly withholding any information.
“I wish I could give you more information about everything, but I am not here to say anything that I don’t remember for sure,” Diab said.
Separately, the family of former MP Adnan Arakji rebutted testimony which Diab gave Thursday. Diab had claimed that the Syrian government compelled Hariri to include the late Arakji on his electoral ticket in the 1996 parliamentary elections.
“Claims that the late Arakji was imposed on the slate of Martyr Rafik Hariri are totally baseless,” a statement by Arakji’s family said.
“Particularly because he was highly popular, specifically among Beirutis and this cannot be ignored,” the statement added.
It said, however, that Arakji had business and friendship ties with Syrian leaders and people for over 50 years, adding that “we are proud of this friendship.”
Diab’s testimony is part of the political evidence being presented before the U.N.-based tribunal tasked with prosecuting those responsible for killing Hariri. Five Hezbollah members are being tried in absentia for the crime.
Lebanese officials praise late King Abdullah
BEIRUT: As Lebanon went into mourning Friday following the death of Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah, there was an outpouring of condolences and tributes to the late leader.
Politicians and religious figures across the spectrum praised his support for Lebanon and promotion of regional stability.
Justice Minister Ashraf Rifi “With the passing of King Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the Islamic and Arab worlds, lost a brave and wise leader,” Rifi said in a statement.
He praised the late king for his “strategic stances that aimed at enhancing security, peace, growth and development.”
Foreign Minister Gebran BassilIn a cable to Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal, Bassil, who is currently participating in the World Economic Forum in Davos, said: “We were hurt by the news of the death of the custodian of the two holy mosques.”
Bassil described the king’s death as a great loss to the kingdom, the Arab world and Lebanon, saying the leader had dedicated his life to his country, his people, his nation and Arab issues.
Information Minister Ramzi Joreige “With his death, we lost [a figure of] support for Lebanon in calamities, especially given that he was one of those big men that take tough and wise decisions in times of hardship,” Joreige said in a statement. He praised Abdullah as a man of peace and equality who always stood by Lebanon and its Army.
“We wish King Salman and the crown prince Muqrin the best so that they can continue with the late king’s path and manage the kingdom’s affairs with justice and wisdom,” he said.
Telecommunications Minister Boutros Harb“The death of King Abdullah is a great loss for the kingdom, the Arab and Muslim worlds and for the globe,” Harb said in a statement, adding that it came at a time when the region was in need of such a strong decision-maker.
“The king left behind numerous achievements for his country and nation in development, reconstruction and education,” Harb said, adding that King Abdullah managed to turn the kingdom into a major power in today’s world.
MP Marwan Hamade King Abdullah was one of the most prominent and influential figures regionally and internationally, Hamade said in statement.
“He opened a new era full of historical achievements, diversified the sources of national income and bolstered liberties,” the MP said, expressing his confidence in the kingdom’s tranquil future following the accession of King Salman to the throne.
Deputy Speaker Farid Makari With the passing of King Abdullah, all Arabs lost a great king who was helping with their issues and seeking all that unites them, Makari said in a statement.
“He was courageous in taking initiatives and a leader whose wisdom characterized him,” he added.
“With his death, we Lebanese have lost a friend who cared about Lebanon,” he said.
Makari also wished luck to the newly ascended King Salman.
MP Mohammad Qabbani “With his absence, the kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the two Arab and Islamic worlds lost a brilliant leader,” Qabbani said in a statement.
“Lebanon in particular lost a bigger brother who supported [it] in all political and development fields,” he added, noting two generous grants over the past year to the Lebanese Army and security forces.
MP Nadim GemayelWith the passing of King Abdullah, Lebanon lost a supporter who stood by it during hard times, Gemayel said in a statement.
The king “was keen on Lebanon’s sovereignty and independence ... and was the supporter of the Lebanese Army and security institutions,” he said.
He also thanked the late king for his love and faith in Lebanon, offered Saudis his condolences and confirmed the ongoing strength of Lebanese-Saudi relations.
Lebanese Democratic Party leader MP Talal Arslan King Abdullah turned his country into a hub for sciences, education, and social affairs among other fields, Arslan said.
“This puts Saudi Arabia on the rank of countries that are a source of pride on every level.”
Al-Jamaa Al-Islamiya Secretary-General Ibrahim Masri King Abdullah’s death is a loss for the Arab and Muslim worlds, Masri said.
“Al-Jamaa Al-Islamiya in Lebanon offers you [the kingdom] and the Saudi people its condolences for your deceased and the deceased of Arabs and Muslims,” the group said in a cable sent to King Salman.
The group also prayed that the kingdom would be able to overcome the challenges put in front of it following King Abdullah’s death.
Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdel-Latif Derian “The whole world suffered a big loss with the [death] of the custodian of the two holy mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz, a pioneer in moderation and openness in the Muslim world,” Derian said in a statement. Druze Spiritual Leader Sheikh Naim Hassan Describing the late king as a devotee to Lebanon’s stability, Hassan said: “He supported the journey of building the Lebanese government and its official institutions.”
He said he admired the late king’s wisdom and courage, adding that Abdullah was a man of chivalry.
“He renounced extremism and opened up the doors of dialogue between religions and civilizations,” Hassan added, expressing his hope that the new king and his heir would continue along the same path.
Head of the Higher-Shiite Council Sheikh Abdel-Amir QabalanThe Arab nation lost one of its icons and pioneers who contributed to its renaissance and advancement, Qabalan said.
“We won’t forget his last stance on terrorism and his demand to renounce violence and aggression,” he said.
Mufti of Tyre Sheikh Hassan Abdallah “We will miss the man who stood by Lebanon in hard times and helped facilitate communication between communities,” Abdallah said, lauding the late king’s contribution to rebuilding the country after each round of Israeli aggression.
“We hope that the kingdom keeps adapting the same approach,” he said, wishing King Salman luck.
Palestinian official: Camps won’t shelter wanted fugitives
SIDON, Lebanon: A senior Palestinian official wrapped up a five-day visit to Beirut Friday by pledging that refugee camps would not serve as a shelter for outlaws or people wanted by Lebanese authorities.
The remarks by Azzam al-Ahmad, a member of the Fatah Movement’s Central Committee, after holding talks with Interior Minister Nouhad Machnouk, signaled readiness among Palestinian factions to cooperate with Lebanese authorities to find a peaceful solution to the problem of fugitives Shadi Mawlawi and Osama Mansour.
The Islamist fugitives are Lebanon’s most-wanted, who, according to Machnouk, are hiding in the Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp located on the outskirts of the southern city of Sidon.
“Palestinian camps will not be a place of shelter or [provide] protection for any fugitive in Lebanon or anyone who harms Lebanon for a criminal or political reason,” Ahmad told reporters after meeting Machnouk. “The camps’ security is an indivisible part of Lebanon’s security. Palestinian camps will not be open to any wanted people or outlaws.”
Asked if his remarks meant that Palestinian factions were ready to hand over wanted people hiding in Ain al-Hilweh to Lebanese authorities, Ahmad said: “My statement is clear. We are committed to Lebanon’s security. When we are told that someone is a fugitive, we will cooperate until this person leaves the camp and is in the hands of Lebanese authorities. I expect news about this subject in the coming hours.”
Mawlawi and Mansour, who fled Tripoli after the Lebanese Army crushed Islamist militants in the northern city in October, are wanted for their links to the Jan. 10 twin suicide bombing in the Jabal Mohsen district that killed at least nine people and wounded more than 30 others. They are also wanted in connection to a series of suicide bomb attempts that have been foiled by the Army.
Ahmad, who is responsible for Lebanese-Palestinian relations, has held talks focusing on the camps’ security with Speaker Nabih Berri, Prime Minister Tammam Salam, Army commander Gen. Jean Kahwagi and security officials.
His visit comes at a delicate time, when Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon are again in the limelight and under political and media scrutiny. In particular, Ain al-Hilweh, the largest of Lebanon’s 12 refugee camps, is being closely monitored following the Tripoli twin bombings.
“Various Palestinian factions are united over the protection and stability of Palestinian camps with full and firm Palestinian commitment to the Lebanese state’s sovereignty and authority over all Lebanese territories, including the Palestinian camps,” Ahmad said.
He added that he had discussed with Machnouk attempts by local, regional and international powers to exploit the Palestinian camps and use them to harm Lebanon’s stability and security.
Palestinian sources said Ahmad’s talks with Lebanese officials centered on finding a peaceful solution to the issue of fugitives in Ain al-Hilweh.
Islamist groups in Ain al-Hilweh have asked their representatives to contact militant Muslims, who reportedly know the whereabouts of Mawlawi and Mansour, to convince the two fugitives to secretly leave the camp in order to avert a military clash with the Lebanese Army stationed at the camp’s entrances, the sources said.
Although the response to the Islamist groups’ demand was only partially positive, it may bear fruit, with Mawlawi and Mansour leaving the camp in the next few hours in the same manner they had entered it, the sources said.
Hamas official Ahmad Abdel-Hadi confirmed that Mawlawi was hiding in Ain al-Hilweh.
“We are working with all [Palestinian] forces to bring him out of the camp,” Abdel-Hadi told The Daily Star. “We assure everyone that efforts are underway to solve the problem. There will be no trouble. The Mawlawi case will be finished within days.”
Sheikh Abu Sharif Akel, a spokesman for the militant group Osbat al-Ansar, rejected a military action in the camp to solve the problem of the fugitives. He said his group has begun contacts with the party that is giving shelter to Mawlawi in order to convince him to leave Ain al-Hilweh.
Earlier Friday, Ahmad said Lebanese and Palestinian authorities would coordinate efforts to peacefully resolve the issue of fugitives. “There is a continuous, steady and solid coordination between the Palestine Liberation Organization, the Fatah Movement, the Future Movement and [MP] Bahia Hariri,” Ahmad said after meeting with the Sidon lawmaker in Majdalyoun.
When asked about whether he has received a list of names of wanted suspects in Ain al-Hilweh, he said: “It is not a list but a few names that we haven’t heard of from Lebanese officials until two days ago.”
Miss Lebanon keeps crown in spite of selfie controversy with Miss Israel
BEIRUT: Saly Greige will continue her duties as Miss Lebanon for 2014, Tourism Minister Michel Pharaon announced Friday, ending a week of speculation over her fate after she was heavily criticized for appearing in a photo with Miss Israel.
“Based on the information [obtained], of course there isn’t any reason to punish Miss Lebanon or to strip her title,” Pharaon said at a news conference.
A picture of Greige smiling with Miss Israel, Doron Matalon, as well as Miss Japan and Miss Slovenia went viral last weekend, prompting many to call on the ministry, which sponsors the event, to strip her of her title, given that contact of any sort with the Jewish state is illegal for Lebanese citizens. Lebanon and Israel have technically been in a state of war since 1949.
But Pharaon Friday said Greige deserved the country’s full support, adding that she had been the target of smear tactics, mostly by the international media.
“She is being subjected to a racist campaign, a campaign against a region [and one] that doesn’t have any basis ... There is a real and random campaign taking place,” Pharaon said.
When it first emerged, the photo caused uproar among many Lebanese, particularly following a report by Al-Jadeed TV, which in turn was picked up by international media outlets.
Earlier this week, the minister announced he would launch a probe into the incident and would keep the case open until Greige returned from Miami in order to gather more information about the incident.
“Of course, we consider that Miss Lebanon is the ambassador of tourism in Lebanon so we had to keep up with the incident, investigate it and see how to deal with it,” Pharaon said. “This isn’t a trial as what some called it.”
Pharaon said it was important for them to look into the level of responsibility displayed by Greige throughout her participation in the beauty contests – Miss World and currently Miss Universe – and how she dealt with the photo incident.
Another major determinant was Greige’s intentions behind the photo, he said, citing a quote from an interview with Miss Israel 2014 Mor Maman, in London last month.
“On one of the trips they took us on [during the Miss World competition], some of us girls wanted to take a selfie. Miss Lebanon wanted to join but asked me where I was from. When I told her I was from Israel, she declined the photo,” Pharaon quoted Maman as saying.
He called it “conclusive evidence” that showed Greige’s clear intention to avoid photos with Miss Israel.
Matalon, who was first runner-up in the Miss Israel competition, went on to represent her country in the Miss Universe competition.
Pharaon also referenced an interview of Miss Egypt Lara Debbane on an Egyptian channel in December, in which Debbane said Matalon had tried to snap a photo with Greige during the Miss World pageant on numerous occasions.
This was the line that Greige took in her personal defense of the photo, arguing that Miss Israel effectively “photobombed” her.
“From the first day I arrived at the Miss Universe pageant, I was very careful not to take any pictures with Miss Israel,” Greige, who has a master’s degree in civil engineering, wrote on her Facebook page, adding that Matalon “tried repeatedly to take pictures” with her.
“While I was preparing with Miss Slovenia and Miss Japan to get our photograph taken, Miss Israel jumped in and took a selfie with her phone and posted it on social media,” she wrote.
This is far from the first time this sort of controversy has erupted, although it is likely that the explosion of technology and social media has helped fan the flames much more.
Pharaon pointed to several previous participants that found themselves in a similar photographic bind to Greige, including Hanya Baydoun, Gladys Tabet, Georgina Rizk and Ghada Turk.
Not everyone took it quite so seriously, however.
The CEO of We Group, which manages the Miss Lebanon pageant, suggested the whole affair had been blown out of proportion.
“I think we should stop [talking about] this because this is what the Israelis want and we fell into the trap,” Richard Pharaon told The Daily Star Thursday, adding that there was no reason Greige should be stripped of her title.
Over in the United States, political satirist Jon Stewart dedicated part of Monday’s edition of The Daily Show to mock the controversy.
“I get that Israel and Lebanon share an intractable enmity but come on – the Miss Universe pageant?” he exclaimed, before adding: “It’s a beauty pageant, they’re all enemies!”
U.S. Careful Amid Turmoil And Transition In Yemen, Saudi Arabia
The White House is facing uncertainty in the wake of political turmoil in Yemen and political transition in Saudi Arabia.
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Mike Huckabee Says Beyoncé Is Too 'Vulgar' For American Kids
"Very likely, very possible" presidential candidate and erstwhile Fox News personality Mike Huckabee stopped by The Daily Show last night to promote his charmingly alliterative new book, God, Guns, Grits, and Gravy . Through the course of a seven-minute interview, Huckabee and Stewart debated a range of topics relating to the larger theme of domestic xenophobia. Huckabee referred to New York, D.C., and Hollywood as "bubbles" and conveniently wrote off the rest of the country as "bubbas."
Pay no mind to the fact that, as of the 2010 Census, 8 of the top 10 U.S. cities by population are located within Huckabee's definition of "bubba" country. Huckabee accusses "well-educated" people like members of the Harvard faculty, of thinking that these "bubbas" who toil in flyover country simply do not matter. On the flip side, Huckabee argues that "bubbas" are able to fully "get" the people in the bubbles because of how they are portrayed in television and movies.
Huckabee: "It's not that one is better..."
Stewart (under his breath): "Yes it is."
Huckabee: "Well if it is, it would be bubbaville."
Kindly disregard the fact that, during his term as Governor of Arkansas, Huckabee's Lieutenant Governor was a member of the Rockefeller family. And kindly disregard the fact that Beyoncé, who Huckabee accuses of crudeness and vulgarity, was born and raised in one of his "bubba" states (Texas). Huckabee laments Beyoncé's perceived negative influence on young girls, and implies that she would be more wholesome if she weren't a member of the "bubble."
"Do you know any parent who has a daughter who says, 'Honey, if you make really good grades, someday when you're 12 or 13, we'll get you your own stripper pole?'" Huckabee asks. Stewart then cuts to a clip of Huckabee playing bass on a live version of "Cat Scratch Fever" alongside conservative icon Ted Nugent. Huckabee insists that Nugent's song is an "adult song" that is geared toward adults, therefore Nugent and Beyoncé are mutually exclusive. Well, there ya go.
Watch it below:
The Daily Show
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[H/T: The Cut]
Iowa Freedom Summit Looks Something Like 2016 Is Underway
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, seen here at the inauguration of Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad, will attend the Iowa Freedom Summit. Charlie Neibergall/AP hide caption
itoggle caption Charlie Neibergall/AP
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, seen here at the inauguration of Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad, will attend the Iowa Freedom Summit.
Charlie Neibergall/AP
Take a nearly century-old theater in downtown Des Moines. Fill it to capacity, — that's 1,200 audience members and another 200 credentialed media — bring in a lineup that includes almost 10 would-be, might-be, could-be Republican presidential hopefuls, and it's looking like the 2016 campaign is officially underway.
Rep. Steve King of Iowa, a conservative from the northwest corner of the state, is hosting the Iowa Freedom Summit Saturday along with Citizens United.
The event is King's attempt to have an outsized impact on the outcome of the first-in-the-nation Iowa caucuses, which will take place just one year from now.
King's big issue is immigration, and he wants candidates to go on the record. He wants them to oppose any kind of deal with Democrats and the White House that would lead to the kind of immigration reform that many leaders at the Republican National Committee have suggested might help the party begin to cut into the huge gap that Democrats enjoy when it comes to the Latino vote.
But King's strong and blunt language on the issue attracts critics even from within his party. The latest outcry came when he saw the announcement that one of the so called DREAMers — young people in this country illegally because they were brought here as children by their parents — would be seated with the first lady at the State of the Union. King tweeted that Obama had invited "a deportable to sit in place of honor at #SOTU w/1st Lady."
The format for the event is somewhat casual. Speakers won't deliver stump speeches, but will sit on a living room style stage setup, and have a conversation with Rep. King.
Confirmed to appear are a group of current and former governors considering a run for the White House. That group includes Scott Walker, who was just re-elected in neighboring Wisconsin, and New Jersey's Chris Christie. Many say Christie is too moderate for Iowa, but he's had a close relationship with King for several years now. Also on the program are Rick Perry of Texas, who just left office, and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.
Others slated to appear are Sen. Ted Cruz, former Sen. Rick Santorum (the winner of the 2012 Iowa caucuses), retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, former business executive Carly Fiorina, former Ambassador John Bolton, and Donald Trump.
There are big names skipping the Freedom Summit as well, most notably Jeb Bush and Mitt Romney. Kentucy Sen. Rand Paul and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio are missing it as well. Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal also won't be there. His office says he'll be attending a Global Prayer Gathering in Baton Rouge.
Still, it's a big lineup for the event, which is a new addition to the quadrenniel Iowa caucus calendar of big events. It's just one item in what will be a long and busy year in Iowa in advance of the caucuses. Over time, there will be debates, photo-ops on farms, the big Ames Straw Poll this summer and, of course, the Iowa State Fair where every candidate is expected to hold court before an up-close crowd not far from the midway and the livestock pavilions.
The Freedom Summit maybe the first of many Iowa events, but it's a chance for all of these yet-to-declare presidential candidates to meet the state's GOP activists and to make an impression.
Why Would Marco Rubio Run For President? Why Wouldn't He?
Florida Sen. Marco Rubio's first term ends in 2016. Rubio is considering a presidential run, but under Florida law would not have to file papers to run for re-election until May 2016. J. Scott Applewhite/AP hide caption
itoggle caption J. Scott Applewhite/AP
Florida Sen. Marco Rubio's first term ends in 2016. Rubio is considering a presidential run, but under Florida law would not have to file papers to run for re-election until May 2016.
J. Scott Applewhite/AP
Republican heavyweights Mitt Romney and Jeb Bush are already out shaking the money trees for possible 2016 presidential runs, and now Florida Sen. Marco Rubio is putting out the word that he is, too.
His Reclaim America PAC has hired prominent fundraiser Anna Rogers. His major donors are gathering in Miami Beach Friday and Saturday for a "Team Rubio 2016" political update and finance committee meeting. Rubio is featured Sunday at the billionaire Koch brothers' in Palm Springs, along with fellow senators and presidential hopefuls Ted Cruz and Rand Paul. Then Rubio will spend next week in California attending fundraisers, and a big part of February on a book tour that will take him to all the early voting primary states.
Of course, actively jumping into fundraising doesn't necessarily improve Rubio's odds — or even the likelihood that he will ultimately run.
He's still in his first term in the Senate after serving two years as Florida House speaker. He faces a crowded field of rivals, led at the moment by 2012 nominee Romney and former Florida Gov. Bush. Romney has proven he can raise $1 billion for a presidential run, and Bush has set upon an aggressive fundraising push that will include 60 finance events by the end of March.
Given those challenges, the obvious question arises: Why would Rubio run? In reality, though, a better question might be: Why wouldn't Rubio run?
A full year before the first voters are set to cast ballots, there are a number of good reasons for Rubio to go ahead with a presidential bid right now, at least for the coming months.
Here are five:
Practice makes perfect
Running for president isn't easy. It's a big country, and even when focusing on the early voting states for campaigning and the big money states for fundraising, a presidential bid is a costly, time-consuming, difficult production – which help explains why many of those who have won their party's nomination have only done so after trying and failing in previous attempts. Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bob Dole, Al Gore and Mitt Romney all come to mind. Running now, even in the likely event that Rubio falls short, still adds to his email and fundraising lists – way more than just running for re-election does.
The money is just as green for a Senate run
Money raised by Rubio's leadership PAC can be used by Rubio as he explores a presidential run – or it can be used as he contemplates a run for re-election in 2016. If Rubio gets to the point where he creates an actual presidential campaign account and then winds up not running, Federal Election Commission rules allow any money left over to be transferred to Rubio's Senate account (subject to individual contributor limits). Similarly, if Rubio's allies were to create a superPAC that's not technically under his control, presumably they would be in sync with his goals and switch over to support his run for re-election, should he ultimately do that. As to his statements that he will not pursue both offices at once – he wouldn't have to. He could run for president now, decide later this year to give up on that goal...and then some months later announce that an outpouring of support from Floridians has persuaded him to seek re-election, after all. Florida's filing deadline for federal candidates is not until May 2016. Rubio would have plenty of time for a graceful transition.
David Rivera
The former Florida congressman is facing a federal investigation into his 2012 re-election bid. A friend of Rivera has already been convicted of steering money to a sham candidate in the Democratic primary that year, and that friend has been talking to prosecutors about Rivera's role. Unfortunately for Rubio, Rivera was his closest confidante and top lieutenant during Rubio's years in the Florida House. The two even co-owned a home in Tallahassee, on which a bank started foreclosure proceedings after they missed a number of payments over a dispute over the mortgage terms. Rubio has not been implicated at all in Rivera's 2012 problem, but their association will no doubt be an issue Rubio's opponents will use in a presidential run. But on a subsequent presidential run, Rubio could shrug off queries about Rivera as old news – as a topic that's been thoroughly vetted previously.
Sell, sell, sell
Rubio is out with his new book, American Dreams. And while someone like Romney, whose net worth is in the neighborhood of a quarter-billion dollars, may not need the money, Rubio probably could. He's only 43, and has spent most of his years since leaving law school in elective office. The $174,000 salary for members of Congress is more than triple the median household income, but it must pay for running two households, one in pricey Washington, D.C., and one in almost-as-pricey Miami. Which book is more marketable: one by a senator who's already settled on seeking a second term? Or one by a presidential aspirant? (Granted, most books don't make a ton of money. But $4 a book selling, say, 20,000 copies? That's not so shabby.)
The Naval Observatory isn't so bad
Running to be the chief executive of the United States when still in your first term in the Senate might be a stretch – particularly when your party has made President Obama's similar inexperience a major critique. But the number two job on the ticket? Some of the features that make Rubio so attractive as a presidential candidate – his Cuban-American ethnicity, his youth, his presumed strength in a key swing state – might be just as attractive as a running mate. (That is, if the nominee is anyone other than Bush. Bush has a Mexican-born wife, is fluent in Spanish and is arguably a stronger statewide candidate in Florida than Rubio.) And then, win or lose, Rubio would be considered a top contender either 4 or 8 years later. So if 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue is out of reach this time, the house a couple of miles to the northwest maybe isn't a bad second choice.
The Wackiest Products You Should Have Bought on SkyMall
Being our semi-regular weekly survey of what's goin' down in the several states where, as you know, the real work of gov...
5 Surprises From President Obama's YouTube Interviews
President Obama poses for a selfie after he was interviewed by YouTube stars GloZell Green, left, Hank Green and Bethany Mota. YouTube hide caption
itoggle caption YouTube
President Obama poses for a selfie after he was interviewed by YouTube stars GloZell Green, left, Hank Green and Bethany Mota.
YouTube
The White House has been hitting it especially hard on social media these days — it rolled out several previews ahead of President Obama's State of the Union address and an enhanced "river of content" during the speech as well.
But the latest — and splashiest — addition came Thursday, when the president sat down for interviews with three YouTube stars: GloZell Green, known for her outrageous experiments and observations, Bethany Mota, a 19-year-old who gives makeup and decorating tips, and Hank Green, who co-creates videos about science, tech and more.
Some of the questions got right to the point. Obama glossed over issues of race and policing during his State of the Union address, but GloZell Green forced him to expand on the issue with this question: "I hope that this changes, how can we bridge the gap between black, African-American males and white cops?"
Nineteen-year-old Bethany Mota asked the president why she, and other young people, should even care about politics. And high-five, Hank Green, for saying what many younger viewers were thinking as they watched Tuesday's State of the Union — is it all just talk?
Who knows? A Buzzfeed-style gif-a-thon featuring Taylor Swift might be next. Until then, here are five takeaways from the YouTube interviews:
1. There was real talk on policing.
Though she's known for an over-the-top style in her videos, GloZell Green shared a few serious moments with the president. One came when she told him she cut the hoods off all her husband's sweatshirts because she fears for his safety. "I'm afraid when he goes outside that somebody might shoot and kill him. And it's not like regular folks, it's the po-po." She also said she has three family members in law enforcement.
Obama replied, "First of all, we always have to just remind ourselves that the overwhelming majority of police officers, they are doing a really tough job and they're doing it well."
"What we also know is that there are still biases in our society, that in split-second situations where people have to make quick decisions, that studies have shown African-American males are seen as more threatening which puts them in more vulnerable positions," he said.
2. The elephant in the room.
Hank Green said there were some "great ideas" in Tuesday's speech but that he joined others in being "a little worried that none of them are at all politically feasible. Am I wrong?"
"There are some areas where I think we can get some Republican cooperation," Obama replied. "There are some areas where it's important for us to frame the debate, and get the American people behind us."
3. The interviewers were refreshingly honest.
Mota had a confession: Before preparing to interview the president, she said, "I never really followed politics that much."
"Politics is just — How do we organize ourselves in a society? How do we make decisions about how we're going to live together?" the president responded.
"You better have a voice and know who's going on and making decisions," he said, adding that young people will get into politics through the issues that matter to them like the environment, student loans, and LGBT rights.
Mota shared that she was cyberbullied when she was younger. Asking the president's advice on preventing bullying, he said "I think this is one area where your voice is more powerful than the president of the United States."
All in all, the president didn't stray far from his talking points. But the questions weren't too silly and were surprisingly candid.
4. The questions personalized policy.
While the sit-downs touched on news events, the questioners did a nice job of making complex policy issues accessible and personal.
"I thought I was able to say whatever I wanted to say," GloZell Green said. "But then the Sony hacking thing happened. And it's like 'Why didn't the government help Sony feel protected and safe enough to release the film on time? Because the fallout affects me."
Obama didn't really answer the question, but did address how the government will work with private companies to share best practices on how they can protect themselves. "It's sort of like with your own ATM card or your passwords, your personal privacy, there's certain things you can do to make yourself more protected."
"So you're gonna be alright, people are gonna still be able to watch your show. I promise."
5. The moment that wasn't.
One of GloZell Green's most infamous videos is of her attempting the cinnamon challenge (warning: this video can't be unseen). She ate a ladle full of cinnamon, spit it out, and earned 42 million views. During her interview with the president, there was a jar of cinnamon, a ladle and a glass of water on a table behind them. We waited, but nothing happened.
Ukrainian Separatists Reportedly Abandon Peace Talks
A Russian-backed separatist rebel aims his machine gun while protecting a supply position in the Kievsky district, about a mile from the Airport, in Donetsk, Ukraine, on Thursday. Manu Brabo/AP hide caption
itoggle caption Manu Brabo/AP
A Russian-backed separatist rebel aims his machine gun while protecting a supply position in the Kievsky district, about a mile from the Airport, in Donetsk, Ukraine, on Thursday.
Manu Brabo/AP
Ukraine's Russian-backed separatists appear to have turned their backs on peace talks in the wake of recapturing a key airport in the country's east from government forces.
Reuters says there are signs of an impending rebel offensive against the few areas in the region still under government control and that "One separatist leader said his pro-Russian rebels have launched a multi-pronged offensive and won't join further peace talks - but left unclear whether they would respect this week's agreement to pull back heavy weapons from the front line."
The news agency quotes separatist leader Alexander Zakharchenko as saying the rebels will fight for more territory and are advancing in several directions to push Ukrainian forces back to the edge of the Donetsk region.
As recently as Sunday, Ukrainian government forces claimed to be on their way to regaining full control of the shattered airport.
NPR's Corey Flintoff reports that Kiev contends that "the separatists have advanced far beyond the lines that were drawn in the September cease-fire agreement. [And separatist leaders] say they intend to capture all the land in two key eastern provinces."
On Thursday, rebels captured the Donetsk Airport, which despite being destroyed amid months of tit-for-tat shelling has remained a focal point of the fight in the area.
"By Thursday, it was clear [that] the Ukrainian Army was in a chaotic and bloody retreat, leaving behind their dead in the ruins of the main terminal, a Russian news video showed. Later in the day, in an official statement, Ukrainian military officials acknowledged that they had lost the battle.
"In Donetsk, rebels forced a dozen captured Ukrainian soldiers to kneel on the streets near where artillery fire had gutted a trolley bus, killing at least eight people, encouraging passers-by to beat and spit on them."
According to the BBC, 13 people were killed in the shelling of a bus in the rebel-held city.
"[R]ebels paraded captured Ukrainian soldiers at the scene of the bus shelling, as onlookers shouted abuse and pelted them with debris from the blast site."
Five Lebanese soldiers killed in east Lebanon clashes: Army source
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Watch President Obama's Interview with YouTube Stars
The East Room was transformed yesterday as three YouTube stars recreated their libraries and living rooms for an interview with the President. Nearly 500,000 viewers tuned in live as YouTube creators Hank Green, GloZell, and Bethany Mota sat down for one-on-one interviews that covered topics from education and gridlock in Washington, to Cuba policy and how to get more young people engaged in politics.
Launching the Presidential Challenge for Advanced Outdoor Lighting
We take it for granted that outdoor lights are there to help keep America moving after the sun goes down. But the outdoor lighting when you drive your car down the road at night, cheer for your favorite baseball team, or load groceries into your car after work uses energy and takes a bite out of budgets in cities and towns across the country.
Outdoor lighting in the U.S. will consume enough energy to power 6 million homes this year, costing cities about $10 billion annually.
That is why we are working with mayors to deploy the latest technologies to determine how best to light their cities while saving money. Using today's new technologies, local governments can cut their outdoor lighting bills by 50 percent or more. Today we are launching the Presidential Challenge for Advanced Outdoor Lighting, and tripling the DOE Better Buildings program goal of upgrading 500,000 poles to 1.5 million, to encourage more mayors to lead their cities with this win-win solution.
Qunaitra strike proves Israeli-takfiri collaboration: Hezbollah MP
BEIRUT: The recent Israeli strike that killed six Hezbollah members in the Syrian village of Qunaitra serves as proof that Israel and "takfiri" groups share the same objective in Syria, a Hezbollah MP said Friday.
“This attack proved again the convergence between the Israeli plan and that of the takfiri groups, which [both] aim to destroy the resistance by targeting Syria,” Hasan Fadlallah said at a ceremony in Adsheet village of Nabatieh, south Lebanon.
“This convergence is not only manifested in the military aid and hospitalization services, but also in direct military intervention, which happened in Qunaitra and in the previous Israeli assaults on Syria.”
He said the attack on the convoy was proof that Hezbollah has succeeded in foiling Israel’s plans in Syria, and that its ultimate battle is against the “Zionist project.”
Last week’s Israeli strike killed Jihad Mughniyeh, the son of late-Hezbollah senior commander Imad Mughniyeh, military commander Mohammad Issa and four other of the groups fighters. Iran announced that a commander in the Revolutionary Guard was also killed in the attack.
Fadlallah said the development was enough to answer the criticism of the opponents of Hezbollah’s involvement in the Syrian war.
“They were killed defending Palestine, Syria, the resistance, Lebanon and its people,” he said. “The place and time have their own significance. The Israeli felt that his plan, on which he built dreams and expectations, has begun corroding due to the persistence of resistance in Syria.”
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Texas parents oppose naming school after Lebanon
BEIRUT: Board members of a school under construction in a southern U.S. town are under pressure from parents to change its name from Lebanon High School to something more American sounding, local media reported.
“The present-tense [sic] name of a country that was in the news all the time with reference of war and battle ground [sic] was always what was on my mind when I would say the name Lebanon,” Liffey Skender, a mother, was quoted by The Dallas Morning News as telling the school's trustees in December.
“The word Lebanon still reminds me of all the sad [sic] and turmoil that goes on in the Middle East.”
School officials had said that the name was chosen to honor the Lebanese community that had been present and contributed to the development of Frisco, Texas.
"For a high school name, it doesn't fit this community," another parent told a local television reporter, according to the BBC.
"Memories of Lebanon may be found throughout Frisco," the school said in a statement explaining its choice of the name.
The school is meant to be "an acknowledgement to those who once lived and farmed in this community and who have contributed greatly to the Frisco and Frisco [Independent School District] of today."
There used to be another school in the area called Lebanon School which operated until 1947, TDMN said, noting that the city sill has Lebanon Road and Lebanon Baptist Church.
But school officials said earlier this month that they might be forced to change the name to avoid the confusion with Liberty High School, another school in the district which uses the same abreviation (LHS).
According to TDMN, spokeswoman Shana Wortham said the name might change to Lebanon Community High School.
She insisted a name change would not be the result of pressure from parents who opposed the name Lebanon altogether.
SkyMall Has Filed for Bankruptcy
Bad news for people who love absurd workout gadgets, hair-growing laser helmets, bizarre shape-altering underwear, gnomes, and generally wasting time on a long flight: SkyMall is dead. Katy Stech, bankruptcy reporter at The Wall Street Journal, tweeted this morning that the company behind the in-flight catalog has officially filed for bankruptcy.
The announcement is sad if not surprising. The Los Angeles Times reported back in April on the company's financial troubles, driven partly by a failure to keep up with the times and partly by losing what was once a captive in-flight audience. Passengers now have iPads, e-readers, and many other forms of entertainment besides browsing SkyMall cover to cover to find the weirdest item.
The company wants to try to save the beloved catalog. Which is good to hear, since the news of SkyMall's demise has some fans feeling not quite themselves.
Originally published by Popular Mechanics.
Fire engulfs residential building near Beirut, 12 injured
Saudis swarm Twitter to mourn king
Joining a swarm of Saudis taking to social media on Friday, veteran news broadcaster Abdullah al-Shihri said he would...
Lebanon PM, speaker travel to Riyadh for condolences
BEIRUT: Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Tammam Salam will head a Lebanese delegation to Riyadh to offer condolences over the death of King Abdullah.
A source from the Grand Serail told The Daily Star that the delegation will also include several ministers and MPs.
The Royal Court announced that King Abdullah had passed away early Friday.
Abdullah's brother Salman was named as Saudi Arabia's new king, and Prince Muqrin as Crown Prince.
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Senate Says Climate Change Real, But Not Really Our Fault
Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., was the only senator to vote against an amendment calling climate change "real and not a hoax." J. Scott Applewhite/AP hide caption
itoggle caption J. Scott Applewhite/AP
Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., was the only senator to vote against an amendment calling climate change "real and not a hoax."
J. Scott Applewhite/AP
Breathtakingly broad as its jurisdiction may be, the U.S. Senate does not usually vote on the validity of scientific theories.
This week, it did. And science won. The Senate voted that climate change is real, and not a hoax. The vote was 98-1.
The vote was about an amendment to the bill approving the Keystone XL pipeline project. The near unanimity of the climate change judgment was notable, because so many senators have cast doubt on ideas of "global warming."
Republican Sen. Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma, a former mayor of Tulsa and longtime friend to the oil industry, even has a book out entitled The Greatest Hoax: How the Global Warming Conspiracy Threatens Your Future.
But, to the surprise of many, Inhofe actually voted for the "not a hoax" amendment offered by Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, a Democrat from Rhode Island.
Of course, Inhofe could do that and then vote against another, later amendment attributing climate change to human activity. (Relax, Tulsa, Sen. Inhofe has not changed his stripes.)
"The hoax is that there are some people who are so arrogant [as] to think they are so powerful that they can change climate," Inhofe said in a speech on the Senate floor. "Man cannot change climate."
As it turned out, the only vote against the "real and not a hoax" language was cast by Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi. Wicker's is not a major energy producing state, but Wicker could have been thinking of a gusher of another kind.
According to the non-partisan Center for Responsive Politics, oil and gas interests in the most recent election cycle (2013-14) gave about $56 million to the campaigns of parties, candidates and outside interest groups. The overwhelming preponderance of this money went to Republicans and outside interest groups favoring Republicans.
As the brand new chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, Wicker might not have wanted to offend the oil and gas people in his first month on the job.
While Wicker stood alone against the mere admission of climate change, he had lots more company in his party when he voted against an amendment that recognized some human contribution to the problem. On this amendment, Wicker and Inhofe were joined by three dozen other Republicans in rejecting any attribution of human responsibility — even that which was gently alleged in compromise language offered by Republican Sen. John Hoeven of North Dakota.
Hoeven's amendment managed to clear the 60-vote threshold for approval because the Democrats voted for it and because there were 15 Republicans willing to say that, yes, people are contributing to climate change. The 15 included Rand Paul of Kentucky, a 2016 prospective presidential candidate, and also John McCain of Arizona, the GOP's 2008 nominee
Other major committee chairs backing the Hoeven language were Bob Corker and Lamar Alexander, both of Tennessee, Orrin Hatch of Utah and yes, even Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, one of the great energy-producing wonder states.
They were joined by GOP colleagues Rob Portman of Ohio, Dean Heller of Nevada, Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, Jeff Flake of Arizona, Mike Rounds of South Dakota, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Susan Collins of Maine, Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire and Mark Kirk of Illinois.
Most of these 15 represent states that are net consumers rather than producers of energy. And five of them are facing re-election next year in states that have been voting Democratic lately in presidential years: Portman, Toomey, Collins, Ayotte and Kirk.
Five of the 15 who were willing to acknowledge some human contribution were also willing to say that human activity "significantly" contributed to climate change. This stronger language, offered by Sen. Brian Schatz, a Democrat from Hawaii, failed the 60-vote threshold. But this hard core of five Republicans were willing to endorse it, including two New Englanders (Collins and Ayotte), Kirk from deep blue Illinois and sometime mavericks Graham and Alexander.
Perhaps only Kirk and Ayotte of this group have any real political worries in 2016. But the presence of even a few GOP apostates on any issue so close to the heart of the party's ethos and fundraising base was enough to give satisfaction — grim or otherwise — to some on the other side of the aisle.
Sen. Bernard Sanders of Vermont, a left-leaning independent, was swift to predict that the center of gravity in the GOP would continue to move away from fossil fuels. Perhaps. But this week, a Sanders amendment explicitly describing that as the future trend was soundly defeated on the Senate floor.
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