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MeMeMeSoHony
10-05-2003, 04:17 PM
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (Oct. 4) - U.S. Rep. Cass Ballenger blames the breakup of his 50-year marriage partly on the stress of living near a leading American Muslim advocacy group that he and his wife worried was so close to the U.S. Capitol that "they could blow the place up."

The nine-term Republican lawmaker, in an interview with The Charlotte Observer published Saturday, called the Council on American-Islamic Relations - whose headquarters are across the street from his Capitol Hill home - a "fund-raising arm" for terrorist groups and said he reported CAIR to the FBI and CIA.
Ballenger, 76, told The Associated Press on Saturday that he had no problem with Muslims generally, but that he objected to what he believes are ties the group has with terrorists.

"The only difference I have is that building across the street. In my opinion, it should never have been leased" to the group, Ballenger said.

His wife, Donna, told The Associated Press the couple kept a close eye on CAIR since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and worried that the group's activities might jeopardize security on Capitol Hill.

"This gang across the street is questionable," she said Saturday.

The council, which looks out for Muslims' civil rights and sponsors interfaith gatherings, on Saturday urged other Republicans to repudiate what it called Ballenger's "bigoted" statements.

Ballenger's "bizarre comments demonstrate the sheer lunacy of his political and religious views," said Arsalan Iftikhar, the council's legal affairs director.

Ibrahim Hooper, a spokesman for CAIR, told the Observer that Ballenger's unsubstantiated remarks were bigoted.

"It's unworthy of an elected official at the national level," Hooper said. "You wonder what he's been doing in Congress if this is the kind of analysis he does: 'You're a Muslim, so you're guilty."'

Ballenger made the comments during a Wednesday phone interview with the Observer in which he discussed his legal separation from his wife, the newspaper said.

In addition to CAIR, he told the newspaper that another stress on the marriage was the 1995 decision by "holier-than-thou Republicans" in the House to ban gifts from lobbyists. The meals and theater tickets from lobbyists once meant "a social life for (congressional) wives," Ballenger said.

Ballenger's wife also said the move by "do-goody Republicans" to restrict the money spent on members of Congress and their spouses had helped turn Washington into a less desirable place to live. "Just a dinner now and then" would do no harm, she said.

Last December, Ballenger also drew criticism when he said then-Rep. Cynthia McKinney, a black Democrat from Georgia known for her abrasive style, had stirred in him "a little bit of a segregationist feeling."

He later apologized.


Ballenger said in the latest interview that after the 2001 terrorist attacks, his wife was anxious about all the activity at CAIR, including people unloading boxes late at night and women "wearing hoods," or headscarves, going in and out of the office building.

"That's 2 1/2 blocks from the Capitol," he said, "and they could blow it up."

Ballenger said he reported the activities to the FBI and CIA.

FBI agent John Iannarelli said all reports made to the FBI are kept confidential unless there is an arrest.

CAIR, founded in 1994, has denied suggestions by some conservatives that it has ties to Middle Eastern groups linked to terrorist acts. It took out a full-page ad in The New York Times condemning the Sept. 11 attacks and sponsored an interfaith "Day of National Unity" in Washington on the attack anniversaries.

"We meet with the FBI quite often," Hooper said. "Our chapters have town hall meetings with the FBI to discuss discrimination and hate crimes (against Muslims)."

Zahid Pajek, president of the Islamic Society of Greater Charlotte, said Saturday he couldn't understand the Ballengers' concerns about the group.

"That's kind of really strange, because those people are mostly citizens of the U.S," he said. "That's kind of strange logic."

Source AOL News

Rat Faced
10-05-2003, 08:38 PM
Im sure Representatives get more than enough salary to give their wives a "social life".....

I think its way over time to make Politicians retire at the state retirement age......as this senile old b'd clearly shows.

Same goes for Judges etc...

Why the hell do we put people with a high risk of mental health problems such as Alzheimers in situations where they have the power over peoples lives?

Yet these same people make their own employees retire at 60, even if they cant claim State Pension until 65... (well, in the UK they do...dont know the retirement provisions elsewhere)


(yes, im well aware that its changing, and they are now proposing to make them work until 65-70 before being able to draw their civil servant pensions, despite just changing the pension provisions last year <_< )

hobbes
10-05-2003, 08:41 PM
Originally posted by Rat Faced@5 October 2003 - 21:38


Why the hell do we put people with a high risk of mental health problems such as alchemers in situations where they have the power over peoples lives?




You mean that old people suffer from a disease in which they want to turn lead into gold?

/me ducks

j2k4
10-05-2003, 08:54 PM
Originally posted by hobbes+5 October 2003 - 15:41--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (hobbes @ 5 October 2003 - 15:41)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-Rat Faced@5 October 2003 - 21:38


Why the hell do we put people with a high risk of mental health problems such as alchemers in situations where they have the power over peoples lives?




You mean that old people suffer from a disease in which they want to turn lead into gold?

/me ducks [/b][/quote]
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :)

Rat Faced
10-05-2003, 09:08 PM
Hobbes,

Unlike JPaul, j2k4, Clocker and yourself.....im unedicated.

JPaul can explain to your goodself...being from Newcastle; English is a second language to me ;)

:P

J'Pol
10-05-2003, 09:11 PM
Fraid not, I am ineducated, so the explanation would be unpossible for me.

These people who pick others up on their spelling are just pathetic, there&#39;s no need for it. Just ignore them.

bigboab
10-05-2003, 09:23 PM
Originally posted by Rat Faced@5 October 2003 - 20:38
Im sure Representatives get more than enough salary to give their wives a "social life".....

I think its way over time to make Politicians retire at the state retirement age......as this senile old b&#39;d clearly shows.

Same goes for Judges etc...

Why the hell do we put people with a high risk of mental health problems such as alchemers in situations where they have the power over peoples lives?

Yet these same people make their own employees retire at 60, even if they cant claim State Pension until 65... (well, in the UK they do...dont know the retirement provisions elsewhere)


(yes, im well aware that its changing, and they are now proposing to make them work until 65-70 before being able to draw their civil servant pensions, despite just changing the pension provisions last year <_< )
[QUOTE]

Just to keep you up to date. Alzheimers for most people is a controllable disease. I should know as I suffer from it. The reason most politicians are old is the fact that it takes them that long to move up the ladder(not physically :P ). I think it would be a good idea to divide the parliament into divisions with equal numbers of specific age ranges.

hobbes
10-05-2003, 09:26 PM
Anyway, I suffer from a genetic condition which makes me act like an "ass" from time to time.

Thanks for your understanding, you see, I am a victim.

Rat Faced
10-05-2003, 09:27 PM
If we got rid of them earlier, there would be vacancies earlier ;)

bigboab
10-05-2003, 09:31 PM
Originally posted by Rat Faced@5 October 2003 - 21:27
If we got rid of them earlier, there would be vacancies earlier ;)
[QUOTE]

How do you propose to &#39;get rid of them&#39; in a democratic country?

Rat Faced
10-05-2003, 09:34 PM
Same way they "get rid" of me........compulsary retirement.

Whats good for the goose.....

Biggles
10-05-2003, 09:40 PM
I am not clear as to why concern about neighbours across the road, which they both seemed to share, caused a marriage breakup. Did I miss something? Or was it the lack of bribes (sorry gifts) that caused the breakup?

bigboab
10-05-2003, 09:41 PM
Originally posted by Rat Faced@5 October 2003 - 21:34
Same way they "get rid" of me........compulsary retirement.

Whats good for the goose.....
[QUOTE]

Was that the Government? I see they are proposing the sum of £30.000 if you work on till 70. I wonder how many of them will qualify? :P