Lieberman Lite: Congressman Engel's alliance to Rev. Hagee's Armageddon Group

On Monday, LEFT of the HUDSON guest blogger, AmeriGus, posted a laundry list of Rep. Eliot Engel's (NY-17) not so progressive stances:

He reminded us of Engel's passive-aggressive snubbing of Net Neutrality, his active role in creating corporate media mergers and monopolies, his blind saber rattling that lead us into a war with Iraq, his unflinching stance against impeachment, and his cheerleading for a Columbian Free Trade Agreement. Even worse, Engel wants to write George W. Bush a blank check to invade Iran, even going so far as to chastise Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi for trying to insert language in a House appropriations package to keep the President from using funding for our current wars to subsidize military action against Iran.

Ms. Pelosi removed the clause after a group of conservative and pro-Israel Democrats threatened to vote against the appropriations package if it included the provision tying the president's hands.


One of those members, Rep. Eliot Engel, a Democrat from New York, said yesterday he counted between 20 and 27 members who would have voted against the funding measure if it included the Iran language. Rep. Gary Ackerman, another Democrat of New York, said he thinks the dissenters had even more votes.

But what's most unforgivable is Engel's past and continuing support of Rev. John Hagee and his minions, people who want to bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb Iran because it plays to their cult-like, fatalistic, Armageddon/end-of-the-world scenario.

While it became widely reported yesterday that Democratic turncoat Joe Lieberman will have Hagee's back at the Christians United for Israel Conference, very few know that Engel, along with Lieberman will be sharing the stage in late July with the abusively anti-Catholic, abolition mocking, gay bashing, Hitler apologist.

We're going to take Rep. Engel behind the woodshed below the fold.

It's bad enough when Democrats don't vote or act like Democrats, and we've come to expect a bit of that (although we might whisper "DINO" behind their backs). However, I find it quite unforgivable when a member of my party breaks bread and appeases those that are the sworn and bitter enemies of everything the party stands for. I also find it shocking that any Democrat would give the time of day to a group of dangerous dominionists and theocrats.

Even John McCain's campaign now understands that Rev. Hagee and his acolytes make up a good part of the right-wing maniacal fringe. And now, after wrongfully kissing Hagee's ring and soliciting his endorsement earlier this year, McCain has now washed his hands of him.

I've heard many people argue that CUFI, Hagee's group, has been a staunch ally of the nation of Israel, but I argue that there are some friends that you just don't want to have. If you went to the CUFI conference last year, as video blogger Max Blumenthal did, you'd find that the Hageeites are not so much supporters of Israel, but fatalists that believe there must be a State of Israel in order for them to be ready for The Rapture.

To my knowledge, Rep. Engel, who is a member of the Democratic Leadership Council, has attended these CUFI conferences before, in 2006 and 2007, and he is scheduled to take the stage before Rev. Hagee at the conference this July.

I can accept that Joe Lieberman now feels free to turn his back on his former party, but what of Engel? Will the Congressman turn his back on his core constituency from the liberal Rockland and Bronx counties and the moderate Westchester County? Are we going to let him?

It's important that Democrats everywhere to remind Rep. Engel that the enemy of your enemy is not necessarily your friend. And in the future, he has to choose his friends more carefully.

Please call, visit, fax or e-mail Congressman Engel's offices.

Here are the addresses and phone numbers of his offices:

Washington, DC
2161 Rayburn HOB
Washington, DC 20515
Phone : (202) 225-2464
Fax: (202) 225-5513

Bronx
3655 Johnson Avenue
Bronx, NY 10463
Phone : (718) 796-9700

Rockland
261 West Nyack Road
West Nyack, NY 10994
Phone : (845) 735-1000

Westchester
6 Gramatan Avenue; Suite 205
Mt. Vernon, NY 10550
Phone : (914) 699-4100

You can e-mail Engel's office using this form.