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The McCain Hezbollah "Connection" *

April 30, 2008 8:37 PM

The campaign of Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., removed a man from his Michigan Finance Committee today.

It started after conservative writer Debbie Schlussel called Michigan businessman Ali Jawad not only a supporter of Hezbollah -- a group the US State Department labels a "terrorist organization" -- but also claimed he was a "key agent of the terrorist group in the Detroit area."

After Schlussel started asking questions the McCain campaign removed him from the finance committee for a May fundraiser.

"Apparently he is a well known member of the Arab-American community in Dearborn," a McCain staffer tells ABC News. "He is also a known Republican donor and former Bush finance committee member. When these rumors surfaced he notified the campaign and we removed him from the finance committee. The guy never raised a dime for us and he isn’t even a contributor."

Yes, that's right, the McCain campaign said they removed him because of "rumors."

Jawad is president of Armada Oil & Gas Company and founder of the Lebanese American Heritage Club.

In 1997 he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor insurance fraud. Prosecutors accused him of submitting names of non-employees to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan to receive health insurance benefits and claims. He received two years of probation and he paid approximately $6,000 in fines and restitution.

In this 2002 story, Jawad is quoted saying he "rejects talk that Hezbollah is a terrorist organization that should be shunned by the United States and other governments. 'Killing innocent people -- we reject that,' he said. 'Hezbollah does not fit this category. It has protected its people.'"

Read Schlussel's story -- she lays out many charges against him.

You will note in one photograph in Schussel's story, Jawad is sitting at a table with Michael Rosen, a lawyer and policy advisor with the U.S. Office of Terrorist Financing and Financial Crimes of the U.S. Treasury Department, and Andrew Arena, Michigan FBI Special Agent in Charge, and formerly in charge of Counterterrorism for the New York FBI.

This all seems a little odd to me.

Is there anyone out there who thinks McCain supports Hezbollah? Was McCain truly offended by the notion that an Arab-American businessman with sympathy for Hezbollah supports him? Or was today's move just to deprive Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, of some future rebuttal?

- jpt

* I don't mean "Connection" literally.

UPDATE: I spelled Schlussel's name incorrectly in this original post. Apologies to her; it has been corrected. Moreover, Schlussel says that there was more to the conclusion of USA v. Makki et al, than the small fine I reported. More than $252,000 was ordered to be repaid, most of which came from or Armada Oil, and one associate was sentenced to 8 months in prison and about $75,000 in fines and restitution.

April 30, 2008 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (27)

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Jake,

I know you did not mean "connection." LOL

The photo op is odd, I agree. There could be an explanation and it would be reasonable. I don't intend to post it. Think, Jake. You can figure it out. I know you can.

Posted by: countallthevotes | Apr 30, 2008 10:29:36 PM

In the landmark civil fraud case against Bill Clinton in Los Angeles, where the former President is charged with defrauding a Hollywood dot com millionaire to help Hillary Clinton obtain more than $1.2 million from him for her 2000 Senate campaign, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Aurelio Munoz ruled on Friday, April 25 that Hillary Clinton would not be required to testify in a sworn deposition as a material witness in the case until AFTER the November election!

Equally surprising as the ruling was the judge’s request to Hillary defense lawyer David Kendall to “say hello to his ( Judge Munoz”) friend Bill, also a partner in Kendall’s law firm”

Same Old, Same old

Posted by: Thinking | Apr 30, 2008 10:13:23 PM

Belle Star -

How long have you worked for the Republican party? I've read your posts, and they're all over the map, but the one common thread is Pro-Republican spinning.

This thread has NOTHING to do with any supposed misdeeds of Obama. It was John McCain's campaign that's jumped all over the Democrats for Carters behavior, and attacked Obama for a supposed terrorist endorsement.

You see, Johnny One Note ("The terrorists are coming, the terrorists are coming!") in deciding to "McCarthy" people with guilt-by-association politics, he opened the door to being accused himself of any unsightly connections. Now, thanks to him, everyone and their uncle in this campaign season will be scrutinized for any possible excuse to "force" the campaigns to fire them or repudiate them.

It's just foolish. Bet he's wondering if this was poor judgement on his part to open that door. Wouldn't be the first bad judgement on his part.

Posted by: fontapa | Apr 30, 2008 9:57:17 PM

After purer-than-thou candidate Obama jumped all over Jimmy Carter for talking with Hamas (who endorsed Obama), what else could McCain really do? It's the same as Obama dumping his precious preacher when the media hopped on THAT. They're both disgusting.

Posted by: Belle Starr | Apr 30, 2008 9:09:46 PM


It is very hard to predict who will win this fall. What is the connection between Mr. Obama and Blackwell money laundering scheme? Is this just some baseless smear?
Also, AP reports that Mr. Obama voted three times for gas tax holiday as an Illinois Senator. Now, he is criticizing his opponents for favoring such a tax holiday.

Posted by: Onlooker | Apr 30, 2008 9:09:06 PM

I'm absolutely positive that you and all your MSM buddies will abide by your rubric, and brand it w/ the IOKIYAR imprimatur.

McCain gets yet another pass.

And you call yourself a journalist - the First Amendment weeps.

Posted by: dmhlt | Apr 30, 2008 9:06:24 PM

Politics is full of "Strange Bed Fellows". Either way McCain will loose this Nov.

Posted by: Thinking | Apr 30, 2008 8:58:25 PM

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