Washington Watch Articles From 2008
My Mother:A Lebanese American Woman’s Life
My mother Salemi (Celia Ann) Zogby died last week at the age of 92.
The headline in the local Utica, New York newspaper, “Zogby Matriarch dies at 92”, told only part of her story. She had been, to the end, a leader of my extensive extended family. But she was also a leader in her community.
A Disturbing Thought
One of my guests was Newsweek Magazine’s award-winning investigative journalist Michael Isikoff. I had invited him to join me to discuss his cover story in this week’s issue, “The Fed Who Blew the Whistle” (the story of the federal agent who exposed the Bush Administration’s illegal wiretapping of U.S. citizens), and his ongoing coverage of corruption in Illinois politics – now highlighted by the arrest of that state’s Governor, Rod Blagojevich.
Politics:The Art of the Possible
Since the article I wrote (alternately titled “Lessons to be Learned” or “Rahm Emanuel and Arab Perceptions”) has generated some discussion, I want to offer a few further reflections:
It is vitally important that Arab Americans engage in politics, but it must be understood is that politics and political empowerment are processes.
Obama:Principles and Pragmatism
Because reality is never ordered and always unpredictable, Presidents should be counseled to avoid setting rigid agendas, or developing too-grand a vision to define their approach to foreign affairs. In fact, looking back in history, it is safe to say that Presidents are most often defined as successful not by the agendas they set, but by how they adapt their agendas to respond to crises that unpredictable reality that sets for them.
Arab- and Muslim-BashingFailed in 2008
In looking back at the now-completed Presidential contest it is striking to note the degree to which Arabs, Muslims, and Islam itself, were factored into the race.
Arabs Should Act Now –Not Wait for Obama
Because expectations across the Middle East are so high and the need for change is so great, during the next two months, all eyes will be focused on the early decisions made by President-elect Barack Obama.
Rahm Emanuel andArab Perceptions
On November 5th, my office sent an email to tens of thousands of our members and contacts congratulating President-elect Barack Obama
Obama’s Victory:Why We Celebrate
On many levels the election of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the U.S. represents a transformative moment in my nation’s history. I realize that there are some cynics and critics who will find reason to dismiss the significance of this victory, but they are wrong – and I want to share some personal reflections and vignettes from the campaign that describe this moment’s meaning for so many Americans.
Final Notes Before Election Day
You are reading this just hours before the conclusion of the longest and costliest campaign in American history. Every national poll shows Democratic candidate Barack Obama with a comfortable lead, as do polls in most key battleground states the candidate must carry in order to secure the 270 electoral votes needed to win the election.
Shake-up in the Senate
While the contest for the White House dominates national and international media coverage, it is important to remember that there are also 35 Senate seats and all 435 Congressional posts being contested this year. As significant as the battle for the White House is, control of Congress can be a critical factor in the success or failure of the next president.
A Disturbing Episode
It was a brief episode in what has been a long and grueling campaign, but it spoke volumes about an issue that has been percolating since this election began.
Electoral College Calculus
News that the McCain presidential campaign was pulling out of Michigan (stopping its television ads, removing staff and canceling events) hit the political world hard last week. McCain’s strategists had come to the conclusion that they could not win that state and, therefore, decided to refocus their energies and resources elsewhere.
Listening to Sarah Palin
Media commentators were breathless in anticipation of the Vice Presidential debate between Democrat Joe Biden and Republican Sarah Palin. Given Palin’s repeated gaffes in television interviews there was an expectation that she might self-destruct in this nationally televised event.
“The HouseThat George Built”
While Sarah Palin was speed-dating world leaders in Manhattan (“Hi, I’m Sarah and I have lots of executive experience – I command our National Guard, and my hobbies are moose hunting and hockey
Arab AmericansIn the Mainstream
Late last week my Institute released the results of a HYPERLINK "http://www.aaiusa.org/resources/384/the-arab-american-vote"poll detailing both how Arab Americans are likely to vote in this year’s presidential contest and the reasons behind their preference.
Palin-tology(Unearthing What She Means)
As much as the Obama phenomenon exposed a fault line in the American body politic, with Obama struggling to heal this divide, its opposite, the Palin phenomenon, confounded these efforts, working instead to deepen the rift. These days, the gap is wide, with the two sides looking across the chasm incredulously, appearing, at times, to speak different languages.
The Conventions Are Over –Now the Race Begins
The Republican Party was rocked by two storms as it began its national convention last week. With Hurricane Gustav about to hit the Gulf Coast on Monday, the “Grand Old Party” (or GOP, as it is called) was forced to drastically curtail the first days’ program. Haunted by memories of Hurricane Katrina and the insensitivity and incompetence of the Bush Administration’s initial response to that disaster, the Republicans did not want to be seen as conducting “business as usual.”
At the End of theDemocratic Convention
We are at the midway point in the official launch of the 2008 election. One convention has ended, another is just beginning. I write from Denver, the site of the Democrat’s meeting; and as is always the case, this has been an exhausting and exhilarating week. The formal evening meetings of the convention were only part of the story. But what a story.
An Early Look:Michigan’s Arab Americans And the 2008 Elections
In the lead-up to the two national conventions – marking the formal opening of the presidential campaign season – I traveled to Michigan to see how Arab Americans in that important state are assessing the contest.
Crisis in Georgia,McCain and Obama React
By now it’s become a cliché to suggest that the crisis in Georgia has presented both Senators McCain and Obama with a “3 a.m. moment.