ridiculing a Gold Star mother, off limit a sense of decency
文章來源: TJKCB 於 2016-08-01 15:08:41
No use. can't convince anyone, otherwise. FYI - a sense of decency
Trump campaign asks Capitol Hill for backing in Khan controversy
By Richard Cowan and David Morgan,Reuters1 hour 55 minutes ago
By Richard Cowan and David Morgan
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's campaign appealed to Capitol Hill for support on Monday as his attacks on the Muslim parents of a decorated U.S. soldier killed in Iraq drew sharp rebukes from fellow party members.
Trump's criticism of Khizr Khan and Ghazala Khan, who took the stage at last week's Democratic convention, sparked a growing wave of concern and dismay from Republican lawmakers responding to the latest Trump outburst to blindside his party colleagues.
Republican Senator John McCain, a former prisoner of war and the most prominent veteran in Congress, along with the commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, joined the chorus of condemnation, reflecting the highly regarded place the military and its veterans hold with many in the United States.
Trump's dispute with the Khans has dominated the White House campaign in recent days and underlined the uneasy alliance between many leading Republicans and the party's freewheeling, unorthodox nominee for the Nov. 8 election.
Rob Wasinger, a onetime congressional candidate who has been working for the Trump camp on congressional outreach, sent an email to senior Senate aides saying, "We want to get several member statements out today on this, and would really appreciate your help."
A similar appeal was made to Republicans in the House of Representatives, according to a senior aide.
Attached to the appeal were talking points lawmakers could use to try to tamp down the controversy growing since last week's appearance at the Democratic convention by the Khans, the parents of U.S. Army Captain Humayun Khan, who was killed by a bomb in Iraq 12 years ago.
The Trump campaign did not respond to requests for comment, and Wasinger refused to comment when contacted by telephone.
A senior Senate Republican aide, who asked not to be identified, said Republican senators were pleased with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's statement on Sunday calling Captain Khan "an American hero" and noting "a travel ban on all members of a religion is simply contrary to American values."
At the same time, the aide said the controversy would probably not cause Republican senators to withdraw their endorsements of Trump.
In his convention speech delivered with his wife at his side, Khizr Khan showcased his son's military service and criticized Trump's call for a temporary ban on Muslims from entering the United States, holding up a copy of the U.S. Constitution and suggesting Trump read it.
Since then, Trump has complained he was "viciously" attacked by the couple and suggested Ghazala Khan might not have been "allowed" to speak, implying her silence reflected restrictions placed on women by some traditional Muslims.
McCain, the 2008 Republican presidential candidate and current chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, issued a lengthy statement sharply criticizing Trump's comments.
"While our party has bestowed upon him the nomination, it is not accompanied by unfettered license to defame those who are the best among us," said McCain, a prisoner of war for five years during the Vietnam War.
His counterpart on the House Armed Services Committee, Representative Mac Thornberry of Texas, echoed McCain, saying in a statement that he was "dismayed at the attacks Khizr and Ghazala Khan have endured after they spoke about their son's service and sacrifice."
The head of the 1.7 million-member Veterans of Foreign Wars also said Trump's attack on the Khans went too far. Trump and Clinton spoke to the group's national convention last week.
'NO TOLERANCE'
"Election year or not, the VFW will not tolerate anyone berating a Gold Star family member for exercising his or her right of speech or expression," said Brian Duffy, the national commander of the country's oldest and largest war veterans organization, referring to families who have lost relatives in wars.
In the talking points sent to lawmakers, the Trump campaign said he had been asked about the Khans' comments during the convention and wished them well. The talking points also noted that Trump "wants to end radical Islamic terror, so that our soldiers like Mr. Khan's son will be safe."
The list also says Trump had not directly compared his sacrifices to the Khans. Trump said over the weekend he had also made sacrifices in his life by working hard, creating jobs and being successful.
The Khans bristled at that suggestion and, in numerous television appearances over the weekend, said Trump was ignorant about Islam and about their family's sacrifice.
Trump's off-the-cuff insults and controversial proposals such as the Muslim ban and a plan to keep illegal immigrants out by building a wall along the Mexican border, have made many in the party establishment reluctant backers of his White House bid.
In his statement, McCain recalled how Humayun Khan died, saying that when a suicide bomber aimed his vehicle toward a building housing hundreds of U.S. soldiers, the captain told his subordinates to stay away, then ran toward it.
McCain thanked the Khans for coming to America, saying "your son was the best of America, and the memory of his sacrifice will make us a better nation – and he will never be forgotten."
In a remarks to television networks on Monday, Khizr Khan said Trump lacked the empathy to be a leader and chided him for throwing the first salvo in their exchange.
Asked on CNN what message he could give Trump, the father said he wanted to maintain his family's dignity and convey to Trump "that a good leader has one trait ... empathy."
"It is basic character, realizing, feeling the pains, the difficulties of the people that you wish to lead," Khan said. "And that is missing."
Trump has tried to shift focus from the Khans.
"This story is not about Mr. Khan, who is all over the place doing interviews, but rather RADICAL ISLAMIC TERRORISM and the U.S. Get smart!" Trump said Monday on Twitter.
Ghazala Khan wrote an opinion piece in The Washington Post on Sunday saying that she had remained silent during her husband's remarks to cope with making her grief public during the convention.
On Sunday, Democratic rival Hillary Clinton said Trump had scapegoated the parents. In addition to Senate Majority Leader McConnell, House Speaker Paul Ryan issued a statement supporting the family.
Trump drew similar opprobrium a year ago when he said McCain, who as a naval aviator was shot down and taken prisoner during the Vietnam War, was not a hero because he had been captured.
In an open letter, 23 Gold Star families said Trump cheapened their sacrifice and called for an apology.
"This goes beyond politics. It is about a sense of decency," it said. "That kind decency you mock as 'political correctness.'"
(Additional reporting by Susan Heavey, Doina Chiacu and Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Frances Kerry and Jonathan Oatis)
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Donald Trump rages against CNN after Fareed Zakaria calls him a 'BS artist' on air
“You look at CNN. It’s called the ‘Clinton News Network,’” Trump said at a town hall in Columbus, Ohio. “All day long: ‘Trump. Trump.’ All day long, CNN: ‘Trump. Trump. Trump.’ Such a bad guy, I just want to bring back your jobs. I want to bring back your safety, because we’re not safe.”
The Republican nominee began his critique of the cable news network in a flurry of Twitter posts.
“CNN will soon be the least trusted name in news if they continue to be the press shop for Hillary Clinton,” Trump tweeted early Monday afternoon, a few hours before the event. “CNN anchors are completely out of touch with everyday people worried about rising crime, failing schools and vanishing jobs.”
He didn’t stop there. He further accused CNN of not reporting stories that would be critical of his Democratic rival.
“When will we see stories from CNN on Clinton Foundation corruption and Hillary’s pay-for-play at State Department?” he tweeted. “Will CNN send its cameras to the border to show the massive unreported crisis now unfolding — or are they worried it will hurt Hillary?”
“The people who support Hillary sit behind CNN anchor chairs, or headline fundraisers — those disconnected from real life,” Trump continued.
That tweet was published shortly after Fareed Zakaria, host of CNN’s “Fareed Zakaria’s GPS,” ridiculed Trump for saying Russian President Vladimir Putin “is not going into Ukraine, you can mark it down,” despite the Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014. Trump later clarified that he meant Russia would not attempt such a move if he became president.
“There’s a pattern here,” Zakaria said. “Every time it is demonstrated that Donald Trump is plainly ignorant about some basic public policy issue, some well-known fact, he comes back with a certain bravado, and tries to explain it away with a tweet or a statement. … Usually he adds that the press hates him.”
“This is the mode of a bulls*** artist,” Zakaria said.
At the rally, Trump later returned to attacking CNN amid a tangent in which he also bashed the New York Times and Washington Post.
“I think their ratings are going to go down really sharply now,” the former “Celebrity Apprentice” host told the crowd. “They’ve been asking me to go on for months; I won’t do their shows. And the reason I won’t is because it’s so dishonest that, until they straighten up, I’m not doing their shows. And when people finally realized I’m not doing their shows, they stopped watching. That’s what happens.”
Trump, though, has not stopped.
Earlier Monday, Khizr and Ghazala Khan, the Gold Star parents who appeared onstage at last week’s Democratic National Convention, continued their criticism of Trump on several morning shows, including CNN’s “New Day.” And judging by the timing of this tweet, Trump was watching the Khans on CNN too.
“Mr. Khan, who does not know me, viciously attacked me from the stage of the DNC and is now all over T.V. doing the same,” he tweeted. “Nice!”
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On Aug. 1, GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump took to Twitter in an attempt to clarify remarks he made on “This Week” about Ukraine and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s involvement in the region.
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President Obama on Monday called for Americans to honor Gold Star families “and be humbled by them,” a veiled but unmistakable swing against Republican nominee Donald Trump’s attacks on the parents of a Muslim-American soldier killed in Iraq.
“Our Gold Star families have made a sacrifice that most of us cannot even begin to imagine,” Obama said in a speech to the National Convention of Disabled American Veterans in Atlanta. “We have to do everything we can for those families, and honor them, and be humbled by them.”
“To all of you who served in Iraq, we saw your heroism in pushing out a dictator whose brutality must be condemned, never praised,” Obama said.
The president also knocked Trump for refusing to say that he would meet America’s solemn commitment to come to the rescue of any NATO ally attacked by Russia.
“In the face of Russian aggression, we’re not going to turn our back to our allies in Europe. We’re going to stay united in NATO, which is the world’s strongest alliance,” he said.
President Obama speaks at the 95th National Convention of Disabled American Veterans, Aug. 1, 2016, in Atlanta. (Photo: Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP)
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The grave of Army Capt. Humayun Khan lies at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va. (Photo: Joshua Roberts/Reuters)
The grave of a fallen Muslim American soldier has received many visitors since his father sang his praises at the Democratic National Convention last week.
Khizr Khan’s emotional speech struck a nerve with patriotic Americans on both sides of the proverbial aisle and compelled many to find U.S. Army Capt. Humayun Khan’s gravesite in Arlington National Cemetery outside Washington.
The tombstone has been adorned with flowers, letters and tiny American flags — all expressions of love and gratitude for the young man’s valor, patriotism and sacrifice. He died at the age of 27 while saving his fellow troops during the Iraq War in 2004.
On Thursday night in Philadelphia, Khan rebuked Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump for his comments on Muslims and his proposed ban on them entering the United States. If Trump had it his way, Khan said, his son never would have been allowed into the country.
“Have you ever been to Arlington Cemetery? Go look at the graves of the brave patriots who died defending America — you will see all faiths, genders and ethnicities,” Khan said to thunderous applause. “You have sacrificed nothing and no one.”
Jennifer Lynch, a public affairs officer at Arlington National Cemetery, said more than 400,000 people have been buried at the cemetery, which averages about 4 million visits each year.
“Everyone is a hero here, and we encourage people to come and visit all of the people that are buried here. Every one of them has a story of their sacrifice to the country,” she said in a phone interview with Yahoo News.
She said that the cemetery is “not a political place,” noting that campaigning and similar activities are prohibited.
Members of the media photograph the tombstone of Capt. Humayun Khan at Arlington National Cemetery. (Photo: Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
Though Khan’s suggestion was for Trump to visit the military cemetery to better appreciate the diversity of men and women buried there, many others have heeded his call.
“I think I’ve made a lot of sacrifices. I work very, very hard. I’ve created thousands and thousands of jobs, tens of thousands of jobs, built great structures. I’ve done, I’ve had tremendous success. I think I’ve done a lot,” Trump said during an interview with George Stephanopoulos on ABC’s “This Week” that aired Sunday.
Khan, a Pakistani immigrant, had also suggested that Trump read the U.S. Constitution to learn about how it guarantees liberty and equal protection under the law for all Americans.
“You are asking Americans to trust you with their future: Let me ask you — have you even read the United States Constitution?” Khan said, while brandishing his pocket edition of the Constitution. “I will gladly lend you my copy!” (Sales of the Constitution skyrocketed as a result of this moment.)
Trump is accustomed to lashing out at his political opponents when he’s attacked, and his response this time around was not much different. Though he acknowledged that Capt. Humayun Khan was a hero, he also criticized and ridiculed his parents across several platforms.
“While I feel deeply for the loss of his son, Mr. Khan who has never met me, has no right to stand in front of millions of people and claim I have never read the Constitution, (which is false) and say many other inaccurate things,” Trump said in a statement Monday.
In the Stephanopoulos interview, Trump said Khan was “very emotional” and speculated that perhaps he would not allow his wife, Ghazala Khan, to speak at the convention.
“I saw him. He was, you know, very emotional and probably looked like a nice guy to me. His wife, if you look at his wife, she was standing there. She had nothing to say. She probably, maybe she wasn’t allowed to have anything to say. You tell me, but plenty of people have written that. She was extremely quiet. Looked like she had nothing to say. A lot of people have said that.”
In an op-ed for the Washington Post, Ghazala Khan responded to Trump by saying that her husband had asked if she wanted to speak during the convention, but she wouldn’t have been able to with the huge picture of their dead son displayed prominently on the stage.
Khizr Khan, whose son Humayun (left) was killed serving in the U.S. Army, challenges Donald Trump to read the U.S. Constitution. (Photo: Lucy Nicholson/Reuters)
“I cannot walk into a room with pictures of Humayun. For all these years, I haven’t been able to clean the closet where his things are — I had to ask my daughter-in-law to do it,” she wrote. “Walking onto the convention stage, with a huge picture of my son behind me, I could hardly control myself. What mother could? Donald Trump has children whom he loves. Does he really need to wonder why I did not speak?”
Other notable groups and politicians have also piled on Trump.
U.S. President Barack Obama on Monday called upon Americans to honor and be humbled by Gold Star families (those who lost a loved one while serving in the military) for making a sacrifice others could not imagine.
Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States (VFW), the nation’s largest major war veterans organization, released a statement saying that Trump was out of line for ridiculing a Gold Star mother.
“Election year or not, the VFW will not tolerate anyone berating a Gold Star family member for exercising his or her right of speech or expression,” VFW National Commander Brian Duffy said in a statement.
“There are certain sacrosanct subjects that no amount of wordsmithing can repair once crossed,” he continued. “Giving one’s life to nation is the greatest sacrifice, followed closely by all Gold Star families, who have a right to make their voices heard.”
