Reply #82: I'd love to see this stuff catch up with Dan Burton

[starroute]

I checked around on Burton when Sibel's stuff was first coming out in the form of hints and indirect indications and found 30 years worth of pure-quill crap.

In the 70's, even before being elected to Congress, Burton co-founded the far-right Republic Study Committee along with Ed Feulner of the Heritage Foundation.

In the 80's he was involved with Jesse Helms in a lot of far-right anti-communist activity. For example, both of them were members of Jack Abramoff's International Freedom Foundation. They were also both members of the Council for National Policy (as was Abramoff).

In the 90's, he was helping out Reverend Moon -- who was associated with many of the same anti-communist groups that Helms had ties to -- in company with Gary Jarmin (another CNP member).

http://www.nhne.com/misc/sunmyungmoon.html

In 1994, Congress passed a measure creating a new national holiday called "Parents Day," which falls on the fourth Sunday in July. Moon ally Rep. Dan Burton (R-Ind.) spearheaded the drive, insisting the day was only intended to honor hard-working parents. Critics noted, however, that Moon and his wife call themselves the "True Parents" of mankind and that a longtime Moon operative in Washington, Gary Jarmin, did much of the legwork for Burton to get "Parents Day" enacted into law.

Then there was the Helms-Burton Amendment in 1996, directed against Cuba.

In the 90's, Burton and Helms both became staunch allies of Turkey. Burton and Bob Livingston got repeated political donations from Doug Feith in the early 90's, when Feith was a lobbyist for Turkey -- and in 1996 both opposed an effort in the House to reduce economic aid to Turkey from $25 million to $3 million unless it recognized the Armenian genocide. Burton also opposed the 2000 Armenian Genocide Resolution.

I also found something interesting involving a woman named Lydia Borland -- a consultant for the Livingston Group who was also deputy executive director of the U.S.-Azerbaijan Chamber of Commerce,the Washington representative of the Turkish U.S. Business Council, an executive committee member of the American Turkish Council, and a participant along with Livingston in the December 2004 convention of the Assembly of Turkish American Associations. (I'm posting at length because this may get scrubbed -- I hope that's okay.)

http://soksa.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!E24B9E434244417D!232.entry

Please support Cong. Dan Burton to be the House International Relations Committee Chair

Cong. Dan Burton has been consistently a most reliable friend of Turkey and a key member of the Turkish Caucus.

In 2006, Cong Burton is aiming to be the Chair of the House International Relations Committee, but he needs our support.

This is a key position in the House and it will be a tremendous development in favor of the Turks.

(If anybody remembers the so called Armenian genocide resolution hearings of this committee in 2000 and the extremely unfair attacks against the Turks by the committee members, one can realize the significance of having Cong Burton as the chair.

(Other potential candidates indicate disaster for Turkey: Cong. Ed Royce, Cong. Chris Smith, Cong. Ros-Lehtinen--all three are known for their irrational and nasty attacks on Turkey).

There is a fund raising breakfast for Cong Burton on June 9.

We are asking all Turkish Americans and friends to contribute to this fund raiser.

No corporate checks are accepted. Citizens and green card holders can contribute.

Please make your checks "Hoosier Pac" and mail them to Lydia Borland, at

2816 38th Street NW, Washington, DC 20007 without delay.

Please make sure to write "Turkish American or Azeri American" supporter in the memo section.

Persons are welcome to attend this breakfast and have a personal chat with Congressman Burton.

Please let Lydia know in advance. Thank you all for this proactive effort.

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Please Join The Honorable Bob Livingston For a Breakfast Honoring Congressman Dan Burton : Member of International Relations Committee, Member of Government Reform Committee

Thursday, June 9, 2005
8:30 – 9:30 a.m.
Offices of The Livingston Group
Gerald B.H. Solomon Conference Room
499 South Capitol Street, SW, Suite 600
Washington, D.C. 20003

Contributions $1000 PAC or Personal R.S.V.P. to Nancy Maxwell - [e-mail]

PHONE [phone]
FAX [phone]

Please make checks payable:

“Hoosier PAC”
In Memo section of check please write: Livingston Group event