Why is Lautenberg on this org's board?

[MH1]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x2041158

Just thought I'd post it here for you folks who are constituents, to ask him what's up. (I'm from PA but thought I usually like Lauteneberg - this surprises me.)

welshTerrier2
has PNAC morphed into FDD - look who's on the team

a woman named Tanya Gilly just appeared on C-Span's Washington Journal ... she was very evasive about who funded her organization ... her main pitch (i only caught the very end) seemed to be how wonderful democracy in Iraq will be ... she encouraged everyone to go to her organization's website to learn more ...

what i found was an organization that sounds like the education and propaganda arm of PNAC and a few of our very own Democrats joining in ... any group that "wraps itself in democracy" to hide the truth about using democracy as a smokescreen for American imperialism bears watching ...

Board of Directors
Steve Forbes, Jack Kemp, Jeane Kirkpatrick

Distinguished Advisors
Newt Gingrich, James Woolsey

Advisors (some names omitted)
Gary Bauer, Donna Brazile, Frank Gafney, JD Hayworth, Charles Krauthammer, Bill Kristol, Frank Lautenberg, Zell Miller, Richard Perle, Charles Schumer

FDD's website is: http://www.defenddemocracy.org/

[Cocoa]

1. he, Brazile and Schumer are in some pretty shitty company there

it's not really an "arm" of PNAC, it's just one of its many permutations.

[rateyes]

2. Lautenberg & Schumer??

I can't believe it. Not saying you're wrong--just surprised to see those two names alongside all the others posted. UUUGGGGHHH!

[MH1]

3. Direct Link to who's involved

http://www.defenddemocracy.org/biographies/biographies.htm

[Emendator]

6. Neocons & Liberal

interventionists are all pretty much in bed with each other. There's really not much difference. The Council of Foreign Relations crowd is one giant bipartisan clique of politicians, lobbyists, academics, and business elites. That is the true permanent ruling class in Washington. That is why the Democratic leadership will not oppose the Iraq war. People shouldn't be surprised to see Bill Clinton and Bush-41 chumming around with each other playing golf and fishing. I think it's refreshingly honest. They care a lot more about themselves than they do you, me, or their constituents.

[mcscajun]

4. I'm in NJ, and I've got no problem with it.

Since Lautenberg returned to the Senate, action after action he's taken has made us proud here at DU, and as residents of NJ.

About the Foundation

The Foundation for the Defense of Democracies (FDD) is a non-partisan, non-profit policy institute dedicated to:

• Finding the most effective ways to defeat terrorism—and the totalitarian ideologies used to incite and justify terrorism.
• Employing strategic communications, education and research to fight terrorism across national, ethnic and religious lines.
• Promoting freedom and basic human rights for all peoples.

Those affiliated with FDD come from many backgrounds and political perspectives, but all believe:

• Terrorism—intentional violence directed against non-combatants to achieve a political objective—is always wrong and should never be condoned.
• Democratic societies have a right to defend themselves against terrorism and an obligation to defend one another.
• No one should be denied basic human rights—including minority rights, women's rights and the freedom to worship.
=====================================================

Non-partisan means you keep some strange company.

[MH1]

5. Well, it sounded like propaganda this morning

on CSPAN (1 or 2, I'm not sure) they had Tanya Gilly who was gushing about how wonderful "democracy" will be for Iraqis; when asked about the deficiencies in the proposed constitution regarding women's rights, she sidestepped the question and only mentioned two items that are considered positive - that a woman's child can now inherit Iraqi citizenship from her (it was that only if the father was an Iraqi citizen would the child be a citizen) and the 25% quota for representation.

I didn't feel that she was being appropriately informative or critical of all aspects of the proposed constitution. It sounded more like propaganda to me.

So to find she is part of a neocon org doesn 't surprise me. It does surprise me to see that Lautenberg is part of the same org.

I don't buy "non-partisan" by the way. That only means they don't overtly support one party over another.

(edited for typo)