Meeks is meek, Foley lies on Haiti - on Wash. Journal - c-span

[donsu]

on this a.m.'s Wash. Journal Meeks spoke in such a meek way and even said he didn't want to say anything against Smirk. (his momma should smack his mouth) and then Foley came on and lied and smirked just like Smirk.

we are doomed.

[lancdem]

1. We're not doomed

but some of our reps could use a little spine. :)

[donsu]

2. it's way past time for them to get spine

if we keep waiting for 'spine' we will wait forever.

[seemslikeadream]

3. Here"s what Mr. Meeks said on the House floor last night

Mr. MEEK of Florida. Madam Speaker, I want to thank the chairman for holding this special order on Haiti tonight. I believe all through the week and next week and the week after that and the month after that that we will continue to raise the issue of the policy decision that the Bush administration has put forth as it relates to Haiti. I must say that it is sad today in this democracy that we celebrate that we are now in the position and seen by the world community as being a country to decide who will lead in a democracy and who will leave a democracy.

Madam Speaker, I just wanted to come down here for a minute. This is the front page of the Washington Post. Mr. Guy Philippe, the rebel leader who went through Haiti, taking cities over and left about 70 people dead in the path of that. Here is the cover of the New York Times. This is Mr. Philippe again, with two armed individuals with AK-47 fully automatic weapons, going through the streets of Port-au-Prince. Mr. Philippe called a meeting today and he said if police chiefs throughout Haiti and also the prime minister, if they did not show up, that he would place them under arrest. He has declared himself as the leader of the Haitian army. He said that he respects democracy and that he would respect the wishes of the now president, who was the supreme court justice, if he asked him to lay his weapons down.

Madam Speaker, I am no great cheerleader, I must add, of President Aristide or the opposition forces, but I am a cheerleader for democracy, and I will tell the Members, regardless of what anyone may say or what they feel, representing south Florida where we have several Haitian Americans, I must add that it is a disappointing day on behalf of democracy. The fact that the President of the United States, along with the Secretary of State, along with Mr. Noriega, who is Assistant Secretary of State, made the singular decision to go visit President Aristide on a Saturday night to give him two options: One, board a plane to save his life or, two, die. I do not consider that an easy and nonpersuasive discussion. I will take that as a very persuasive discussion if someone, just any American, just think about it, if military forces came to one's house representing the United States of America and said they have two options, one, leave with us and live, two, die, we will not stop them from killing them.

Madam Speaker, we have a lot of distinguished Members that are ready to address the House here tonight, but I want to say regardless of how one may feel toward Haiti, the administration, as far as I am concerned, the Bush administration had something personally against President Aristide. It was personal. This was not, well, he is not a great guy, he is not this, that, and the other. Guy Philippe is a murderer. He is a murderer and a thug and still carrying out thuggery on the streets of Haiti. He is willing to arrest the prime minister? He is going to arrest any police chief who did not show up at a meeting, and he is parading around the streets with armed individuals? This does not look like security for Haiti. What this looks like is more difficulty for Haiti. And he says he is interested in politics; so, Madam Speaker, I will say to the other Members the next leader of Haiti is going to be the person with the biggest guns and the most guns and who are willing to do what they have to do. I will tell the Members also as it relates to U.S. forces on the ground, what the Bush administration did on that Saturday night, Sunday morning

have endangered the lives of American troops that are there that are trying to restore peace and security there, and international force troops, the President himself has placed their lives in jeopardy. As a member of the Committee on Armed Services, I am very upset about that. We do not go and do this kind of Saturday night visit giving people an ultimatum.

Madam Speaker, I look forward to the hearings that will be hopefully held in the coming days here in this Congress because if we allow this to happen as a U.S. Congress, we are in for a rude awakening from the international community about our integrity as it relates to democracy. I thank the chairman so very much.

[donsu]

4. well something must have happened between last nite and this morn.

cause he didn't sound like this on Wash. Journal

he hardly even raised his voice or changed facial expressions

[seemslikeadream]

5. Maybe he's just trying to act very rational because he did introduce

this bill

Jackson Lee - I will support a bill sponsored by our colleague Mr. MEEK of Florida to designate Haiti under Section 244 of the Immigration and Nationality Act to allow Haitian refugees to obtain Temporary Protective Status (TPS). I have signed on to join my brother today in fact to take leadership in this crisis.his bill

[donsu]

6. maybe he's not an early morning person

nt