Scary: Richard Hoagland's Final Chance

When will this Genocide denier go away?

To overcome the controversy over the appointment of Richard Hoagland, U.S. President Bush's ambassador designate, to serve in Armenia, President Bush may use a "recess appointment" mechanism to bypass the opposition raised in the Senate against Hoagland's nomination.

...under U.S. law, presidents are vested with an authority to appoint officials at times when Congress is in recess. And Congress' next recess comes next month, between Feb. 18 and Feb. 25. If a recess appointment nevertheless happens, Hoagland's tenure would last until the next Congress convenes in January 2009.

This is exactly what Armenia needs: an anti-Armenian ambassador who won't be effective or popular and won't get the job done as a result.

I'll make sure this story ends well for all of us!

Source: ArmenPress

Success! Menendez Blocks Richard Hoagland, Again!

I was slightly worried when Genocide Denier Richard Hoagland was nominated the second time by Bush. The first nomination was also blocked by Senator Robert Menendez of New Jersey.

A U.S. senator on Thursday again blocked the congressional confirmation of President George W. Bush’s nominee to be the next U.S. ambassador to Armenia, citing the latter’s failure to publicly recognize the Armenian genocide.

“Given the circumstances and controversy surrounding Mr. Hoagland's nomination, I believe that the best way to move forward would be for the president to nominate a new candidate for this ambassadorship,” he said.

Menendez went on to attack the Bush administration for its refusal to use the term “genocide” with regard to the slaughter of some 1.5 million Armenians during the dying years of the Ottoman Empire. “If there is any sincerity behind the Bush administration’s rhetoric about ‘liberty on the march’ … then American diplomacy should consist of nothing less than unvarnished honesty with our friends and enemies alike. And we must call genocide by its name,” he said.

I am very happy with the outcome of this nomination attempt, or lack thereof. I wish to thank Senator Robert Menendez for seeing the truth of the matter and for standing up to a man who has no business being our ambassador.

Feel free to thank him for doing the right thing!

Source: ArmeniaLiberty

Genocide Denier Nominated for Ambassador, AGAIN!

Perhaps you read the original story of how a man named Richard Hoagland was nominated by Bush for ambassador to Armenia, despite his unwillingness to use the word Genocide to describe the slaughter of our people. However, he was blocked in the Senate. Guess what? He's back!

The White House announced the submission of Richard Hoagland Tuesday, despite calls by top Democrats to withdraw the nomination because of his refusal to call the World War I-era killings of Armenians genocide.

Hoagland's predecessor, John Evans, reportedly had his tour of duty cut short because, in a social setting, he referred to the killings as genocide.

Menendez and the Senate's top Democrat, Harry Reid, wrote a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in early December asking the Bush administration to withdraw the nomination.

The Bush administration has warned that even congressional debate on the genocide question could damage relations with Turkey, a moderate Muslim nation that is a NATO member and an important strategic ally.

Okay, so what gives? Democrats control Congress and they have threatened Bush not to resubmit his nomination, but he has gone ahead with it. We need to make sure this Dick doesn't get passed the Senate for the last time.

Here's what you do:

Contact your Senators and tell them why they must block Hoagland. Here's a list you can cite, which includes "Asserting that the Armenian Genocide does not qualify as an instance of genocide," "Providing contradictory statements or failing to respond to U.S. Senate inquiries," and "Abandoning America's leadership on genocide prevention."

Whatever you can do, do it!

EDIT: The Armenian National Committee of America has added an easy-to-send form which emails, faxes, or creates a professional letter to send to your representative. Here's the link!

Source: IHT

Nicholas Burns: Bush Administration Didn't Deny Genocide

Looks like the Genocide Denier story is back!

Under Secretary of State Nicholas Burns said that the Bush administration has never denied the murders of 1.5 million Armenians. “Despite some claims, nether candidate for the US Ambassador in Armenia Richard Hoagland, nor the presidential administration have ever humbled and denied the fact that during its last days of existence the Ottoman Empire deported and executed half a million Armenians.”

I'm more confused now than I was before.

Source: PanArmenian

Genocide-denier Blocked by U.S. Senate

Armenians are stronger than ever, but yet Bush chooses to nominate an individual who apparently doesn't believe that the word "Genocide" is appropriate to describe what was in fact a genocide.

The U.S. Senate has effectively declined to approve Richard Hoagland, President George W. Bush's pick for ambassador to Yerevan, who has been condemned by U.S. Armenian groups for refusing to characterize last century's Armenian killings in the Ottoman Empire as genocide.

But in any case, U.S. Armenian leaders have made clear that they and their backers in the Senate are determined to block any "genocide denier" as U.S. envoy to Armenia.

Armenian groups have made it clear that they will press for the passage of at least one genocide recognition resolution in Congress before April 24, designated by U.S. presidents as the day of remembrance of the Armenian killings.

You can find the full article here.

In unrelated news, the animal rights lobby has declared a lawsuit against Dick Hoagland for using apparently furry animals as unfashionable wigs.