The Optics of Politics: Blood Money and the Armenian Genocide
In late October, the Rocky Mountain Hye Advocates, a non-partisan statewide citizens group in Colorado, issued the following press release.
This September, Eastern Colorado News reported on contributions from Raytheon and Grumman Corporations to the campaign coffers of Congressman Ed Perlmutter (D-7). These are two of several military contractors identified by the Associated Press (June 2009) as sleeper Turkish government lobbyists campaigning to forestall congressional recognition of the Armenian Genocide.
The question arises as to why Congressman Ed Perlmutter is being courted with campaign contributions from military contractors when he does not serve on the Armed Services Committee?
These contributions, coupled with two earlier telephone conversations on the Armenian Genocide between Perlmutter and a Turkish lobbyist, have prompted further questions. (Federal law requires these conversations be reported.) The calls were placed to Perlmutter by a formidable and well-connected lobbyist for the Turkish government—Robert Livingston. They raised further concern in Colorado’s Armenian American community because Livingston, once chair of the dominant House Appropriations Committee and speaker-elect of the House of Representatives, has been called “Turkey’s biggest weapon on Capitol Hill.”
In April, the community was crushed when Perlmutter broke his ’08 campaign pledge and failed to co-sponsor the 111th congressional resolution (H. Res.252). In doing so, he stepped back from a nine-year record in the General Assembly and Congress where he had consistently supported U.S. affirmation of the historical record.
Last month, the Eastern Colorado News report was distributed by the Armenian Assembly of America to its national and international readership, and enhanced by its own commentary. This exposure could not have happened without the courageous independent news coverage of Doug Claussen, the founder and editor of this Eastern Colorado paper. Eastern Colorado News is a member of the Colorado Press Association and Associated Press. At a time when newspapers around the country are struggling financially and cutting hard news, Claussen undertook to report a controversial story about a powerful member of Congress.
We believe that it is the duty of Perlmutter, as a public servant, to address the facts that have led our community to question a connection between these campaign contributions and his redefined position on the Armenian Genocide. The grassroots organizations that monitor these connections call it “pay-to-play.” These facts have forced Perlmutter to repeatedly defend his reversal of his longstanding position on the Armenian Genocide. In this case, his decision has also undermined the moral will of Colorado citizens. As the first state in the nation to proclaim a Genocide Awareness Day and a state on repeated record in support of affirming the Armenian Genocide—the people have spoken. Perlmutter has failed to take heed.
RMHA calls on Representative Perlmutter to take action
In a separate investigative report this March, the Colorado Independent headlined another apparent unsavory relationship of Perlmutter’s: “Congressman Perlmutter gives tainted money from defense contractor lobbyist to charity.”
We call on Perlmutter to repeat this gesture and redirect all Grumman and Raytheon campaign contributions to charity. We would also add, respectfully, that we continue to urge him to restore his name to the Colorado roster of co-sponsors of H.Res.252. This request has been conveyed to him on numerous occasions over the last six months: first, in a staff meeting with both of our national advocacy groups; second, in Colorado state proclamations and a General Assembly resolution; third, by calls and emails from District 7 constituents; and finally, in a letter from the highly esteemed Colorado Coalition for Genocide Awareness and Action.
People living in a glass house should not stone others houses. How do we think our lobby is getting traction in WDC? What happens if they start publishing the political contributions received by our resolution sponsors?
Shame on you Mr. Perlmutter. In abdicating your responsibility, you have tarnished your reputation and undermined our country’s long history of upholding truth and justice.
As a constituent, I am utterly appalled by your lack of candor and forthrightness in breaking your promise to sponsor H. Res. 252 to recognize the indisputable facts of the Armenian Genocide. Cashing in on campaign contributions from unsavory defense contractors like Grumman and Raytheon is not the change I voted for.
I thought we did away with the majority of that group in January??? Their recent resurgence in New York and New Jersey is a telling reminder of what happens when spineless flip-flopper’s compromise their integrity for patisan favors on behalf of lowly genocide denying scum like Mr. Livingston.
I hope you find your moral compass and donate those contributions to a worthy charity before its too late.
Kudos is due to Doug Claussen and the Eastern Colorado Paper for their honest and timely reporting.
BLOOD MONEY?
Indeed.Why others up above have justly commented on Mr. Perlmutter,neither has commented on the word”Blood Money”…
Strangely it is in the title of the post,while I hope there would be some comment -or even in the original post-something w/rgd to “Blood Money”….
My advocay, though it mya sound out of place or irrelevant hs always been ,whether on this line or other such,for our 500 strong BAR Association to prepare a claim,The Claim…for 1.5 million peoplesínnocent blood shed by the Ottoman Turkey…
A much better and easier way to start off, as it has precedents,viz. the Jews like claim aagainst Germany ,in heritor of Nazi Germany -when they did so and till today are collecting billions of dollars from Germany.Most importantly our own (small) but tremendously succesfull claim when Vartkes Yeghiayan and co. lodged claim against New York Life insurance company and very successfully won the claim ,albeit a very small amount as to the one in Question-that I advocate-from great Turkey,that of above “Blood Money” .
Instead we are after Land reparations issue .And that -a much more complicatd one-since it has to be jointly claimed by other christian, (Greeks, Assyrians) and yet yezidis etc., jointly, or at the very least, by us seperately but when one of these ,namely, THE GREEK ORTHODOX Patriarc,read Mteropoli of Istanbull has just commenced a claim for 400 billion dollars to the turkish authorities for reuined greek ,Pontian Monuments, churches ,schools ,land and houses confiscated by not only Ottoman Turkey but by present R.of Turkey.In Armenian we say:-
“ourdegh es Giragos”? meaning where are you …
To surmise, unfortunately the Armenian mindset is such that it neglects more important issues and goes after those that are very hadrd repeat very very hard to realize.
Comes to mind,all our intellectuals ,politicians are these days trying hard to prove that the Genocide, The Armenian Genocide is REAL:..God´s sake why they don´t refer to something that is PROVED BY THEIR OWN “OTTOMAN military tribuanl” that right after WWI judged and condemned the masters of the genocide and their government conveniently shut its eyes ,whiule these escaped to Malta, Berlin,Rome and elsewhere..
Am incognizant of the fact that later our avengers took care of these criminals on their own.But core of my explanation is why nOT MENTION THIS PROVE BY TURKS fact!!!
Hama Haiagani SIRo,
gaytzag palandjian