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Arizona Rep. to Bloomberg: What If Terrorists Kidnap Your Kid

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A Republican Arizona Congressman who opposes the plan to hold the trials for Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four other suspected terrorists in Manhattan asked Mayor Bloomberg how he would feel if his daughter was "kidnapped at school by a terrorist." Though Bloomberg's daughters — Emma, 30, and Georgina, 26 — are well past school age, Rep. John Shadegg raised the question on the House floor on Monday while trashing a decision he described as "political correctness run amok."

"It's easy for them to say we're tough," the lawmaker said. "I saw the Mayor of New York today say, 'We're tough, we can do it.' Well Mayor, how are you going to feel when it's your daughter that's kidnapped at school by a terrorist?"

Bloomberg had no role in the decision to host the trial in Manhattan, but he has said before that he supports the plan, noting: "It is fitting that 9/11 suspects face justice near the World Trade Center site where so many New Yorkers were murdered." Mayoral spokesman Stu Loeser had little to say about Shadegg's statement, telling the Post: “We’re not dignifying this with a response.”

Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY), no fan of the mayor, chastised Shadegg, "For any member of this House to suggest that somehow to support the decision to have a trial would jeopardize family members of the mayor of the city of New York is outrageous. That member knows who is he, that member should apologize, that member should then be quiet."

When questioned by reporters yesterday afternoon, Shadegg said he was sorry for bringing up the Mayor's family. “I apologize for the insensitivity of my remarks with respect to the mayor or his family, however I think it is important to note that this decision involves potential risk to innocent people,” he said.

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Comments [rss]

  • carbomb

    well, obviously a pinko new york jew is in charge of such things. it is a big country out there....you get a few rest stops out of nyc and this is the u.s.

  • wingedearth

    What if a terrorist kidnaps someone's daughter? Well probably that guy should get arrested and tried in a criminal court (and not tortured and handed to a lynch mob in an off-shore "court").

  • mdow

    oh, you and your laws and your willingness to understand how they're applicable--i shake my head and laugh.

  • ANGRYGOD11

    I'm still amazed in 2009 idiots like these can say the stupidest things that can be fact-checked on the Internet in seconds. Rep. John Shadegg may be a total idiot, but all Congressmen have staff around to help/save them. Maybe Rep. John Shadegg doesn't hire staffers brighter than him.

  • dr zippy

    You've made an erroneous assumption. Shadegg, Giuliani, Palin and others don't care if they are correct or factual. They simply want to sow fear and obstruct the operation of the government in order to claim that the Democratically controlled Congress and White House are bad for the country. While you or I can fact-check these claims, millions of other people who get their news solely from Fox News only know the Big Lie that is being spread.

  • RevWaldo

    "I'm not saying Bloomberg has school-age daughters, perhaps conceived during orgies with underage prostitutes within Gracie Mansion, he probably doesn't. But why isn't he willing to address the issue? Why won't he release the school enrollment records and the Gracie Mansion sign-in logs and security videos from the past two terms that would confirm whether or not he has school-aged children, or possibly late-term aborted children, resulting from orgies with underage prostitutes within the walls of Gracie Mansion, under the gaze of the official portrait of known Communist and mob goodfella Fiorello Enrico La Guardia? We're just asking questions. The American people deserve to know the facts."

  • mdow

    damn, glenn beck, that's a good one.

  • ides_of_march

    The only reason for bringing this murderous scumbag to NYC is to set him on fire then throw him out of a helicopter over Ground Zero from the same height as the Twin Towers once were.



    Islamic terrorists treat this as a war; this country treats it as another episode of Law & Order at its peril. Giving these monsters the worldwide media stage they crave will play right into their hands and provoke more acts like 9-11. There is plenty of valid precedent for handing this to a military tribunal, not to mention common sense.

  • PTG in nyc

    Ides, call it a show trial if you want, but it's not like these guys will be set free to wander the streets of NY. The entire potential jury pool wants these bastards fried, so what's the harm in putting them on trial as opposed to letting them rot away at Gitmo?



    Yes they treat this as war and yes they came up with one damn sophisticated plan of attack on 9/11, but I'd still rather be locked in the room with these guys if given the option between them or your average scary, violent, American criminal. Serial killers, pedophiles, and rapists are more likely to kidnap our children than these goat-loving bearded freaks are.

  • juliec

    I'm from Arizona; it's a beautiful place and I love it. But it seems like every elected official is a fear-mongering, racist idiot. For a good read on asinine Arizonans with egomania, read up on our sherrif, Joe Arpaio.

  • citizenerased

    Because these terrorists are famous for kidnapping children at school. What a fucking idiot.



    People voted this guy in? This has to be the stupidest country by a long way.

  • WesleySnipesAlot

    FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR (cut to commercial) BUY BUY BUY BUY BUY

  • I'm for the trial here if we can get Bloomberg (not his kids) kidnapped.

  • Mr Mel

    Shadegg is the same jerk that held up the baby and acted like a ventriloquist to make a point about his opposition to the public option in health care. The man is a moron and will be an obvious choice for vice-president on the Republican ticket in 2012 which will be headed by that other great communicator Ms Palin.

  • NannyState

    They sure grow 'em stupid out there in FlyoverLand.

  • Potty Boy

    Based on the clip I heard this morning on the news, it seemed Weiner was showboating. I think Shadegg raises a valid point.

  • dr zippy

    While I have no doubt Weiner was showboating, what, exactly, is the valid point Shadegg is bringing up? How would holding a trial in NYC threaten the mayor's children any more than a trial in Gitmo, Warziristan, or Shadegg's nether regions?



    Why are they so afraid of having a trial in New York? They were in charge of national security for seven years following 9/11. Wasn't that enough time to make the country safe so we could hold trials without endangering the mayor's children? Shadegg's claim is fearmongering pure and simple and has little basis in reality.

  • I think Shadegg raises a valid point.



    Does being a conservative require you to agree with everything some dipshit congressman on your side of the aisle says? By now you must realize that it doesn't exactly make you look like a credible bunch.

  • hotstepper

    yet another valid point coming from the Republican camp. other incredibly valid points on Shadegg's list:



    "what if terrorists use mind control to convince juror's of their innocence and are then let free?"

    "what if terrorists are freed by nazis in jet packs?"

    "what if terrorists lace NYC water supply with gay serum?"



    think about it Bloomberg, think about it...

  • jlocke

    HOW DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THE GAY SERUM

  • hotstepper

    bwahahaha!!

  • jibbly

    "What if evil transforming robots are hiding in Khalid Sheikh Mohammed's butt and come out hiding holding NYC hostage for energon cubes?"

    "What if terrorists send a 90ft dino-monster of some sort that shoots lasers from it's eyes and fire from it's mouth to free Mohammed?"

    "What if terrorists use their voodoo powers to raise a zombie Michael Jackson and lands him a teaching position at an UES prep school?"

  • The way I see it, our options are either NYC or Shadegg's living room. It only seems fair.

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