Following up on Jim’s post from earlier, the AP is reporting that Omeish has resigned from the Immigration Commission in light of a number of videos and other information that has come to light regarding statements the Doctor made regarding U.S. foreign policy, Israel, and “the jihad way.”
The Governor’s volte face on this matter is rich indeed. In Garren Shipley’s article, Kaine spokesman Kevin Hall is quoted saying:
…Kaine had nothing for which to apologize.
“That these delegates would spread innuendo, moving dangerously close to slander, is disappointing,” he said. “If they have evidence of what they’re alleging, I would suggest that they bring it to us.”
Wonder of wonders, it looks as though the information got out. It seems as though the Governor’s staff failed him in this matter — both in properly vetting an appointee and in defending said appointee in the face of what is fairly damning evidence (which begs the question — is the Governor’s staff aware of Google? Perhaps they should check into that sometime). Worse still for the Governor is that he had to be publicly confronted with such information by a caller to his monthly radio show.
Sloppy. Very sloppy.
Update
Garren Shipley, who broke this story yesterday, has a follow-up here. Snips:
Due diligence in vetting a nominee should at least include an Internet search, [Del. Todd] Gilbert said. That’s how he found his initial information about Omeish.
“It took about 30 seconds,” Gilbert said.
That sounds about right. And this one is just precious:
Gilbert sent a letter to Kaine on Wednesday afternoon expressing his concerns about Omeish and his views, but the governor’s spokesman, Kevin Hall, dismissed Gilbert’s letter as nothing but repeated “whispers and smears.”
“That these delegates would spread innuendo, moving dangerously close to slander, is disappointing,” he said. “If they have evidence of what they’re alleging, I would suggest that they bring it to us.”
Hall didn’t return calls for comment following Kaine’s announcement.
I think that’s because there’s no phone behind the woodshed.
Update (by Jim Bacon): This may be construed as piling on, given the fact that Omeish has resigned, but it’s worth learning more about the radical Islamists in our midst. Del. Gilbert provides details in a follow-up press release.