John Edwards' odd choice to run his campaign: David Bonior

David Bonior was a longtime Democratic congressman from suburban Detroit where he first established a reputation for his pro-labor stance. Later in his congressional career, he also became known for his pro-Arab and Muslim, or if you prefer, anti-Israeli views.

Since leaving Congress in 2003 after an failed run for Michigan governor, Bonior, who looks a little bit like Steven Spielberg, has been a labor studies professor at Wayne State University. Now Bonior has a new job, running the nascent 2008 John Edwards presidential campaign.

In the past few decades the Detroit-area has seen exponential growth among its Arab-American and Muslim population, and Bonior legislated in ways to please this important, numbers-wise, constituency. His fellow Michigan Democrats, John Dingell and John Conyers, still operate that way.

From an April 2002 Mark Krikorian NRO article:

Most notable among Michigan Democrats championing Muslim causes is David Bonior, former Democratic whip and current candidate for governor. He has enthusiastically embraced the Muslim political agenda, especially the effort to force the disclosure of classified evidence used in deportation proceedings -- the power to keep such evidence secret has been used by the Justice Department in a handful of cases where the alien being deported has ties to terrorism. Another sign of growing Muslim political power is the fact that Bonior's Secret Evidence Repeal Act of 2001 (H.R. 1266) had 101 sponsors as of Sept. 10, and only one (Alcee Hastings) had the decency to withdraw his name after the attacks.

Perhaps even more disturbing is Bonior's assessment that accepting money from supporters of anti-Israel terrorist groups is no longer politically damaging. Bonior has proudly refused to return contributions from two high-profile apologists for anti-Israel terror groups: Abdurahman Alamoudi, a founder of the American Muslim Council who has publicly declared support for Hamas and Hezbollah; and Sami al-Arian, a University of South Florida professor who was fired following revelations about his connections with Islamic Jihad.

So is Bonior the best person Edwards can come up with to lead his expected 2008 presidential run? Edwards, who's been cozying up to labor in recent months, likely picked Bonior to shore up his support among union members. Last month Edwards took part in a conference call--along with Barack Obama--with the anti-Wal-Mart group Wake Up Wal-Mart. Of course that put Edwards in an embarrassing situation later that day.

With his pick of Bonior to run his campaign, it looks like Edwards will find himself embarrassed again.

And when it's time for the Iowa caucuses, don't expect Edwards to do very well in the town of Postville.

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