John Podesta's Blood Libel: Democrat Compares Republicans to "Jonestown"

On Tuesday, John Podesta, a senior advisor to President Obama compared his political adversaries to Jim Jones, founder of the People's Temple.USA Today reported:

 "(in an article)... by Politico Magazine, Podesta is quoted comparing Republicans to the infamous cult led by Jim Jones, who was responsible for the 1978 cyanide poisoning of more than 900 of his followers in Guyana.

"They need to focus on executive action given that they are facing a second term against a cult worthy of Jonestown in charge of one of the houses of Congress," said Podesta of what Obama's White House team faces. Jonestown was the informal name of the settlement founded by Jones and his American followers.

On Wednesday, Podesta apologized for his impolitic comment.

'In an old interview, my snark got in front of my judgment. I apologize to Speaker Boehner, whom I have always respected.'"

As a native San Franciscan, I am quite familiar with the People's Temple. More than that, for a year, I attended Opportunity High, a public "alternative" high school, whose faculty were quite friendly to Jim Jones. A couple of years after I left, a large number of People's Temple children enrolled at Opportunity. A number of these young people were among the hundreds dead in Jonestown. A book has been written about the Opportunity High/Jim Jones connection by Opportunity teachers Judy Bebelaar and Ron Cabral. I remember both teachers well. Here's a timeline accompanying the book, called "And Then They Were Gone."

California Democrats would like everyone to forget their ties to Jim Jones and the People's Temple. Why let them rewirite history? Here's a short lesson:

San Francisco Mayor George Moscone, Democrat, Jim Jones, Lt. Governor Mervyn Dymally, Democrat.

California Speaker of the Assembly (later San Francisco Mayor) Willie Brown, Democrat, at left.

Jim Jones is at far right.

California Governor Jerry Brown, Democrat, and Jim Jones,

Again, Mayor George Moscone, Democrat, with Jones.

Letter from "gay saint" Supervisor Harvey Milk, a Democrat, in support of Jones.

First Lady Rosalyn Carter (center), wife of Democratic President Jimmy Carter, with Jones (right).

We have written about this before, here.

"Harvey Milk Day"?

Today, Governor Arnold Schwarzennegger signed legislation creating “Harvey Milk Day.” As most people know, Milk was the openly-homosexual San Francisco Supervisor who was murdered by fellow Supervisor Dan White in 1978. This commemoration is opposed by a large majority of Californians. A March 3, 2009 Survey USA poll asked Californians “Whether Harvey Milk’s birthday should, or should not, be recognized state wide as a ‘day of significance.’” The response was 69% “no“, 19% “yes“, and 11% “undecided“.

There are a number of reasons why the commemoration is a terrible idea.

San Franciscans of the Harvey Milk era (like me) will remember Supervisor Milk as a vocal supporter of community organizer Jim Jones, leader of the “People’s Temple.” This support is extensively documented. In 1994, Mary R. Sawyer, associate professor of Religious Studies and African American Studies at Iowa State University, who herself had connections with what she called the “vibrant social justice movement,” wrote:

“Among the progressive politicians, black and white, who left mass meetings at the Temple inspired and rejuvenated was San Francisco gay rights leader and board of supervisor member Harvey Milk who, along with Mayor George Moscone, would himself fall to an assassin's bullet a scant ten (sic) days after the Jonestown holocaust. Wrote Milk, following one such visit: ‘Rev Jim, It may take me many a day to come back down from the high that I reach today. I found something dear today. I found a sense of being that makes up for all the hours and energy placed in a fight. I found what you wanted me to find. I shall be back. For I can never leave.’"

Even more disturbing is the fact that Milk had indications of the true nature of the People’s Temple, yet refused to act on that knowledge, for purely political reasons. The following is from Wikipedia. Bracketed numbers are Wikipedia's footnotes to the orginal sources.

"While the Temple aided some local politicians, it did not do so entirely without suspicion. For example, Harvey Milk felt that Temple members were odd and dangerous. When a Milk aide became wary of the Temple's large and imposing security force following a delivery of election pamphlets, Milk cautioned the aide 'Make sure you're always nice to the Peoples Temple. If they ask you to do something, do it, and then send them a note thanking them for asking you to do it. They're weird and they're dangerous, and you never want to be on their bad side.'[45] Jim Rivaldo, a political consultant and associate of Milk's said that, after later meetings at the Temple, he and Milk agreed that 'there was something creepy about it.'"[96]...

But that sense of "weirdness and danger" did not prevent Harvey from collaborating with the People's Temple when there was something in it for him:

"In a hand-written note, Milk wrote to Jones 'my name is cut into stone in support of you - and your people.'[37] Jim Rivaldo, who attended Temple meetings with Milk , explained that, until Jonestown, the church 'was a community of people who appeared to be looking out for each other, improving their lives.'[96] Boyle explained that it was vital for both his campaign and Milk's that they be received well at the Temple 'because Jones was not only Moscone's appointed head of the Housing Authority but also could turn out an army of volunteers.'[110] "

Milk, (or Mayor Moscone for that matter) never had to answer for their support of Jim Jones and the People’s Temple because they were both murdered by San Francisco Supervisor Dan White nine days after the Jonestown holocaust, which claimed 918 lives.

I’d imagine that even respectable same-sex attracted Californians would have preferred a different candidate.

Posted by Gibbons J. Cooney

California forces Catholic Colleges to pay for abortion

The Democrats, the party of death, in action. Jerry Brown, a "Catholic", in action. Let it never be forgotten: the picture at left shows Brown with political ally and mass murderer (909 people killed at Jonestown) Jim Jones.

From the San Francisco Chronicle:

Gov. Jerry Brown's administration has reversed an earlier decision to allow two Catholic universities to eliminate coverage of most abortions for employees, saying state law requires health insurance plans to cover all abortions.

The state had previously allowed insurance companies to offer plans to Santa Clara and Loyola Marymount universities that denied coverage for "elective" abortions, and allowed it only for abortions needed to save a woman's life or prevent serious health damage. Loyola Marymount, in Los Angeles, implemented its policy in January, while Santa Clara's was due to take effect next year.

Urged by abortion-rights groups and university employees to reconsider the issue, Brown's Department of Managed Health Care, in letters to be sent Friday to insurers for both universities, said the exclusions violate a 1975 state law that requires group health plans to cover all basic services - defined, by the law, as those that are "medically necessary."

"Abortion is a basic health care service," the department's director, Michelle Rouillard, said in the letter.
In addition, she said, "the California Constitution prohibits health plans from discriminating against women who choose to terminate a pregnancy. Thus, all health plans must treat maternity services and legal abortion neutrally."

Rouillard told the insurance companies to review all health plans, including those the department had previously approved, to make sure they comply with the law.

Wesley Smith writes: "What starts in California doesn’t stay in California. Forced abortion coverage will be the next front in the war against religious freedom."