Tuesday, August 15, 2006

8th CD Scheurer on TV & Streaming: Hezbollah, Israel & much more

Update: This week's show with Bill Scheurer can now be watched anytime on our podcast page: [Watch Scheurer, Obama, McCain, McSweeney, Bean and others here].
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Jeff Berkowitz: But if Israel drops pamphlets telling people, “We’re going to do this. We’re going to bomb here. Please go. We don’t want to kill civilians.” Would you say that’s the same kind of intentional killing of civilians that Hezbollah engages in?

Bill Scheurer [8th CD Independent candidate]: Well-

Jeff Berkowitz: Because they don’t have to warn those folks. If they really wanted to kill them, they wouldn’t warn them, would they?

Bill Scheurer: The disparity between the military capabilities backed by the United States, of Israel and Hezbollah, is immense. So I don’t think it’s a fair comparison as to what Israel would do were those conditions reversed. When you look at what they do when they have such massive military superiority--just count the dead on both sides. Count the military dead and count the civilian dead and you will see...
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"Public Affairs," is featuring Bill Scheurer, Moderate Party candidate for 8th Cong. Dist. Representative, tonight in 25 Chicago Metro suburbs [See, below, end of this post, for a detailed suburban airing schedule] on Comcast Cable; this coming Monday night [August 21] through-out the City of Chicago on CANTV, Cable Ch. 21 at 8:30 pm; And, RIGHT NOW on the "Public Affairs," podcast page on your computer [Watch Obama, McCain and others here].
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The "Public Affairs," podcast page gives you a choice of more than twenty-five episodes of “Public Affairs," including this week's show with 8th CD third party candidate Bill Scheurer; McCain, Blagojevich, Obama, Topinka, 8th CD Democratic incumbent Congresswoman Melissa Bean, 8th CD Republican Nominee David McSweeney; Tony Peraica, Cook County Commissioner and Republican Nominee for County Board President on our video and audio podcast page[Watch here].
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This week’s suburban edition of Public Affairs features the 8th CD third party Candidate, Bill Scheurer, debating and discussing with show host and legal recruiter Jeff Berkowitz the Hezbollah-Israel conflict, the War in Iraq and weak horses and strong horses; CAFTA, unions and Cong. Bean; Debates and Cong. Bean; Taxes, Immigration and the Troops; Gays, Guns, abortion and much, much more. This Public Affairs program will also air through-out the City of Chicago this coming Monday night, August 21 at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21 [CANTV] and can be viewed RIGHT NOW on your computer. [Watch here].
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A partial transcript of the show with 8th CD third party candidate, Bill Scheurer, is included below and an additional partial transcript of the interview with Bill Scheurer will be posted on this blog later this week.
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Jeff Berkowitz: … Last time on the show, you said you were reluctant to call… Hezbollah a terrorist organization because you defined terrorist in terms of somebody who, to use your words, “intentionally kills civilians for political purposes.” Is that it?

Bill Scheurer [8th CD Independent candidate]: Intentionally targets civilian personnel and or infrastructure for political purposes.

Jeff Berkowitz: Does Hezbollah do that?

Bill Scheurer [8th CD Independent candidate]: Oh, sure. Hezbollah does that.

Jeff Berkowitz: They target—they try to kill civilians?

Bill Scheurer [8th CD Independent candidate]: Sometimes.

Jeff Berkowitz: Intentionally.

Bill Scheurer [8th CD Independent candidate]: Well-

Jeff Berkowitz: Intentionally.

Bill Scheurer [8th CD Independent candidate]: Well, yes, I mean I have no personal knowledge--

Jeff Berkowitz: When you shoot rockets into Israel and you know they’re erratic, and you don’t have much control [of their direction], you’re not shooting at their military. Your shooting at—and hoping that they [the rockets] kill—Israelis [civilians].

Bill Scheurer [8th CD Independent candidate]: When I was on last time, I agreed with you that both sides of the conflict have intentionally killed civilians. [Ed. note: there was no agreement from Berkowitz on that].

Jeff Berkowitz: You think Israel goes out and says, “I want to kill civilians in Lebanon today.” That’s their goal? I mean, does Israel do that? Is that what you’re saying?

Bill Scheurer [8th CD Independent candidate]: Well, they go out and take actions which have killed civilians on a magnitude of 10 to 1. [Ed. Note, that is the ratio put out by Hezbollah; Israel puts out numbers that include a larger number of Hezbollah fighters killed and a lower ratio of civilians to Hezbollah fighters killed. Perhaps we will obtain numbers in the future that clarify which estimates are more accurate].

Jeff Berkowitz: But that’s the difference, because they [the Israelis] would say Hezbollah hides behind—puts their rocket launchers where they know there are civilians—they say Hezbollah wants those civilians killed, because that will rally animosity against Israel. But what do you expect Israel to do if there are rockets coming at them in Israel and the launchers have been placed behind civilians, around civilians by Hezbollah? Do you expect them to let the launchers keep going?

Bill Scheurer [8th CD Independent candidate]: Israel is not conducting this war because of rocket firings. There have been rocket firings going on for two years.

Jeff Berkowitz: They’re not?

Bill Scheurer [8th CD Independent candidate]: They’re not conducting this war because of rocket firings.

Jeff Berkowitz: Maybe they just decided enough was enough. Do you think, possibly? I mean, how long should they go? Have the rocket firings been getting worse?

Bill Scheurer [8th CD Independent candidate]: No.

Jeff Berkowitz: I think so.

Bill Scheurer [8th CD Independent candidate]: No. The origins of this war are quite different. But, I’m reluctant to spend too much time on that, because if you recall the clearest thing that I said in our last taping was that I do not believe it’s in America’s best interest, certainly not in our national security interest, to have such an imbalanced involvement with the state of Israel.

Jeff Berkowitz: I know that is your point, but it is interesting to know whether you think Israel, in a sense, and Hezbollah are somehow equal in their targeting, intentionally, of civilians- trying to kill them. You say Israel-

Bill Scheurer [8th CD Independent candidate]: Israel knowingly conducts actions that they know will kill more civilians than Hezbollah.

Jeff Berkowitz: But do they drop--

Bill Scheurer [8th CD Independent candidate]: Let me finish-- and they knowingly devastate civilian infrastructure. As did the U.S., by the way, in our “shock and awe” campaign against Iraq. They knowingly and intentionally devastate civilian infrastructure, which is equally destructive to human life. And the destruction of civilian infrastructure has been massive both in Iraq and in Lebanon.

Jeff Berkowitz: But if Israel drops pamphlets telling people, “We’re going to do this. We’re going to bomb here. Please go. We don’t want to kill civilians.” Would you say that’s the same kind of intentional killing of civilians that Hezbollah engages in?

Bill Scheurer [8th CD Independent candidate]: Well-

Jeff Berkowitz: Because they don’t have to warn those folks. If they really wanted to kill them, they wouldn’t warn them, would they?

Bill Scheurer [8th CD Independent candidate]: The disparity between the military capabilities backed by the United States, of Israel and Hezbollah, is immense. So I don’t think it’s a fair comparison as to what Israel would do were those conditions reversed. When you look at what they do when they have such massive military superiority--just count the dead on both sides. Count the military dead and count the civilian dead and you will see that most of the Israeli deaths have been military, and ninety percent—huge, horrendous numbers of the deaths in Lebanon have been civilians. So when you compare that with the kind of armaments, smart bombs and guidance systems and everything else that Israel purportedly has, from the United States, I mean--

Jeff Berkowitz: If you have guerillas hiding behind civilians, not acting as an army--

Bill Scheurer [8th CD Independent candidate]: Well, what do you expect them to do? March out on the plains of battle? That was the same thing they said about American revolutionary forces. They said, well, they don’t come out on the field of battle and line up in a straight line. They stand behind trees and shoot and things like that. I mean, where are they [Hezbollah] supposed to put these rockets?

Jeff Berkowitz: Why should they have rockets going into Israel? Why should Hezbollah be in Lebanon?

Bill Scheurer [8th CD Independent candidate]: Why should Israel have bombs going into Lebanon?

Jeff Berkowitz: But they didn’t. You think before—if rockets weren’t coming in to Israel, do you think Israel would be flying over [and] dropping bombs in Lebanon? Is that your perception?

Bill Scheurer [8th CD Independent candidate]: The skirmishes that have been going on on that border have been going on for several years. There have been prisoner exchanges for several years. The precipitating events of this last escalation of violence had to do with Israeli missiles hitting a family on the beach in the Gaza strip. And then there were cross-border, let’s say border incursions which have gone on over years.

Jeff Berkowitz: But, you are going back to the precipitating events, you have to admit that rockets coming into Israel at some point will draw some response. And, I said to you--

Bill Scheurer: They’re not responding to those rockets.

Jeff Berkowitz: You’re talking about precipitating events. But are you saying that, for some reason, Hezbollah should be allowed to send rockets into Israel? Because Israel, as far as I know, wasn’t bombing Lebanon in the last few years, at all. In fact, the concern Hezbollah raised was that Israel had occupied Lebanon. Israel got out of Lebanon and the rockets continued. Why would they continue if the concern of Hezbollah was the occupation of Lebanon, because they’re out?

Bill Scheurer: I think it’d probably be best for us to move along. But, let me at least give you my concluding comment. Because, again, I think it distorts the significance and importance of this issue. But, the Israeli military presence on the Gaza Strip and in Lebanon has never ceased. The incursions have never ceased. There are nine thousand people in Israeli prisons, many of them women and children. The pictures that were given from either side, when violence escalates, to try and justify and sell the violence—if that causes us to choose to take sides, we’re walking down the wrong road.

Jeff Berkowitz: Okay, we’ve got to go on. Simply, on Iraq, you say the troops should be out of there as soon as possible…
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From this week’s suburban edition of Public Affairs. The program will also air though-out the City of Chicago this coming Monday night, August 21 at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21 [CANTV] and can be viewed anytime on your computer [Watch Now].
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Jeff Berkowitz, Show Host/Producer of "Public Affairs," and Executive Legal Recruiter doing legal search can be reached at JBCG@aol.com
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In twenty-five North Shore, North and Northwest suburbs, the show airs tonight in the regular weekly Public Affairs slot, 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Ch. 19 or 35, as indicated, below.

In ten North Shore suburbs, the show is also airing in its regular airing slot at 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Ch. 19 this week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, as indicated, below.
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The episode of Public Affairs, featuring Bill Scheurer, 8th CD Moderate Party Nominee, airs tonight:

at 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Channel 19 in Buffalo Grove, Elk Grove Village, Hoffman Estates, parts of Inverness, Lincolnwood, Morton Grove, Niles, Northfield, Palatine, Rolling Meadows and Wilmette

And at 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Channel 35 in Arlington Heights, Bartlett, Glenview, Golf, Des Plaines, Hanover Park, Mt. Prospect, Northbrook, Park Ridge, Prospect Heights, Schaumburg, Skokie, Streamwood and Wheeling.

and Wednesday night and Friday night at 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Channel 19 in Bannockburn, Deerfield, Ft. Sheridan, Glencoe, Highland Park, Highwood, Kenilworth, Lincolnshire, Riverwoods and Winnetka.
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Transcript draft prepared by Amy Allen, who also does research for “Public Affairs,” and has her own political blog [See here].
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Jeff Berkowitz, Show Host/Producer of "Public Affairs," and Executive Legal Recruiter doing legal search can be reached at JBCG@aol.com
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