Just dropped · Trial Balloon · Ep. 188
Nothing to See Here
President Trump said he is considering posthumously pardoning boxer Muhammad Ali, who was convicted in 1967 after refusing military service in Vietnam, CNN reports.
Said Trump: “I’m thinking about Muhammad Ali. I’m thinking about that very seriously and some others.”
A House resolution honoring Muhammad Ali has the support of only one Republican, The Hill reports.
The measure is drafted to recognize the “extraordinary life, accomplishments, and countless contributions” of Ali, who died last week at the age of 74.
A list of the resolution’s 42 co-sponsors includes only one Republican: Rep. Mia Love (Utah), who is black.
Former President Bill Clinton will give the eulogy at Muhammad Ali’s funeral, which will take place next Friday in the boxing champion’s hometown of Louisville, KY, Time reports.
After Donald Trump announced his plan to ban Muslims from entering the United States, Muhammad Ali condemned it without even mentioning the Republican presidential candidate’s name:
I am a Muslim and there is nothing Islamic about killing innocent people in Paris, San Bernardino, or anywhere else in the world. True Muslims know that the ruthless violence of so called Islamic jihadists goes against the very tenets of our religion.
We as Muslims have to stand up to those who use Islam to advance their own personal agenda. They have alienated many from learning about Islam. True Muslims know or should know that it goes against our religion to try and force Islam on anybody.
Speaking as someone who has never been accused of political correctness, I believe that our political leaders should use their position to bring understanding about the religion of Islam and clarify that these misguided murderers have perverted people’s views on what Islam really is.
Taegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire, one of the earliest and most influential political web sites. He also runs Political Job Hunt, Electoral Vote Map and the Political Dictionary.
Goddard spent more than a decade as managing director and chief operating officer of a prominent investment firm in New York City. Previously, he was a policy adviser to a U.S. Senator and Governor.
Goddard is also co-author of You Won - Now What? (Scribner, 1998), a political management book hailed by prominent journalists and politicians from both parties. In addition, Goddard's essays on politics and public policy have appeared in dozens of newspapers across the country.
Goddard earned degrees from Vassar College and Harvard University. He lives in New York with his wife and three sons.
Goddard is the owner of Goddard Media LLC.