July 20, 2007

Nobody's Business But The Turks?

Former Rep. Bob Livingston, R-La., has posted a video defending Turkey from 90-year-old charges of genocide against Armenians. The video is in response to the now-pending H.Res.106 and its Senate companion, which would mandate an official recognition by Congress that Turkey committed genocide against Armenians between 1915 and 1923.

Livingston doesn't directly deny that a genocide took place, but attempts to cast it as a matter of historical ambiguity. "I don't think any of us really know what happened," he says in the video. He also makes the case that the resolution would unnecessarily damage relations with Turkey.

Livingston's name has resurfaced recently as he was, ironically, replaced in the House by now-Sen. David Vitter after his own sex scandal in 1999. Livingston went on to found the lobbying organization The Livingston Group, LLC, which counts the Republic of Turkey among its most prominent clients.

Legal Times' BLT blog has more on this story, and the video can be seen here.

Posted at 4:50 PM
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