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ANCA Endorse Shuttleworth Against Moran
by Armenian Weekly
June 7, 2012
Northern Virginia Challenger Seeks to Unseat Incumbent who Opposes
Armenian Genocide Recognition in June 12th Democratic Primary
WASHINGTON - The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) has
endorsed challenger Bruce Shuttleworth, a retired Navy fighter pilot
seeking to unseat incumbent Representative Jim Moran in Virginia's 8th
Congressional District, which spans Arlington and Alexandria to
Springfield, McLean, Annandale, and Falls Church, home to a large
Armenian American community. The Democratic primary will be held on
June 12.
ANCA Endorse Shuttleworth Against Moran
Both candidates filled out the ANCA's candidate questionnaire with
Shuttleworth standing out as the only candidate to unequivocally
support Armenian Genocide recognition, Nagorno Karabakh's right to
independence and U.S. pressure on Turkey to end its blockade of
Armenia.
`The ANCA is proud to endorse Bruce Shuttleworth, a war veteran, who
understands that we can neither advance our interests nor enhance our
security by running away from our core values,' said ANCA Government
Affairs Director Kate Nahapetian, who lives in the 8th Congressional
District.
`We look forward to informing the Armenian American community in
Virginia's 8th District of the stark choice they face and getting out
the vote in support of Mr. Shuttleworth, who will be a courageous
voice for truth and integrity in American foreign policy in the
region,' explained Sevan Kolejian, ANCA of Greater Washington
Co-Chair.
Shuttleworth, who spoke with the ANCA at the recent Alexandria
Armenian Festival and was recently profiled in The Washington Post, is
a graduate of Annapolis, who flew missions over Somalia and Bosnia.
He has received an MBA from Harvard and works as a management
consultant. His campaign, which stresses his commitment to ethical
governance, has pushed to increase accountability for conflicts of
interest in Congress.
`I will be proud to be a passionate voice in Congress in support of
Armenia and their long-oppressed rights. The world will be a better,
safer place when more world leaders acknowledge facts, even
uncomfortable and inconvenient ones. With more than one million
Armenians killed between 1915 and 1923, there should be no doubt that
what happened was a crime against humanity that should rightfully be
classified as genocide,' said Shuttleworth, in a statement to ANCA of
Greater Washington, DC.
Shuttleworth has explained, `The most enviable of all titles is that
of an honest man and that title is my special interest.'
Moran began his service in the U.S. House as a supporter of Armenian
American issues, but has shifted into opposition to the community's
concerns, most notably in the form of his high-profile efforts, in
league with genocide deniers, to block legislation commemorating the
Armenian Genocide.
In the last session of Congress, Moran received an `F' grade from the
ANCA. He has opposed Armenian Genocide resolutions, explaining, as he
did in a 2010 constituent letter, that `it has drawn sharp opposition
from Turkey and could significantly undermine U.S.-Turkish relations
and complicate efforts to sustain the U.S. military effort in Iraq.'
In response to the 2012 ANCA Questionnaire, Moran explained his
willingness to compromise America's moral stand against genocide by
noting that he `conditioned [his] support on implications this
resolution may impose on our military and national security interest
in the Middle East.'
Despite having a considerable Armenian American constituency, Moran
has not supported a single Armenian American initiative in the past 5
years, yet has spearheaded a bill to negotiate a free trade agreement
with Turkey, although Turkey has repeatedly ignored the United States'
calls to end its blockade of landlocked Armenia, which is impeding
vital East-West trade routes and undermining U.S. interests in the
region. He has also cosponsored H.R.2362, an unprecedented bill,
which would exclude all countries, except Turkey, from eligibility for
trade and investment preferences on Indian tribal lands. This
preferential pro-Turkey legislation was opposed by the ANCA, American
Hellenic Educational Progressive Association (AHEPA), PSEKA, and the
Armenian Assembly. In addition, Rep. Moran did not cosponsor the
Return of Churches resolution (H.Res. 306), which enjoyed strong
bipartisan support, overwhelmingly passed the House in December, 2011,
and called on Turkey to return church properties and respect religious
freedom. He did, however, cosponsor H.Res.638 in the last Congress,
which, ignoring Turkey's discrimination and oppression of its
minorities, claimed that `the United States and Turkey share common
values of democracy, diversity, tolerance. . . .'
The Democratic primary will be on Tuesday, June 12th and the ANCA
looks forward to encouraging Armenian Americans to get out and vote in
support of Bruce Shuttleworth.
To learn more about how you can support the Shuttleworth for Congress
campaign, visit: http://shuttleworthforcongress.org/
by Armenian Weekly
June 7, 2012
Northern Virginia Challenger Seeks to Unseat Incumbent who Opposes
Armenian Genocide Recognition in June 12th Democratic Primary
WASHINGTON - The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) has
endorsed challenger Bruce Shuttleworth, a retired Navy fighter pilot
seeking to unseat incumbent Representative Jim Moran in Virginia's 8th
Congressional District, which spans Arlington and Alexandria to
Springfield, McLean, Annandale, and Falls Church, home to a large
Armenian American community. The Democratic primary will be held on
June 12.
ANCA Endorse Shuttleworth Against Moran
Both candidates filled out the ANCA's candidate questionnaire with
Shuttleworth standing out as the only candidate to unequivocally
support Armenian Genocide recognition, Nagorno Karabakh's right to
independence and U.S. pressure on Turkey to end its blockade of
Armenia.
`The ANCA is proud to endorse Bruce Shuttleworth, a war veteran, who
understands that we can neither advance our interests nor enhance our
security by running away from our core values,' said ANCA Government
Affairs Director Kate Nahapetian, who lives in the 8th Congressional
District.
`We look forward to informing the Armenian American community in
Virginia's 8th District of the stark choice they face and getting out
the vote in support of Mr. Shuttleworth, who will be a courageous
voice for truth and integrity in American foreign policy in the
region,' explained Sevan Kolejian, ANCA of Greater Washington
Co-Chair.
Shuttleworth, who spoke with the ANCA at the recent Alexandria
Armenian Festival and was recently profiled in The Washington Post, is
a graduate of Annapolis, who flew missions over Somalia and Bosnia.
He has received an MBA from Harvard and works as a management
consultant. His campaign, which stresses his commitment to ethical
governance, has pushed to increase accountability for conflicts of
interest in Congress.
`I will be proud to be a passionate voice in Congress in support of
Armenia and their long-oppressed rights. The world will be a better,
safer place when more world leaders acknowledge facts, even
uncomfortable and inconvenient ones. With more than one million
Armenians killed between 1915 and 1923, there should be no doubt that
what happened was a crime against humanity that should rightfully be
classified as genocide,' said Shuttleworth, in a statement to ANCA of
Greater Washington, DC.
Shuttleworth has explained, `The most enviable of all titles is that
of an honest man and that title is my special interest.'
Moran began his service in the U.S. House as a supporter of Armenian
American issues, but has shifted into opposition to the community's
concerns, most notably in the form of his high-profile efforts, in
league with genocide deniers, to block legislation commemorating the
Armenian Genocide.
In the last session of Congress, Moran received an `F' grade from the
ANCA. He has opposed Armenian Genocide resolutions, explaining, as he
did in a 2010 constituent letter, that `it has drawn sharp opposition
from Turkey and could significantly undermine U.S.-Turkish relations
and complicate efforts to sustain the U.S. military effort in Iraq.'
In response to the 2012 ANCA Questionnaire, Moran explained his
willingness to compromise America's moral stand against genocide by
noting that he `conditioned [his] support on implications this
resolution may impose on our military and national security interest
in the Middle East.'
Despite having a considerable Armenian American constituency, Moran
has not supported a single Armenian American initiative in the past 5
years, yet has spearheaded a bill to negotiate a free trade agreement
with Turkey, although Turkey has repeatedly ignored the United States'
calls to end its blockade of landlocked Armenia, which is impeding
vital East-West trade routes and undermining U.S. interests in the
region. He has also cosponsored H.R.2362, an unprecedented bill,
which would exclude all countries, except Turkey, from eligibility for
trade and investment preferences on Indian tribal lands. This
preferential pro-Turkey legislation was opposed by the ANCA, American
Hellenic Educational Progressive Association (AHEPA), PSEKA, and the
Armenian Assembly. In addition, Rep. Moran did not cosponsor the
Return of Churches resolution (H.Res. 306), which enjoyed strong
bipartisan support, overwhelmingly passed the House in December, 2011,
and called on Turkey to return church properties and respect religious
freedom. He did, however, cosponsor H.Res.638 in the last Congress,
which, ignoring Turkey's discrimination and oppression of its
minorities, claimed that `the United States and Turkey share common
values of democracy, diversity, tolerance. . . .'
The Democratic primary will be on Tuesday, June 12th and the ANCA
looks forward to encouraging Armenian Americans to get out and vote in
support of Bruce Shuttleworth.
To learn more about how you can support the Shuttleworth for Congress
campaign, visit: http://shuttleworthforcongress.org/