Giordano: Pro-Mumia appointee is an affront to law enforcement

WE JUST commemorated the 75th anniversary of the attacks by Japanese forces on American forces at Pearl Harbor. Sadly, on Dec. 9, we remembered another cowardly attack. Dec. 9, 1981, was the day Mumia Abu-Jamal assassinated Philadelphia Police Officer Daniel Faulkner.

Over the last 35 years, we have been treated to a parade of anti-cop Abu-Jamal sympathizers such as Danny Glover, Ward Churchill and a large contagion of the radical rabble in the Philadelphia area. They are not just asking for "justice" for Abu-Jamal, but conferring hero status on him. He has had his own radio show, spoken at college graduations and even had a street in France named after him.

One of Abu-Jamal's biggest supporters and fundraisers has been a lawyer named Debo Adegbile. This guy put on the cheerleader outfit and went around the country raising money for Abu-Jamal. On my radio show, Philadelphia FOP president John McNesby called Adegbile "Mumia's sugar daddy."

In 2014, President Obama nominated Adegbile to be the head of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. Sen. Pat Toomey exposed his past, stating, "Mr. Adegbile did not simply defend a client. He supervised an effort to lionize unrepentant cop-killer Mumia Abu-Jamal. Mr. Adegbile supervised the effort to spread misinformation about the trial and evidence, fabricate claims of racism, malign Philly police and organize rallies across the globe that portrayed this brutal cop-killer as the victim."

Toomey was so thorough and persuasive that Adegbile was rejected by a vote of 52-47, with some Democrats, including Sen. Bob Casey, voting against him. After the Senate defeated his nominee, Obama called the vote a "travesty based on wildly unfair character attacks against a good and qualified public servant."

All this bitterness surfaced again Friday, when Obama placed Adegbile on the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights for a six-year term. This post does not require Senate confirmation.

McNesby told me on my radio show that stopping this appointment will be on the top of his agenda when the FOP meets with representatives of the Trump administration. Toomey and others are looking at ways to challenge this appointment.

"A Democrat-led U.S. Senate evaluated the facts and agreed that Debo Adegbile is not fit to represent the American people as an enforcer of civil rights," Toomey said Friday. "This judgment included the votes of seven Democrats. I call on President Obama to adhere to the bipartisan judgment of the U.S. Senate and withdraw his appointment of Debo Adegbile to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights."

I see this appointment as Obama's thumb in the eye to those who stood up to the 2014 appointment. I also see it as part of the national Democrats' insensitivity at best toward cops; at worst, I believe it represents the fact that they are very suspect of cops and in large measure buy into the narrative of Black Lives Matter. There is no way a political party can be supportive both of the anti-cop rhetoric and actions of Black Lives Matter and of the FOP. I am convinced that Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton did not fill out the FOP's survey during the presidential election because it would conflict with the anti-cop forces inside the Democratic Party.

Another aspect to this whole ongoing Mumia matter is even more important. When I broke the news of this Obama appointment to my listeners Friday, a caller named George challenged me for even talking about this. His contention was that Danny Faulkner was murdered 35 years ago, that his widow Maureen and everyone else have moved on, and that I should. too.

I give credit to the Abu-Jamal stooges. They are not satisfied that Abu-Jamal will not get the death penalty he truly deserves. They want him not only freed, but lionized. They revel in advancing and mainstreaming people such as Adegbile.

I will not forget about Abu-Jamal and all those who have supported him. I will not forget the other survivors of Philadelphia cops killed while protecting us. I urge you not to forget their sacrifice. It is the least we can do.

Teacher-turned-talk show host Dom Giordano is heard 9 a.m. to noon weekdays on WPHT (1210-AM). Contact him at www.domgiordano.com

@domshow1210