Cenk Uygur Has No Place in Congress

Sen. Sanders Should Reject the Armenian Genocide Denier’s Endorsement

BY ARA KHACHATOURIAN

The founder and host of The Young Turks program Cenk Uygur, who is notorious denier of the Armenian Genocide, filed papers on Wednesday to run for Congress to replace Rep. Katie Hill, who resigned recently.

If you ask the Turkish-born Uygur today, he will say that he does not deny the Armenian Genocide and will point to a TYT video released in May where he and co-host/sidekick Ana Kasparian—herself a dabbler in Genocide denial despite her Armenian surname—are “setting the record straight” by uttering the word Armenian Genocide as if to wash away decades of vehement denial, which he at one point ascribed to his ignorance about history.

The fact that he not only refuses to change his program’s name—The Young Turks—but fervently stands behind it should signal that he is not that committed to his recent flip-flop on the subject. Let’s be clear: he didn’t name his program after the Rod Stewart song, but rather for the very entity that orchestrated the systematic slaughter of the Armenians that became the Armenian Genocide. [Imagine the uproar if a German-American hosted a program called the Nazis].

Until having his Eureka moment earlier this year, he has used his platform as a “progressive” to call into question the veracity of the Armenian Genocide, has written articles denying the Genocide and has partnered with organizations such as the American Turkish Association of America, joining their bandwagon in spewing Turkish denialist propaganda.

In fact, Uygur has a history of saying things and later either “clarifying” his statements or feigning ignorance.

In 2017, The Wrap flagged past social media posts, in which Uygur made sexist and derogatory remarks about women arguing that they are genetically “flawed” as beings.

“Obviously the genes of women are flawed,” said Uygur in blog posts from early 2000s. “They are poorly designed creatures who don’t nearly want to have sex as often as needed for the human race to get along fruitfully and peacefully.” Of course, under pressure he apologized in The Wrap, saying he no longer stood for those beliefs. [I have spared the reader more examples of his sexist rants, but a simple Google search can illustrate his behavior].

Justice Democrats, an organization he founded to support primary challenges, ousted him when the sexists remarks surfaced.

So, why would voters elect a person
Who identified as a conservative and now considers himself a liberal/progressive?
Who denied the Armenian Genocide but now thinks it actually happened?
Who disparaged women by needing to “feel their tits” as a rule for first dates, but has now seen light?

The more important question is why would Senator Bernie Sanders—who if asked about all the aforementioned would be appalled and reject those notions—want the endorsement of such a person? Before filing to run, Uygur and Kasparian endorsed Sanders for president calling him a “rock.”

I urge all Democrats—and all voters in California’s 25th Congressional district—to reject his candidacy. I also call on Sanders to refuse and reject Uygur’s endorsement. Furthermore, all lawmakers and activists who truly adhere to the Sanders’ beliefs should distance themselves from Uygur, because in this volatile election season he might prove to be a liability rather than an asset.

Cenk Uygur does not have a place in Congress.

http://asbarez.com/188332/cenk-uygur-has-no-place-in-congress/