Rep. King's hearing: 'PC' versus sentimental correctness

For all the opposition to political correctness that has been voiced by one side at Rep. Peter King’s hearings on “the extent of radicalization among American Muslims,” a scrupulous bi-partsan attention seems to be paid to sentimental correctness.

Republicans go with “I realize this is a minority of Muslims” to hedge their points, while Democrats do a lot of “sure we care about national security but…”

Not that there’s anything wrong with that, of course. The media-oriented King very diplomatically objected to the objections to his Homeland Security Committee hearing with some opening words about “special interest and media disbelief to paroxysms of rage and hysteria.” That sufficiently blames nobody in particular and keeps the chairmanship lofty enough. The old pro from Seaford is undoubtedly good enough at this to come off on TV as serious but not McCarthyistic.

The only uniform in the room today belongs to LA County Sheriff Leroy Baca, who was invited by Democratic ranker on the committee Bennie Thompson of Mississippi. He’s been about outreach to Muslims for law-enforcement.

Star of the hearing, as arranged by King, is Dr. Zuhdi Jasser, Republican-friendly founder of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy. His bona fides are dissected here in the orthodox left-wing Nation. For its part, Fox News has a lead on the story so predictable it could have been written a week ago.

More compellingly, there’s testimony from Somali-American Abdirizak Bihi who lost a nephew caught up in Islamic fervor in Somalia and tells of the marginalization and shunning that meet those who cooperate with U.S. law-enforcement.

A counter-weight on the emotional scale came early on when Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), himself a Muslim, broke into tears while recalling the profile and heroics of Mohammed Salman Hamdani, a 23-year-old Muslim-American firefighter who died while saving others during the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.