Debbie Schlussel: Olympic Update: 2 Faces We Shouldn't Have Seen, But Did
You've already read my views on the Olympics: A lot of hype; A lot of unworthiness. Don't watch.
But if you are watching, you've already seen two faces that shouldn't be there: Susan Sarandon and Tanith Belbin.
Susan Sarandon is an actress, not an Olympic athlete. So, what was she doing marching at Friday's opening ceremony?
And why was Sarandon chosen among eight female international "human rights activists" to represent women from around the world at the opening of the Games? The only "activism" Sarandon has engaged in of late is attacking President Bush, the War on Terror, and the War in Iraq. Clearly, the International Olympic Committee was sending a message with the choice of Sarandon. Or a slap in the face. Or both.
Then, there is Tanith Belbin.
As we've been saying on this site, for months, we resent the fact that far-left U.S. Senator Carl Levin of Michigan has been using private bills and amendments as his own personal instant immigration playground. In the '90s, he pressured the U.S. government to make his friend, "former" Islamic terrorist Imad Hamad, a citizen (instead of deporting him), and now he's to make Islamic terrorist and Roger Ebert buddy, Ibrahim Parlak, an instant citizen, despite the introduced a private billfact that Parlak trained in terror training camps in Lebanon.
As we also noted, thrown in the batch for good measure along with Parlak, Levin introduced several bills and amendments attempting to get instant citizenship for Tanith Belbin, a Canadian who is now skating for the U.S. Because, after all, there is such a shortage of competitive female figure skaters in the U.S. Right? We've been critical of this for some time, and we're glad FOX News finally picked up on the story, taking our lead.
Belbin shouldn't be in the Olympics representing our country. She got special treatment, despite the fact that there are plenty of hard-working American ice skaters who were born here, who don't get special treatment. Also, there are often cases where talented would-be Olympians from Cuba--not Canada--who've defected here, don't get the Levin treatment. One of those cases was my friend, Rio Ramirez, an Olympic class diver. Because he did not get instant citizenship, he never got to compete in the Olympics, and is now diving in Vegas at Cirque du Soleil.
Susan Sarandon and Tanith Belbin . . . two women who don't belong in Torino.
Posted by Debbie on February 13, 2006 01:55 PM to Debbie Schlussel