David Keene, chairman of the American Conservative Union (ACU), has been moving, along with several other paleo-conservatives like Dinesh D’Souza, towards a partnership with Saudi-funded, pro-Hamas institutions. A forewarning was the appointment of Grover Norquist to the ACU board.

A second forewarning was the appointment of Suhail Khan to the ACU board.

Then Tuesday, David Keene joined United for Peace and Justice, the ACLU, the Communist Party-USA, as a speaker in the “Day of Action to Restore Law and Justice” to

“…call on Congress to restore habeas corpus, fix the Military Commissions Act, end torture and rendition and restore our constitutional rights. Activists from all fifty states will gather at Upper Senate Park on June 26, 2007 and deliver tens of thousands of signatures to Congress, urging the restoration of our rights.”

In addition to the ACU’s new imam David Keene at the rally, representing the American Conservative Union (by name, as an organization), other rally sponsors included:

Alliance for Justice
American Friends Service Committee National
Criminal Justice Program
American Humanist Association
American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee
Americans for Democratic Action
Arab American Institute
Asian American Justice Center
Bill of Rights Defense Committee
Campaign for America’s Future
Center for American Progress Action Fund
Center for Constitutional Rights
CODEPINK
Education for Peace in Iraq Center
Episcopal Church
Equal Justice Society
Friends Committee on National Legislation
Global Rights
Hip Hop Caucus
Human Rights First
Human Rights Watch
Immigration Equality
Institute for Policy Studies
Islamic Society of North America
JALSA - the Jewish Alliance for Law and Social Action
Japanese American Citizens League

League of Women Voters US
LULAC
MoveOn.org
NAACP
National Association of Social Workers
National Organization for Women
NETWORK
No2Torture
Peace Action
People For the American Way
Physicians for Human Rights
Progressive Democrats of America
Public Citizen
Religious Action Center
Rural Organizing Project
Stop Torture Permanently
TASSC International
The Shalom Center
TrueMajority.org
United for Peace and Justice
United States Student Association
US Action
Veterans for Peace
Working Assets Wireless
Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom
Young Democrats of America
Velvet Revolution

And regional groups:

Amnesty International USA - Greater
Philadelphia Area
Amnesty International USA - Puget Sound
Arab American Community Coalition (WA)
Asian Bar Association of Washington
Brandywine Peace Community
CASA Latina (WA)
CAUSA, Oregon’s Immigrant Rights Coalition
Community Alliance of Lane County (Oregon)
Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) - PA
Hate Free Zone of Washington
Japanese American Citizens Leage - Seattle Chapter
King County Asian Pacific Islander Coalition
Lancaster Coalition for Peace and Justice
League of Women Voters - PA

Liberty Center for Survivors of Torture
National Organization for Women - New York State
Northwest Immigrant Rights Project
October 22 Coalition
Oregon Peace Works
Peace Action of Central NY
Peace Action WI
Pittsburgh/Western PA Irish American Unity
Conference
Philadelphia Physicians for Social
Responsibility
Sound Nonviolent Opponents of War
Syracuse Peace Council
Thomas Merton Center
Washington Peace Center
Western Washington Fellowship of Reconciliation

In his day job, Keene is also a managing associate at the Carmen Group, Washington, DC lobbying firm. He is on the lobbying teams representing special interests (corporations, states and associations) in International, Homeland [security], Procurement Solutions, Postal, and Education areas.

And in that day job, David Keene (really productive guy BTW, kudos for his work ethic) represents among other clients, Algeria:

Washington Post: Carmen’s Africa Team Has Its Keystone

July 6, 2006

By Judy Sarasohn

The Carmen Group, which in the past year has made a play for business in Africa and hired strategically to make that happen, has scored a substantial lobbying client — the government of Algeria.

While it might not be in the Indian casino range, the fee is a healthy $25,000 a month, for a total of $300,000 for the one-year term of the contract, according to the Carmen Group’s Foreign Agents Registration Act filing with the Justice Department. The shop also filed a lobby registration with Congress.

And for these fees, the Carmen Group says it will work to strengthen relations between the Algerian and U.S. governments and expand trade, through government relations and “strategic advice.” The Carmen team will brief U.S. policymakers, “project an up-to-date image of Algeria” and promote congressional, public and media support for “Algeria’s legitimate interests and policy goals,” according to the FARA report. The shop will also promote contacts with U.S. business interests.

In a recent interview, David Carmen said there was “no single issue” at this time to lobby on for Algeria, but the shop will be “brand-building” in Washington and working to get more businesses to invest in that nation. Algeria as a client was in the works when the company started to work on building an Africa practice, he said.

David Keene, a managing associate at Carmen and chairman of the American Conservative Union, is responsible for managing the firm’s services for Algeria, according to the contract with Algeria. But also on the team: the aforementioned David Carmen, Gerald Carmen, John Ladd, Constance Berry Newman, William Outhier, Paul Marisa and Charles Williams.

Newman, a former assistant secretary of state for African affairs, was one of those strategic hires earlier this year, as was Williams, former chief of staff to Rep. Jim McDermott (D-Wash.) and former president of the US-Nigeria Development Institute in Abuja, Nigeria.

And last month, Michael Lempres, former vice president of the Overseas Private Investment Corp., returned after a hiatus of several years to be managing director of Carmen’s international practice and direct the Africa practice. Earlier, he was director of international affairs for the Justice Department in the administration of George H.W. Bush.

BUT WAIT! There’s more - Imam Keene, presumably representing his new Algerian clients in their PR outreach (and other clients To Be Determined) is tackling that real problem in the US of concern to American Conservative Union members natonwide - Islamophobia!

Received in yesterday’s email:

CONSERVATIVE LEADER TO SPEAK ON ‘ISLAMOPHOBIA’ PANEL - TOP

(WASHINGTON, D.C., 6/26/07) - On Tuesday, July 17, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) will host a panel discussion at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., entitled “Attacking Islam: Implications for Social Cohesion and U.S. Relations with the Muslim World.”

The panel will address the increasing anti-Muslim rhetoric within the conservative movement in the United States, focusing on the negative impact of such views on religious tolerance in America and on relations with the Muslim world.

Presenters:

* David Keene, President, American Conservative Union
* Parvez Ahmed, Chairman, Council on American-Islamic Relations

WHEN: Tuesday, July 17, 2007, 9:30 a.m. - 11 p.m.
WHERE: Holeman Lounge, National Press Club, Washington, D.C.

Refreshments will be served. Admission is free but seating is limited and reservations are required. Please RSVP via e-mail to events@cair.com or call .

CAIR, America’s largest Islamic civil liberties group, has 33 offices and chapters nationwide and in Canada. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.

CONTACT: CONTACT: CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, or, E-Mail: ihooper@cair.com; CAIR Communications Coordinator Rabiah Ahmed, or, E-Mail: rahmed@cair.com; CAIR Communications Coordinator Amina Rubin,, E-Mail: arubin@cair.com

So here’s the multiple choice question: When David Keene, chairman of the ACU, makes a national effort to accuse the American public of Islamophobia and silence all criticism of Muslim Brotherhood front organizations in the U.S., whom does he represent?

a. Imam David Keene
b. The American Conservative Union members, who probably haven’t a clue this is going on
c. Algeria

d. The Muslim Brotherhood

e. CAIR

f. The new special envoy of the White House to the Organization of Islamic Conferences

g. Hmm, maybe other wealthy countries in the middle east known to have given CAIR $50 million for public relations…

h. All of the above