Backbencher of the Week

Uighers are a Muslim group from China.  As an apparent favor to the Chinese government, the U.S. government placed the Uighers on the list of terrorist organizations.  In the hysteria over the War on Terror, 17 Uighers were arrested and placed in Guantanamo for 7 years; even though they are not considered a threat.  The Uighers could not be released back to China because the State Department said Uighers face cultural and religious repression.  Instead the Uighers were sent to Bermuda.  

Republicans demagogued the issue in an attempt to score points over national security.  One of the ring leaders of this GOP cabal was former Speaker Newt Gingrich.  Gingrich said they posed a security threat because they were affiliated with Al-Qaeda and the Uighers should be sent back to China. 

One Republican Congressman would not have his party take the side of the Chinese.  Rep. Dana Rohrabacher(R-CA-46) is an ultra-conservative uber-hawk, and China is one of his usual targets.  Rohrabacher said Gingrich belonged in the "Hall of Shame" for his stance on the Uighers.  

For standing up to his party elders, and defending victims of the U.S. War on Terror, Rep. Dana Rohrabacher is this week's Backbencher of the Week