Joe Biden’s potential VP pick Karen Bass at a Scientology ‘Ideal Org’ event: Disqualifying?

 
The Daily Caller this afternoon broke a story that we’ve had evidence of on our website here at the Underground Bunker for a couple of years: That former California Assembly Speaker and current US Representative Karen Bass was one of the featured speakers at the 2010 grand opening of a Scientology ‘Ideal Org’ in Los Angeles.

That’s suddenly now a big story because Bass is reportedly one of the women presumptive Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden is considering to be his running mate.

If Biden is elected at 77, his choice of Vice President is especially crucial, since he may serve only one term. Who he picks for VP would have a serious leg up on becoming president in turn.

And should that be someone who had the lack of judgment to accept an invitation from Scientology to speak at an Ideal Org opening?

“As a public servant, I try to do everything in my power to give a voice to the voiceless, and to guarantee that no one goes unheard,” Bass said during her short speech at the event. “But through human rights education, we empower everyone to lift their voice and to be heard. The Church of Scientology I know has made a difference, because your Creed is a universal creed and one that speaks to all people everywhere.”

She also said: “The words are exciting of your founder, L. Ron Hubbard, in The Creed of the Church of Scientology: that all people of whatever race, color or creed, are created with equal rights. It’s a remarkable credit to your church that this is part of your creed.”

Ugh.

We’ve written many times about politicians singing Scientology’s praises, and it always amazes us that any of them would do so, knowing not only Scientology’s long history of controversies and exposes about its abuses, but also knowing how few votes there can really be in endorsing L. Ron Hubbard, David Miscavige, or an organization that works children 90 hours a week for little or no pay, splits up families in order to maintain totalitarian control over their lives, and has for decades forced young women to have abortions in order to keep working around the clock.

 
We’re seeing a lot of really bewildered folks asking why this matters, or what Scientology is. We’ll try to answer a few basic questions for the uninitiated.

What’s an Ideal Org, and why were politicians there? Beginning in about 2003, Scientology leader David Miscavige began an effort to replace Scientology’s “orgs” — short for “organizations” and what Scientology uses interchangeably with “churches” — with upgraded facilities. Tens of millions is spent on an Ideal Org, which is much more lavish and programmed in its interiors and appearance than the org it replaces. All evidence suggests that Scientology is shrinking, but the major effort of the last 17 years has been raising the millions to do these renovations and open these gleaming new cathedrals. In 2010, it was LA’s turn with its new Ideal Org, and local politicians were invited. Over the years, Scientology has had some successes in this regard, but most politicians know enough to stay far away.

Does this mean that Karen Bass is a Scientologist? Not necessarily, but her words at the 2010 event suggest that she was at least somewhat familiar with Scientology’s front groups and the “human rights” work that Scientology pretends to do. On the other hand, her repeated use of the word “creed” suggests that she really has no understanding of Scientology and was just paying lip service: Although Scientology pretends to have inclusive ideals as stated in its “creed,” that’s just window dressing. Scientology is a totalitarian organization, and it has no respect whatsoever for people of other creeds.

Is this the only example of Bass shilling for Scientology? Two years after the Ideal Org event, in 2012 Bass gave Scientology front group Youth for Human Rights International a proclamation, along with US Senator Harry Reid and LA City Councilman Bernard Parks, according to a Scientology press release. And in 2011, when Scientology opened an org and community center in Inglewood, “Congresswoman Karen Bass wrote a message acknowledging the Church for ‘its many humanitarian initiatives and social betterment programs for the benefit of South Los Angeles’.” She also provided a proclamation for Youth for Human Rights in 2013.

Should this be disqualifying? It’s not a good look. However, a word about how she has nothing to do with Scientology today, and that she is concerned by the revelations brought out by people like Leah Remini would go a long way. Also, the last time Scientology faced a serious investigation, it was the FBI under Barack Obama and Joe Biden in 2009/2010. (Why that probe got derailed is a very long and complicated story.)

 
Here’s Karen Bass’s statement about her appearance at the event…

 
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Source Code

“If you really know your E-Meters, go down to your local hometown detective bureau and ask to talk to the lie detector expert and talk to him for a few minutes and he starts giving you some wise, professional chitterchat. Why, you just tell him you’re a psychologist — he understands that, the man has a limited vocabulary, usually — and tell him you use these things all the time in your practice and so forth, and you’d just like to look over his setup. Well, these guys are all bugs and they will show you their setup with their blood pressure gauge and their respirators and the little meter with the cans, you know, except they don’t put them on properly and they don’t register quite right. Now, you can take the same rig and you can so baffle and astound this man, so he just practically blows his brains out. He says, ‘What have I been doing all this time!’ and so on. You can show him a murder reaction on every cop in the place. You don’t say, ‘Have you committed the murder?’ You say, ‘Have you ever killed anyone?’ And promptly, you get duhduh and the respirator goes bluh, the blood pressure indicator goes blah. You could be very cruel and simply say to the lie detector operator, ‘Obviously, your machine is out of order.’ That’s what he’ll think. He’ll have a letter off right away to the manufacturers.” — L. Ron Hubbard, July 31, 1958

 
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Overheard in the FreeZone

“His life consisted of only a few things. He did not work. He listened to these tapes. He solo audited himself endlessly on GPMs and line plots. A VERY bad idea. He drank heavily every night. He had bad hangovers almost every day and took tons of pain killers. What money he did have he spent on prostitutes and alcohol. He was sick, and his teeth were rotting in his mouth to the point where my PCs could not be in the same car with him because the stench was so bad. He was an apathy case that had been doing himself in for many years and he finally killed himself. A very sad story.”

 
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Random Howdy

“Hubbard should have just cut to the chase and told the clams that he had discovered that all money was infested with body thetans and that they needed to bring their filthy lucre in to Flag to be audited. He could have called it ‘The Wallet of Fire’.”

 
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Full Court Press: What we’re watching at the Underground Bunker

Criminal prosecutions:
— Danny Masterson charged for raping three women: Arraignment scheduled for September 18.
— Jay and Jeff Spina, Medicare fraud: Jay’s sentencing is set for August 27 in White Plains, NY
— Hanan and Rizza Islam and other family members, Medi-Cal fraud: Next pretrial conference set for Jan 12 in Los Angeles
— Dennis Nobbe, Medicare fraud, PPP loan fraud: Charged July 29

Civil litigation:
— Luis and Rocio Garcia v. Scientology: Oral arguments set for August 30 at the Eleventh Circuit
— Valerie Haney v. Scientology: Forced to ‘religious arbitration.’ Hearing on motion for reconsideration set for August 11
— Chrissie Bixler et al. v. Scientology and Danny Masterson: Sept 4 (CSI/RTC demurrer against Riales, Masterson demurrer), Oct 7-19 (motions to compel arbitration)
— Jane Doe v. Scientology (in Miami): Jane Doe dismissed the lawsuit on May 15 after the Clearwater Police dropped their criminal investigation of her allegations.
— Matt and Kathy Feschbach bankruptcy appeal: Oral arguments were heard on March 11 in Jacksonville
— Brian Statler Sr v. City of Inglewood: Amended complaint filed, trial set for Nov 9, 2021

 
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Scientology’s celebrities, ‘Ideal Orgs,’ and more!

We’ve been building landing pages about David Miscavige’s favorite playthings, including celebrities and ‘Ideal Orgs,’ and we’re hoping you’ll join in and help us gather as much information as we can about them. Head on over and help us with links and photos and comments.

Scientology’s celebrities, from A to Z! Find your favorite Hubbardite celeb at this index page — or suggest someone to add to the list!

Scientology’s ‘Ideal Orgs,’ from one end of the planet to the other! Help us build up pages about each these worldwide locations!

Scientology’s sneaky front groups, spreading the good news about L. Ron Hubbard while pretending to benefit society!

Scientology Lit: Books reviewed or excerpted in our weekly series. How many have you read?

 
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THE WHOLE TRACK

[ONE year ago] ‘Strange Angel’ goes there, teases Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard at season end
[TWO years ago] Scientology spilling the secrets of the universe on an LA street!
[THREE years ago] Phil and Willie Jones versus Scientology: The real story of how the billboard came to be
[FOUR years ago] Harlem gets its Scientology ‘Ideal Org’ today, and David Miscavige doesn’t want you there
[FIVE years ago] Fresh DOX: Police calls to the Narconon in Fort Collins, Colorado — unedited and unread!
[SIX years ago] Jon Atack: Did L. Ron Hubbard want to be considered a god?
[SEVEN years ago] Scientology Admits Connection to Slimy Anonymous Attack Sites — Again
[NINE years ago] Scientology Spinout: Commenters of the Week!

 
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Posted by Tony Ortega on July 31, 2020 at 21:30

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