"Omar Khayyam...the Iraqi poet..." (!!!????) (Repuke speaking in the House ..)

I just played the Daily Show clip on the Iraq debate and the above mentioned gem popped out at me.
Good heavens! Omar Khayyam was born in the eleventh century in Persia. PERSIA...um...that's Iran, today, folks!!!
And this Congressdrip tries to cheerlead for the war with a quote from someone he can't (won't) identify properly.
The mind boggles.

:sarcasm:

:shrug:

Gary something starting with an A. Need to catch the repeat again.

EDIT: Watched the clip, Gary Ackerman, democrat NY.

Indie release, 2005. Best movie I've ever seen. Directed by a Persian immigrant to Houston named Kayvan Mashayekh. Makes lots of good points about secular science (Omar) versus his friend Hassan (Who started the Hashashin).

Stars Vanessa Redgrave.

Get it at www.greatomar.com

Omar Khayyam's calendar is more accurate than the one we use, the Gregorian calendar. Omar's calendar will not need tweaking for 3,600 years!!!!!

The two leads in the movie are Spaniards. Most of the rest of the people in the movie are Persians. They are beautiful people. This movie is a reminder that we've destroyed the cradle of civilization, and that they did some remarkable things long before Europe did, and Omar Khayyam is a perfect example, as far as math and astronomy. That's why so many star names (Aldebaran, Algol) start with Al, which means "The" in Arabic. Not to mention the word "Algebra".

I wasn't aware of the movie; I'll try to get it. The poems have always been a favorite of mine, and I lived for a while in Woodbridge, England, the home of Edward Fitzgerald who gave us the very free translation. I've also long had an interest in Hassan-i-Sabah, the leader of the Hashshashin from which we get the word assassin. He pops up in "The Travels of Marco Polo."