Political Punch

Why should anybody have to cowtow to a special interest group which represents a foreign nation. Newsflash: Israel is NOT the 51st state, nor is it a SECULAR democracy so I don't buy that whatever AIPAC says is good for BOTH Israel and the US and that the two would never have divergent interests. The same could be said about any foreign country. I think our closest allies have to remain the ones which fought wars with us or which DO have secular democracies: the UK, Canada, India, Australia.

Folks,

Jeff and the article are, sad to say, correct when they articulate the shocking truth: "“AIPAC does not speak for the entire American Jewish community,” Biden said. “There’s other organizations as strong and as consequential.” This is not rhetoric; this is true. 90 percent of the Jews in my community follow the political beliefs of a severely left leaning Rabbi; and they are very attached to APN, BTvS, J Street, organizations with an increasingly strong inroad to Congress. There is no value to arguing they are wrong or that the statement is wrong. The truths which we, as more serious students of history and human failings, include: 1) AIPAC is not a political organization like either J Street or ZOA. It is a pro Israel Government Lobby which would be lobbying even with Barack at the helm. 2) it is by-partisan...I wager very few of the J Streeters know that 3) the notion that members of AIPAC tend to be right of center is true, but not overwhelmingly. 4) A far larger number of Republicans strongly support the policies of Israel and the need for security of Israel than do the Dems 5) those of us who are more in the know must learn to marhsal facts and history to teach our brethren the importance of AIPAC and concern for security and help these folks understand that the Democratic Party is not the same as that of Grandparents. "Scoop" is not among them any more in body or in spirit.

Robert
Durham

Why would a lover of Israel vote for a candidate supported by Hamas and the Iranians? My God people, if your hero FDR were alive today, he'd be endorsing McCain. Without question. And so would Scoop Jackson and Hubert Humphrey. This is so far from the Democratic Party I grew up with, it's fallen off the cliff. What next, Farrakhan in 2012? As a Jew, I find it incomprehensible for Jews to vote for a candidate who belonged to a "church" which recently gave a "lifetime achievement" award to Farrakhan, a notorious anti-semite. Remember "Judaism is a gutter religion." And Obama didn't say a word in protest. Had I belonged to a racist and intolerant synagogue for ONE WEEK, I'd have LEFT! But there are no such places, since they could not exist. So in the interest of true racial equality, Obama's membership in such a hate-filled place for 20 years should disqualify him from national leadership. Just as it would a white candidate!!! Wake up people!

Dave,

I feel for you. The Wright Church affiliation had me totally turned off on Obama for a while too. I am not for any place of worship that preaches divisive messages tinged with hatred.

However, you may find this latest even more alarming. One reason the GOP has been promoting Palin's "good relationship" with the small Jewish population in Alaska (btwn 3,000-4,000) is that two weeks ago, Sarah Palin was sitting in her church in Wasilla. Her pastor's sermon was called "Terrorist attacks on Israelis are God's "judgment of unbelief" of Jews who haven't embraced Christianity." Apparently Governor Palin sat through the entire service, didn't speak out against it, and hasn't said squat about it yet. The McCain camp however, said that was before she was VP nominee so it shouldn't matter to anyone. Hmmm.

Just give it time, BHO will flip-flop on the Jews, the Muslims, America - everyone and everything - whichever gives him the most votes! Remember the good rev. says that he will be watching him....! Wonder who will be the wright pastor for the WH if BHO gets there!

"Go ahead and drink in McCain/Palen and die of thirst when the US dries up..."

Ah so you've seen the movie, Idiocracy?

Have you seen New Orleans lately? Isn't it amazing how well it works when we quit shouting at each other and start working together.

You have 60 days to push both of the parties toward what you want. The Republicans are picking up Democratic themes. Hold them to it. The Democrats are using the ugly tactics of the Bush administration. Stop them.

Get the best Deal you can. It matters very little which of these parties wins because they are the same. This is not the people vs the rich. This is two rich classes vs each other. We get one shot at making them pay attention to us for the next 60 days. Don't waste it on distractions like the cost of a dress or the size of a man's ears.

Save that for after the election when we will all need a good laugh to get down from this endorphin anger high.

So. What do McCain and Palen actually want to change?

McCain's campaign is entirely run by lobbyists. Will they outsource the White House to private contracters when they win?

uumm i watched the o'riley factor and after the interview, he said to his staff did I make myself look like a fool.well I see how envey a lot of you are when it comes to obama.

"get over it he's the best no doubt"

Obamaloves...guess that shows you what really counts in the ole US of A

You have to look good to get the nomination. That's why McCain didn't pick Olympia Snow who is much more qualified, well known and a model for all girls and women....

there are a lot of REALLY stupid people out there....

Go ahead and drink in McCain/Palen and die of thirst when the US dries up...

OK Michelle...what has Palen done?

Surely Biden--with his intelligence connections--is aware of this?

What do you think, Jake? Is there something we need to know about 9/11?

Michele...can you tell me where and when Obama said this:

"I will stand with the Muslims should the political winds shift in an ugly direction," says Obama

Or did you make it up?

Marcu...Obama voted Yes for breaks for oil only if they used it for alterative energy research( which of course they didn't do) get you faxc straight. Obama didn't vote 98% for reps either . You need to researcha little more.

Yep - Mccain voted 90% of the time along party lines ..

Obama - 97% .. so there is no comparison here! He also voted FOR tax breaks for big oil and McCain voted NO!! How can you argue FACTS?? You can't .. CHANGE? LOL! Good stuff!

Answer!! That doesn't tell me ANYTHING about his prior accomplishments .. people have fallen for the "gift of gab" just like with Willie Clinton!! He got lucky too - made him look great because of the DOT.COM boom! What did he do before besides promising CHANGE and YES WE CAN?? What did he do?

"I will stand with the Muslims should the political winds shift in an ugly direction," says Obama."

So it's been explained that what he really meant was something about Muslims being put in internment camps IF something were to break out?? HUH? Did I miss something? I don't recall seeing any "rounded up" recently .. what a loon!

How are the republicans going to spin Mr. palin belonging to the AIP, a separatist organization. I remember when they spun the Michelle Obama "proud of her country" statement to mean the opposite. How will they explain Mr. palin not wanting to be part of the USA???

michelle,
One small thing obama accomplished.
Putting together a 2 year national campaign and dragged through the public vetting process to win the democratic nomination-no small feat.(no matter of what u think of the process) we can go backwards from there.

Unlike Palen appointed by one McCain to be a heartsbeat away from leader of the free world

Are we really trying to punish a politican who isn't already pro Israel enough. Jeez, just last week Biden was quoted saying I kid you not:" I am a Zionist!" You can look it up. Why does Israel's interest supercede those of America in THIS country? God knows the alternative isn't true. And if they aren't percived as enough pro Israeli they are slandered and defamed as bigots. Does this happen to Catholics, Christians, Muslims or those of any other religion. NO. Why??? I find these tacticts to be highly disturbing, especially in light of the foreknowedge of some citizens overseas about 911 and the fact that the ADL already conducts illegal surveilance for themselves and the US on US citizens and foreign nationals HERE in the US. Let alone the fact that the majority of Neocons who are pushing these wars happen to be dual US-Israeli citizenship (Feith Wolfowitz, Fleischer, Zakheim, Kagan, Perle, etc., etc.) Don't believe me, look for yourself. It's all out there for you to see.