Clinton Surrogates: Let's Insinuate Obama's anti-Israel...

[Falkenhayn]

Newsweek

Good for the Jews?

Hillary Clinton's surrogates are questioning Obama's commitment to U.S.-Israel relations.

The comment seemed like a casual aside. Ann Lewis, a senior adviser to Hillary Clinton, was touting the New York senator's strong support for Israel during a conference call in January with leaders of major American Jewish organizations. During the call, Lewis energetically contrasted Clinton's pro-Israel credentials with those of Barack Obama. To make her point, she said that Obama's "chief foreign-policy adviser" is Zbigniew Brzezinski, says one participant who would talk about the call only if he were not identified.

Brzezinski—the former national-security adviser to Jimmy Carter—is not Obama's "chief foreign-policy adviser." That is the job of a triumvirate who once worked for Bill Clinton: Anthony Lake, Susan Rice and Greg Craig. But Brzezinski, who tells NEWSWEEK he has advised Obama "only on occasion," has a reputation that is close to toxic in the American Jewish community. "When Brzezinski's name appears on an advisory list, that's a red flag right away," says an influential American Jewish leader who did not want to sour relations with the Obama campaign. Many American Jews mistrust Brzezinski because he endorsed a 2006 article, later a book, called "The Israel Lobby," which blames many U.S. foreign-policy problems on Washington's ties to Israel.

Lewis's aside is not an isolated incident. (She did not respond to a request for comment.) As the race between Clinton and Obama has sharpened in recent months, other Clinton campaign operatives have sent around negative material about Obama's relations with Israel, according to e-mails obtained by NEWSWEEK. In addition to Brzezinski, the e-mails attack Obama advisers such as Rob Malley, a former Clinton negotiator at the 2000 Camp David talks who has since written articles sympathetic to the Palestinian point of view, and they raise questions about Obama's relationship with the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, the former pastor at Obama's Trinity Church in Chicago. Wright has criticized Israel, and Trumpet, a publication run by his daughter, gave an award for "greatness" to Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, who once called Judaism a "bloodsucking religion." (Obama disagreed with bestowing the award.)

Aides to Obama say they have little evidence of an organized Clinton plan to turn Jewish voters away from him. (Clinton spokesman Howard Wolfson says he has no comment.) Some members of the Jewish community say the e-mails began with Christian evangelicals who are supportive of Israel. Regardless, one senior Obama adviser, who would talk only anonymously because the campaign's response involved internal discussions, says the timing is suspicious: "There's an increased number of these attack e-mails going around in direct correlation to Barack's strength in the primaries and caucuses." (He has beaten her among Jewish voters in California, Connecticut and Massachusetts; she's won in New York, New Jersey and Maryland.)

In one case, Daphna Ziman, a longtime friend of Hillary Clinton's who has co-chaired several events for her, forwarded an e-mail from the Republican Jewish Coalition, a grass-roots GOP group, criticizing Obama for proposing a Muslim summit. In a Jan. 31 interview with Paris Match, Obama said he wanted "an honest discussion about ways to bridge the gap that grows between Muslims and the West." Ziman, in her Feb. 2 e-mail, responded, "I am horrified at Mr. Obama's point of view." Her e-mail, sent to a group including Mike Medavoy, a Hollywood producer who supports Obama, contained a press release from RJC executive director Matt Brooks. "Nowhere in the Paris Match article does Senator Obama affirm Israel's right to exist," Brooks wrote. (Ziman says "the campaign had nothing to do with" her e-mail.)

In an e-mail sent Feb. 4—a day before Super Tuesday—Clinton finance official Annie Totah passed along a critical essay by Ed Lasky, a conservative blogger whose own anti-Obama e-mails have circulated in the U.S. Jewish community. Totah wrote: "Please read the attached important and very disturbing article on Barak Obama. Please vote wisely in the Primaries." (She didn't respond to a request for comment.)

The Obama-ites have counterattacked, rounding up endorsements from stalwarts in the Jewish community. Almost unanimously, American Jewish leaders say Obama's voting record and public pronouncements paint him squarely as an Israel supporter. "Senators Clinton, Obama, McCain and Governor Huckabee have demonstrated their support for a strong U.S.-Israel relationship," AIPAC president Howard Friedman wrote to NEWSWEEK. (AIPAC says all three senators have strong congressional voting records on issues important to the U.S.-Israel relationship.) The few mainstream Jewish and Israeli figures who criticize Obama focus on his apparent willingness as president to talk to the Iranian regime. Danny Ayalon, Israel's former D.C. ambassador, says Iran would exploit Obama's gullibility and race ahead with a nuclear program. Hillary Clinton seems eager to remind voters of that argument.

[Edi]

What a surprise that anything other than failure to publicly deepthroat Israel is characterized as antisemitism in the US. To any rational person, that article paints a picture of the US jews and Israel being the whiniest fuckwits on the planet. And there's more than a little truth to it too.

[Gullible Jones]

Fellow Jews around here: raise your hand if you're getting heartily tired of being used as political ammo...

*raises hand*

[DrMckay]

*raises hand*

[DrMckay]

But hey, at least they aren't arguing over who could kill more of us.

At least we have that....

[Invictus ChiKen]

Actually it is now how can get others to kill the most Jews by proxy so we use them for political fodder.

[hongi]

What a surprise that anything other than failure to publicly deepthroat Israel is characterized as antisemitism in the US. To any rational person, that article paints a picture of the US jews and Israel being the whiniest fuckwits on the planet. And there's more than a little truth to it too.

I really can't understand how you could get a picture of US Jews and Israel being the whiniest fuckwits on the planet, when it was only a few Jews who were complaining.

[Edi]

What a surprise that anything other than failure to publicly deepthroat Israel is characterized as antisemitism in the US. To any rational person, that article paints a picture of the US jews and Israel being the whiniest fuckwits on the planet. And there's more than a little truth to it too.

I really can't understand how you could get a picture of US Jews and Israel being the whiniest fuckwits on the planet, when it was only a few Jews who were complaining.

It may only be a few, but they are representatives of the big lobby-groups who wield a LOT of influence in Washington and have pulled similar shit in the past. It gives an impression about the whole minority, which is not deserved on everyone's part. But if you think Israel cocksucking isn't a problem in US politics, you're deluded. And this is more of the same shit.

[Big Phil]

How does this benefit Hillary Clinton? The New York and Florida primaries are over, and last I checked, there weren't substantial Jewish populations in Texas and Ohio... seems like the only person this could possibly benefit, if it gains any traction, is John McCain.

[Xisiqomelir]

After nonplagiarism-gate and nonpatriotism-gate, you'd think the Clinton campaign would learn to come up with smear that has some sort of factual basis.

[That NOS Guy]

How does this benefit Hillary Clinton? The New York and Florida primaries are over, and last I checked, there weren't substantial Jewish populations in Texas and Ohio... seems like the only person this could possibly benefit, if it gains any traction, is John McCain.

Some religiously "moderate" people support Israel tooth and nail, and being portrayed as anti-Israeli is somewhat akin to being seen as "with the terrorists" or "against Gods plan". With a race as close as this, any gain is something really, espeically for the Hillary campaign which is taking on more water by the minute.

Not that there's a ton of fundie democrats, but at this point they're scrapping the bottom of the barrel anyway.

[Burak Gazan]

Check out Drudge, for the picture that Clinton Staffers are circulating; the smear is on

[Fingolfin_Noldor]

Apparently they are so desperate, they are even willing to create lies for the sake of winning.

I would do much to have this bitch lose.

[Sidewinder]

I remember a scene in the film adaption of 'Primary Colors' where the Bill Clinton parody accuses his rival of cutting US aid to Israel to win the Jewish vote. That novel is becoming less and less of a parody.

[Revan's Fire]

::raises hand as well::

I also feel that it's insulting (and horrendously embarassing) that the easiest way to get jews to vote for you is to claim that you'll help Israel. Not only that, but then we complain when people instincively categorize us with Israel, claiming that we're American Jews, not Jewish Americans. We need to get over ourselves, and quickly, endless self-pandering only gets us so far.

[Big Phil]

How does this benefit Hillary Clinton? The New York and Florida primaries are over, and last I checked, there weren't substantial Jewish populations in Texas and Ohio... seems like the only person this could possibly benefit, if it gains any traction, is John McCain.

Some religiously "moderate" people support Israel tooth and nail, and being portrayed as anti-Israeli is somewhat akin to being seen as "with the terrorists" or "against Gods plan". With a race as close as this, any gain is something really, espeically for the Hillary campaign which is taking on more water by the minute.

Not that there's a ton of fundie democrats, but at this point they're scrapping the bottom of the barrel anyway.

Your answer might hold water in the general election, but what makes you think religious folks are going to vote Democratic, much less vote for Hillary?

This strikes me as another idiotic move by the Clinton campaign; it harms the Democrats as a whole far more than it benefits Hillary as a candidate.

[Elfdart]

In the Obama assassination thread last Friday I called this one. You're going to hear a lot more about how Barack Hussein Obama is an uppity Islamo-Negro-Fascist who hates Jews, flag pins, and the pledge of allegiance. Oh, and his wife is a nappy-headed ho who hates Jews, flag pins, and the pledge of allegiance. Like all "uppity negroes" he will also be linked to Louis Farrakhan, probably by the end of the week.

[Elfdart]

How does this benefit Hillary Clinton? The New York and Florida primaries are over, and last I checked, there weren't substantial Jewish populations in Texas and Ohio... seems like the only person this could possibly benefit, if it gains any traction, is John McCain.

Maybe Hillary realizes she's toast and now wants to poison the well and make sure Obama doesn't win in the fall. After all, if Obama wins the election, fat chance of Hillary ever winning the White House. A term of McCain would make her the front-runner in 2012.

[That NOS Guy]

Your answer might hold water in the general election, but what makes you think religious folks are going to vote Democratic, much less vote for Hillary?

You might want to pay more attention to my last line that this is literally scrapping the bottom of the barrel for people to support her. There are still some DINOs out there, especially in rural Ohio.

I agree that it has a bad prospect of backfiring in the fall and that it's largely going to be an irrelevant issue when it comes to down to it. It's simply just another desperation move, and I think at this point anything that HRC thinks could benefit her in the slightest she's going to try, damn the consequences.

[Coyote]

Like all "uppity negroes" he will also be linked to Louis Farrakhan, probably by the end of the week.

You should have put money on it, Elfy!!

Farrakhan hails Obama as 'hope of entire world'
Senator's spokesman repeats Dem's objections to Nation of Islam leader
Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan delivers a speech in observance of Saviours' Day on Sunday in Chicago.


updated 6:32 a.m. MT, Mon., Feb. 25, 2008
CHICAGO - In his first major public address since a cancer crisis, Nation of Islam Minister Louis Farrakhan said Sunday that presidential candidate Barack Obama is the "hope of the entire world" that the U.S. will change for the better.

The 74-year-old Farrakhan, addressing an estimated crowd of 20,000 people at the annual Saviours' Day celebration, never outrightly endorsed Obama but spent most of the nearly two-hour speech praising the Illinois senator.

"This young man is the hope of the entire world that America will change and be made better," he said. "This young man is capturing audiences of black and brown and red and yellow. If you look at Barack Obama's audiences and look at the effect of his words, those people are being transformed."

Farrakhan compared Obama to the religion's founder, Fard Muhammad, who also had a white mother and black father.

"A black man with a white mother became a savior to us," he told the crowd of mostly followers. "A black man with a white mother could turn out to be one who can lift America from her fall."

...

[Elfdart]

Looks like my timing is a few days off. Everything I predict is now happening a few days earlier, and no I'm not padding the estimate. Maybe I should play the Lotto.

[Coyote]

But I have to ask this-- yes, it is true that America does have a lot of foreign policy and foreign relations problems in the Middle East because of its relations with Israel.

But who are those problems with? Our problems are with various strongman dictators, presidents-for-life and their inheritor sons, kings, generals, various oligarchy/kleptocracies and religious fundamentalist windbags-- countries whose human rights records are far more reprehensible than Israel.

Of all the countries in the Middle East, Israel is the one more open to change and to behavior modification. They are far more flexible with regards to problem solving than the countries around them... and lets face it, we all know that even if Israel had never existed in the first place, these tin-pot warlords in the region would have easily cooked up other reasons to hate the USA. The Wahhabist movement in Saudi Arabia by itself got started in the 1870's, not only well before Israel as a state was established but whien the Zionist movement of Theodore Hertzl was, itself, in it's "crawl" phase.

If anything, I think the real focus is not that the USA has a close relationship with Israel, and that such a thing is bad, but rather than we have a close relationship with Israel and we don't use our influence well. Instead of leaning on them to end Settlements (for example), we give them a blank check to do as they please-- which looks like "support" in the most short-sighted point of view, but is quite damaging in long-term reality.

The so-called "friends" of Israel that just want the USA to indulge Israel's every whim are tools. If the USA was really a friend to Israel, we'd tell them that they need to shape up. But I think that sacrificing Israel for the sake of a handful of petty dictators isn't the right way to go, either.

Also, as we start ramping up programs to wean ourselves off of MidEast oil, Israel's importance as a strategic counterbalance will fade.

[CaptainChewbacca]

Does it count if Farrakhan is doing the linking himself? Kinda seems like cheating, somehow

[Fire Fly]

Looks like my timing is a few days off. Everything I predict is now happening a few days earlier, and no I'm not padding the estimate. Maybe I should play the Lotto.

I thought the same; I expected the Clinton campaign to do their smear a few days before March 4 to maximize damage. Releasing the photo this early allows the Obama campaign to do some damage control and he'll have ample time to address this, should he choose, at the debate tomorrow.

[Surlethe]

... and lets face it, we all know that even if Israel had never existed in the first place, these tin-pot warlords in the region would have easily cooked up other reasons to hate the USA. ...

Is that really the case? Israel is just one example of Western interventionism into the region, but if the US had, say, bucked the trend and just left well-enough alone, would it be the "Great Satan"?