Discussion for article #233111
Drip, drip, drip…Really happy to see a Jewish Dem step up on this. I’m guessing that more than a few of them may have at least one family member who might make things uncomfortable – in our family it’s my elderly uncle, who just can’t handle any criticism of Israel – but this is really important, for the precedent it would set here and for Israel’s own future (coddling their right-wingers has endangered their survival quite long enough). Hope more can follow.
I hope any Jews here have already contacted their Dem reps about this; the non-Jewish ones need to know where most of us stand, and it isn’t with Bibi. And if you haven’t yet, call your nearest Israeli consulate and voice your outrage about this political stunt; the last thing Israel needs is to become a partisan issue here. (Those calls are reportedly having a real impact back in the home office.) And finally, if you want an effective counterweight to AIPAC, look into J Street – the more support they can show, the greater their influence will be.
[Apologies for the recycling in this comment…]
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Drip. Drip. Drip.They really are rolling this out much the same as they did with filibuster reform. I know they can’t admit this is a concerted effort, but it seems pretty obvious to me that’s what this is. The real tell will be when Northeastern Democratic Senators begin announcing their intent to boycott.
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More please…
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Looks like we are going to need some Viagra for Bibi’s Boehner.
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The critics are screaming “anti-Semite” because that’s pretty much their only play right now. This has nothing at all to do with anti-Semitism.
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Things need to get really uncomfortable for Bibi. Israel will be the biggest loser when the US has to turn their backs because of Bibi’s political grandstanding.
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Whether the speech goes forward or not is now moot. The point is made if even a single member feels able to not attend.
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It’ll be hard to play that card on Schatz.
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Actually, it kinda does. Evangelicals who believe the rapture will begin once all Jews have been returned to Israel. It’s not that they want Jews safe and sound from any harm. Nope, they just want to use Jews to force the end times, an event in which they believe all Jews will go to hell. This is the sole reason why they became so hawkish on Israel. They haven’t suddenly developed some affinity for the tribe, they just want to use them. It’s gross.
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Would the Israeli cabinet ever invite another leader to address their country without the approval of their Prime minster? I think not.
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This has nothing to do with supporting Jews or the State of Israel. John Boehner is always seeking to undermine the President. In this case, Boehner found a willing ally in Bibi, who is very disrespectful of Obama. We know what Bibi wants the US to do, but Bibi doesn’t set US foreign policy, and neither does Boehner.
It’s amazing to listen to the Right say that Obama should meet with Bibi even though Bibi, nor Boehner, felt it necessary to talk to Obama before the invitation or acceptance of that invitation. The Right claims that Obama is weak when it comes to foreign policy, yet they support Boehner making a move that 1) makes Israel look strong at 2) Obama’s expense. If Obama is as weak as they claim, he would gladly roll out the red carpet for Bibi at the airport, but Obama is no fool nor a doormat, so they’re getting pissed at him for sticking to his guns and ignoring Bibi.
If anything, Boehner’s move would damage Obama and American foreign policy if it worked. It would send a message that the Speaker of the House has more stroke than the President. So Boehner and Bibi are going to have to suffer this death by a thousand cuts, as Dems pull away one at a time.
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I’m beginning to wonder if the fallout from this mess won’t backfire and cost Bibi an election the Likud otherwise would’ve won. There’d be nothing sweeter.
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If it goes forward it’ll be a big spectacle, probably covered by all the networks. Like the state of the union with the Democrats sitting on their hands while Republicans give Bibi standing ovations as he makes the case for war.
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it kinda doesn’t matter, we’re talking about Republicans so reality is relative
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No apologies necessary. We Democrats had better get used to repetition. Because that is what the other side is going to be doing up to 2016 and beyond.
There is a vast reservoir of people who would probably vote against Republicans who are simply not up to speed on Politics. The other side (that is the Right Wing) has age (old people vote A LOT), race (hate makes a great motivator) and time (the same old people have a lot of time on their hands–and those of us who are younger have less and less and LESS down time and free time on our hands). In addition, most of the skillionaires (who are perfectly happy with the idea of doubling a few billion while people starve) desire even more money.
Which is bad for Democrats and good for Republicans. Especially since SCOTUS unleashed Citizens United.
We are going to have to repeat a lot of things for a LONG LONG time…far into the future.
Bless you for trying and fighting.
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lol yes that’s absolutely true. Basically, that God is dragging his feet on the Rapture so they are trying to speed him up and get it moving so the world will end.
Muslims are into end-times philosophy too, and their stories are based on ancient Jewish end-times prophecies, which are based on Zoroastrian end-times prophecies. You could safely ignore these people if they weren’t responsible for so much real-world damage and suffering both historically and in the present.
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The Evangelicals and the Israel-can-do-no-wrong Zionists have each been using the other in a mutually beneficial political charade for a long time now. I suspect most members of each group thoroughly loathe the other. Strange bedfellows indeed.
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Eyup; those Christianists yelling “anti-Semitism!” crack me up (or disgust me, depending on my mood) as much as the right-wingers yelling that Dems are the real racists. And honestly, it amazes me that it never seems to give the right-wing Jews who cozy up to those loons second thoughts – I mean, do they really think folks whose goal is to see the Middle East literally blow up so we can all convert or burn in eternal hellfire have Israel’s long-term interests at heart? Sheesh.
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The spin-meisters are working overtime in Boehner-Bagger-Land.
Not to mention in Netanyahu’s own staff meetings.
Talking to half of the Legislature is not a winner.
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