Jewish Democrats Eyeing Bush
By BENJAMIN SMITH Staff Reporter of the New York Sun
When President Bush arrives in New York for a $2,000-a-plate campaign kickoff on June 23, his supporters are hoping to collect checks with some unfamiliar names on them: those of traditionally Democratic Jewish donors. Some big contributors in the city?s Jewish community appear to be swinging behind the president in response to what they see as his concern for Israel?s security. It?s a trend that could boost the president while cutting into the Democrats? financial base, but Israel backers who are pulling back from Mr. Bush over his "road map" for Middle East peace could scuttle that shift. The last Republican presidential candidate to win a plurality of Jewish votes was Warren Harding in 1920. President Bush appears to have made progress since Vice President Gore trounced him among Jews in 2000 by 79% to 19%. At this point in the 2004 race, the contest isn?t for votes, but for money. Jews in New York and around the country have traditionally been important contributors to Democrats. Fund-raisers and big campaign contributors in the Jewish community say the president?s first campaign finance filing at the end of this month will include big donors across the spectrum of Jewish life, including major names like that of the president of the American Jewish Congress, Jack Rosen. "Over the next couple of months you?re going to see many prominent Jewish Democrats who have never before contributed to a Republican in a national race giving their support to President Bush," said Bruce Teitelbaum, a former aide to Mayor Giuliani.
"I?ve spoken to several very prominent Orthodox Jewish Democrats who have historically contributed to Democratic candidates who have expressed their desire to demonstrate in a tangible way their appreciation for President Bush."
A Republican fund-raiser with close ties to the Orthodox Jewish community, Michael Landau, said a group of Orthodox Jews has contacted the Bush camp seeking to arrange a fund-raiser.
The shift isn?t limited to the Orthodox. Take Mr. Rosen, the president of the traditionally liberal American Jewish Congress. He?s given substantial contributions to Democrats like Richard Gephardt, Joe Lieberman, and Edward Kennedy since the 1980s. He donated to both of President Clinton?s campaigns, and has given $31,500 in soft money to the Democratic National Committee, public records show.
But last year Mr. Rosen gave $50,000 to the Republican National Committee, and he says he?s already donated to the president?s re-election campaign. His organization has backed the president?s policy of pressuring the Palestinian Authority to renounce terrorism and pressing the Israelis to abandon West Bank settlements while keeping close ties to Prime Minister Sharon.
"I, for the most part, have supported Democratic candidates, but I also think it?s important that the Jewish community show their appreciation for the president and his policies on Israel," Mr. Rosen told The New York Sun.
Mr. Rosen says he?s telling friends that, even if they back Democrats, they should show their appreciation for Mr. Bush?s support for Israel by at least giving him, symbolically, a dollar.
Republicans have been anticipating such a rightward shift among Jews for decades. President Reagan won 39% of the Jewish vote in 1980, but that turned out to be an anomaly.
The National Jewish Democratic Council argues that "as each election draws near, some pundits in the American Jewish community invariably claim that the Republican Party is finally poised to make major gains within the strongly Democratic Jewish electorate. And yet with each election, such observers are proven wrong as the American Jewish community time and time again demonstrates its fidelity to the Democratic Party and its principles."
This election cycle, Republican fund-raisers say,could be the real thing.
"You?re going to see a lot of people who you would not typically see at a Republican event" at the June 23 Bush event, said Steven Some, a Republican fund-raiser and board member of the National Jewish Republican Coalition, whose ranks, he said, have been swelling since Mr. Bush took office.
"They?re not leaving the Democrats in ones and twos, they?re leaving in droves," says a Republican fund-raiser and activist, Mallory Factor.
It?s too early to compare the professional optimism of Bush fund-raisers to the hard numbers of campaign finance filings, but a trend would be of particular concern to one of the Democratic candidates, Senator Lieberman, who got off to a slow start in fund-raising.
"You?d have to say it?s hurting Lieberman," said the founder of the pro-Israel Washington PAC, Morris Amitay.
Even as the president?s fund-raising among Jewish donors appears to be taking off, there are notes of dissent from conservatives who dislike the president?s road map.
"This is worse than Oslo, because you?re rewarding Arab terror with a state," said the president of the Zionist Organization of America, Morton Klein. "Jews are beginning to realize that Bush is not the person they thought he was."
Mr. Klein said the road map has affected Bush?s drive for campaign cash.
"I know substantial people who do major fund-raisers all the time, milliondollar fund-raisers.They were planning them [for Bush], and they?re not going to do them," he said.
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