Problem goes way beyond the neo-cons. They are only the most extreme wing of the hugely powerful Zionist lobby.
Note the statements about the downfall of Hussein being "a blessing for Israel". Just in case anyone still has doubts about why the US invaded iraq.
Worried that Jews will go for Bush, Democrats plotting a counterstrategy,
By Ron Kampeas, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, January 6, 2004
"Worried by signs of President Bush´s soaring popularity among Jews, Democrats launched a coordinated campaign 18 months ago to win back Jewish votes. In recent interviews with the JTA, top Democrats who attended the meetings disclosed the secret strategy sessions for the first time. The campaign has three prongs, according to senior Democratic operatives who were involved in its formulation: Stress the Democratic Party´s commitment to Israel and raise questions about Bush´s own commitment; remind Jewish voters they are much likelier to favor Democratic positions on domestic issues, and marginalize Democrats who alienate Jews. Ann Lewis, the Jewish former director of communications for the Clinton administration, attended a series of meetings of top Democrats in spring 2002 to discuss what they saw as a deteriorating situation with Jewish voters. The trigger was a May 5, 2002, "Solidarity with Israel" vote in Congress that drew 21 nay votes — including 18 from Democrats. "Our discussions following the vote showed we were not as proactive as we should have been" with Jewish voters, Lewis recalled. The congressional vote wasn´t the only issue, however. It was becoming clear that Bush was gearing up for war with Iraq and that most Democratic legislators were less than enthusiastic about the prospect. In town-hall type meetings, Jewish community officials said, it became evident that Jewish Americans saw Saddam Hussein´s potential downfall as a blessing for Israel and wondered why the Democrats weren´t on board. "We were becoming aware of a string of political argument on the other side, which was that people who disagreed with the war on Iraq were somehow soft on terrorism or less reliable on America being a friend of Israel," Lewis said. The outreach initiative to the Jewish community was seen as a way to counter aggressive new Republican tactics to undermine traditional Jewish financial support for the Democrats. "The politics were ratcheted up," said a senior Democratic leadership aide. Some at the Democratic strategy meetings worried that Jews believed the party was taking the community for granted because of its overwhelming support in previous elections. That notion was reinforced by exit polls after the 2002 midterm elections, which showed a return to Reagan-era numbers when Jews voted Democratic by a 2-1 margin, not the 5-1 or 6-1 ratios of the Clinton era. The exit polls had unreliably small samples, but Democrats were rattled. "What we´ve done since then is to be much more conscious of outreach to the Jewish community," Lewis said, as well as "much more explicit" in support for Israel. Since then, Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer of Maryland has taken the lead in reaching out to the Jewish community. His campaign keeps a list of 15 pro-Israel actions Hoyer has taken since March 2003, such as leading a delegation of 29 Democratic legislators to the Jewish state in August. "We needed to articulate our case. I wanted to articulate our values," Hoyer told JTA in a phone interview. The senior leadership aide said it was a matter not of reformulating strategy, but of reminding Jewish voters where Democrats stand. That meant, first of all, allowing little light between the Democrats and Israel. One of Hoyer´s first tasks as whip was to retake the Israel solidarity vote. He did so on June 25, and this time it passed the House by a vote of 399-5. In a speech last month to the America Israel Public Affairs Committee, Hoyer said the group of legislators went to Israel in August "to express solidarity with Israel´s cause — freedom and democracy — as well as her determination to survive and succeed as a sanctuary for the Jewish people." The primary lesson of the trip, Hoyer told AIPAC, was that the West Bank security barrier, "which has engendered great controversy, is viewed by Democrats as a reasonable and acceptable attempt to reduce terrorist attacks." Hoyer is at the lead of a group of Democrats who have blasted Bush for criticizing the route of the security fence approved by Israel´s government. Bush has made clear he wants the West Bank fence to adhere more or less to the pre-1967 boundary between Israel and Jordan. Hoyer said he plans to be even more vociferous about Bush´s linking of the fence to loan guarantees for Israel. Taking such shots at a president who calls Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon a "man of peace" might seem like folly, but Democrats believe Bush is becoming vulnerable. "Right now, this administration is perceived as very pro-Israel, but that could change," said Mark Mellman, a top Democratic pollster. He cited pressure over the security fence as well as the administration´s insistence on adherence to the U.S.-led "road map" peace plan, which many in the pro-Israel community consider moribund. Ira Forman, executive director of the National Jewish Democratic Council, was present at the spring 2002 strategy meetings. He says there are signs Bush may well get tough with Israel in a second term, when he doesn´t have to worry about re-election. Another pressure point is Bush´s perceived warmth toward Saudi Arabia. Virtually every Democratic candidate for president has called for greater scrutiny of the Saudi royal family and its role in the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Lewis raised the issue in her own speech to the AIPAC annual meeting last month. Republicans say they´re eager for a fight on Israel and the Middle East. "The president and this party are significantly head-and-shoulders above anyone running on the Democratic side right now" when it comes to Israel, said Matt Brooks, executive director of the Republican Jewish Coalition ... Some Democrats believe it will be a challenge to move Jews away from their preoccupation with Israel. A Howard Dean candidacy will be especially challenging, Democrats acknowledge, because of Dean´s call several months ago for U.S. "even-handedness" in the Middle East. Those remarks continue to dog the former Vermont governor, widely considered the front-runner in the Democratic primaries. Dean has said his remarks were misinterpreted and that he merely meant greater U.S. involvement in resolving the Israel-Palestinian conflict." |
