Candidates invoke Clinton model for U.S. role in Mideast peace efforts

[Herschel]

Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts need the level of U.S. engagement employed by former President Clinton, Democratic candidates for the president told an audience of Iowa Jews this week.
Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean, Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry and Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich each said President Bush shares the blame for the collapse of the peace talks, charging him with neglect in the first months of his administration.

cut

The Democratic candidates intimated that advancing Middle East peace would involve using U.S. influence to prod Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s hawkish government forward.

The U.S. role means at times “nudging our friend, leveraging when we need to,” Kerry said.

Dean said the United States has “to be seen as an honest broker at the bargaining table.”

Kucinich said he would ask Israel “to stop the building of walls, to stop the building of new settlements.”

That willingness to pressure Israel presents a weakness for Democrats in appeals to the Jewish community, where Bush is seen as exceptionally close to the Sharon government. For example, the Bush administration supported Israeli air strikes last month against suspected terrorist bases inside Syria.

cut

http://www.jta.org/page_view_story.asp?intarticleid=13463&intcategoryid=3

===========================

If the Democrats wish to maintain an advantage in the Jewish vote, they should stand more in line behind Israel. Little Kucinich is bothersome.

[Darranar]

1. Why do you claim to speak for American Jews?

[drewb]

2. What do you mean "Little Kucinich"???

What do you mean???

WHAT

DO

YOU

MEAN???

[Aidoneus]

4. be glad, that's an improvement

it used to be "that annoying flea".

[drewb]

6. lol...

yes, be glad! Oh my!

[Saudade]

10. "Little"

Since he also like to talk about "little Israel", maybe he's complimenting "little" Kucinich.

On the other hand, he sometimes refers to the "giant" Joe Lieberman.

Very confusing.

[bluesoul]

11. Considering

what is a "giant" according to some, I would take it as a compliment ;)

[drewb]

3. There is nothing in that Kucinich quote that is hateful or anti-semitic...

Why is it that this ->

Kucinich said he would ask Israel “to stop the building of walls, to stop the building of new settlements.”

is such a problem for you? That is totally unbelievable

[drewb]

5. I think Kucinich has one of the few realistic plans of all the candidates.

:wtf:

[drewb]

7. btt, waiting for response...

n/t

[drewb]

12. btt... still waiting...

Please respond Mr. Herschel.

[drewb]

13. b t t

[Name removed]

14. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[drewb]

20. Y'all are keeping me on a tight leash....

if you seriously felt that needed to be deleted...

[drewb]

22. btt...

I think the comments on this thread are enlightening and need to be kept near the top for all to see...

[drewb]

26. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[bluesoul]

8. I find your comments with "little" "bothersome" and "misguided"

nauseating....

[Classical_Liberal]

9. It presents a strength in appealing to the majority of jews

who voted for Clinton, and who support peace, and the majority of Democratic activist who opposed war, and think Israel's settlements fuel terrorism against Israel and America.

[Herschel]

15. All of you

Kucinich is little in stature. More importantly, he is little in terms of influence and standing. Some are nauseated when he is called little, yet Joe Lieberman can be referred to as "Holy Joe". Oh, my.

[drewb]

17. Yet you continue to refer to Israel as "little Israel"

I think we would both agree that Israel is neither little in influence or in standing.

Mr. Kucinich is the farthest left of all the mainstream candidates, and a true progressive by anyone's measure.

I would prefer if the I/P issue did not become a litmus test for Democratic candidates because that will turn me off and force me to vote Libertarian.

I am trying mightily to refrain from "personal attacks" here Mr. Herschel, but your logic leaves me a little confused at times...

[Jack Rabbit]

18. Litmus test for Democratic candidates

I agree that the I/P issue shouldn't be a litmus test.

The litmus test for me to vote for a Democrat running against Bush is pretty much hold a mirror under a candidate's nose and see if it fogs; if it does, he passes.

[bemildred]

19. Yes.

I would be surprised, in any case, if the American electorate
were more than marginally aware of the issues, barring
certain smallish segments with a natural interest. The drivers
for the "special relationship" are not grass-roots voting
concerns about the Middle East. Most Americans could care less
about the Middle East, unless the state propaganda organs stir
them up.

[Lithos]

21. I think your standards are way too high

A Democrat who has a core body temperature above ambient is good enough for me.

L-

[cosmicdot]

25. so, set an example ... don't follow suit

are you trying to rationalize your behavior?

[Character Assassin]

16. Why? Clinton's model is a proven failure.

Why utilize something that never worked?

[cosmicdot]

24. there's info out there to suggest that President Clinton's efforts were

sabotaged by one Richard Perle ... a traitor in my book ...

do character assassins shoot first, research later?

Should Perle be Prosecuted for Spying for Israel and Sabotaging President Clinton's Foreign Policy?
12-Mar-03

When Richard Perle called investigative reporter Sy Hersh a terrorist, he opened the door to a thorough investigation of his own background. Perle was caught spying for Israel in 1970 while working in Congress. And in 1983 he was caught taking payments from an Israeli weapons manufacturer while working in the Reagan Pentagon. In 1996, Perle sought to undermine President Clinton's Middle East peace efforts by urging Benjamin Netanyahu to attack Iraq and other countries, to occupy Palestinian territories, and to end the peace process. In 2000, Perle was caught trying to undermine the Clinton-Barak-Arafat negotiations at Camp David. So why was Perle never arrested and charged? We demand a Special Prosecutor!

Richard Perle Sabotaged Mideast Peace Talks in July 2000
11-Mar-03

In July 2000, Richard Perle contacted the Israeli government and deliberately tried to sabotage President Clinton's Mideast Peace talks at Camp David, when Clinton worked around the clock with Ehud Barak and Yassir Arafat to find a formula for peace. Barak's people reported the matter to Clinton, and Bush was forced to publicly disavow the efforts on his behalf to sabotage negotiations. Bush said he 'disagreed' with what Perle did, as if his campaign had not directed and/or approved of it. At the time, there were demands that Perle be prosecuted for illegally interfering with American foreign policy. Naturally, Bush's new AG John Ashcroft scrubbed the case.


Why Did Richard Perle Call Sy Hersh a 'Terrorist'? Read Hersh's Article
10-Mar-03

W-ar architect Richard Perle is widely viewed as an ultrazionist who wants the US to control the Middle East for the benefit of Ariel Sharon and the Likud Party. But Perle also has a more personal goal - greed. Perle is exploiting his position as Chair of the Defense Policy Board to line up business for his ventural capital fund, Trireme Partners, which invests in - surprise!' defense and homeland security businesses. On 1-3-03, Perle and his NYC pointman Gerald Hillman met with Adnan Khashoggi (a famous figure in the Iran-contra and BCCI scandals) and Harb Saleh al-Zuhair, "a Saudi industrialist whose family fortune includes extensive holdings in construction, electronics, and engineering companies throughout the Middle East." Perle sought millions in investments from Khashoggi and al-Zuhair, plus lucrative contracts in Saudi Arabia, but now he's denying it for obvious reasons - it's a CRIME to use a government office for private gain. We demand a Special Prosecutor!


http://www.democrats.com/preview.cfm?term=Richard%20Perle

[cosmicdot]

23. David v. Goliath? ... I'll take David ... thank you.

He speaks common sense in the best interests of the world; and provides any Road Map to Peace a viable motorway.