Hoyer and Cantor forget to take ‘AIPAC’ off file name of letter to Obama on Middle East peace.

[babylonsister]

http://thinkprogress.org/2009/05/15/hoyer-cantor-aipac-letter/

Hoyer and Cantor forget to take ‘AIPAC’ off file name of letter to Obama on Middle East peace.


Earlier this month, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) and House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA) sent a letter to President Obama regarding the Middle East peace process. The letter says that the U.S. “must be both a trusted mediator and a devoted friend to Israel,” adding that “Israel will be taking the greatest risks in any peace agreement.” The Washington Post’s Al Kamen writes today about a discovery he made when opening the computer file version of the letter, in an item titled “Now, That’s Lobbying”:

Curiously, when we opened the attachment, we noticed it was named “AIPAC Letter Hoyer Cantor May 2009.pdf.”

Seems as though someone forgot to change the name or something. AIPAC? The American Israel Public Affairs Committee? Is that how this stuff works?

Matt Yglesias observes, “It is worth noting, however, that while public talk at the AIPAC conference was about devotion to peace, the substance of this letter is to try to make people think there will be a domestic price to be paid for any serious effort to push for a solution. This is similar to how Israel’s land grabs in-and-around Jerusalem are at odds with the Israeli government’s public presentation of itself as interested in peace and disturbed by the lack of a credible partner.”

[Faryn Balyncd]

1. Thanks, Steny. You're really representing the American people, aren't you?

:sarcasm:


(In fact, you're doing every bit as good a job as the neocon Republicans.)

[rvablue]

2. Nice catch. But of little surprise. n/t

[bunnies]

3. Stop irrationally blaming the AIPAC!

Its not like they control certain members of congress or anything.

:sarcasm:

[UndertheOcean]

4. Burn

[mod mom]

5. Hoyer & Cantor-putting America 1st

:mad:

It's all about $!

[Sebastian Doyle]

6. I remember a speech Hoyer gave at some AIPAC event a few years ago

Filled with so much warmongering bullshit it might as well have been Richard Perle or Benji Netanyahu speaking. :puke:

[Happyhippychick]

7. As my grandma would say, "These people can fuck up a one man funeral!"

[onenote]

8. the only difference between this dear colleague and most others

is that this one shows which outside group wrote it.

Over the years, I've drafted a number of dear colleagues on behalf of clients who then fed them to members who circulated them.

Its not a new or unusual practice and anyone acting shocked about it presumably would be shocked to find out that there is gambling in casinos.

And yes, I'm defending it. I would guarantee that outside groups have helped write dear colleagues on labor issues and in support of any number of progressive causes. In the end, its up to the member to decide whether to use the letter.

[babylonsister]

10. Were your 'dear colleagues' POTUS?

Were you drafting a letter having to do with peace in the ME?

Defend all you want but for these two to get their marching orders from AIPAC stinks to high heaven.

[laststeamtrain]

9. Ha! Thanks for the short laugh. Must return to the vitriol now. n/t.

[blueworld]

11. Two cheeks, one tuchus

Instead of e-mails, next time I contact Congress I'm going to mail flashlights and an anatomically correct map...:rofl: