| LA Jews for Peace |
| The 2008 Presidential Election Possible Affects on United States Middle East Policy |
| Barak Obama
Rabbi Michael Lerner wrote, "Presidential candidate Barack Obama has been very successful in reassuring the bulk of American Jews that the innuendoes and overt attacks on his alleged hostility to or indifference to the well-being of Israel are false or that he has other commitments that might be deemed dangerous to Jews. Obama has shown himself to be a "spiritual progressive" supporting a "progressive Middle Path" that is both pro-Israel and pro-Palestine. While some Jews, particularly those affiliated with the Republican party or the neo-con-influence wing of the Democratic Party, and those who support the policies of the Likud Party in Israel, are likely to continue to critique Obama and spread rumors and distortions, the vast majority of American Jews are far more likely to consider him a friend of Israel just as they consider Hillary Clinton and John McCain to be, and hence are unlikely to have the issue of Israel-support be the one that decides for them how to vote in either the primaries or the general election of 2008." Both Barack and Michelle Obama’s are members of the Council on Foreign Relations. Critical sections of Barack’s article in Foreign Affairs – filled with dignified language – nevertheless reveal his implicit and explicit commitment to the US empire, in particular to reversing its precipitous decline as a world power. The most telling sections, most of which refer to the use of military force, are blued. A few are also bolded. "On the surface Barak Obama may constitute one of the more palatable lesser of two evils we have been offered in quite some time. But he is still only the lesser of two evils. He offers us nothing more than a continuation of the United States' corporate militarism and imperialist policies as well as the unquestioning support of a racist regime in Israel." Palestinians, and the Jewish peace camp, consider Obama receptive despite his clear support of Israel. "Breaking News: Obama Met Palestinian Intellectuals Ten Years Ago," by Jon Wiener, Huffington Post April 10, 2008. Critique of LA Times article. Wiener accuses the LA Times of jaded incredulity in its decision to run a front page article about the fact that Barack Obama has a friend of Palestinian descent (the prominent Columbia University historian Rashid Khalidi) and went to hear a lecture by Edward Said ten (yes, ten!) years ago. |
Hillary Clinton |
| John McCain Huffington argues that McCain's knowledge of the Iraq situation is thin. As an example she describes McCains ludicrous claim that he made last week in Jordan, that "Al Qaeda insurgents were being trained in Iran. Asked again about it, he dug in deeper, claiming it was 'common knowledge and has been reported in the media that al-Qaeda is going back into Iran and receiving training and are coming back into Iraq from Iran, that's well known. "A few moments later, McCain's chief lady in waiting, Joe Lieberman, leaned forward and whispered in his ear. McCain promptly offered a quick rewrite: 'I'm sorry, the Iranians are training extremists, not al-Qaeda.'" Huffington admits that "McCain is a war hero, and yes, we're all grateful for his service during the Vietnam war. But ... having acted heroically in a foreign war does not magically translate into foreign policy expertise and judgment." |
Comparing Condidates |
| U.S. Strategic Interest and Military Budget |