Jewish members of the U.S. Congress refused Tuesday to admit that Barack Obama was having any problems with older Jewish voters in South Florida and predicted at a Denver press conference that the Democrat would hit “historically high numbers” in the Jewish community — even though Obama is running almost 15 points behind John Kerry’s Jewish support in 2004. [UPDATE: Check out video from the press conference.]

Asked twice about reports from two Florida state legislators of having encountered hostility toward the Democratic candidate from Jewish seniors in South Florida, Rep. Robert Wexler (D-Fla.) offered a conflicting view. He reiterated that Obama’s support among Jews in South Florida was “substantial and growing” and that this week’s convention — and Hillary Clinton’s Tuesday night speech — would change the mind of any holdouts.

Both Wexler and Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) also asserted that Obama would do as well as any Democrat has done among Jewish voters — a stunning prediction considering that Obama is currently garnering 61-62 percent, almost 20 points lower than the high-water mark of Bill Clinton’s 80 percent in 1992 and significantly lower than John Kerry’s 75 percent four years ago.

Both Rep. Howard Berman (D-Calif.) and Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) claimed that Kerry was doing similarly well among Jews at this point in the campaign. In fact, a poll sponsored by the National Jewish Democratic Council had Kerry up 75-22 percent in mid-August 2004.

Rep. Shelley Berkley (D-Nev.), a former Hillary Clinton supporter, said Obama’s Jewish numbers would rise once American Jews knew about his position on Israel, just as Obama persuaded her after the conclusion of the Democratic primaries.

The Obama campaign’s new Jewish message was also on display at Tuesday’s press conference, with a number of the six participants emphasizing that Obama represents the traditional “values” of the Jewish community while John McCain does not. They also attacked the Bush administration’s handling of a variety of issues in the Middle East and argued that Israel would be better served by an Obama administration.

• “It’s still iffy, which is freaking me out”: That, according to the New York Times, was what one Boca Raton precinct coordinator had to say about the attitude of some “lifelong Jewish Democrats” toward Barack Obama. The coordinator was attending a Hillary Clinton appearance for Obama in South Florida. More details on the rally in the Miami Herald.
• In a article entitled “The Shmegege Vote: 2008,” Susan Isaacs at The Huffington Post wonders how prejudice will affect Jews when they enter the voting booth.
• The Forward looks at the key Jewish behind-the-scenes players in the Obama campaign.
• The Forward also reports that historians and political observers believe Thursday will be the first time in political convention history that a rabbi gives an invocation before a presidential nominee acceptance speech.
• Rabbi Amy Schwartzman talks to the Washington Jewish Week about her participation in the Democratic National Convention’s interfaith gathering on Sunday.
• JTA looked in on the Democrats’ faith focus earlier this week, as did the the New York Jewish Week, with some finding the emphasis excessive.
• Daniel Burrell at The Huffington Post writes Obama should get tougher on Iran because it will help him with Jewish voters.
• Jim Besser at the New York Jewish Week says the McCain campaign seems to be taking tips from Mort Klein and the Zionist Organization of America in its attacks on Obama adviser Dan Kurtzer.
• Jay Michaelson, writing in the Forward, suggests that treating Israel as the pre-eminent “Jewish issue” of the campaign may be bad for Judaism.
• The blind rabbi running for Congress, Dennis Shulman, is using a parody of “The Office” to attack opponent Scott Garrett over his ties to “Texas oilmen.”

As Barack Obama gets ready to roll out his running mate, Jewish political insiders and activists say they would welcome any of the three most talked about possibilities.

Some say Sen. Joseph Biden’s (D-Del.) extensive experience on foreign policy issues makes him a big favorite among pro-Israel activists, but others prefer Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.) as a solid, appealing choice. And while some Jewish Democrats admit they aren’t too familiar with Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine (D), they say reports of his good relations with the Virginia Jewish community reassure them.

“I have not heard a single name that has caused conternation” or is considered a problem, said Steve Rabinowitz, a Democratic political consultant who often works on Jewish issues.

Steve Grossman, a former president of AIPAC and chair of the Democratic Party, said that while there are a group of Jewish voters who are looking for an experienced foreign-policy hand, others just want someone who fits well with Obama and matches their “progressive” views on a variety of issues. Grossman, who backed Hillary Clinton in the primaries, believes Biden would be popular because he’s “as well known an individual as any elected official in America” with a lengthy “track record” of backing the U.S.-Israel relationship, but also noted that Bayh has “enormous credibility with the pro-Israel community” and Kaine gets high marks from his Jewish constituents. Grossman emphasized, though, that he doesn’t think that the VP selection will make much of a difference to Jewish voters because Obama will have proved his bona fides on foreign policy issues by Election Day.

Rebecca Geller, a co-founder of “Chai for Hillary” who is now backing Obama, said younger pro-Israel activists seem to prefer Bayh for his relative youth combined with his experience, although “there’s not really a consensus of one person,” just “a relief that all people vetted” would be satisfactory. Geller herself, a native of Richmond, Va., is a big fan of Kaine, who served as the mayor of that city before ascending to state politics. While studying abroad, she spent time with the then-mayor when he visited Jerusalem for a mayors’ conference.

And Marcel Groen, chair of the Democratic Party of Montgomery County, Pa., belives that “if you took a poll Hillary [Clinton] would be the overwhelmingly choice,” although that selection appears unlikely.

The only name that would universally disappoint Jewish activists would be Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska, whose name has been bandied about but not been mentioned as a serious possibility. One said she would reconsider her vote, because of his record as a critic of Israel. Rabinowitz noted, though, that the Hagel choice would be unpopular with all Democrats, because they don’t want to vote for a Democratic president and possibly end up with a Republican if the vice president ends up taking over.

* Why is Sen. Joe Lieberman campaigning for John McCain at a Holocaust museum near Detroit? Because the McCain campaign rented the room. Holocaust Memorial Center founder and CEO Rabbi Charles Rosenzveig emphasized that the Wednesday night event was not sponsored by the museum. The GOP campaign paid the $700 fee like everyone else who uses the facility does. (The money pays for the room, security and the coffee, he quipped.) Rosenzveig said the Obama campaign had also inquired about using the center a few months back for an event, but later decided to use another site. He speculated that the facility is popular because “we are located in the busiest section of town.”

As for the appropriateness of politicking at a site honoring the Holocaust, Lieberman’s office referred us to the McCain campaign, which has thus far not returned our calls. But a campaign spokesperson did tell Politico last week that “this location has been the site of political gatherings before, and the campaign felt that it would be a unique and educational setting for our supporters to meet with Senator Lieberman.”

Meanwhile, the Council on American-Islamic Relations is taking exception to Lieberman’s comment during the speech that McCain would govern according to “Judeo-Christian values”–saying the Connecticut senator came very close to “applying a religious litmus test for public office.”

* A top Hillary Clinton supporter is ripping those in the Jewish community who have obsessed over Barack Obama’s religious background. In an interview with Shalom TV, Jill Iscol, a vice president of Clinton’s campaign finance committee, said that Jews are “hysterical that Barack Obama may be a Muslim, may not be a Muslim, is a Christian, whatever. It is absolutely anathema that people are not standing up and saying ‘So what.’ If this was about somebody being any other religion, we would be very upset — particularly if it was somebody who was a Jew.”

Apparently, Iscol forgot that the Clinton’s campaign’s hands aren’t entirely clean on this issue. Just to name a couple, there were the two Clinton volunteers in Iowa who were asked to resign after passing along those false e-mails about Obama and that time Clinton told 60 Minutes Obama wasn’t a Muslim “as far as I know”…..

* George Clooney says he’d never be “dumb enough” to offer advice to either presidential candidate, in denying that thinly-sourced story alleging that he was giving tips on Middle East policy to Barack Obama. He also offers a million dollars to anyone who can prove that he has ever e-mailed or texted the presumptive Democratic nominee.

From today’s Star-Ledger:

U.S. Rep. Rob Andrews, who supported Hillary Clinton throughout the primary season, disclosed he received a phone call shortly before the April 22 Pennsylvania primary from a top member of Clinton’s organization and that the caller explicitly discussed a strategy of winning over Jewish voters by exploiting tensions between Jews and African-Americans.

“There have been signals coming out of the Clinton campaign that have racial overtones that indeed disturb me,” Andrews said at his campaign headquarters in Cherry Hill Tuesday night after he lost his bid for the Democratic U.S. Senate nomination.

“Frankly, I had a private conversation with a high-ranking person in the campaign … that used a racial line of argument that I found very disconcerting. It was extremely disconcerting given the rank of this person. It was very disturbing.”

Andrews said the phone call came after he angered the Clinton camp by making some positive comments about Obama. He would not disclose the caller’s name because of the private nature of the conversation.

The Obama camp declined to comment. Clinton’s campaign issued an angry response to Andrews, who once was charged with lobbying other members of Congress to support her.

“Comments like these, coming so soon after Congressman Andrews’ crushing defeat, are sad and divisive,” said Clinton’s chief national spokesman, Phil Singer.

Here’s the complete audio of Obama’s speech to AIPAC today:

Video and text after the jump.

Read the rest

It does seem like the news in Hillary Clinton’s AIPAC speech was this line: “Let me be very clear: I know Senator Obama will be a good friend to Israel.”

Clinton may not have dropped out of the race, but she spoke as if Obama would be the Democratic nominee and aimed her criticisms at GOP policies.

UPDATE: The perils of live blogging … Wonkette picks on us (me) for an earlier typo in the headline of this post.

11:04 Hillary Clinton introduced by Lonnie Kaplan as “a Democratic candidate for president.”

11:04 Big standing O.

11:05 Feels like a big “family reunion.”

11:06 Remembering Tom Lantos.

11:07 Quotes from Isaiah.

11:07 I “reject” the argument that our “common commitment to Israel’s survival and well being is not in the best interest of America.”

11:08 “Is there anyone from New York even here in this audience today.”

11:09 “I stand with you and for you.”

11:11 “Israel is not yet safe. The values that Israel represents are not yet secure.”

11:12 Recalling visits to Israeli terror victims and citizens of Sderot.

11:13 We need a Democrat in the White House.

11:13 “I know Senator Obama knows what is at stake here… Let me be very clear: I know Senator Obama will be a good friend to Israel.” (Sounds like she’s already conceded.)

11:15 “President Bush has moved us in the wrong direction.”

11:15 John McCain will follow the same wrong policies on Iraq and the Middle East.

11:20 Sounds same note as Obama on talks with Hamas: No way, until Hamas recognizes Israel and ends violence.

11:21 Will keep fighting to bring home captured Israeli soldiers.

11:22 “No nuclear weapons for Iran.”

11:22 “We can never let Iran attain nuclear weapons.”

11:22 IRG is a terrorist organization.

11:23 Iran must know consequences of nuclear attack on Israel. But we must never let it get to that point.

11:24 “Further behind” in confronting Iran because of the Bush administration.

11:25 Must speak out against anti-Semitism. Big standing ovation.

11:25 Criticizes Palestinian textbooks. Criticizes Saudi textbooks.

11:25 “Debacle at Durban must never be repeated.” If efforts to keep anti-Semitism out of Durban II, then U.S. should boycott the meeting.

11:29 Recalling one of “my heroes”: Golda Meir (and how she would answer the phone in the middle of night).

11:30 “God bless you. God bless Israel. God bless America.”

We (Ami, Uri Heilman, Ron Kampeas, a few dozen journalists and thousands of pro-Israel activists) are waiting for Obama’s big AIPAC speech. It’s hard to imagine a more dramatic stage and opportune time for Obama to reach the hawkish-minded Jews who are politically active, more than willing to vote for the right Democrat and aren’t sure the Illinois senator is the right Democrat.

There’s been a bunch of rumors the past 24 hours about what he and Hillary Clinton (she’s up after him) will say.

She’ll concede.

He’ll announce that she’s the Veep.

She’ll demand to be the Veep.

She’ll endorse him.

My favorite: Obama will let it be known that he’s in the market for a new shul.

Three signs that the anti-Semites are right…

1) Hillary Clinton has booked Baruch College for her election night event in New York on Tuesday.

2) Clinton and Barack Obama will both be giving their first post-election night speeches at the AIPAC policy conference on Wednesday morning.

3) On Wednesday night, Scott McClellan will make his first I’m-on-a-book-tour public appearance — at the 92nd St Y on the Upper East Side.

Courtesy of AIPAC

Last week JTA’s Ron Kampeas told you to expect some hard-hitting speeches from the presidential candidates at this week’s AIPAC policy conference. Well, McCain was first up this morning (Obama and Clinton are scheduled for Wednesday), and he took clear aim at Obama.

[UPDATE: The National Jewish Democratic Council has issued a response.]

Audio, video & transcript after the jump:
Read the rest

On Thursday Brit Hume and a bunch of regulars (Juan Williams, Nina Easton and Charles Krauthammer) on Fox News kicked around Obama’s Buchenwald-Auchwitz mix-up.

Here’s my favorite line, courtesy of Mr. Krauthammer: “It does tell you a little bit that this is a man who wants to be commander in chief, and he’s not really aware that Auschwitz was in Poland and the American army never entered Poland in the Second World War.”

Yeah, sort of like someone wanting to be commander in chief and not knowing the name of Pakistan’s leader.

As for Obama, it’s unclear if he didn’t know the difference between the two camps, mixed up the story in his head at some point or if he was the victim of some sort of longstanding family lore that got botched in the retelling.

But, back to what the current president knew (or did not know) upon seeking the job … Could Krauthammer say with any degree of confidence that candidate George W. Bush knew the difference between Auschwitz and Buchenwald? I’ll bet you Hillary and McCain know the difference, and as one Clintonista pointed out to me, Bill could probably give an impromptu speech on the topic.

[UPDATE: I should have mentioned that McCain certainly knows a thing or two about Hannah Senesh.]

Here’s the full Fox News exchange: Read the rest

• Menachem Rosensaft says stop using Holocaust to smear Barack Obama. And the ADL has something to say on the topic also.
• The New York Daily News jumps on the “Zbigniew Brzezinski accuses Jewish groups of McCarthyism” story, quotes Obama camp saying that the Carter administration official “is not an adviser to our campaign” and and the Illinois senator “profoundly disagrees with the sentiments he expressed.”
• New York magazine looks at Michael Bloomberg’s chances of ending up a vice-presidential candidate.
• Joe Lieberman’s office dodges on whether he will be joining Pastor John Hagee at the Christians United for Israel conference in July. J Street has launched a petition calling on Lieberman to cut ties with Hagee.
• Beliefnet editor Steven Waldman blogs for WSJ about the impact of the Hagee-McCain divorce, whether Hillary Clinton is hurting Obama and whether anyone but Obama could get away with distributing campaign literature with a big cross.
• The New York Post thinks Obama is backpedaling from his willingness to meet with the Iranian president — if so, the paper says, it’s a good flip-flop.
• U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner is a big backer of Clinton, but he likes here right-hand woman even more.