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No clear-cut favorite for Dem VP among Jewish activists

By Eric Fingerhut · August 19, 2008

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.

1 Comment | Share This | Barack Obama, chuck hagel, Featured, hillary clinton, Veepstakes

Dan Shapiro joins Obama full-time

By Eric Fingerhut · August 19, 2008

Dan Shapiro, who’s been advising Barack Obama on Middle East issues for most of the campaign, is now officially joining the campaign. The former Clinton administration National Security Council official will serve as senior policy adviser and Jewish outreach coordinator, according to a press release from the Obama campaign. Here’s the whole release:

Obama Campaign Announces Staff Appointment

Chicago, IL – The Obama campaign announces the appointment of Daniel B. Shapiro as
Senior Policy Adviser and Jewish Outreach Coordinator.  Dan has been advising the
campaign since 2007 on Middle East policy and Jewish community issues, and now will
continue this work as a member of the campaign staff.  He previously served as
Deputy Chief of Staff to Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL), as well as on the staff of the
National Security Council during the Clinton Administration.  He has also been a
staff adviser to Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and former Chairman of the House
Foreign Affairs Committee Lee Hamilton (D-IN).  The Obama campaign is reaching out
aggressively to the Jewish community through the creation of Jewish Community
Leadership Councils in cities around the country, and Dan joins National Jewish Vote
Director Eric Lynn to augment and expand this outreach effort.

3 Comments | Share This | Barack Obama, Featured

What did they call him?

By Eric Fingerhut · August 19, 2008

Is the Associated Press unconsciously channeling the feelings of many Democrats about Joe Lieberman? Check out the typo in the 10th paragraph of this AP story on vice presidential speculation, which includes an extra letter when describing the 2000 Democratic VP pick.

1 Comment | Share This | Featured, Joe Lieberman, Veepstakes

Republicans will have a rabbinical invocation, too

By Eric Fingerhut · August 18, 2008

The Democrats won’t be the only party convention with a rabbi giving a benediction. According to the Deep South Jewish Voice, Rabbi Ira Flax, a retired military chaplain now living in Birmingham, has been asked to give the invocation during the Wednesday session of the Republican National Convention–traditionally the day the vice presidential nominee gives his or her speech. The paper reported a convention spokesperson would not confirm the schedule, saying it had not been finalized.

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Saperstein to open Obama’s big night

By Eric Fingerhut · August 18, 2008

Democrats have announced that Rabbi David Saperstein, director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, will deliver the invocation the night Barack Obama accepts the Democratic nomination for president. The party has also announced its first “Faith Caucus” with a number of religion-related discussions throughout their week in Denver, and rabbis including Northern Virginians Amy Schwartzman and Jack Moline, Steven Foster of Denver, Marc Schneier of the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding, Steve Gutow from the Jewish Council for Public Affairs and Orthodox Union executive vice president Tzvi Hersh Weinreb – who will keynote Sunday’s kickoff “Interfaith Gathering.” Here’s the press release:

DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION TO HIGHLIGHT
DIVERSE COMMUNITY OF FAITH LEADERS
WORKING TOWARD COMMON GOOD

First-Ever Faith Caucus Meetings to be Held at Democratic Convention

Invocators and Benedictors to Include Pastor Joel Hunter, Rabbi David Saperstein, Sister Catherine Pinkerton, Reverend Cynthia Hale, Archbishop Demetrios, Cameron Strang

Plus Coloradans Polly Baca of Greeley, CO, Reverends Kang of Aurora, CO

Interfaith Gathering to Open Convention Week on Sunday, Aug. 24th,
featuring Local Clergy Imam Abdur-Rahim Ali, Rabbi Steve Foster, Reverend Lucia Guzman, University of Colorado Student Kathryn Ida

DENVER – In keeping with Barack Obama’s personal commitment and the commitment of
the Democratic Party to put faith in action, the Democratic National Convention
Committee (DNCC) and the Obama for America campaign today announced that the 2008
Democratic National Convention will recognize the tireless efforts of those in the
faith community working toward the common good.

“Senator Obama is a committed Christian, and he believes that people of all faiths
have an important place in American life,” said Joshua Dubois, Obama For America
Director of Religious Affairs. “He’s proud to work with the Democratic National
Convention Committee on a Convention that fully engages people of faith in dialogue,
celebration and prayer. We are honored that so many religious leaders are reaching
across partisan and ideological lines in this Convention to address the values that
matter to Americans.”

“Democrats have been, are and will continue to be people of faith – and this Convention will demonstrate that in an unprecedented way,” said Leah D. Daughtry, CEO of the DNCC.  “As Convention CEO and a pastor myself, I am incredibly proud that so many esteemed leaders from the faith community will be with us to celebrate this historic occasion and honor the diverse faith traditions inside the Democratic Party.”

Each night of the Convention, the official program will begin with an invocation and end with a benediction delivered by a national faith leader or an individual who is active in their local faith community.  Among the group selected to deliver these opening and closing prayers are a Republican pastor of a leading Evangelical church in central Florida, a major young Evangelical leader, a nun from a diocese in Cleveland and a Methodist couple, both ordained ministers from Arvada, CO.

National leaders from a range of denominations will host the Convention’s first-ever Faith Caucus meetings during the week where they will discuss bringing people of faith together to address some of the most pressing issues of our time.

On Tuesday, August 26, the Faith Caucus will hold two panel discussions – “Common Ground on Common Good,” an opportunity to discuss finding common ground on the moral issues of the day, and “Faith in 2009: How an Obama Administration will Engage People of Faith.” On Thursday, August 28, the Caucus will convene for “Moral Values Issues Abroad,” a panel on how the faith community can work together to address pressing moral issues around the world, and “Getting Out the Faith Vote,” a session on how to appropriately engage communities of faith in the 2008 election.

In addition, a first-ever Democratic National Convention interfaith gathering will kick off the week, bringing delegates, elected officials, local residents, musical guests and spiritual leaders from many communities of faith together for a unique gathering. In addition to keynote remarks, the program will include readings from diverse religious texts, prayers and musical selections.

EVENING PROGRAM INVOCATIONS AND BENEDICTIONS
Monday, August 25
Invocation Polly Baca, Catholic, Greeley, CO
Benediction Cameron Strang, Evangelical, Orlando, FL

Tuesday, August 26
Invocation Dr. Cynthia Hale, Disciples of Christ, Decatur, GA
Benediction Revs. Jin Ho Kang and Young Sook Kang, Methodist, Aurora, CO

Wednesday, August 27
Invocation Archbishop Demetrios, Greek Orthodox, New York, NY
Benediction Sr. Catherine Pinkerton, Catholic, Cleveland, OH

Thursday, August 28
Invocation Rabbi David Saperstein, Union for Reform Judaism,
Washington, DC
Benediction Pastor Joel Hunter, Evangelical, Northland, FL

FAITH CAUCUS MEETINGS

Tuesday, August 26

Common Ground on Common Good

Time:

12:00 PM MT

Location:

Colorado Convention Center

Moderator:

Rev. Jim Wallis

Panelists:
Dr. Douglas W. Kmiec
Rabbi Jack Moline
Rev. Jennifer Kottler
Bishop Wilfredo DeJesus
Rev. John Hunter

Faith in 2009: How an Obama Administration will Engage People of Faith
Time:
1:00 PM MT

Location:
Colorado Convention Center

Moderator:
Rev. Jim Wallis

Panelists: 
Rabbi David Saperstein
Prof. John Dilulio
Rev. Otis Moss, Jr.

Thursday, August 28
Moral Values Issues Abroad

Time:
12:00 PM MT

Location:
Colorado Convention Center

Moderator:
Joshua Dubois, OFA Director of Religious Affairs

Panelists:

Dr. Preeta Bansal
Dr. David Gushee
Sr. Simone Campbell
Dr. Claude d’Estree

Getting Out the Faith Vote

Time:

1:00 PM MT

Location:
Colorado Convention Center

Moderator:
Joshua Dubois, OFA Director of Religious Affairs

Panelists:
Rev. Romal Tune
Mark Linton
Rev. C Welton Gaddy
Rev. Dr. Barbara Williams-Skinner
Rabbi Steve Gutow

**Initial caucus program line-ups.  Additional participants to be released.

INTERFAITH GATHERING

The interfaith gathering will be held at 2:00 pm MT, Sunday, August 24 at the Wells
Fargo Theater, inside the Colorado Convention Center in Denver.

Bishop Charles E. Blake, Presiding Prelate of the Church of God In Christ, Inc. and
pastor at the West Angeles Church of God in Christ; Dr. Ingrid Mattson, President of
the Islamic Society of North America; social activist Sister Helen Prejean and Rabbi
Tzvi Weinreb, Executive Vice President of the Orthodox Union, will keynote the
event. Musical selections will be performed by Grammy® award winning gospel artist
Richard Smallwood & Vision, The Spirituals Project of Denver and The Trinity United
Methodist Church Choir.

Along with remarks from Colorado Governor Bill Ritter, Jr., members of the local
clergy community will also be featured at the gathering.  Imam Abdur-Rahim Ali of
the Northeast Denver Islamic Center, Rabbi Steven Foster from Congregation Emmanuel,
lifelong Democratic leader Polly Baca, human rights leader Reverend Lucia Guzman and
Buddhist participant and University of Colorado Denver student Kathryn Ida will be
part of the local faith community represented at the event.

6 Comments | Share This | Barack Obama, Democratic convention, Featured

Lieberman stumps at Holocaust museum (for a fee), and more campaign news

By Eric Fingerhut · August 15, 2008

* 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.

0 Comments | Share This | Barack Obama, Featured, hillary clinton, Joe Lieberman, Presidential Race

White supremacists can’t decide who they hate more

By Eric Fingerhut · August 14, 2008

With his opponent being the first non-white major party presidential nominee, you might think John McCain would be the overwhelming favorite of white supremcists. You’d be wrong.

According to the Anti-Defamation League, McCain is seen as a “pawn of the Jews” and portrayed as a “traitor” to his race for his more liberal policy on immigration on the Web forums of extremist groups. One posting calls the Arizon senator “McZionist” and charge that he will deploy the U.S. military on Israel’s behalf, according to the ADL.

The ADL even found a cartoon on one of those sites depicting Obama and McCain wearing yarmulkes and kissing the rear end of a stereotypical-looking Jew, entitled “The US Presidential Race” and the Star of David replacing the stars in the American flag in the background.

Of course, the ADL notes that there’s plenty of hate for Obama in those chat rooms as well. Ironically, as we noted earlier, some white supremacists are saying that an Obama presidency would be a boost to their cause.

1 Comment | Share This | Barack Obama, Featured, John McCain, Presidential Race

Mucho pro-Israel money for McCain (but not an official endorsement)

By Eric Fingerhut · August 13, 2008

John McCain raised more than $1.5 million at a New Jersey fundraiser Tuesday night, and upwards of a third of it came via donations through the pro-Israel political action committee NORPAC– with even more coming through other NORPAC-affiliated donors. But the president of the group said that the fundraiser was not an official endorsement of the Arizonan, and if there was interest, the PAC would be willing to assist with a fundraiser for Barack Obama.

NORPAC president Ben Chouake said that the details of the Teaneck fundraiser were arranged by the McCain campaign, but that many of those that chaired the event were affiliated with the New Jersey-based political action committee. Unlike many other traditional pro-Israel PACs, which raise money and then distribute those funds to candidates, NORPAC acts as a “conduit,” he said, bundling the contributions they collect for a specific candidate so as to best demonstrate the support a candidate is receiving from the pro-Israel community.

Chouake said that while he personally is a supporter of the Republican candidate, NORPAC would be willing to serve in the same conduit role if some of its members wanted to hold a similar event for Barack Obama. “If Obama said he’s coming to New Jersey ... absolutely,” said Chouake – although he added that an Obama supporter from NORPAC would have to handle the organizational duties.

But he wasn’t sure how much money such an event would bring in, estimating that among the 6,000 people on NORPAC’s mailing list, the split was 80-20 for McCain – although he did note that as a single-issue Israel group his PAC is not a true representation of the feelings of the entire Jewish community.

NORPAC did give $5,000 to McCain during the primaries, but Chouake said they wouldn’t be making a similar donation in the general election cycle. As of the end of July, the only other pro-Israel PAC that has made a donation to either presidential candidate is the D.C.-based National PAC, which donated $5,000 to McCain’s campaign during the primaries in early March.

0 Comments | Share This | Featured, John McCain, New Jersey

A “Frozen Chosen” congressman in Alaska?

By Eric Fingerhut · August 12, 2008

News on some congressional races to watch over the next few months:

Could we have a Jewish member of Congress from Alaska? Two weeks before the primary, it’s certainly not out of the question. A poll shows state represenative Ethan Berkowitz is looking pretty good in the race to be the Democratic nominee, and in the general election he is up by 15 points on scandal-plagued Republican incumbent Don Young. The polls show a much closer race, though, if Young is knocked off in the GOP primary by current Alaska Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell. The Cook Political Report rates the race a tossup.

Twenty-nine year-old Jewish Democrat Josh Segall has raised more money than any other Democratic challenger in the state of Alabama, although the incumbent in Alabama’s Third District, Mike Rogers, still has more money in the bank. That race is still rated likely Republican by Cook.

In the only U.S. Senate race in the country where two Jewish candidates will face off, incumbent Republican Norm Coleman and Democratic challenger Al Franken are battling over who can cut Iraq reconstruction funds more. Last week, Coleman proposed a cut of $1.1 billion because of Iraq’s big surplus due to oil and gas revenus. Franken raised the ante Monday, calling for $7.1 billion in funds to be rescinded and put towards repairing America’s infrastructure. That race is considered a tossup.

Finally, in the race to succeed retiring Rep. Jim Saxton (R-N.J.) in New Jersey’s Third District, Democratic state Sen. John Adler’s huge fundraising advantage–due to a rough Republican primary his opponent Chris Myers had to spend lots of money on–led CQ Politics to move the race from Leans Republican to No Clear Favorite. Cook also has the Cherry Hill district rated a tossup.

3 Comments | Share This | Al Franken, Congressional races, Featured, Minnesota, New Jersey, Uncategorized

Another Jewish VP possibility? 

By Eric Fingerhut · August 12, 2008

How about Carl Levin for Barack Obama’s VP? Jonathan Cohn of The New Republic makes a pretty good case–national security experience, attractive to Jewish voters–but doubts it will happen because we haven’t yet heard the Michigan senator’s name floated.

Meanwhile, over on the GOP side, Joe Lieberman’s name is once more being bandied about as a possibility for John McCain’s number two, with a report the other day that he’s on the “short list.” Lieberman seemed to say he wasn’t interested a couple weeks ago on Meet the Press, and I’m willing to believe him. Sure, it might be historic to run for the VP nomination of each party in an eight-year span, but do you really want to run twice for vice president?

A top evangelical leader warns McCain that picking Lieberman would be a “catastrophe.” But the Southern Baptist Convention’s Richard Land likes the possibility of Rep. Eric Cantor of Virginia because of his “pro-life” record. Land does say he would “love” Lieberman as secretary of state or defense in a McCain administration–but not as attorney general or on the Supreme Court.

Lieberman will continue to work on the Jewish vote for McCain: he’s scheduled to be stumping Michigan tomorrow and Pennsylvania next week.

When he called Eric Cantor “wildly out of step” with the Jewish community’s values, was National Jewish Democratic Council executive director Ira Forman implying that Cantor is not truly a part of the “Jewish community”? It sounded that way to Denver-area Rabbi Levi Brackman, and he doesn’t like it.

2 Comments | Share This | Barack Obama, Eric Cantor, Featured, Joe Lieberman, John McCain, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Tidbits, Uncategorized, Veepstakes