JTA: The Global News Service of the Jewish People

Political tidbits: Burns likes Obama’s stance on Iran, Fleischer calls Obama new Carter (UPDATED)

By Eric Fingerhut · October 28, 2008

• Former Bush administration official Nicholas Burns says Barack Obama is right: The United States should talk to adversaries like Iran, in Newsweek.
  
• Former Bush press secretary Ari Fleischer calls Barack Obama “the Jimmy Carter of the 21st century” and brings up Jeremiah Wright when talking to Jewish voters in Las Vegas, reports the Wall Street Journal.
• In Israel, boxing promoter and Israel supporter Don King endorses Obama because he’ll speak softly but carry a big stick, according to the Jerusalem Post.
  
• The Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg rips the “Jewish extremists” behind the distribution of the film “Obsession” in swing states.
• Stop using Hitler “as a political tool,” writes Brad Hirschfield on Beliefnet, in a response to that Pennsylvania e-mail.
  
• George Costanza – actually, Jason Alexander – campaigns for Obama in South Florida, writes the Huffington Post.
• Jewish Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle (R) is on the campaign trail too, for McCain, reports the Honolulu Advertiser.
• The Christian Science Monitor reports that Israelis are “uneasy” at the prospect of an Obama election.
• Young non-Orthodox Jews don’t give Israel high priority when voting for president, according to a new study reported in the Jerusalem Post.
  
• Sen. Ted Stevens’ (R-Alaska) conviction yesterday means Ethan Berkowitz’s chances in his race against longtime incumbent Republican Don Young, just got better. Here’s the New York Times noting Republicans bailing out on Young, who is implicated in the same scandal as Stevens.
• The New Republic wonders about the National Republican Sentorial Committee’s “Sex-and-Al Franken Obsession.” And even Norm Coleman says he was “astonished” by the comic-book style mailer and that any more copies should be collected and destroyed.



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Carter doesn’t speak, gets ovation

By Ron Kampeas · August 26, 2008

For Jimmy Carter, it was Katrina, not the Middle East.

Democrats were determined not to allow the former president to spoil their Denver party with talk of evenhanded policies in the Middle East. No mention, please, of “Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid,” the book whose title set off a firestorm in the pro-Israel community.

So they screened a video of Carter’s work helping to rebuild homes in Gulf Coast areas devastated by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Then Carter did a quick live stage stroll holding wife Rosalynn’s hand to a standing ovation and retreated without a word.

(Carter addressed the 2004 convention and even mentioned the Middle East. That, however, was before the book and his meeting this year with Hamas leaders – partly, it must be said, in a bid to free Israeli captive Gilad Shalit.)

The deal was done: A Democratic convention without a difficult Carter moment.

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Carter will be in Denver, but his speech will be from New Orleans

By Eric Fingerhut · August 21, 2008

Jimmy Carter’s speech at the Democratic National Convention will be on videotape from New Orleans, but he will be present in the convention hall in Denver on Monday night.

Obama convention spokesperson Jenny Backus called to clarify her e-mail yesterday and said the controversial former president will “be recognized” before his speech and may even introduce it. But the speech itself will have been previously recorded and originate from New Orleans, as a part of the program dedicated to remembering the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. Carter will discuss, said Backus, “Americans coming together to help their neighbors and friends, fitting our theme of one nation. He will discuss programs that we can do together to make America stronger” and not talk about foreign policy.

The Republican Jewish Coalition has called for his removal from the convention schedule because of “troubling anti-Israel bias” and on Thursday, the National Council on Young Israel also urged the cancellation of his speech, calling it “an affront to the State of Israel, and to all American Zionists, whether they are Christians or Jews.”

Carter also spoke at the 2004 convention, but that was before the publication of his controversial book “Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid.”

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Obama camp says Carter won’t be talking foreign policy at convention (Corrected)

By Eric Fingerhut · August 21, 2008

Jimmy Carter will be speaking at the Democratic National Convention, but he won’t be talking about Israel. The former president will be speaking “via a special video tape message from New Orleans,” said Obama convention spokesperson Jenny Backus via e-mail. He will talk “about Americans coming together to help their neighbors and friends, fitting our theme of one nation” and “discuss programs that we can do together to make America stronger.” Backus added that Carter “is not discussing foreign relations.” Backus said Carter will be in Denver and be recognized before the video is played.

The Republican Jewish Coalition has called for his removal from the scheduled because of “troubling anti-Israel bias.” Carter also spoke at the 2004 convention, but that was before the publication of his controversial book “Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid.”

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RJC: Don’t let Carter speak in Denver (UPDATED)

By Eric Fingerhut · August 20, 2008

A day after the Democrats announced that former President Jimmy Carter would be speaking next Monday at their convention, the Republican Jewish Coalition is demanding his removal from the schedule because of his “troubling anti-Israel bias.” Carter spoke at the convention four years ago, but that was before the 2006 release of his controversial book, “Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid.”

A top Jewish leader, though, believes a Carter speech in Denver is unavoidable. Anti-Defamation League national director Abraham Foxman said in a phone interview that he wished Carter wasn’t speaking, but “I don’t think there’s an option not to provide a platform for a former president.” He hoped the “Democratic leadership would use the opportunity [of Carter’s appearance] to distance themselves” from the former president’s “biased view of the Arab-Israeli conflict.”

Here’s the full RJC release:

RJC: Remove Carter From Democratic Convention Program

Washington, D.C. (August 20, 2008) – The Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC) today
called on Sen. Barack Obama and the Democratic Party leadership to remove former
President Jimmy Carter from the program at the Democratic National Convention. Yesterday it was announced that Carter is scheduled to speak at the Convention in Denver on Monday, August 25, 2008.

Through the years, President Carter has consistently demonstrated by his statements
and actions a troubling anti-Israel bias. In April 2008, despite strong protests by Israeli leaders, the U.S. State Department and several Democratic leaders, Carter met with Hamas leader Khaled Meshal in Syria. In an August 2006 interview with Der Spiegel, Carter ignored Israel’s right to defend its citizens and borders. Instead, Carter claimed Israel’s attack was “unjustified” and that “Israel looks upon this as a justification for an attack on the civilian population of Lebanon and Gaza.” In 2006, Carter also published an error-filled, egregiously biased book entitled Palestine: Peace not Apartheid. Carter said publicly that Israeli treatment of Palestinians is “one of the greatest human rights crimes
on earth.”

“Jimmy Carter’s long history of anti-Israel bias has rendered him unfit to address
the Democratic Convention. It is incumbent upon the Democratic Party leadership
and Senator Obama to remove Carter from the program in Denver. The Democratic
Party and Senator Obama’s continued embrace of Carter and his anti-Israel bias sends
a troubling message to the Jewish community.  It stands in stark contrast to the
GOP and John McCain’s pro-Israel stance,” said RJC Executive Director Matt Brooks.
“Additionally, Senator Obama should reject Carter’s superdelegate vote.  The hand
that shook Khaled Meshal’s should not be allowed to rise in support of Senator Obama’s
candidacy for president.”

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