JTA: The Global News Service of the Jewish People

Democrats putting other issues on faith agenda

By Eric Fingerhut · September 18, 2008

For years, Republicans have been seen as the party of the religious because of the stands its members take on issues such as abortion and gay marriage. The Democrats are trying to change that perception – by expanding the number of issues that are linked to religion and faith.

At a meeting with reporters Thursday morning, a group of Democratic senators laid out some examples. Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) pointed to the farm bill as a faith-based issue because it deals with, among other things, feeding the hungry. And she said the G.I. Bill qualifies because it ensures America follows through on its “moral commitments.” Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) added climate change and a “responsible energy policy” because they involved “our moral responsibility as it relates to our world.”

Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) pointed to children’s health insurance as a faith-based issue, and Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) noted the minimum wage. She said a higher wage might mean some Americans would only have to work two jobs instead of three – and thus have more “time to practice their faith.”

Casey, an anti-abortion Democrat, said that Democrats had been “perceived” as “the secular party” for too long. “I think faith is vitally important to discourse in politics and government,” said Casey. “To deny that is to deny reality. Even as the country recognizes diversity and separation of church and state, it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t recognize that faith plays an important role in people’s views.”

While the principle of church-state separation is particularly important to many Jews, Cardin said he doesn’t think the party’s emphasis on faith alienates any Jews. “You can’t confuse the separation of church and state with the commitment toward principles that come out of our religious background,” he told JTA.

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Political Tidbits: Poll says McCain winning among N.Y. Jews

By Ami Eden · September 16, 2008

• Poll shows John McCain with a big lead among Jews in New York.
• McCain wins big in an unscientific poll of JPOST.com readers.
• The Miami Herald reports on millions of DVDs of a controversial documentary about radical Islam being distributed via newspapers and direct mail to potential voters in swing states.
• Bernard Avishai reflects on Obama and the Jews.
• Babs set to sing for Obama.
• Obama, McCain surrogates debate in Baltimore.
• Joe Lieberman to Las Vegas Jews: I’m a disappointed Democrat.

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Hillary takes Maryland Jewish vote

By Ben Harris · February 13, 2008

Hillary Clinton took 60 percent of the Jewish vote in the Maryland primary. Here’s the JTA brief about the breakdown:

Hillary Clinton won 60 percent of the Jewish vote in Maryland’s Democratic primary, but Barack Obama won overall.

Sen. Obama (D-Ill.) was the choice of virtually every other religious group polled, and he easily won the state in Tuesday’s vote. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) won on the Republican side of the so-called Chesapeake primary., which included contests in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia.

In Maryland, with the exception of Catholics, where Sen. Clinton (D-N.Y.) enjoyed a slight advantage, 48 percent to 45 percent, Obama won among Protestants and voters describing themselves as “Other Christian” – the largest single religious voting bloc in the state. Nonreligious voters also favored Obama.

Overall, Obama won 59 percent to Clinton’s 37 percent. With easy victories Tuesday in Virginia and the District of Columbia, Obama for the first time has taken a lead in the delegates count.

In advance of the primary, both campaigns aggressively courted Maryland Jews. An e-mail supporting Obama and signed by several state officials, including the attorney general, was dispatched to the Jewish community.

U.S. Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.), a popular figure in the Jewish community, met with area rabbis last week to urge them to support Clinton.

Exit polling data was reported by MSNBC. No data was available for Virginia or the District of Columbia.

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Previewing Chesapeake Tuesday

By Ami Eden · February 11, 2008

JTA’s Ben Harris has a preview of tomorrow’s slate of primaries, including a look into the fight for Maryland’s Jewish votes and the Obama camp’s efforts to head off any upset over the endorsement of U.S. Rep. Jim Moran.

NEW YORK (JTA) – The Obama and Clinton campaigns have squared off in a fight for the Jewish vote in Maryland, the next state with a sizable Jewish population to have its say in the fiercely contested Democratic primary.

At the same time, an endorsement in Virginia has the Obama camp racing to reassure Jewish voters there.

More than 200 delegates are at stake in Tuesday’s primary, when voters in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia head to the polls in one of the last big days of Democratic voting.

In Virginia, the Obama campaign was working to head off any potential fallout over the endorsement of U.S. Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.), a controversial figure in Jewish circles for repeated statements claiming that Jewish support pushed the United States into the Iraq war.

The Obama campaign issued a statement distancing the Illinois senator from Moran, but nevertheless accepted his endorsement. Moran appeared with Obama at a campaign rally Sunday in Virginia.

“Senator Obama has received the support of millions of Americans who are inspired by his vision for change, and he welcomes that support,” the statement said. “There are clear instances where he disagrees with views expressed by individual supporters, and that is the case with Congressman Moran’s comments on the Jewish community’s role in the decision to wage war in Iraq.

“Senator Obama is proud of his close and longstanding ties to the Jewish community, and blames Washington’s failed conventional thinking for a war in Iraq that should never have been authorized, and never have been waged.”

On Saturday, however, Obama had much kinder words for Moran at the Virginia Democratic Party’s annual Jefferson-Jackson Day dinner. Obama thanked Moran, calling him a “wonderful congressman and a great friend.”

U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) also appeared at the dinner and acknowledged Moran along with other Virginia Congress members.

Asked about the apparent discrepancy, an Obama campaign official said there would be no further comment on the matter.

“I think the statement that we put out on Congressman Moran speaks for itself,” the official said.

“It sounds like Obama needs to keep explaining his supporters,” said a pro-Clinton Democratic consultant in Washington, noting Obama’s ties to a Chicago pastor who has spoken critically about Israel, and foreign policy consultant Zbigniew Brzezinski, an adviser to Jimmy Carter seen as cool to Israel.

“How many times is he going to have to explain the exceptions that he takes with the people he chooses to have around him?” the consultant asked.

Jack Moline, a rabbi from Alexandria, Va., told JTA he believed Obama’s response to the Moran affair would figure more prominently in the calculations of Virginia Jews than the Moran endorsement itself.

“I think frankly that Virginia Jews have written Congressman Moran off and his endorsement or lack thereof really doesn’t mean that much to the voting patterns of Jews in Virginia,” Moline said. “What I do think is how Senator Obama responds to this endorsement could work very much to his benefit if he’s willing to stand up and say the things that need to be said about Congressman Moran’s rhetoric.”

In Maryland, the State Attorney General Douglas Gansler, five state lawmakers, two officials of suburban Montgomery County and a host of Jewish leaders signed on to an e-mail letter backing Obama ahead of Tuesday’s primary.

“The time for change, the time for a leader who will heal, unify and make the world a better, kinder and safer place for our children, grandchildren is NOW,” said the e-mail sent to Maryland Jews. “We believe that Barack Obama is such a leader.”

Meanwhile, U.S. Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) met with area rabbis on Thursday to urge them to support Hillary Clinton. A longtime friend of the Jewish community, Mikulski has been a vocal advocate of federal funding to protect non-profit institutions from terrorist threats, support that won her an award from the Orthodox Union in 2006.

A top Clinton aide, Ann Lewis, outlined the campaign’s effort to reach out to the Jewish community.

“In advance of the Chesapeake primaries, we have been organizing our supporters and attending events with the community, with distinguished supporters like Sen. Barbara Mikulski. Josh Kram, our director of Jewish Outreach, represented the campaign at Kemp Mill Synagogue in Silver Spring on Saturday for a candidate forum,” Lewis said.

“In addition,” she added, “our Chai for Hillary effort has helped bring in many young Jewish supporters and they are working tirelessly for our effort over the past week, we have hosted several phone banks at the campaign to reach Jewish voters in the DC-MD-VA area.”

In the capital, Obama’s Jewish proxies met with young Jewish professionals at a Havdalah service Saturday night at a bistro in the trendy Dupont Circle area. U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) said Obama stood “shoulder to shoulder” with Israel but understood peace negotiations were the key to ensuring Israel’s security.

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Jewish politicians in Maryland speak out for Obama

By Ron Kampeas · February 10, 2008

A slate of Maryland Jewish Democratic lawmakers endorsed Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) for president.

State Attorney General Douglas Gansler, five state lawmakers, two officials of suburban Montgomery County and a host of Jewish leaders signed on to an e-mail letter backing Obama as part of a campaign for the Jewish vote ahead of Tuesday’s state primary.

“The time for change, the time for a leader who will heal, unify and make the world a better, kinder and safer place for our children, grandchildren is NOW,” said the letter sent to Maryland Jews. “We believe that Barack Obama is such a leader.”

In his Jewish campaign, Obama is pushing hard against false Internet rumors depicting him as a secret Muslim and hostile to Israel. The Maryland letter addressed those rumors.

“Barack Obama’s friendship with Israel is clear and unwavering despite the vicious and fallacious emails circulating the internet,” it said. “In his own words, he is committed to Israel as a Jewish state.”

Obama proxies were also reaching out in person to Jews in the region. U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), who is Jewish, met with young Jewish D.C. professionals on Saturday evening at a Havdalah service at the historic Sixth and I synagogue in downtown Washington. Schakowsky said Obama stood “shoulder to shoulder” with Israel but understood peace negotiations were the key to ensuring Israel’s security.

U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler (D-Fla.), the unofficial top Jewish proxy in the Obama campaign, was meeting with top Jewish opinion leaders at a home in the wealthy Washington suburb of Potomac on Sunday afternoon.

Last week, according to the Forward newspaper, U.S. Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.), who is close to Jewish leaders in the state, met with a slate of Baltimore Jewish lay officials on behalf of Clinton.

Here is the full text of the pro-Obama e-mail:

WHY WE SUPPORT BARACK OBAMA

As Jewish Americans, we are asking you to join us in an effort to make for ourselves, our children and grandchildren a better America and a safer world for years to come. We strongly believe that Barack Obama is the Democrat who will lead us to victory in November and heal our great, yet divided, Nation. We are voting for a candidate, not against one.

Rabbi Hillel, the great Jewish scholar, asked “If I am not for myself, then who will be for me? And if I am only for myself, then what am I? And if not now, when?” In making the decision as to who will be the 44th President of the United States of America in 2008, we believe his questions are as relevant today as they were when first asked many centuries ago. Barack Obama’s rich and varied life experiences have helped enable him to understand the needs of all Americans, young and old, black, brown and white, men and women, alike. He has inspired millions of people to think deeply about what they, too, can do to help repair the damage done during the past eight years—damage that has eroded America’s respect we American Jews fought so hard to earn. In eight short years, we have spent billions of dollars and lost thousands of lives on a war we never should have started.  Our economy has declined to the point that we are the brink of a recession.  Our country has grown so polarized that our core values of character, spiritual virtue and kinship are threatened.  The time for change, the time for a leader who will heal, unify and make the world a better, kinder and safer place for our children, grandchildren is NOW. We believe that Barack Obama is such a leader. He is the only candidate who truly represents and embodies real and positive change. He is the only one who has the moral fiber that we need in order to bring back respectability, trust and inspiration to the nation’s highest office.

Barack Obama’s friendship with Israel is clear and unwavering despite the vicious and fallacious emails circulating the internet. In his own words, he is committed to Israel as a Jewish state, “I start with the premise that Israel is a stalwart ally of ours and their security cannot be compromised… the Palestinians would have to reinterpret the notion of right of return in a way that would preserve Israel as a Jewish state.” When questioned about Iran’s Ahmadinejad’s sick claim that the Holocaust is a myth, Obama responded eloquently and firmly, “…we know the Holocaust was as real as the 6 million who died in mass graves at Buchenwald, or the cattle cars to Dachau or whose ashes clouded the sky at Auschwitz.  After 60 years, it is time to deny the deniers.” And, he has strongly expressed his commitment to Israel, including, “our total commitment to [America’s] unique defense relationship with Israel by fully funding military assistance and continuing work on the Arrow and related missile defense programs. This would help Israel maintain its military edge and deter and repel attacks from as far as Tehran and as close as Gaza.  Lester Crown, a foremost Jewish leader in Chicago, who for many years has known Barack Obama and his close relationship with the Jewish community, is confident that Barack Obama will continue his loyal friendship with Israel in the White House.  A recent New York Sun editorial emphasizes that “anyone who questions Barack Obama on Israel policy has not checked their facts” (Jan. 9, 2008).

These are just a few of the many reasons we strongly support Barack Obama to be our Democratic Presidential nominee. We encourage you to join us in voting for him in our Maryland primary election on Tuesday, February 12, 2008, and visit his website at HYPERLINK “http://www.barackobama.com” http://www.barackobama.com, to learn about his policies, and financially support his candidacy to be our 44th President. Our future depends upon it.

Sincerely,

The Honorable Doug Gansler
Attorney General, State of Maryland

The Honorable Brian Frosh
Maryland State Senator (D-16)

The Honorable Jamie Raskin
Maryland State Senator (D-20)

The Honorable Brian Feldman
Maryland State Delegate (D-15)

The Honorable Kirill Reznik
Maryland State Delegate (D-39)

The Honorable William Bronrott
Maryland State Delegate (D-16)

The Honorable Roger Berliner
Montgomery County Council

The Honorable Marc Elrich
Montgomery County Council

Cathy Bernard

Gary Bortnick

Debby Bortnick

Fran Brenneman

Robin Coleman

T. Michael Coleman

Barbara Goldberg Goldman

Michael F. Goldman

Rosalyn Levy Jonas

Gary F. Jonas

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