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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Political tidbits: Obama effigy found in Ohio, McCain townhall reaction

By Eric Fingerhut · October 20, 2008

• A man hangs an Obama effigy in his front yard – with a Star of David on the top of his head – and freely admits he doesn’t want a black man as president. The Huffington Post has the video from a local TV station in Ohio.
• John McCain isn’t going to bring up Obama’s relationship with Rev. Jeremiah Wright, but won’t ask the Republican Jewish Coalition to stop putting him in their ads, according to Newsweek.
  
• McCain turned down an opportunity from Rabbi Shlomo Riskin yesterday to talk about Wright at a Jewish “tele-town hall meeting.”
• M.J. Rosenberg rips Riskin for spending years living in Israel and yet presuming to advise U.S. presidential candidates on strategy, at TPM Cafe.
• Jim Besser of The Jewish Week felt the McCain meeting seemed too staged.
• Menachem Rosensaft on McCain’s “pals” like Phil Gramm and Randy Scheunemann, in the Huffington Post.
• Here’s the National Jewish Democratic Council’s newest print ad, making the case that Obama-Biden will protect Israel and achieve energy independence.
  
• And here’s the Republican Jewish Coalition’s new television ad, using Hillary Clinton to criticize Obama for saying he’d meet with the leaders of rogue states.
  
• Every church and synagogue in the United States is going to receive the anti-radical Islam film Obsession, according to Marketwatch. It’s coming enclosed with a new right-wing, anti-gay marriage and anti-abortion publication called The Judeo-Christian View, which is backed by a couple Orthodox rabbis and charges that Obama’s support of partial-birth abortion is akin biblically to child sacrifice.
• Daniel Pipes plays the Muslim card, claiming that Obama wouldn’t get a security clearance if he becomes president.
  
• Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) tells CBS’s “Face The Nation” that Sarah Palin has “really disturbed” the Jewish community in Florida, according to UPI.
  
• Richard Heideman and Steve Grossman face off as surrogates for McCain and Obama in Boston, reports the Boston Globe.
  
• Adam Brickley, one of Sarah Palin’s earliest fans in the lower 48, has gone from being an evangelical Christian to a “messianic Jew,” notes the New Yorker in a Palin profile.
  
• Our daily look at the Florida Jewish vote today comes from the Chicago Tribune.
• The Jewish Press endorses John McCain.
  
• “Family Guy” briefly compared McCain and Palin to Nazis last night, according to Hollywood Today.
  
• Sarah Silverman talks to Katie Couric.

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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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Nevada Jews: Hillary!

By Ami Eden · January 22, 2008

According to CNN’s exit entrance polling, Jews made up about 5% of the Democratic electorate in Nevada – and 67% of them backed Hillary Clinton.

That’s better than she did among Catholics and Protestants.

Still not sure about the sample size, but CNN felt confident enough to put it up.

UPDATE: Well, maybe not. The information on religion appears to have been removed from the Web page on the entrance polling from Nevada.

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Berkley backing Hillary

By Ami Eden · January 14, 2008

When I saw U.S. Rep. Shelley Berkley at the ZOA dinner in November, she repeated her line that as a co-chair of the Nevada caucuses, she would not be making an endorsement in the Democratic race. Well, things change.

Last week the Clinton campaign announced that Berkley was on board: “We’re thrilled to have the boundless energy and tremendous knowledge of our state’s most passionate advocate on Hillary’s team, helping us turn out every last caucus-goer.”

Except, I guess, the ones who go to shul on Shabbos.

We’re hoping to speak with Berkley, one of the most hawkish Democrats on Israel issues, later today to find out more about her endorsement and the plight of religious Jewish Nevadans on caucus day.

Here’s the statement from Camp Clinton:

1/9/2008

Congresswoman Shelley Berkley Endorses Clinton
Nevada’s Democratic Representative Declares Hillary “100% on the side of Nevada.”

The Clinton campaign announced today the endorsement of Congressional Representative Shelley Berkley. Berkley will lend her experience, knowledge, and influence to Senator Clinton’s historic run for the White House.

“When I first met Hillary years ago I was struck by the depth of her caring and knowledge of the concerns of my fellow Nevadans. And I have always been impressed that she is ready, able, and willing to take action. Her record against Yucca Mountain is 100% on the side of Nevada. I know first hand her tenacious advocacy for family health care, veteran’s services, education, and affordable housing - and have no doubt Hillary Clinton has the strength, knowledge, courage, and vision to be a President who will lead by action to solve our great challenges at home and abroad.”

Representing Nevada’s first Congressional district, Rep. Shelley Berkley is currently serving her fifth term in Congress, where she serves on the House Committees on Ways and Means and Veterans’ Affairs. Uniquely qualified to represent Nevada’s First District, Berkley has resided in Las Vegas for over forty years, and is an alumna of the University of Nevada Las Vegas. She has previously served in the Nevada State Assembly and as the Vice Chair of the Nevada University and Community College System Board of Regents.

“Shelley Berkley is all about results - and she has delivered for Nevada time and time again,” said Clinton Nevada Chair Rory Reid.

“Shelley knows that Hillary Clinton is the only candidate that has a proven record of making real change happen, and shares Hillary’s bold vision for America’s future. We’re thrilled to have the boundless energy and tremendous knowledge of our state’s most passionate advocate on Hillary’s team, helping us turn out every last caucus-goer.”

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Why is Nevada caucusing on Shabbos?

By Ami Eden · January 14, 2008

Nevada Democrats and Republicans will start their caucuses this Saturday morning – before synagogue goers reach adon olam, let alone the kiddush. Absentee voting is not allowed.

The Jewish Council for Public Affairs wants to know: What gives?

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