Condoleeza Rice Calls Hamas a “Resistance Movement”

In the wake of the Wesley Clark debacle, the right wing silence to Condi Rice’s constant parve atitude towards terrorism is appalling.

Would they have ever let someone like Hillary Clinton get away with something like this? In a word: NOT.

Though the US State Department officially lists Hamas as a terrorist Organization, Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice referred to the terrorist group as a “Resistance Movement.”

People have been quick to point out the absent outcry from the Jewish Communities that would probably exist had Hillary Clinton (or Wes Clark, or John Kerry) made the same error.

UPDATE: ZOA – Zionist Organization of America Slams Rice, demands retraction and apology

UPDATE: There is a petition calling for Dr. Rice to issue a retraction and apology to the victims

UPDATE: WorldNetDaily, Ynet News, Christian Brodcasting and The Jewish Press have all woken up to the recent gaffe.

Hillary on Israel

Senator Clintons senate office website has entire section devoted to measures, statements and issue concerning Israel and the Middle East. Please check it out.

http://clinton.senate.gov/issues/nationalsecurity/israel/index.cfm

Hillary Has Broad Jewish Support

“Hillary Clinton will do very well among Jewish Democrats,” said a top party source. “So will most of the others.
An interesting analysis presented this week by James Besser of The Jewish Week concerning the growing field and Jewish support accross the religious spectrum.

“Hillary Clinton stands to do disproportionately well with Jewish voters because of her very strong record in the Senate, her husband’s record and because of her positions on the issues that matter most to American Jews, especially on domestic issues,” said Steve Grossman, a former Democratic National Committee chairman and former president of AIPAC. Grossman has not decided which Democrat he will support in 2008.

Grossman called the two-term senator “a master of common-sense democracy” and said she “stands the best chance of winning the nomination, but even more importantly, the presidency.”

Clinton, Grossman said, will do “very well” with liberal and more centrist Jews and Jewish women in particular.

“Unless she stumbles, she has a virtual lock on the nomination,” said Johns Hopkins University political scientist Benjamin Ginsberg. “She’s a totally disciplined and professional candidate. Unlike some Republicans, she’s not likely to have tantrums on the campaign trail.”

That was a dig at Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), the presumptive GOP frontrunner.

But many analysts say it’s too early to anoint Clinton the nominee.

“Right now, Hillary looks unbeatable, but looks are deceiving,” said University of Virginia political scientist Larry Sabato. Clinton, he said, remains stuck with a liberal image even as she steers hard to the center. The results of that maneuvering could hurt her with different factions in the Democratic Party.

That could play out with particular force in the Jewish community.

Several analysts said that while Jewish liberals like her position on domestic issues—and believe her nomination would be a huge advance for women’s rights—many on the left will not forgive her longstanding support for the Iraq war.

At the same time, many Jews who in the past supported the more conservative positions of Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-Conn.) and the Democratic Leadership Council (DLC) still see her as a hard-core liberal. “Trying to be all things to all people rarely works in politics,” Sabato said.

Hillary To Keynote Major AIPAC Dinner Event

Senator  Hillary Clinton will be featured at the annual Northeast regional dinner of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee next week. The invitation reads:

Hillary Rodham Clinton has been a stalwart supporter of a strong U.S.–Israel relationship during her tenure in the United States Senate. She has been a vocal defender of Israel’s right to build a security fence and has been a tireless advocate of Magen David Adom’s inclusion in the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. She was an early co-sponsor of the recently-passed Palestinian Anti- Terrorism Act, legislation that strengthens the ban
on direct aid and contact with the Hamas-run Palestinian Authority.
“Israel’s right to exist, and exist in safety, must never be put in question.”—Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton

Increase Minimum Wage!

Today the Senate voted , and although a majority voted yes to the first minimum wage increase in 10 years, the number of up votes did not reach the necessary 60.  JSpot has the scoop in a nutshell, here. 

Today, the Senate had the chance to pass a clean bill and a majority voted YES! Of course, they needed 60 votes (to get cloture), which they didn’t get, so now things get messy. The Senate leadership will amend the bill to add on a bunch of tax breaks for small business. Then enemies of the bill will offer lots of counter-productive and/or non-germane amendments. If it makes it through that process, it still may have to go back to the House, because all tax bills must originate in the House. Either way, the Senate and House will have to work our their differences in conference. Then, if they agree, they revote, and if it passes it goes to the President.

What can you do? The folks at JSpot have been running a campaign for American Jews to voice their support. American Jews for a Higher Minimum Wage

Hillary Favored by Jewish Donors

Today’s Forward has an article on Senator Clinton being the faovred candidate by Jewish campaign donors for 2008.

Democratic activists and operatives said Clinton will pull in large quantities of cash among Jewish donors not only because of what they described as her strong positions on Israel and domestic matters of interest to Jews, but also because of longtime ties with these activists dating back to her husband’s administration.

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