Archive for September, 2008

Email this! Obama for America One-Page Issues Flyer on Israel

Sunday, September 28th, 2008

Download it directly from the Obama Web site at:

http://www.barackobama.com/static/Flyers/Issue_Flyers/israel.pdf

Here’s the text of the flyer:

Horizon Logo

BARACK OBAMA ON ISRAEL

BARACK OBAMA’S PLAN TO STRENGTHEN THE U.S.-ISRAEL RELATIONSHIP

Barack Obama has established a strong record as a true friend of Israel, stalwart defender of Israel’s security, and an advocate of strengthening the U.S.-Israel relationship. He believes that Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state should never be challenged.

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Email this! Biden speech at NJDC Conference

Friday, September 26th, 2008

On September 23, Joe Biden spoke at the annual National Jewish Democratic Council conference.  Video:

“I’ve spent 35 years in my career dealing with issues related to Israel. My support for Israel begins in my stomach, goes to my heart and ends up in my head. And I promise you, I guarantee you, I guarantee you. I would not have joined Barack Obama’s ticket as vice president were I in any doubt, even the slightest doubt, that he shares the same commitment to Israel that I share. I guarantee it. It’s that simple. That is a fact.”

Email this! Amazing “Israelis For Obama” video

Wednesday, September 24th, 2008

“We are Israelis and Israeli-Americans who believe Barack Obama will be good for America and good for Israel. In such dramatic times a leader who is able to employ intelligent diplomacy hand in hand with a strong defense is crucial to our future. We urge the Jewish community to hear our voices. Thank you.”

Watch the video here if you can’t see it above: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2VFRt5W4FM

Email this! Statement of Senator Obama on President Ahmadinejad’s remarks

Tuesday, September 23rd, 2008

I strongly condemn President Ahmadinejad’s outrageous remarks at the United Nations, and am disappointed that he had a platform to air his hateful and anti-Semitic views. The threat from Iran’s nuclear program is grave. Now is the time for Americans to unite on behalf of the strong sanctions that are needed to increase pressure on the Iranian regime.

Once again, I call upon Senator McCain to join me in supporting a bipartisan bill to increase pressure on the Iranian regime by allowing states and private companies to divest from companies doing business in Iran. The security of our ally Israel is too important to play partisan politics, and it is deeply disappointing that Senator McCain and a few of his allies in Congress feel otherwise.

Email this! Sarah Palin mayoral strategy: opponent not Christian enough, living in sin?

Tuesday, September 23rd, 2008

When Sarah Palin ran for mayor of Wasilla, Alaska in 1996, her campaign spread the word around town that she would be “Wasilla’s first Christian mayor.”  This, despite the fact that her opponent, the incumbent mayor John Stein, was a Protestant Christian, and Palin knew it.  Some of Stein’s supporters interpreted this as an attempt to falsely portray Stein as Jewish.

Palin’s campaign also started a vicious whisper campaign that Stein and his wife were not legally married, a claim which, again, she knew to be false.  Stein had to actually produce his marriage certificate to disprove the rumors.

Is someone who would do these things the kind of person we want as our leader, the kind of person who we want our children to look up to as a role model?

Read more at salon.com…

Email this! McCain advisers: No to Syria talks, little interest in peace process

Monday, September 22nd, 2008

By Ron Kampeas
Published: 09/22/2008

LEESBURG, Va. — A McCain administration would discourage Israeli-Syrian peace talks and refrain from actively engaging in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

That was the message delivered over the weekend by two McCain advisers — Max Boot, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, and Richard Williamson, the Bush administration’s special envoy to Sudan — during a retreat hosted by the Washington Institute for Near East Policy at the Lansdowne Resort in rural Virginia.

One of Barack Obama’s representatives — Richard Danzig, a Clinton administration Navy secretary — said the Democratic presidential candidate would take the opposite approach on both issues.

Read more at jta.org…

Email this! Senator Barack Obama’s Historic Conference Call with 900 American Rabbis

Sunday, September 21st, 2008

Dear Friends,On Wednesday, September 17, Senator Barack Obama participated in a historic national conference call with over 900 Rabbis representing all the major denominations in American Jewish life. He extended to the Rabbis his personal New Year’s greetings as they prepare to celebrate Rosh Hashanah with their communities later this month. Never before have so many of America’s Rabbis come together to hear a major Presidential nominee reflect on his relationship with the Jewish community and share his vision for a better future.Senator Obama discussed the pressing issues at stake – for both Jewish Americans and all Americans – in the upcoming election. He asked that, as we think about the coming New Year, we also reflect upon our common vision for America’s renewed promise.

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Email this! LA Times: Off on the Great Schlep

Friday, September 19th, 2008

FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. — If you need proof that this is the most important election in a generation, get this: Jewish grandkids are flying to Florida to visit their grandparents — without being guilted into itwithout being guilted into it — to talk their elders out of voting for John McCain.

The Jewish Council for Education and Research — a new pro-Obama political action committee — is organizing “The Great Schlep,” in which hundreds of Jews will make the Southern exodus on Columbus Day weekend, Oct. 10-13. They will travel to the Fort Lauderdale area, where they will visit their grandparents, organize political salons in their condos and eat incredibly bad food. The grandkids also will meet up at a bar one night, which — if the psychological impact of spending a few days with frail, elderly, widowed relatives is taken fully into account — may do more to repopulate the world’s Jews than the creation of Israel.

Read more from the Los Angeles Times

Email this! Rabbi Michael P. Sternfield: Jews should have no part of smearing Obama

Friday, September 19th, 2008

In the Jewish religion, there are few interpersonal transgressions that are condemned more than “lashon ha-ra” and “rechilut,” literally evil speech and malicious gossip. Nevertheless, within the Jewish community a vicious smear campaign is being waged against Sen. Barack Obama through unsubstantiated or anonymous e-mails. Frankly, as a rabbi, I am ashamed that these lies are being generated and spread by some within our own Jewish community concerning Obama. Regardless of which candidate one may support, there is no place in this campaign for these kinds of lies. It is a sin to repeat or forward electronically via e-mail material that has an evil intent or that cannot be verified.

This insidious campaign is incredibly malicious and totally false.

Read more at the Chicago Sun-Times…

Email this! Republicans block efforts to allow divestment from companies that support Iran

Thursday, September 18th, 2008

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Barack Obama today released the following statement on the Senate’s passage of the Defense Authorization Bill (S.3001):

“The Senate’s passage of this legislation today will ensure our nation’s service members and veterans have access to the health care and support they need whether in combat or at home. This legislation also makes important investments in our national defense, including providing an across-the-board pay raise for all uniformed service personnel.

“However, I am disappointed that Senate Republicans blocked key bipartisan measures, particularly provisions that I offered last year in the Iran Sanctions Enabling Act, which would have allowed state and local governments and private fund managers to divest from companies that support Iran’s energy sector. This would have helped reduce the revenue Iran uses to expand its nuclear program, sponsor terrorist groups like Hezbollah and Hamas, and threaten Israel.

Read more…