My problem With John Kerry

Jerusalem post ^ | 9/04/04 | stewart weiss

[rang1995]

My problem with John Kerry

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Stewart Weiss, THE JERUSALEM POST Sep. 4, 2004

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My father taught me early on that it was best to avoid both religion and politics. As a rabbi, I violated his first commandment big-time. Now I have to transgress the second as well.

As the American presidential election approaches, I cannot help but weigh in on the import of this decision, and the ramifications it has not only for us, but for every citizen of the free world.

I admit: I am biased. I grew up in Chicago, ruled for decades by the mighty Daley Democratic machine, whose motto "vote early, vote often" was taken literally by its hordes of election workers.

The Dems had a lock on Jewish voters, and Jewish Republicans were about as popular as an "Indians for Custer" fan club.

But I was a contrarian. I idealistically believed that you should vote for the best man or woman for the job; it couldn't be that the Democrat was always the more skilled, and the Republican always the incompetent.

The person, not the party, ought to rule.

Well, I still feel that way. I know I'm in the minority among my co-religionists, whose knee-jerk practices at the polls stem either from grossly over-sentimental fantasies about FDR, or the belief that the Democrats espouse a "kinder, gentler" philosophy that is more akin to Jewish values.

But I prefer to look beyond the slogans, to the substance.

And I like President Bush. I like the way he has conducted himself in the face of a blistering firestorm of anti-American sentiment. I identify with his situation, because it's exactly the same one we Israelis face. We, too, are blamed for all the ills of society, from the security fence to the weather. And if we are unfairly criticized, then it's easy to accept that Bush is also being made the fall guy by the real villains of the world.

Now, I have no strong opinion about Kerry. He's an untested, unknown quantity about whom it's tough to paint a truly definitive picture. But I am bothered by two things: First, early on in his campaign (before his horrified spin doctors shut him up), Kerry talked about naming as special Middle East envoys Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, the two ex-presidents who may have done us the most harm in history.

Carter – arguably the pea-nuttiest prez of the 20th century – consistently blames Israel as the aggressor, and the Arabs as the victims, in his twisted view of the Mideast struggle. He even went so far as to say that while he and Egyptian president Anwar Sadat richly deserved their Nobel peace prizes, Menachem Begin – who ceded a land mass to Egypt larger than Israel itself – was "stubborn and dogmatic," and should never have been given the award.

Big Bill, on the other hand, had a different tactic. He consistently expressed his passionate love for the Jewish state. In fact, he almost loved us to death, continually nudging us to give and give and give, until there would be nothing left of Israel to even give away.

And until Yasser Arafat rudely rejected Clinton's overtures at Camp David, the arch-terrorist was the White House's most frequent foreign visitor.

Second, I am appalled at the legions of anti-Semites who prefer Kerry to Bush. Every Jew-hating, Israel-bashing nut-case is outside Madison Square Garden screaming for not only Bush's head, but Israel's skin.

And while Kerry may not be encouraging these flakes of the far Left, I sure haven't seen him condemning them, either. If so many would-be destroyers of Israel detest Bush, it tells me he must be doing something right.

But I not only admire Bush for what he's done – identify evil, condemn Palestinian terrorism, refuse to allow Arafat into Washington – I also respect him for what he hasn't done.

He hasn't condemned the security fence, the closures or the targeted killings of terrorist leaders.

He hasn't continually conned us into capitulating; he hasn't demanded we do nothing in the face of attacks on our population; and he hasn't insisted we give away the store in return for worthless promises from despicable criminals.

"If a word is worth one coin," say the Sages, "then silence is worth two."

Bush's silence, his conscious decision to leave us alone to fight our own battles and confront the enemy on our own terms, should be sweet music to our ears. With so many self-appointed prophets telling us what to do or not do, it is an absolute pleasure to have an American leader who knows the art of being quiet.

I'm not saying that Bush is a saint. But considering the field, I'd much rather have a Bush than a bushwhacker.

The writer is director of the Ohel Ari Jewish Outreach Center in Ra'anana. jocmtv@netvision.net.il

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This article can also be read at http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1094279634083&p=1006953079865

[EggsAckley]

Rabbi Weiss hits it out of the park here. BUT....I wonder how he would explain why so MANY Jews in America are Democrat butt-kissers. I just don't get it.

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

Kerry's disrespect in 1971 to USA Symbols Video

Windows Media .......... Real Player .......... Quick Time .......... AOL

Ramsey Clark to Join Panel for Saddam’s Defense
arabnews press release 25 August 2004
NOTE :
Ramsey Clark is pictured below with Kerry and
Vietnam phony vet Al Hubbard
Who was head of the
Vietnam Veterans Against the War movement.


Al Hubbard Sgt., 22 Troop Carrier Squadron Aug. ’65-June ’66
- Al Hubbard, proven fraud who never set foot in Viet Nam.
The only Vietnamese he ever met was
when he was collaborating with the North Vietnamese in Paris
on the American Communist Party's nickel.

John Kerry's explanation:
"He (Hubbard) simply exaggarated his particular position.
But nobody knew it at the time. And those things happen."

Free online version of
Kerry's "The New Soldier"
You can read it without downloading pdf files!
CLICK HERE

PHOTO GALLERY ONLY
CLICK HERE

The New Soldier, (46 pages)
By John Kerry
and Vietnam Veterans
Against the War
FREE E-BOOK
IN PDF FORMAT
WITH PHOTOS


Kerry hopes everyone
in the USA gets this book!

NEW:
“Without question,
we were held captive longer
because of the anti-war people,
the Kerrys, the Fondas and Haydens,
the names we knew over there -
they encouraged the enemy to hang on.”
Excerpt from “Stolen Honor” website
- Leo Thorsness
Former Vietnam POW
CLICK HERE

Jane Fonda tells the student audience at the Michigan State University in 1969;
"I would think that if you understood what communism was, you would hope,
you would pray on your knees, that we would someday become communist."

Joe Moore, Can Tho Airfield 550th Signal Company

Copy and paste the links to everyone you know.

Kerry's disrespect in 1971
to USA Symbols Video

Windows Media
http://swift3.he.net/~swift3/medals.wmv

Real Player
http://swift3.he.net/~swift3/medals.rm

Quick Time
http://swift3.he.net/~swift3/medals.mov

AOL
http://swift3.he.net/~swift3/medals.mpg

Send this url for the online "The New Soldier" version

http://ejsmithweb.com/fr/newsoldier/

Send this url for the online photo gallery of "The New Soldier"

http://freekerrybook.com/photo0

Send this url for the Stolen Honor website

http://www.stolenhonor.com/

Print this out (46 pages) and disribute it,
especially to the liberals you know.

http://freekerrybook.com/

[rang1995]

not this time,i have a gut feel behind the curtain-35-40% bush

[christie]

.
But I am bothered by two things: First, early on in his campaign (before his horrified spin doctors shut him up), Kerry talked about naming as special Middle East envoys Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, the two ex-presidents who may have done us the most harm in history.

OMG!

Check out the John F. Kerry Timeline. Email it to your friends.
.

[EggsAckley]

I hope you're right. Voting Democratic just makes them look stupid and witless.

[MoodyBlu]

Rabbi,

Be glad Pat Buchanan has nothing to do with US foreign policy. I saw Buchanan on Russert's CNBC show last night, along with Meet the Press today, and never realized what an anti-semite he was.

Buchanan was quoting bin Laden and giving justification for al Qaeda's terrorism. God help us!

MoodyBlu

[AmericanVictory]

He just did. Reread!

[EggsAckley]

I read it. He doesn't come out stronly enough against them, IMO.

[EggsAckley]

stronly = strongly

[AmericanVictory]

Yes, but to the question you raised about Jewish voters, he says: I know I'm in the minority among my co-religionists, whose knee-jerk practices at the polls stem either from grossly over-sentimental fantasies about FDR, or the belief that the Democrats espouse a "kinder, gentler" philosophy that is more akin to Jewish values. But I prefer to look beyond the slogans, to the substance.

[tuesday afternoon]

Bump.

[rang1995]

i will say it over and over Pat Buchanan who used to have good ideas and points had let this taken him over and all he is a laughing stock when he supports the arabic foes (terror) still coorect on other things but hiss hate for the jews has made him a boor

[EggsAckley]

Yep. Not very strong.

JMHO.

[GoMonster]

If it means anything. During the Hurricane here in Florida two of my brother in laws friends came over with their wives. Weather wasn't too bad here in Broward. Both Jewish Doctors. They are now as they referred to it as Bushies. They were Gore supporters last election. Think change is coming around slowly. National Security is their issue.

[CyberAnt]

I think there's a clue in the article - re FDR. IIRC FDR was still President when the USA went into Germany and exposed the death camps and rescued the Jews.

I have no doubt in my heart the democrats took full advantage of that and tried to make the Jews believe the dems were their true saviours. Typical dem tactic.

[liberty or death]

History shows them to be a Nation of self destruction in the face of repetitious evidence. In other words when faced with the same evidence that has gotten them slaughtered in the past they make the excact same decision therebye ensureing the same conclusion.

[Fast1]

Bent and that Smiley faced Peanut Idiot SPECIAL ENVOYS !!

First off Peanutcase is the reason for a lot of what is wrong there/here right up to the WTC disaster,, And the sink king shares a good portion of blame Also for being a liberal Yellow coward and not killing Bin Laden when the he had the chance.

This is that lying traitors choice for envoys?? Not good !!

[johnb838]

That's a disgusting antisemitic statement. Back it up or shut the hell up.

[johnb838]

I knew we were in trouble with Clontoon when he started bringing in the fools and knaves and court jesters to fill his cabinet. As has beem said a lot here, thank G-d the adults are in charge.

Also, the Rabbi understood Clinton perfectly when he said he almost loved us to death.