Democrats vs. Safire

Forward.com ^ | April 26, 2001 | Staff

[buzzyboop]

New York Times columnist William Safire whacked Democrats and their "liberal media voices" with the anti-Israel stick in his April 22 column, and Dems are hopping mad.

"Most of the leaders of the Democratic Party and its liberal media voices distanced themselves from Israel in the midst of its defense against Arafat's war," Safire writes in "Democrats vs. Israel."

Among the calumnies Safire ascribes to Democrats are Bill Clinton's support for an engaged U.S. policy in the Middle East, Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle's "block" of a bipartisan resolution designating the PLO as a terrorist group, and Senator Joseph Biden's refusal to allow Benjamin Netanyahu to appear before the Senate Foreign Relations committee.

"A falafel curtain has descended across our continent," Safire writes colorfully if a bit obscurely, "transmogrifying the Arab aggressor into the victim.... Eight out of 10 American voters who are Jewish have been voting for candidates of a Democratic party that now only tepidly supports the government overwhelmingly chosen by Israelis."

In a news release, the National Jewish Democratic Council attempted to rebut Safire point by point, highlighting recent strong pro-Israel speeches by Richard Gephardt, Daschle's traditionally staunch support for the Jewish state and Clinton's popularity among a "series" of Israeli prime ministers.

The release also quotes Senator Dianne Feinstein, who in remarks to the Senate Monday denied that Daschle "blocked" the anti-PLO resolution.

"American Jews have given their overwhelming support to the Democratic Party — and will continue to do so — because of the Democratic Party's strong support for the separation of church and state, reproductive rights, environmental safeguards, and — indeed — for the Democratic Party's strong and unwavering support for a safe and secure Israel, regardless of which party governs the State of Israel," the release said.

[buzzyboop]

This article by Safire struck a nerve, for so many Dims to be whining about it. The article in the NYTimes also has a thread:

Democrats vs. Israel

[Phillip Augustus]

Yeah, but where was Safire when Moslem terrorists were threatening Serbia and Russia? Why, taking sides with the Moslem terrorists! So, he loses the moral high ground.

[A Vast RightWing Conspirator]

"Eight out of 10 American voters who are Jewish have been voting for candidates of a Democratic party that now only tepidly supports the government overwhelmingly chosen by Israelis."

Are the "American voters who are Jewish" American? I hope so, because there is a hint in this article that they care about some foreign country almost as much or more than they care about the country they should view as their own.

[tomahawk]

Daschole today called for international armed forces to be inserted in the West Bank. He is not a friend of Israel.

[Torie]

Safire's piece was stupid. I think Safire's best days are behind him.

[claptrap]

Democrats are not Americans they are agents of socialism. At every turn they fight back progress and independence,Democrats are the friend of the palestinian terrorists. Democrats warned of body bags before the gulf war. Democrats warned of body bags before Afganistan. Democrats like Arabs. Democrats are our worst citizens they cheat on their taxes more than republicans.Most of the people in hell were democrats or communists. Democrats are more likely to cheat on their spouses, speed, drink until drunk and be homosexuals.

[steve in DC]

"American Jews have given their overwhelming support to the Democratic Party — and will continue to do so — because of the Democratic Party's strong support for the separation of church and state,reproductive rights, environmental safeguards, and — indeed — for the Democratic Party's strong and unwavering support for a safe and secure Israel, regardless of which party governs the State of Israel," the release said.

What an incredibly racist thing to have said!

Could it really be true that ALL people of Jewish decent are unwavering adherents to the Democratic Party's positions on "the separation of church and state,reproductive rights, environmental safeguards". Do Democrats all hold that Jewish voters are "mind numbed robots"?

[Grampa Dave]

Great descriptions of the Rats and their reality.

I would only add this question, "When do Rats lie to Americans to advance their agendas?

[1FreeAmerican]

LOL

[WOSG]

"Democrats are not Americans they are agents of socialism. "

Absolutely. If israel became a left-wing hellhole, Carter and Jesse Jackson would be visiting there and breathing in the wisdom, and the Dems would be hitting up US taxpayers for more support. It's the same reason why the Euro-Left has gone gaga of Arafat and Saddam - they just love anti-American kakistocracies. They hate us ofr our FREEDOM, remember?

[LenS]

Serbia's case was lost when it attacked Christian Slovenia and Croatia first before it ripped apart Bosnia and Kosovo. In fact, it left the 90% Muslim Kosovo for last. Trying to rewrite the past as an anti-Al Qaeda crusade is moronic and hypocritical.

Memories of the USSR were too fresh for Russia to gain much sympathy over Chechnya, especially during the first war. Not too mention the fact that Russia is the one country still capable of nuking the US. An adversarial relationship of a half century doesn't change overnight.

[Cicero]

I said at the time that I thought this one would get Safire into trouble. Usually he is the tame conservative on the OpEd page. He hasn't said anything to enrage his masters like this since he called Hillary a "congenital liar."

[Grampa Dave]

Here is the reason why even Rat/Mole Safire is coming around on this issue: (85% of Jewish Americans are backing GW)

The Pro Arab/terrorist stances of the Rats need to be dragged out into the light of the day like rabid pit bulls to expunged.

Da$$hole's blocking the vote to drill for oil in ANWR means that the Opecker Princes will continue to have Petro $'s to finance terrorism and the murdering of innocent Israelis! It had nothing to do with enviromental stuff.

It will be fascinating one these days to see all of the money that has flowed from the Opecker Princes to the Da$$holes, Finesteins, Gephardts, Clintoons, other rats, and the enviral nazis, the past two decades.

[Cicero]

I agree. I still think we were right to push the USSR out of Afghanistan. Now it's no longer the USSR, I support Bush's raprochement with Russia. Same with our support of the Afghan resistors. We should have backed a different horse, not Hekmatyar, and we should have changed positions more quickly later, but we were quite right to back the resistance when we did.

And I agree on Serbia. We were right to resist Serb bullying up to the point where clinton started getting into bed with the Bosnian Muslims and tried to impose unworkable multiculturalism on Bosnia. From there on, things went off the rails. Since then I have supported the Serbs, but they did in fact behave badly earlier vis-a-vis their more northerly neighbors.

[The Electrician]

Are the "American voters who are Jewish" American? I hope so, because there is a hint in this article that they care about some foreign country almost as much or more than they care about the country they should view as their own.

No doubt you also believe that Americans of Irish ancestry who care about the "problems" in Northern Ireland are equally suspect? And no doubt you would side with the people who expressed alarm that Catholics (such as JFK) would be taking orders from the Pope? and so forth, ad nauseum?

[MoJo2001]

I rather enjoyed his article. Which I must state was a first in a long time that I could actually stomach. Anyways, the only thing stupid regarding this article is the Jewish voters that continue to vote for the DemoRats!

[Phillip Augustus]

First, the attack on Slovenia was half-hearted at best, and that's NOT why we bombed Serbia. Nor was the attack on Croatia the reason, or even the Bosnian War. No, Serbia was attacked by Clintoon, urged on by the neo-cons, after the Kosovo crisis- an internal crisis, since Kosovo is part of Serbia proper! And, even assuming the villiany of the Serbs, why is it that the neocons were so eager to spill Serbian blood?

[LarryLied]

Are the "American voters who are Jewish" American?I hope so, because there is a hint in this article that they care about some foreign country almost as much or more than they care about the country they should view as their own.

Remember those recent rallies across America for Israel? Betar was a major sponsor of them. Click below for the answer to your question:

http://www.betar.org/ideology.htm

The interesting points are half way down the page.

[Dales]

Sounds like a socialist group. The commies of the world love to play both sides, don't they? The commies were also a major impetus behind the rallies against American and Israel led by the Stalinist Ramsey Clark's umbrella groups.

[maxwell]

Democrats are more likely to ...speed, drink until drunk...

Uhhhhhh... I dunno 'bout that... [gulp]