When Invoking the American Interest, Better Not Spell ‘Harbors’ ‘Harbours’

With appropriate scorn, Dan Fleshler has picked up a memo in
which the Obama campaign distances itself from any critical statement ever made
about Israel by anyone who ever shook hands with Obama or sent him his resume. Obsequious
and horrifying. Oh and by the way, "the Israel lobby" is a canard.

According to the memo, one of the people Obama will have nothing to do with
is the great Rob Malley. Malley’s former colleagues from Camp
David days are upset about this.  M.J.
Rosenberg publishes the statement:

The [critics] claim that he harbours an anti-Israeli agenda and has sought
to undermine Israel’s
security. These attacks are unfair, inappropriate and wrong. They are an effort
to undermine the credibility of a talented public servant who has worked
tirelessly over the years to promote Arab-Israeli peace and US national
interests…

We have real differences among us about how best to conduct US policy toward
the Middle East… But whatever differences do exist, there is no disagreement
among us on one core issue that transcends partisan or other divides: that the
US should not and will not do anything to undermine Israel’s safety or the
special relationship between our two nations. We have worked with Rob closely
over the years and have no doubt he shares this view and has acted consistent
with it.

The statement is signed Dennis Ross, Aaron David Miller, Sandy Berger,
Daniel Kurtzer, and Martin Indyk. Indyk is an Aussie transplant, who surely is
responsible for "harbours." Call me xenophobic, I don’t care. That
gives me the willies.