Comments on: Meet the ‘settlers’ lawyer’ – Elliott Abrams

By: Sin Nombre

Sin Nombre — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 15:51:54 +0000

My pleasure. It's an interesting field for sure and one real interesting thing to watch I think is that I read somewhere the AIPAC was gearing up to get Congress to pass a resolution (probably in an attempted "binding" form) approving of Israel's demand that the Palestinians at least (if not all arab countries) do indeed recognize Israel as "the jewish state." Was gone after I spotted that so didn't see the particulars and don't know where it is (it couldn't have passed already, could it?), but it raises an interest question about whether Obama need heed it. For my part I don't think he does, although the two branches usually try to finagle their differences away on things like this. But it might be a taste if not the whole magilla of a showdown between AIPAC and Obama if it ever comes to that.

By: Citizen@aol.com

Citizen@aol.com — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 15:09:20 +0000

Or even in the form of an official policy memo apparently.

By: Citizen

Citizen — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 14:50:38 +0000

I mean my reply to go to David F. Laurie, you comment is also well taken.

By: Citizen

Citizen — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 14:48:19 +0000

They did that with JFK too; of course look where he ended up.

By: Citizen

Citizen — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 14:30:14 +0000

Maybe Obama pulled a JFK with the assignments of Emanuel and now Ross? One of JFK's first appointments was Myer Feldman as his point man for Jewish and Israeli affairs–an important post, considering at the time The Lobby was suspicious of JFK's commitment to Israel. Key political debts have to be paid. McGeorge Bundy did his best to circumvent Feldman who spoke exactly like the Israeli ambassador. JFK needed Jewish money and key votes in the 1960 Election. He met with Abraham Feinberg, a major NY fund raiser, and other Jewish monebags at Feinberg's house. They told JFK they'd give him half a million–all he had to do was give them control over Middle East policy. Seymour Hersh said after the night meeting JFK told Charles Bartlett he was outraged as an American citizen to have a Zionist group crudely make such a demand. JFK said if he ever got to be Prez he'd do something about Jewish money dictating American elections and foreign policy. Of course he got shot. Gee, think of what Truman went through with the Zionists to get elected; you can read his diary at the Truman Archive online. And, check out the USS Liberty incident and Johnson.

By: Citizen

Citizen — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 14:06:49 +0000

Thanks, Laurie for that connection. Unbacked political notes, further weakened by the fractional reserve system, ridiculous leveraging of capital by computer digits, is a true horror. Well, at least Ron Paul's bill now in Congress is trying to obtain some Fed Reserve transparency, hence accountability. The Fed's never been audited since it was created in 1913. China and some other Asian nations are meeting now to try to get off the dollar standard without harming the value of the giant debt already owed to them by Uncle Sam. The Creature From Jeykll Island is an informative book on The Fed.

By: Citizen

Citizen — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 13:55:27 +0000

Thanks so much for your well-written and lengthy response, Sin Nombre. Particularly your refreshing my mind about the Supreme Court's use of the "political question" doctrine to toss the ball back to the other two branches of governent, and the reminder that congressional funding amounts to constitutionally valid congressional decision respecting declaration of war. All the vagaries in the other items you mention are certainly so. Thanks, again, especially since you had to deal with the Typepad comment function these days.

By: Laurie

Laurie — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 13:07:59 +0000

Sorry if post shows twice, but the first one I put up isn't showing now. In theory Congress has the power of the purse, but in practice the Federal Reserve does. After all the congress must go to the Fed to fund its budget and to print its money.. What are U.S. notes, and how do they differ from Federal Reserve notes? U.S. notes, the first national currency, began circulating during the civil war; they were authorized by the Legal Tender Act of 1862. The Department of the Treasury issued these notes directly. Issuance was subject to limitations; the Congress established a statutory limitation of $300 million on the amount of U.S. notes outstanding and in circulation. Although this amount was significant in Civil War days, it is a very small fraction of the total currency now in circulation in the United States. U.S. notes serve no function that is not already served by Federal Reserve notes. As a result, the Treasury Department stopped issuing U.S. notes, and none have been placed into circulation since January 21, 1971. Those that remain in circulation are obligations of the U.S. government. [Note: NOT the Federal Reserve] The Federal Reserve Act of 1913 authorized the production and circulation of Federal Reserve notes. Although printed by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP), these notes move into circulation through the Federal Reserve System. They are obligations of both the Federal Reserve System and the U.S. government. Both U.S. notes and Federal Reserve notes are part of our national currency and are legal tender. They circulate as money in the same way. " target="_blank">http://www.federalreserve.gov/generalinfo/faq/faq...

By: US Objector

US Objector — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 13:06:30 +0000

Wow, MRW, excellent post. I agree that the MSM just recycles the propaganda spoonfed to them by the "unnamed sources."

By: Natural Growth

Natural Growth — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 13:04:09 +0000

It never is what it seems. My personal belief is that Obama is giving Ross a higher-profile role and making a lot of noise about it, to give him cover against Israel and AIPAC. It seems that Iran is becoming front and center hot-button in the Middle East — yet Dennis is being moved away from direct responsibility for Iran just when the crisis emerges. He seems to be taking over for Lute in Iraq, who is a holdover from the Bush administration. Here's an interesting excerpt from the Time article: "Ross is ascending at a key moment. . . Obama has also initiated a more complex relationship with Israel than his predecessors by openly confronting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with a demand that Israel halt settlement activity." It's all about the settlements, baby.