Brad Schneider
I always say that the Israel lobby transcends party, it is bigger than party.
Dennis Ross doesn't care whether he's working for a Republican or a Democratic administration, and neither did Stuart Levey at Treasury. The overriding agenda was, Help Israel. Another case: A leading Democratic candidate for Mark Kirk's former congressional district north of Chicago gave money to Republicans who were supportive of Israel.
Daniel Treiman at JTA:
With only six days to go until their Democratic primary, Illinois Jewish congressional hopefuls Brad Schneider and Ilya Sheyman are engaged in a heated back and forth. (JTA's Ron Kampeas looked at the race back in November.)
At issue is Brad Schneider’s history of directing some of his political donations to Republicans, a practice he defends as having to do with the recipients’ support for Israel.
Schneider, who is active in Jewish communal affairs, has said that “90 percent of my donations went to Democrats and 100 percent of my donations went to support the U.S.-Israel relationship.” Indeed, it’s not uncommon for pro-Israel donors to give to members of both parties, but for a Democratic primary candidate this could prove to be a liability.
“I always say that the Israel lobby transcends party, it is bigger than party. ”
Welcome to the real world. Practically every issue of importance transcends party, regardless if it is private banksterism, corporate cronyism, warmongering, Islam-bashing, looting of public property and funds, you name it.
The whole notion of party politics is basically for idiots who are not intelligent enough to deal with the complexity of reality. It’s football-like (I pick my team, cheer for them and boo the opponent) for a reason.
A pity MJ Rosenberg just dropped the “Israel-firster” description last week. We will need it. With this one, there is only 10% left (out of 200%, mind you) to oppose the attack on Iran.
RE: “Schneider, who is active in Jewish communal affairs, has said that ’90 percent of my donations went to Democrats and 100 percent of my donations went to support the U.S.-Israel relationship’.”
MY COMMENT: Dare I say it? Dare I? Israel firster! There, I said it.
enough of this hesitation about calling a spade a spade, er, an israel firster and israel firster. we simply can’t discard a label that makes zionists tremble. in our struggle against their zionist entity, all they have to do is say “we give up, please, no mas” and we’ll stop using israel firster.
Well, you’re right. For decades, AIPAC and its apologists have slandered anyone who takes exception to their agenda as an anti-Semite. No wonder they hate Israel Firster. It’s pithy, captures their real motivation and makes them defend the indefensible.
Israel-firster.
Israel-onlyier!
The “revolving door” by which (for instance) bankers move back-and-forth between jobs in USA’s Treasury and in Goldman Sachs, and under Democrats and Republicans, is a similar case in point.
Some of these intensely pro-Israel people may be so from ideological reasons alone, but many must be so as part of a revolving door. My guess is that any 100%-er will be “taken care of” by a job in a pro-Israel think-tank, a pro-Israel corporation (!!), a Jewish organization, AIPAC, whatever, if he needs a job. In the America of today, I cannot think of any enforcement mechanism other than MONEY (to explain the Kalbs and all the so very many others, and all those mostly > $200,000/yr NPR news-readers) to explain why pro-Israel public pronouncements seems to guaranteed.
What happened to Ira Glass? Only earned $170,000. What’d he do–write a sympathetic commentary on the right of return?