Lanny Davis is in addition to his other colorful achievements, an Israel lobbyist. He was out front for Israel during the butchery of the Gaza war, volunteering to do media appearances for the rightwing Israel Project. He then set up a consultancy with Josh Block, the former AIPAC spokesperson to whom AIPAC still directs callers, and who now heads the Israel Project.
But when Andrew Goldman interviewed Davis for the New York Times Magazine– “Crisis Consultant to the Stars”– the word Israel doesn’t come up.
I.e., that’s not controversial, the way Davis’s support for the Ivory Coast dictator was. Because everyone loves Israel. Who would ever even think to criticize it or make an issue of the Israel lobby?
If I got a chance to interview Davis, I’d ask him about his experiences of anti-Semitism as a young man and how central Zionism is to his worldview. I’m sure there’s something there. Even his embrace of Clinton– I think that was a reflection of the celebration of philosemitism in American life.
The paper is a 24/7 Israel Lobby. Why bother mentioning Davis’ puny efforts.
NYT is appeasing rubbish anyhow.
“Crisis Consultant to the Stars”
The stars are in heaven, not so much Lanny Davis’ clients.
His work as a mouthpiece for coup in Honduras is unforgettable and unforgivable.
http://www.democracynow.org/2009/8/7/honduras
Then he was spokesperson for the government in the Ivory Coast.
Wherever Lanny Davis goes he as Hugo Chavez said of George Bush, leaves the smell of sulphur.
Bravo, Philip. Why would the NYT not mention that Lanny Davis is hugely successful, in part because of his work for Israel?
Perhaps I should qulaify this comment, by saying many who lobby for Israel actually injure Israel’s own true best intersts.
Even on the Ivory Coast issue that article was very kind to poor old Lanny Davis. I don’t see the point in those one page interviews the NYT Sunday Magazine carries. They are invariably superficial pieces of garbage. It’s the NYT not even pretending to do serious journalism.