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Mark Halperin excommunicates Rand Paul, over Israel

I found this demoralizing, as another register of where the Establishment is on the conflict. Last night on “Hardball,” at 7:30 or so, Joy Reid, sitting in for Chris Matthews, reads a report from Time that Sheldon Adelson will spend a lot of money to take down Kentucky senator Rand Paul if he tries to become the Republican nominee for president because of his views on Israel.

Reid says the pro-Israel community mistrusts Rand Paul, but that Paul has said he is “evolving” on Israel.

Mark Halperin interrupts her:

That guy could evolve from Passover to Easter to Christmas to every holiday in the world. He could spend his whole life evolving. He will never evolve enough for the pro Israel wing of the party. And that’s not an insignificant thing, not only against people in the nomination fight, but in the general election. That is an important part of the current view of foreign policy. He can evolve all he wants, I just don’t think he can get over that hurdle with a lot of people.

“A lot of people.” Meaning, the right people.

Former Republican chair Michael Steele gets in, “He’s the only one doing it right now.” Meaning, Paul is the only one taking on the neocons inside the Republican Party, and taking on Sheldon Adelson, who wants Obama to nuke Iran.

Again, I find this deeply demoralizing, including Joy Reid’s passivity– a smart person who knows a lot about minority rights. And yes, Halperin’s father is a bulwark of the Israel lobby. And Halperin’s book on the last election leaves the Israel factor completely out of the political equation, even as he swears to its importance on MSNBC. “An important part of the current view of foreign policy” — trying to reinforce a dubious tenet by affirming it. Almost sounds like a papal bull.

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The more they arrogantly expose their treasonous tendencies to the general public, the better.

Could be the Sea Change is nearing. The Lobby goes after guys like Jones in No Carolina and Rand Paul and loses. It’s over for them, expose as the paper tiger they are.

Israel is not going to win the GOP enough votes to make a difference. It is not up there with jobs. It doesn’t put food on the table.

It’s always enlightening to see members of the Israel lobby expose the operations of the Israel lobby so frankly.

” ”An important part of the current view of foreign policy” >>>

Only to the I-People and cash hungry politicians.
Out here in the real world Israel (or Iran or Russia) is not no. 1 in the citizen’s FP views—-not starting any more wars and spending any more money on them is it for both liberals who want more done at home and conservatives who are opposed to our huge debt load.
To get the majoirty of your average down home liberals or conservatives to go for any FP policy that includes more war or money the campaign would have really pull out all their scare tactics, more mushroon clouds, buring US flags.
Thats the kind of scare ads the ECI is using right now in our district.
I dont know how effective it would be this time around…..dire threats of imminent attack and disaster are now like ‘living in normal times’ for the public. Its been a decade of Wolf! Wolf! Wolf!.
Most liberals think they are more likely to be killed by a american with a gun and most conservatives think are more likely to be killed by a american if they dont have a gun– than by a foreign attack or terrorist.

I’m afraid that it probably isn’t just the Republican party that does this. I can imagine that the Big Donors may actually not fund a real peace candidate in the Democratic Party like Kucinich because they think the same way: namely, maybe they would actually worry (Imagine that!) that the candidate would push for peace all over the world. Kucinich proposed a Department of Peace. That should be awesome, right? Yes, that Democratic Donors would do this should not make sense to the normal person.