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Finally, Israel issue explodes into presidential primaries

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Marco Rubio

Finally, it’s happening, the issue of Israel support is exploding into the presidential primaries. But on the Republican side. Donald Trump’s vow to be “neutral” in the conflict– which Chris Matthews said last night he’s never heard out of the mouth of a presidential candidate before–gave neoconservative favorite Marco Rubio an opening last night. In Houston, he threw red meat to the Israel supporters, and Rubio’s campaign put it online:

So we’re going to have a foreign policy of moral clarity. So let me give you a perfect example. Israel. Israel is the only pro American free enterprise democracy in the entire Middle East. Let me put it this way.  If there were more Israels in th eMiddle East, more pro Amerian free enterprise democracy. the world would be so much safer. There’s only one. So they’re an incredible ally of the United States.  And they don’t ask us to invade anybody. They havent asked us to station troops there. All they ask is look, if we that if they run out of bullets or weapons, resupply us, we’ll pay for it. And, and,  if we get threatened as they are around the world. Like, the UN is obsessed with Israel. The UN doesn’t do anything about Fidel Castro and Raul Castro. The UN doesn’t do anything about North Korea, but every week they have a new resolution condemning Israel. That’s the new face of anti-semitism in the world, is all these anti-Israeli actions. They just ask us to support them. Well, we have a president right now that treats the prime minister of Israel with less respect than what he gives the ayatollah in Iran…

And again the frontrunner in this race, Donald Trump, has said he’s not going to take sides on Israel versus the Palestinian because he wants to be an honest broker. Well, there is no such thing as an honest broker in that because the Palestinian Authority, which have strong links to terror, they teach little kids, five year olds, that it’s a glorious thing to kill Jews. OK You watch their cartoons, it talks about how great it is to kill Jews. This is a terrible thing, and they’ve turned down deal after deal after deal. They don’t want a deal. They’ve already said, ‘We want to destroy Israel.’ So what are you going to negotiate? The rate of the destruction? The date of destruction?  We will not be an impartial advocate when it comes to the issue of Israel. When I’m president, we’re going to take sides. We are going to be on Israel’s side.”

Jacob Kornbluh in Jewish Insider:

Earlier on Wednesday, Trump somewhat walked back his comments, stating, “I am with Israel one hundred percent.”

Bill Kristol must be happy. This was his advice to Rubio a few days ago:


So Rubio and Trump are both doing what Bernie Sanders refuses to do, make Israel support an issue. Sanders could be talking to the Democratic base on this question.

Thanks to James North.

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59 Responses

  1. hippocrasy
    hippocrasy on February 25, 2016, 5:41 pm

    Good lord…. When he loses the election he can get a hasbara job … wait he is a politician on the hasbara payroll…. Israel doesn’t ask us for anything…. “give us bullets and bombs and we’ll pay for them”… yeah we don’t give them 4billion a year so they can funnel money back to APAIC and own our politicians…. so easily sold out, give away our taxpayers money so they can donate 10 mill to your campaign… but they never ask you for anything.. so righteous… if only Israel was the a larger democracy… Hmmmmm… Elect Rubio, topple Jordan, Iraq, Syria, the Sinai and Southern Lebanon, so we can give it to Israel and make the world a safer place… Because it is the only true democracy in the world…..
    WOW….

  2. hippocrasy
    hippocrasy on February 25, 2016, 5:46 pm

    Facts on the ground…. PA is on US and Israel payroll..We give the PA 400 Mill a year, so they can portray this image for the Palestinians… They are not Palestinian, they are US and Israeli Mercinaries, fighting a western fight. Who are you kidding… Videos? Sure… Teaching kids to hate?… Israel exists… Palestine does not… but keep spreading the word…. Poor Israel, the whole world hates them except US Politicians who have no soul and are not held accountable by the MSM because they all share the same payroll…. Trump Neutral is now a dirty word… again WOW

  3. David Doppler
    David Doppler on February 25, 2016, 5:57 pm

    Maybe Trump should respond: “We don’t need another president who just recites Israeli talking points. I’m not going to recite anybody’s talking points, and that’s what Marco Rubio does, especially if they come from deep pocket donors. Most of the American Jews I know, particularly the younger generation, don’t believe in those talking points anymore, because they’re not believable. They’re a gross oversimplification. If the President is going to make a deal in the Middle East, it won’t be by reciting Israeli talking points. When I get my deal done, Israel will be safer than at any time in its history, and that’s a promise. It’s not whether your rich pro-Israel donors anoint you as their sock pocket of the moment, it’s whether you, unlike your predecessors, can take on the biggest deal-making challenge of our time, and succeed. And that requires listening to, and respecting all parties’ legitimate and lawful interests.”

    As to William Kristol, the sentiment he expresses (of wanting to see a bully with his nose bloodied) applies as well to him and his neocon buddies, and to Netanyahu and his right wingnuts in Israel. It makes me wonder if part of the neocon deceit tactic is to project all manner of one’s own failings and weaknesses onto one’s opponent.

    As to Rubio as bully-nose-bloodier, I’ll believe that when I see it. He’s more of the “I’ll tell your Mom” kind of a guy.

    • inbound39
      inbound39 on March 5, 2016, 2:52 pm

      When you look at Rubio’s face when Trump attacks back he stands there like a bewildered child and has no clue what is happening around him. Trump with one or two words makes Rubio’s volumous statements look ridiculous. Neither Cruz or Rubio are up to seriously damaging Trump….they lack street suss.

  4. Kay24
    Kay24 on February 25, 2016, 7:38 pm

    This is utterly disgusting. I have never any candidate so shamefully want to kiss the zionist ring and show so much love and devotion. He is simply spewing zionist propaganda, almost word for word. This man is so desperate to win, he is willing to lie for a rogue nation. NOT a word about the “only” democracy in the ME refusing to end the occupation, or the land thefts. The part about President Obama “disrespecting” the Butcher of Tel Aviv was especially disgusting, because Rubio had a lapse of memory and forgot to mention that Nutty has consistently disrespected Obama and even tried to sabotage his efforts to a nuclear agreement with Iran.
    Rubio is a scumbag doing Israel’s dirty work. I cannot believe that our politicians are willing to sell their souls to a foreign Devil, just to win.

    • inbound39
      inbound39 on March 5, 2016, 2:57 pm

      Yes Kay24 and this time the American people have seen it full frontal and it illuminates itself in the poor ratings vote wise Rubio is getting. What I have wished for appears to be happening. The American people are claiming their government back from the Zionists. Netanyahu et al will be gobsmacked by this election because they have been so untouchable up until now they were not and are not prepared for this backlash.

    • echinococcus
      echinococcus on March 6, 2016, 2:26 am

      I have never any candidate so shamefully want to kiss the zionist ring and show so much love and devotion

      Sure you have. Dowager Empress Clinton, for one.

  5. traintosiberia
    traintosiberia on February 25, 2016, 9:48 pm

    Bill Kristol was some kind of chief of staff or advisor to D Quayle . He hopes he will be again and this time the moron actually be a president and not just vice.

    His Plan B is to bolt out ,rush out of the attic and join the Scooper Jackson Democrats party of Hillary . Dear Father will be happy .That ideologue of violence left McGovern’s party to join Reagan .

  6. Kay24
    Kay24 on February 25, 2016, 10:15 pm

    Rubio just now won the approval of the zionists. He went even further just now during the debate, and accused the Palestinians of teaching their children to hate the Israelis (no mention about the love shown to the Dawabsheh family by the Jewish terrorists). He also said that the Palestinians rejected many times the “generous” offers by Israel for peace. Not ONE mention about the illegal settlements and the number of children arrested and killed, for no reason, nor about the reasons WHY some Palestinians have to resort to violence.

    WOW, he made a brutal occupier look the victim. Good job Rubio, here are some shekels (and support from our lobby) for you, you lied brilliantly for us. Adelson, are you ready to fork out for your dear homeland now?

    • Sibiriak
      Sibiriak on February 26, 2016, 12:13 am

      Rubio flat out said that “the Palestinians” were terrorists:

      “The Palestinians are not a real estate deal, Donald,” the senator said.

      “They’re not a real estate deal. A deal is not a deal when you’re negotiating with terrorists.”

      http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/marco-rubio-donald-trump-immigration_us_56cfb102e4b0871f60eaeb9f

      • talknic
        talknic on February 26, 2016, 2:56 am

        Hilarious stuff …

        http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/releases/2006/march/jewish.htm

      • Kay24
        Kay24 on February 26, 2016, 4:08 am

        It seems the Israelis are the pots calling the kettle black. Israel has had it’s share of terrorists, here is one that the US has banned and called a terrorist group:

        Jewish Defense League:

        “Founded by Rabbi Meir Kahane in New York City in 1968, the JDL’s self-described purpose was to protect Jews from local manifestations of antisemitism.[1][6] Its criticism of the Soviet Union increased support for the group, transforming it from a “vigilante club” into an organization with a stated membership numbering over 15,000 at one point.[7] The group took to bombing Arab and Soviet properties in the United States,[8] and targeting various alleged “enemies of the Jewish people”, ranging from Arab-American political activists to neo-Nazis, for assassination.[9] A number of JDL members have been linked to violent, and sometimes deadly, attacks in the United States and in other countries, including the murder of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee regional director Alex Odeh in 1985, the Cave of the Patriarchs massacre in 1994, and a plot to assassinate Congressman Darrell Issa in 2001.[10] The National Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism’s database of identified terrorist organizations, which is compiled by official contractors and consultants to the United States government and is supported by the Department of Homeland Security, identifies the JDL as a “former terrorist organization”.[11] The JDL’s website states that it rejects terrorism.[12] Several JDL members and leaders died violent deaths, including Kahane himself, who was assassinated by an Arab-American gunman.[13]”

        Recently, the Jewish terrorists who attack sleeping Palestinians killing a baby, has also been condemned by the US.

        It seems Rubio has a serious memory problem, or maybe his is an ignorant pro Israeli servant.

  7. Another Dave
    Another Dave on February 25, 2016, 11:14 pm

    I’m 50 this year, I’ve never seen anything like that ‘debate’. Even schoolchildren are more reasonable and mature.

    I can’t believe I once thought Reagan would be the worst president ever.

    I despair.

    • Kay24
      Kay24 on February 25, 2016, 11:52 pm

      These GOP candidates will be worse than Bush, especially Trump. If you listen to them, they are a bunch of war mongers, do not know the least bit about diplomacy, ugly Americans, who seem to be hell bent on P.ing off our neighbors as soon as they (imagine) they become President.
      It is sad that there is a faction of people who support this kind of leadership. Trump is full of BS ideas that are not feasible, and will not solve any of our problems, only make it worse.
      The idiotic idea to deport thousands and thousands of illegal immigrant is so laughable, it will only bankrupt us even more. You are right school children are more mature than these clowns.

    • Mooser
      Mooser on February 26, 2016, 11:23 am

      “I despair.”

      Right there with you. Saddest Pres. election in my lifetime.

  8. hippocrasy
    hippocrasy on February 25, 2016, 11:57 pm

    How is it that no one except the readers on this site, can see through the garbage politicians in front of us. No one sees the real Rubio, Cruz or Trump and oh CLINTON? I am perplexed, I gave my fellow Americans much too much credit.

  9. kalithea
    kalithea on February 26, 2016, 12:08 am

    Pam Geller must have been in the audience at that debate in Texas because every time Rubio tried to land a zinger on Trump, you could hear a screaming banshee in the audience.

    But here’s what I think: Rubio is a lightweight and irrelevant. He doesn’t look Presidential either. I just don’t see him going anywhere.

    I have to say I was actually impressed that Trump stood his ground on neutrality in the Israeli/Palestinian issue despite attacks from all rivals. I finally found something I can respect there. However, there are serious problems with him.

    One, I can’t stand the vehicle for many reasons. Two, there’s no deal to be made anymore between Israel and Palestinians, because there’s no viable territory for the Palestinians and Israel has thieved/ robbed and plundered way too much from these people. So is Trump thinking he can revive that fraudulent peace process? I’m completely against that, because the outcome will be the same as it has been with all previous administrations. If he revives that charade and pressures a deal that is dishonest and unjust for Palestinians; what is to be gained with that? After all, Trump stated he was 100% with Israel. With everything else I can’t stand about the man and his hateful baggage; I just don’t trust him to do the right thing.

    There is another point he made though that makes me believe that maybe he actually has a compassionate bone in his body. When he said he wouldn’t leave anyone to die on the street and the other jackasses just pandered on the issue deflecting that specific point; he really rose above the fray on that one.

    But, like I stated earlier; he’s a very poor vehicle for justice and morality and that makes him very untrustworthy.

    Do I think he can beat Hillary? It’ll be razor thin. The Supreme Court may have to weigh in…just kidding!

    As far as this cause is concerned I stand by my position: this crop stinks!

    Bernie has a Zionist problem. He’s fighting for social justice; he’s compassionate; but why is he completely ignoring what Israel is doing? It makes no sense! I can only think he doesn’t have the clout that Trump has to risk a position that digresses from the political norm. Bernie’s too risk averse when it comes to Israel and yet he’s representing a domestic agenda that couldn’t be more unorthodox or risky. So I can’t respect him on his ambiguity in regards to Israeli policy.

    There are no good options, but definitely Hillary, Rubio and Cruz, neither of the latter 2 could beat Hillary anyway are the worst and will be disastrous for the Palestinian cause. Trump is a wild card that I just can’t trust and I still suspect Bernie’s the safer bet.

    For God’s sake, Trump vowed he would move the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem! Bernie will never do that.

    But as far as real just progress; they all suck. Unfortunately, justice will be delayed but will come from the efforts of those fighting in the trenches for it.

    • Emory Riddle
      Emory Riddle on February 26, 2016, 1:22 pm

      Bernie’s Zionist problem is that he is one.

      I believe it is wishful thinking to believe his fight for justice extends to Israel Palestine. The video of him addressing his truly liberal constituents in VT in the summer of 2014 should disabuse you of this notion. He is a poster boy for PEP — progressive except on Palestine.

      If it was not for that, he would be a wonderful candidate.

      • Lillian Rosengarten
        Lillian Rosengarten on February 26, 2016, 1:48 pm

        Emory- This is just what we need to vilify Bernie. He is the only viable candidate. More empty words about something that you seem to believe to know about. It’s destructive and helps to bring the wrong folks closer to the presidency. No one who has fought for peace and justice for so long is capable of being a Zionist . Zionism is a racist, ultra nationalistic ideology that tries to hide it’s destructiveness behind a mask of a democratic Israel. Democracy and a brutal occupation is an oxymoron .

  10. kalithea
    kalithea on February 26, 2016, 12:54 am

    I want to add that part of the reason I can’t stand Trump as the vehicle for justice is because Trump has skeletons in his closet that have to do with exploiting workers in his real-estate developments; it’s disgusting. I’m reminded of Abu Dhabi’s exploitation of migrant workers. And I can’t stand the thought that someone whose penthouse apartment is gold-plated could do such a thing and then usher in justice for Palestinians. It ain’t gonna happen.

    No wonder he keeps saying he’s going to build everything cheaper; if he subcontracts to individuals who exploit their labor force, of course. He’s too morally inconsistent to the point of immoral and slimy to be trusted.

    • Kay24
      Kay24 on February 26, 2016, 4:10 am

      He is a hypocrite, but it seems neither the good for nothing media, nor his fellow Republicans, wants to inform the public about these facts.

    • DaBakr
      DaBakr on February 26, 2016, 10:28 am

      @k
      i can see why from an anti-zionist pov why none of the current gop candidates is very appealing.
      rubio strikes me as the kind of guy you want to smack on the head and cruz is just so friggn odd. a little scary odd because he is not dumb. and trump? what is there to say about someone who talks crazy and never breaks character-if it is a character. he reminds me much of huey p. long, the kingfish and that didn’t end so well. they’re all kind of dangerous. hilary is the safest choice if one wants status quo. bernie-if he had a snowball’s chance in hell to really force the kind of concessions from the 1% and the .01% bankers and financiers he would be more appealing.
      so-while i can on;y comment as a zionist who doesn’t like any of the candidates except for bernie-and only a little. maybe because he seems old-school left, which is almost an anachronism.

      i can’t see why the zionist-hating far left would consider any of the current candidates- gop or dem to be particular;y praiseworthy except for bernie-and only so much so for him as well.

      trump is the only candidate bold enough to try to make radical changes but as much as they think-most americans don’t like radical change all that much and crazy may sound good on tv but is a bit like russian roulette in real-time.

      i wouldn’t be surprised in the upcoming u.s. election if americans both pro-zionist and anti-zionist [the ones that are likely to vote strongly on this issue] end up voting similarly .

  11. Krauss
    Krauss on February 26, 2016, 1:46 am

    Trump’s walkback also reflects the fact that he isn’t as fearless and independent as he claims to be. He fears the Jewish lobby, even if in his mind he understands that the overwhelming support for Jewish Apartheid has been a disaster for the U.S. and that the Israel lobby has been a leading cause for war and intervention in the Middle East.

    It’s easy for him to bash Mexicans or muslims because those groups are very weak in the establishment. But Zionist Jews are not, so he backs out.

    This, more than anything, drives a stake through the heart of the claim that he’s somehow a fearless truthteller. It’s BS.

  12. Talkback
    Talkback on February 26, 2016, 4:32 am

    “The UN doesn’t do anything about North Korea, but every week they have a new resolution condemning Israel. That’s the new face of anti-semitism in the world, is all these anti-Israeli actions.”

    If it wasn’t ‘good for the Jews’, the UN would have done far more to end Israel’s violation of international law and human rights than only condemning it. But now the US even tries to deligitimizes boycott which isn’t even an embargo. That’s the new face of anti-semitism in the world, all these anti-Palestinian actions.

    • Kay24
      Kay24 on February 26, 2016, 6:00 am

      Agreed. So how about those anti Palestinian/Arab actions that the Israelis resort too, and that also includes the 60 plus years of a brutal occupation? I am sick of hearing how much poor innocent Israel has to endure, by the rest of the world. Rubio earned his shekels last night.

      • Citizen
        Citizen on February 26, 2016, 8:03 am

        So did Cruz, who even cleverly tossed in support for making Jerusalem the capital of Israel. But Rubio must have most gladdened Adelson’s heart when he characterized all Palestinians as natural born terrorists attacking innocent little Israel.

      • Kay24
        Kay24 on February 26, 2016, 10:59 am

        I cringed when I heard Cruz proudly say that he will make Jerusalem the capital of zio land.

        So far not a single US President has recognized Jerusalem as zio capital, for good reasons I am sure. How low will these zio slaves go, to win the support of the zio lobbies, media, and rich Jewish Americans?

      • Talkback
        Talkback on February 26, 2016, 4:48 pm

        But Kay24, there’s no “occupation” only “territories controlled by Israel” according to the United puppets of Israel.

    • Jasonius Maximus
      Jasonius Maximus on February 26, 2016, 12:22 pm

      Rubio’s statement is nothing but an over stated bald-faced lie! And not even a very good one at that!

      North Korea has had a litany of sanctions and resolutions imposed on it by the U.N. dating as far back as 1993. These U.N. & U.N.S.C. resolutions and sanctions are backed by a host of sanctions, embargoes and strict resolutions by a number of countries and bodies including, the U.S., U.K., Canada, Switzerland , the E.U., Australia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Japan, China, Hong Kong and Singapore. Which is hardly “doesn’t do anything” as Marco likes to put it.

      The Israeli regime would be on its knees and the occupation already over had the U.N. and the rest of the world’s super powers done as “little” to Israel as they have done regarding North Korea.

      Any candidate worthy of running for President would know this much and have called him out on the debate stage on this B.S. straight away! Which means every single candidate thus far is either so ill informed that they are not worthy of the role, or so beholden to the Israeli regime and highly compromised by foreign interests and lobbies that they should be ineligible to hold such office.

  13. talknic
    talknic on February 26, 2016, 6:30 am

    Bullsh*t was all the band could play
    Bullsh*t they played it night and day
    Bullsh*t, zionist bullsh*t
    Bullsh*t , bullsh*t, bullsh*t!

    “The UN doesn’t do anything about North Korea, but every week they have a new resolution condemning Israel”

    The UN has sanctioned North Korea. The UNSC has never once issued a resolution against Israel for what it does in its own territory.

    The UN issues REMINDERS to Israel of it’s legal obligations in non-Israeli territories. It has issued far more reminders to Israel than any other state on the planet. It has not yet been sanctioned

    If Marco Rubio didn’t live up to his part of the contract with the gas company, they’d be biased for sending him a reminder?

    For example UNSC 252 has EIGHT reminders. EIGHT!!!

    Why does it have EIGHT reminders?

    Is it because Israel is upholding the law?

    Or is it because Israel is still in breach of the binding laws and conventions and UN Charter that those reminder resolutions re-affirm and emphasize?

    If Marco ‘moron’ Rubio got EIGHT reminders to pay his gas bill he’d be disconnected.

    Mmmmm … wonder why and how his brain was disconnected?

    • Kay24
      Kay24 on February 26, 2016, 6:36 am

      It’s that Koolaid, Talknic. When it comes to election time it can be easily swallowed, very potent, and you will be lying like a criminal, just to get those shekels in your pocket.
      Our political system is zio corrupt, and it makes our politician behave so shamefully. Each one trying to outdo each other in the “unwavering and devoted love for Israel” game.

      • Marnie
        Marnie on February 26, 2016, 10:25 am

        F’cking right Kay24. The gloves are off as they do battle to see who can out-fellate the other.

  14. Kay24
    Kay24 on February 26, 2016, 6:32 am

    Prof. Juan Cole has very nicely dissected Rubios lies about the I/P issue, and his delusional rantings to woe those very rich Jewish donors. Rubio lied so blatantly, it was hard to listen to his hasbara propaganda.

    http://www.juancole.com/2016/02/rubios-7-fallacies-on-the-israeli-palestinian-conflict.html#comment-375182

  15. Ossinev
    Ossinev on February 26, 2016, 7:10 am

    Absolutely gobsmacking hilarious – he might as well have produced an Israeli flag, laid out on the floor and prostrated himself on it. I have to keep reminding myself that this is not satire or comedy . This is the real deal and the Rubios in 2016 America have zero moral bearings when it comes to begging for and accepting the money and endorsements of the Zionist Lobby.

    “All they ask is look, if we that if they run out of bullets or weapons, resupply us, we’ll pay for it”

    FFS !. This could have come straight from a Monty Python script.

    Just reminded myself again – it is not comedy or satire this is coming straight from the mouth of a potential contender for President of the USA in a”serious” political debate.

    • Lillian Rosengarten
      Lillian Rosengarten on February 26, 2016, 2:08 pm

      Sadly it is not funny but tragic to produce such candidates . I believe they are the results of the completely dysfunctional and obstructionist congress that has made a mockery out of our system of government. Whatever happened to separation of church and state? No wonder organized religion is nothing most educated, , compassionate Americans want to be a part of. Evangelicals have done more harm to dismantle civil rights and personal freedom. As a woman, I am sick of men (and some unenlightened women) who think they have a right to control how we choose to have or not have children. I am fed up with the hypocrisy of the “right to life” fwho support senseless wars, and demonizes government support and help to lift people out of poverty and to a decent standard of living. I am sick of the lack of caring in our society as well as all the hypocrisy and lies.

      • DaBakr
        DaBakr on February 26, 2016, 5:51 pm

        @lr

        your “no wonder organized religion…..” sentence is condescending to educated christians , jews and muslims who practice their religions in communities of like minded co-religionists in temples of their choosing as well as insulting and as ignorant as you imply uneducated religionists are stupid. [and don’t get me wrong-they may well be very stupid enough to be attracted to a reality tv real estate huckster]. but your comment iplies compassion walks hand-in-hand with compassion and people who choose to engage in an organized practice of their religion could not possibly possess educations similar or surpassing to those who opt out for whatever reason.

        your other negative points leading up to and including your being “fed up” as a woman [and human] in the current 30yr cycle of american politics[the “dysfunction” you cite] are a reasonable wether educated or not, woman or man, muslim jew or christian and organized or individualistic.

      • annie
        annie on February 26, 2016, 7:38 pm

        your “no wonder organized religion…..” sentence is condescending to educated christians , jews and muslims who practice their religions in communities of like minded co-religionists in temples of their choosing as well as insulting and as ignorant as you imply uneducated religionists are stupid.

        it is, nonetheless, true. most educated Americans are not members of an organized religion (religiously unaffiliated). the more education one has the less likely they will be a member of an organized religion. it doesn’t necessarily mean they do not believe in god tho or don’t consider themselves religious.

        furthermore, what you infer from a statement like that just tells us about you. i didn’t think it implied anything of the sort.

        and people who choose to engage in an organized practice of their religion could not possibly possess educations similar or surpassing to those who opt out for whatever reason.

        like i said, what you infer from a (more or less) factual statement tells us about you — not the bearer of bad news. if you consider it bad that is. i think under the circumstances (“such candidates …completely dysfunctional and obstructionist congress that has made a mockery out of our system of government”) the lack of religious affiliation is the least of our problems.

      • Mooser
        Mooser on February 26, 2016, 7:55 pm

        ” educated christians , jews and muslims who practice their religions in communities of like minded co-religionists in temples of their choosing”

        Sounds great, but will we all fit, in the temples? I think we should switch off each week. Mosque one week temple next, then a church.

      • gamal
        gamal on February 26, 2016, 9:44 pm

        “christians, jews and muslims who practice their religions in communities of like minded co-religionists”

        nah man that’s not religion, “like minded” thats a cult.

      • DaBakr
        DaBakr on February 27, 2016, 4:25 pm

        @gm

        ‘ like minded-thats a cult’….what i always say about the folks round here, jah man

      • DaBakr
        DaBakr on February 27, 2016, 4:35 pm

        @an

        “its true. most educated americans…..” weren’t you just bothering me about a similar type of statement i made recently about ‘most polls’ ? so you have a hunch that ‘most educated’ americans do not engage in organized religion. which ‘most educated’americans?

        didn’t obama attend church for over 20yrs? jimmy carter? joe biden. jerry brown, etc i can think of many others from scouts, scotus potus, doctors, and prominent scientists who engage in organized religion. is it possible your referring to educated americans who identify as left or far left wing. i can see that being the case

      • Mooser
        Mooser on February 27, 2016, 7:53 pm

        “….what i always say about the folks round here, jah man “

        Yup, you’re a regular majority of one, “Dabakr”.

      • annie
        annie on February 28, 2016, 4:04 pm

        weren’t you just bothering me about a similar type of statement i made recently about ‘most polls’ ?

        yes i was, after you claimed a specific % (85-95%) of jews identified as zionists i asked for your source. when you could not produce it i said you should just call it your hunch.

        but i didn’t reference any polls therefore i’m not responsible to produce any! and yes, it is my hunch. from info like this:

        http://www.churchleaders.com/pastors/pastor-articles/170739-statistics-don-t-tell-the-whole-story-when-it-comes-to-church-attendance.html

        According to the Hartford Institute of Religion Research, more than 40 percent of people say they go to church every week, but statistics show that fewer than 20 percent actually attend. More than 4,000 churches close their doors every year. Between 2010 and 2012, half of all churches in the U.S. did not add any new members. Each year 2.7 million church members fall into inactivity.

        But according to a new book titled Why Nobody Wants to Go to Church Anymore, hard numbers don’t tell the whole story. Hundreds of interviews and extensive hands-on research from a variety of sources reveal four basic reasons people don’t want to go to church anymore: they don’t want to be lectured, and they view the church as judgmental, hypocritical, and irrelevant.

        keep in mind, unlike you, i didn’t find lillian’s comment condescending or insulting to people of faith — i thought her ire was aimed at organized religion (specifically evangelicals) and their effect on our culture. iow, i didn’t think she insulted educated christians , jews or muslims.

        also, as i previously mentioned “it doesn’t necessarily mean they do not believe in god tho or don’t consider themselves religious.” so i wasn’t implying anything about them being atheists or questioning their faith.

        here’s more http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steve-mcswain/why-nobody-wants-to-go-to_b_4086016.html

        so this is the impression i’ve gotten over the last few years and example of where i’ve gotten it plus the info (which we’ve reported w/links) that the ‘nones’ are the fastest growing demographic in the US and there have also been reports on “Millennials increasingly are driving growth of ‘nones’”: http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/05/12/millennials-increasingly-are-driving-growth-of-nones/

        so, it’s combining the data.

        again, i didn’t make a claim about identifying as religious, i meant identifying w/organized religion. so, when i wrote what i wrote it was my hunch from stuff i have read before, i didn’t claim it was based on polls. but speaking of polls, i just read this: http://www.gallup.com/poll/7729/does-more-educated-really-less-religious.aspx

        The data also reveal a fascinating — and important — difference between those with a high level of education and those with minimal education. The former group is less likely to trust organized religion but more likely to trust clergy members, while the latter is more likely to trust organized religion and less likely to trust the clergy. Only 34% of postgraduate degree holders say they have “a great deal” or “quite a lot” of confidence in organized religion, while 52% of those with a high school education or less say so.

        that said, i learned from the polls in my search to provide you a source — while there are lots of educated people who are religious and affiliated w/organized religion i’m not sure i would not (any longer) categorize that as “most educated” people want “no part” in organized religion. i’m not sure i would describe “less likely to trust organized religion” (only 34% have much trust) on non attendance at religious services as “want no part”.

        and, to me, most means over 50%. it doesn’t mean or imply a vast majority.

  16. Ossinev
    Ossinev on February 26, 2016, 8:14 am

    When it comes to Zionism and Israel First credentials Rubio has just shot into the lead ahead of Clinton who had declared that she would go straight to the Land of Creation to caress, soothe and reassure the Yahoo if she was elected President. Now by comparison she can be seen to have scored a lowly 6 out of 10 on the Zionist vomitometer whereas Rubio has registered a whopping 10 out of 10 on his first real attempt to claim the Israel First crown.

  17. eljay
    eljay on February 26, 2016, 8:55 am

    || Marco Rubio: So we’re going to have a foreign policy of moral clarity. So let me give you a perfect example. Israel.

    Israel is an oppressive, colonialist, expansionist, belligerent, intransigent, nuclear-armed and religion-supremacist state. There is no “moral clarity” in supporting Israel in its current form.

    || … Like, the UN is obsessed with Israel. The UN doesn’t do anything about Fidel Castro and Raul Castro. The UN doesn’t do anything about North Korea… ||

    Like, why is he singling out the world’s only Cuban state and the world’s only North Korean state? Why does he hate Cubans and North Koreans so much?

    || … When I’m president, we’re going to take sides. We are going to be on Israel’s side. ||

    In other words, his foreign policy won’t consist of “moral clarity” – it will consist of continuing vigorously to fellate the Zio-supremacist donkey.

    Mr. Rubio appears to be as big a moron as he is a hateful and immoral – and hypocritical – Zio-supremacist.

  18. SonofDaffyDuck
    SonofDaffyDuck on February 26, 2016, 9:04 am

    I listened to the Republican debate last night and was trying to remember that SNL skit last year, the one about the politicians and the donkey.

    I don’t care what Oscar Wilde said about “Life imitates Art..”
    Here, Life and Art are the same.

    It would appear that all the fervent competition to be the most Likud is only a scramble to see who can get to the donkey first.

  19. Sycamores
    Sycamores on February 26, 2016, 9:52 am

    rumors has it, last night Rubio’s aides were seen chasing a donkey dress in GOP regalia and had a Israeli flag attached to its tail.

    i can’t find the link but it was something like donkeysforisrael dot com

    • Kay24
      Kay24 on February 26, 2016, 10:24 am

      More like AmericanJackassesforIsrael dot com :))

      • Sycamores
        Sycamores on February 26, 2016, 11:19 am

        lol!

  20. ritzl
    ritzl on February 26, 2016, 10:17 am

    I wonder how the big donors in Houston – overwhelmingly non-Jewish – like hearing that the influence their mega donations buys is automatically second place to Israel.

    Every last one of them knows that opening Iran improves their biz prospects by 10x relative to Crubio’s “free enterprise in Israel…” shtick. Rubio just told them he wants to drastically limit their prospects because Israel says to do so.

    These are not stupid people. I would love to be privy to the private follow up. I wonder how Crubio ‘splains their diminished influence, prospects, and status to them.

    This wacko Israel-talk probably soothes and coalesces the voter base, but I bet it has the exact opposite effect on the donor base (especially in Houston, home of James “they don’t vote for us anyway…” Baker).

  21. kalithea
    kalithea on February 26, 2016, 11:03 am

    Last night Rubio was arguing with Trump on his assumption that he could get a deal done between the Palestinians and Israel and Rubio attacked Trump with this: The Palestinians are not a real estate deal.

    Well, the fact is that the Israelis stole acres and acres of real-estate from the Palestinians while they’re subjecting them to a brutal, military occupation.

    Rubio’s a doormat with Zionism instead of Welcome printed on it.

  22. Sibiriak
    Sibiriak on February 26, 2016, 11:51 am

    Finally, it’s happening, the issue of Israel support is exploding into the presidential primaries.
    ——————

    The only “issue” being who supports Israel the most.

    “Finally, it’s happening…”!! Yeah!! Whoopeee doo!!!!!

  23. brent
    brent on February 26, 2016, 12:50 pm

    If Trump is not rewarded for saying he’ll be neutral and Rubio not punished for saying he will not, then activism is irrelevant.

  24. James Canning
    James Canning on February 26, 2016, 1:03 pm

    So, Marco Rubio supports efforts to suppress free speech in the US, as a means of aiding Israel in its insane programme of growing illegal colonies of Jews in occupied Palestine.

  25. inbound39
    inbound39 on March 5, 2016, 3:33 pm

    What this election is doing is damaging Americas political standing even more around the World. It’s status could not have fallen any lower before…..The Rubio,Cruz,Trump and Clinton Circus has the World sitting with its jaw dropped. No-one can believe the utter BS that these candidates are spouting and the ridiculous content of their debates. If nothing else it is an advertisement for how dangerous Zionism is if you let it infect your entire political system. Not only will Israel lose support globally amongst the average citizenry globally but America will lose even more. Only Morons at this point in time would allow America to lead anything.

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