Save Ohio Now – Daily Kos June 17, 2007
Does anyone remember the relief felt when we learned this past January, as reported in USA Today," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Thursday that President Bush lacks the authority to invade Iran without specific approval from Congress, a fresh challenge to the commander in chief on the eve of a symbolic vote critical of his troop buildup in Iraq. . .I do believe that Congress should assert itself, though, and make it very clear that there is no previous authority for the president, any president, to go into Iran."
Then came March and the Annual AIPAC Convention. As a Reform Jew and supporter of a two-state solution in Israel, I want to make an upfront disclaimer: contrary to what many believe, AIPAC does not represent me nor a majority of thinking Jewish Americans. AIPAC"S beliefs are more in line with the far-right Israeli leadership than with Progressive Jews. Another way of putting it: Today’s AIPAC is to the Jewish majority as George Bush and the Neo-Cons are to most Americans. But with mainstream Jews remaining silent, AIPAC has come to represent us in the minds of most.
Back to Iran and Nancy Pelosi: March, 2007, AIPAC held its annual convention. John Hagee, the most noted Christian Zionist and founder of Christians United for Israel (CUFI,) gave the opening keynote to multiple standing ovations. His promises of financial and ideological support of Israel have become as seductive to some Jews as was Mephistopheles bargain with Faust. Hagee is probably the least known yet most dangerous man in America. He wields enormous political clout, using his powerful connections to encourage nuclear conflict with Iran, all for the ultimate goal of hastening End Times. Don’t believe it? Read his best-selling apocalyptic prophesy,
Jerusalem Countdown.
Days after the March convention, Congresswoman Pelosi, it seems, changed her tune. As reported in Sun Myung Moon’s uber right-wing Washington Times, "Last week, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi received a smattering of boos when she bad-mouthed the war effort during a speech to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, and the Democratic leadership, responding to concerns from pro-Israel lawmakers, was forced to strip from a military appropriations measure a provision meant to weaken President Bush's ability to respond to threats from Iran."
If this doesn’t tell all regarding today’s politics, I don’t know what does. Eliminating the need for King George to come to Congress before starting what could become a nuclear confrontation is one of the more important and under-covered stories of the year. "Never again" begins to sound like, "Pretty damn soon. Are there no effective leaders willing to take the bullet anymore to find our way back to peace
www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/6/17/163325/001
Last updated 19/06/2007
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