Dean, Pelosi Find Agreement on Israel

[w4rma]

Presidential Candidate Dean, Rep. Nancy Pelosi Find They Agree on U.S. Role in Middle East

WASHINGTON Sept. 12 —

House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi and Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean have cleared the air and decided they agree about the United States' role in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Dean, a former Vermont governor, called Pelosi Thursday after hearing that she had signed a letter objecting to his comment that the United States should "not take sides" in the Middle East dispute. Pelosi spokesman Brendan Daly said the two agreed that the United States should be an honest broker, but must remain committed to Israel's right to exist.
…
Dean sent a response Friday to the signers, thanking them for their letter. He said he is committed to Israel's peace and its special relationship with the United States, but U.S. leaders must earn the Palestinians' trust to negotiate peace.

Dean said he would follow in President Clinton's footsteps and make every effort to bring peace to the region from his first day in office.

"I will not allow a split to emerge in our party on this critical issue, and I am sure you share my commitment to that goal," he wrote.
…
http://abcnews.go.com/wire/Politics/ap20030912_1901.html

[phishhead]

1. w4rma, what do you think you are doing

posting this pro-Dean garbage? ;)

[w4rma]

You're right! How dare I!

:crazy::spank::crazy:

I hope the intra-Party attacks will die down, soon. This article give me hope that they might.

[arcos]

4. I'm not so sure...

I'm afraid they will now go back to their original claim, before they labeled Dean as "anti-Israel". He will be "too pro-Israel" now.

edit: typo

[Khephra]

35. And we all will have to give them a little piece of our minds

Evenhanded is evenhanded. How can you read pro-I or P into that?

[joeybee12]

2. Good for Dean--he handles Pelosi's knife in th back well!

Perhaps she realized what a twit she's being, or perhaps she realizes that Dean is going to win the nomination and she doesn't want to be left behind.

It's nice to see the Dem leader finding the time to criticize Dean, while keeping her mouth shut over all the crap Dumbo and his minions are doing. Anybody now wonder why the Dems are the minority party?

[w13rd0]

3. Perhaps she (Pelosi) was simply lied to...

...since her staff couldn't point out exactly what it was that Dean said that was so earth shattering. After all, our congressional representatives have proven to be pretty gullible these past couple years...

[Upfront]

22. Perhaps

She got tons of calls and letters from people not happy with her thinking.

[Khephra]

36. It's good that she knows that she serves THE PEOPLE then

.

[Arugula Latte]

54. yeah, tons of calls and letters...

from pissed-off Democrats like me. In fact, I'm sure it was my e-mail that changed her mind! (You're welcome.) ;-)

[jamesinca]

5. Yipee!!!!!!!!!!

I am glad to see the fence mended. I hope this will make a more unified Democratic party. Dean has worked to win over Terry McAuliffe and the DNC, he has now made good with Nancy Pelosi. Does anybody have doubts about this mans ability to use diplomacy. These are good early test and I think he is passing with flying colors.

[ibegurpard]

6. I can just hear the gnashing of the Howard-haters' teeth.

Won't be able to pull this one out anymore. :P

[Kolesar]

7. I think we have found the new leader of the Democratic Party

[Guaranteed]

8. The new Joe Montana, if you will....

After Clinton, that is. Maybe Dean's more of a John Elway.

[Larkspur]

14. Montana was my football hero too

ever since he quarterbacked for Notre Dame. I'm an ND grad too.

[Cha]

18. Dean's no John Elway!

[Hawkeye-X]

42. Careful what you say about Elway

He was my boyhood hero, but was greatly disappointed when I found out that he is a Republican. Although I respect his skills, and keeps his politics out of sports, he still endorses the wrong people.

And he's divorced too. So much for Republican family values.

Hawkeye-X

[delete_bush]

56. Kept politics out of sports?

don't forget that he didn't attend the White House ceremony honoring the team for one of their Super Bowl victories due to his lack of respect for Clinton. A case could be made that this transcends politics but as the team leader he should have been there.

I wasn't aware of the divorce, though. Do you know the reason, is there a Monica in #7's closet?

Colorado's family values repuke guv is getting one too. Maybe they can double-date shrubs twins.

[Eloriel]

24. And a Statesman in the bargain

He's remarkable, isn't he?

Eloriel

[RevolutionStartsNow]

28. I think he's more Young than Montana

A scrappy guy who keeps fighting.

Sigh...I miss Steve...

[Khephra]

29. No shit

If Dean can bring people together on this issue, then he's a shoe in.

Once again, what seemed like a problem has turned into a Dean advantage.

I'm more convinced than ever that Dean has to be our next President.

[Demobrat]

9. Gee maybe I should take back the nasty email I sent her.

I wonder how many she got?

[WyLoochka]

17. I'm not retracting mine

"It is unacceptable for the U.S. to be `evenhanded' on these fundamental issues," ??

Ms Pelosi,

I am so very disappointed in you. Your endorsement of the comment: "It is unacceptable for the U.S. to be `evenhanded' on these fundamental issues," regarding Israel/Palestine conflict is beyond the pale.

Being "evenhanded" is the ONLY way the death and suffering in the Middle East can even have a remote chance of ever being brought to an end. I am sick and tired of US policies in the ME being dictated by greedy, hard line, right wing Likudniks. The super zionist Likuds are extremely poor representatives for both Israel and Americans Jews. It is time to beat some sense into them, if that is possible - which I doubt, by heaping the scorn on them that they so richly deserve.

This election cycle presents an opportunity to extricate the Democratic Party and the American people from the disastrous policies of the past of supporting every insane whim and wish of the brutes who have, because of those policies, brazenly seized control of Israel and thwart every decent attempt to negotiate an "evenhanded" peace. This is not the time to amplify their land grabbing, bull dozing, deadly agenda. It's the time to break from it.

I had great hopes for you as Minority Leader, but I see that I was duped. Up until this point, I had not decided which Dem candidate would get my support. Well, this was the straw. I now understand that you who have inhabited DC for years, whether Dem or Repub, have all become virtually indistinguishable, one from another, in the depths of what you will do to cling to your little regimes of power.

It's Howard Dean for me in '04. And after that - (actually many of you are going to go down in '04 - mark my words) - we, the people, are going to rid the House and the Senate of all of you, Dems and Repubs, who have forgotten what you were sent there to do - represent the people.

Disgusted Democrat from Arizona

[Cha]

19. Wow! that's quite an e-mail!

I wish we could get rid of those dinos inside the beltway who are way too cozy with giving up our rights.

[Voltaire99]

23. You do realize that Dean has kowtowed, don't you?

Your message to Pelosi is right on target. But in the present little drama, Dean quickly was brought to heel at the first sign of trouble, writing to Pelosi that he essentially agrees with her. That's a collapse by Dean--much like his opposition to the Iraq war has collapsed in his new insistence on staying in Iraq until "democracy" is established. Neither bodes well for the admirable political reform described in your message.

Dean's a collaborator--a bit reluctant, sure, a bit determined right now to look progressive and footloose. But if you're watching him closely, particularly in his hedging on the war and his submissiveness on Israel, there isn't much reason to believe he'll depart from the Democratic Party's leadership let alone spearhead the house-cleaning you correctly wish for. Much like Pelosi who was mildly firey before her elevation in the party, he's showing how easily he can be assimilated.

It's a pity.

[Cha]

26. Dean was not "kowtowing" ( as you so eloquently put it) in

the least! He was making sure Nancy knew what he was saying in the
first place! And in no way did he back down from his position, rightfully so.

It seemed to be a matter of semantics for the insiders.

[rocktivity]

57. Oh, yes, this is definitely a victory for Dean

Especially if Pelosi got a lot of e-mails from people like Mesquite. He's the Dem frontrunner whether the DLC likes it or not--SO BACK OFF!!!


rocknation

[Eloriel]

27. It was nothing of the sort, on both counts

But nice spin. Who is it you support again -- Kerry? Or is it Clark? Their supporters are the one who seem to be the most ill-informed.

Your message to Pelosi is right on target. But in the present little drama, Dean quickly was brought to heel at the first sign of trouble, writing to Pelosi that he essentially agrees with her.

On the contrary. I don't happen to know what Pelosi's position is, BUT Dean's is that we can't hope to be instrumental in aiding peace in the ME unless we're seen by both sides as "honest brokers." You don't play favorites when you're the mediator, or else no one (or only one side) trusts you. It's that simple.

If anything, I think Dean taught Pelosi something. In actuality, I think she misunderstood Dean, but in any case, he was strong enough and smart enough to be a statesman (what a breath of fresh air there!!) and unify parts of the party. Wow, what a concept!



I think it takes either an incredibly anti-Dean prejudice or a terribly cynical view to come up with that assessment. He's not only departing from the party's leadership, he's BECOMING the party's leadership and frankly the incident in smoothing over the Pelosi flap and getting her on board proves it. Assimilated my foot. You watch.

Eloriel

[Resistance]

32. Let's face it

Pelosi and others were wrong to denounce Dean for suggesting an "even-handed approach" to the I/P situation, and Voltaire has every right to be concerned that it wasn't Pelosi who caved, but Dean. I myself am having a hard time judging which side caved, and frankly my gut feeling is that it was Dean. That being said, I am glad that the difference appears to have been smoothed over, and I am hopeful that we might have such a Democratic leader who can continue to smooth over these kinds of differences.

The important point to me is that I'm tired of Democrats caving in to the hawkish stance of even so-called 'moderates' regarding Israel and the Palestinians, and I want to see real leadership emerge. It is not the fault of Voltaire and others like myself who fear that Dean isn't really leading here - but rather, has been lead himself. I hope you have judged correctly, Eloriel.

[Eloriel]

43. I thought Pelosi went off half-cocked to start with

And in fact, isn't anyone but me just a little ticked that she would go on the offensive instead of contact him about her concerns? NOT smart, Nancy, not smart at all.

Apparently, according to another DUer who talked to one of her aides, because she didn't even know WHAT he had said.

If Dean was either able to get her to hear what he'd said OR understand that an even-handed approach IS necessary AND prevent divisiveness, that's a good thing IMO.

Apparently, the term "even-handed" is a code-word for something else entirely, and that's what triggered the whole debacle.

I think it's been very clear from Dean's statements all along that what he proposes is a return to Clinton's "honest broker" and (no code word) "even-handed" approach.

I stil think what he did in contacting her was quite statesmanlike.

Eloriel

[CWebster]

49. Pelosi knew exactly what she was doing

She is known for her fund-raising prowess and wanted to demonstrate where her allegiances lie. She is on record as a big cheerleader for Israel. Do you think she doesn't know the score? The fact is she has priorities and she can't allow the sources to dry up---which is why she and Daschle are trying to gut McCain-Feingold. Its the only way they know to get funding but at the same time it ties their hands politically. If they went back to answering to the voters, new sources of funding could be raised but it would require them to put an effort into their jobs.

[IndianaGreen]

51. Pelosi also supports Dick Gephardt for President

who in case you don't remember was a "miserable failure" as Democratic leader in the House.

[The Magistrate]

50. Indeed, Ma'am

Gov. Dean's position in this matter is that of the overwhelming preponderance of Democratic Party voters, and of a clear majority of the people of the United States.

[Julien Sorel]

45. Of course it was Dean who caved.

Read the letter, first of all, and the condemnation of Hamas (thus condoning Israel's ongoing campaign against Hamas), without mentioning Israel's violence, or the settlements as well (even-handed, up in smoke). Then, consider that it was Dean who sent Pelosi the letter, not vice-versa -- the person doing the communicating is generally being conciliating.

Pelosi has nothing to lose in this fight; she and her congressional cohorts have already cowed one president, Bush, on this issue, and he was in, and at the peak of his, power. Dean doesn't have near Bush's power, and he needs the Dem machinery to be at least neutral towards his candidacy. This has back-channel deal making written all over it; these Deanies going apeshit over this, as though Dean has won some kind of power struggle with the Democratic power structure, are completely deluded. The best that can be said about this situation is A) Pelosi could probably have squeezed him harder, but didn't (as far as we know); and B) The fact that they made this deal (apparently) so cheaply suggests that the Dem establishment is becoming more accepting of Dean's candidacy.

But really, the reaction in this thread is simply amazing. If Dean fell face first into a big pile of dog shit, some of these people would be jumping up and down, saying, 'Wow! I think brown is his color!'

[CWebster]

48. This is true

He has been somewhat weak and inconsistant on this issue, and the pro-Israeli lobbies are stealthy and unimaginably powerful to the point that both parties dance to the tune. But Dean has tried and what is important to remember are the ones who protested Dean's seemingly honorable effort, as well as the ones who were silent. This was the opportunity Kucinich had to support Dean for the right reason instead of always searching for the reason to scold the other candidates.

So, this has been instructive--it has made it quite clear who is running the show and what discussion is appropriate on an explosive issue lying right beneath the surface and related to all our foreign affair policies. It is absolutely taboo....even on progressive Left-wing sites where it is whisked off the front pages.

[Khephra]

33. For a minute I had you confused with the other Voltaire

here on DU.

I won't make that mistake again.

Dean showed "evenhandedness" and a willingness to work with the Party when there's a major problem.

Oh gosh, that's HORRIBLE. Dean is being evenhanded with the Democratic leadership.

He must be a collaorator...then again I bet Carter and Clinton were as well.



This BS got a lot of news coverage. Lets see how fair they are in dealing with them making up. I doubt we will hear much.

[w13rd0]

44. No...

...Dean was pointing out that Pelosi basically agreed with HIM, and that she was being duped into making an issue out of this. I'm sure this was pointed out to her and her staff. Perhaps they considered that, and came to the conclusion that the "path of peace" was best...

[saskatoon]

55. Wishy washy

Any damn way the wind blows---you mite say kissing ass

[Eloriel]

25. Fabulous, mesquite

Applause, applause.

Yes. Some of them are beginning to realize that when Howard Dean AND his supporters say, "We want our country back!" it's not just pretty rhetoric. We're DAMN serious.

AND some of us will never go back to pre-Dean days when we weren't being listened to, weren't being heeded, weren't being fully represented.

Eloriel

[huckleberry]

52. Wow! What a great letter!

My sentiments exactly!

What I like about Dr. Dean is that he responds quickly to criticism and defends/clarifies his position. He doesn't let things fester.

GO DEAN!!

[caledesi]

40. I emailed her.

[Lindsay]

10. Good on both of them.

But Pelosi hasn't been silent about Shrubco, not at all. Problem is that the only place you'll hear her is on C-Span.

[lazarus]

11. I heard her

say she would stand "shoulder to shoulder" with the president.

That was enough for me.

[Democat]

12. Great move by Howard Dean

I'm impressed. When this issue first came up, I felt that he absolutely had to find a way to defuse it quickly, and he did. This issue cannot be allowed to split the Democratic party going into 2004.

Good work, Howard.

[lindashaw]

13. And he did it so gracefully, a real peacemaker.

[Larkspur]

15. Glad this is cleared up. I like Pelosi and Dean

even though Pelosi endorsed Gephardt.

I faxed Pelosi's office my letter this AM and told her that I asked the DCCC to stop drafing my checking account until she publicly apologized to the Dean Campaign. This reconciliation will suffice.

[Cha]

20. Great Larkspur! Way to let them know where it counts!

:kick:

[Malikshah]

16. Read Dean's Statement on the Issue

In honor of the spirit of Oslo-- Dean's put out a killer statement that is sure to engender much discussion.

www.blogforamerica.com


One of the bloggers made the key statement re: this political move

Paraphrasing: Dean's learned from the errors of Gore, Mondale, and Dukakis. When attacked--respond w/i the newscycle. If you wait, you're toast.

And boy-- what a friggin response!

[Cha]

21. It makes ya wonder why those other men didn't respond immediately!

Especially Gore who could have learned from the other's mistakes.

I love Gore but always wished he would have reacted to the slurs and lies Fast!

[Khephra]

37. I know personally that they're not copyright concerned...so here it is

Dean, Pelosi Find Agreement on Israel
The AP reports:

Dean... called Pelosi Thursday after hearing that she had signed a letter objecting to his comment that the United States should "not take sides" in the Middle East dispute. Pelosi spokesman Brendan Daly said the two agreed that the United States should be an honest broker, but must remain committed to Israel's right to exist.

"She had a good conversation with him yesterday," Daly said. "We're pleased that he has clarified his position and stated his commitment to Israel's right to exist. This satisfies what we were looking for in our letter..."

The letter Pelosi signed was circulated Wednesday by Rep. Howard Berman, D-Calif., and signed by three dozen House Democrats. Many of the signers have endorsed Dean rival Dick Gephardt, a Missouri congressman who served as caucus leader before stepping down to run for president.

Dean sent a response Friday to the signers, thanking them for their letter. He said he is committed to Israel's peace and its special relationship with the United States, but U.S. leaders must earn the Palestinians' trust to negotiate peace.

Dean said he would follow in President Clinton's footsteps and make every effort to bring peace to the region from his first day in office.

"I will not allow a split to emerge in our party on this critical issue, and I am sure you share my commitment to that goal," he wrote.

[IndianaGreen]

30. Just remember that Israel's "right to exist" does not extend to...

the West Bank, Gaza, or East Jerusalem!

The United States should never endorse the occupation by of foreign army of another nation or people. It was wrong for Imperial Japan to do so in Manchuria and China. It was wrong for Germany to do it in Poland. It was wrong for Iraq to do it in Kuwait. It is wrong for the US to do it Iraq. It is wrong for Israel to do it in the Occupied Territories.

[ozone_man]

38. Wow, you should've been the statesman here.

And what about this "special relationship" with Israel? I think Dean said it right the first time, before he was attacked by Lieberman, et al. But I suppose it is a small concession to make in acknowledging the "special relationship" we have.

[Julien Sorel]

31. Shocking!

Of course, Hamas is a terrorist organization, and it must be defeated and its members defeated for seeking to thwart peace and to kill innocent men, women and children. To suggest that I might feel otherwise is shameful and should be beneath the dignity of any campaign.


You showed the Israeli lobby what you are made of, Howard!

[Khephra]

34. I'm prouder now to be a Deanie

than ever before.

:toast:

Dean, you Da Man!

[Evanstondem]

39. Proud to be for Dean

Yes, and I'm glad to see Pelosi distance herself from Lieberman's attempt to make a mountain out of a molehill.

[shance]

41. "I will not allow a split to emerge in our party on this critical issue"

We've picked a great guy haven't we?

:)

[Andromeda]

46. I'm even more impressed with Dean...

if that's possible. He diffused the situation beautifully.

GO DEAN! :bounce:

[CWebster]

47. Pelosi ain't nothing but whore for the money

She and Daschle are involved in an effort to gut campaign finance because they are so dependant on special interest funding. So long as they dance for AIPAC they don't need to answer to their voters. Make them work for us.

[PBinOregon]

53. I'm Very Impressed

It's great that Dean addresses things like this so directly. The absolute goal has to be to keep us from being divided as a party--even as a movement demanding a change in direction for our country. We need everyone pulling in the same direction, even though we will always have disagreements on specific steps, the effort has to be united as a whole.