DEAN EXPRESSES DISAPPOINTMENT IN LIEBERMAN ATTACK; REAFFIRMS SUPPORT FOR I

[sfecap]

DEAN EXPRESSES DISAPPOINTMENT IN LIEBERMAN ATTACK; REAFFIRMS SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL AND FOR PEACE

Tuesday September 9, 2003



BURLINGTON - Tonight, Governor Dean reiterated his consistent support for the unique and special relationship that the United States enjoys with Israel. Israel is and will remain one of the closest allies of the United States and is a model for democracy in a troubled region.

The Democratic Party has been united in its support for Israel for 54 years since the time of Harry Truman, and the Governor is disappointed that Senator Lieberman would try to create division within our party where there is none.

Democrats need to be united in their focus on the failures of the Bush administration in foreign affairs generally and the Middle East in particular.



www.deanforamerica.com

[newsguyatl]

1. LIEberman

is just digging himself a deeper and deeper burial plot as the days go by.

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

2. Simply...

A Bitter Old Man, who had his chance and blew it and now spreads his special brand of bile.

Uhh, Joe? There are problems here. In America. Israel has to wait. Tell Sharon to go take a dump or something. Thanks.

[caledesi]

4. Go home Joe. Your 15 mintues are up.

[DrFunkenstein]

3. Dean Has Consistently Supported Israel (4x More Than Bush)

Dean traveled to Israel on a trip sponsored by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). After meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, Dean stated: “I do not think that as long as Yasser Arafat is president there will be peace." Before leaving, Sharon asked if Dean would support requests for new loan guarantees to Israel. Dean “promised him he would.”

http://www.aaiusa.org/countdown/c120602.htm

Last December, Dean told the Jerusalem Post that he unequivocally supported $8 Billion in US loan guarantees for Israel. "I believe that by providing Israel with the loan guarantees...the US will be advancing its own interest," he said. His unconditional support for the loan package, in addition to $4 Billion in outright grants, went further than even some of the most pro-Israel elements in the Bush administration, like Paul Wolfowitz, who wanted to at least include some vague restrictions like pushing Israel to curtail new settlements and accept a timetable to establish a Palestinian state.

http://www.muslimwakeup.com/mainarchive/000119.html

Dean believes the Bush administration should be giving Israel $4 billion in military aid to fight terrorism, not the $1 billion it proposed last month.

http://www.jewishsf.com/bk030418/us02.shtml

That is 4x the loan guarantees ($2 billion to $8 billion) and 4x the military aid ($1 billion to $4 billion). Without virtually any strings, which is further than even Paul Wolfowitz is willing to go.

[Khephra]

5. It's possible to be pro-Israel yet seek to be a neutral partner in

negotiations. Clinton did it. Carter did it. Kerry and Lieberman are totally distorting Dean's views and Democratic history to get ahead.

Pathetic.

[blm]

7. Kerry's baiting Dean because Dean is trapping himself.

That's why Kerry is not particularly specific in his charge. He knows Dean is adrift on this issue, and has no solid policy. Hell, Gary Hart probably told him that.

Dean: "Gary, what do I do?"

[Larkspur]

8. Sounds like Dean has learned his foreign policy since asking Gary Hart

for advice.

Dean learns and grows. Kerry stutters and stagnates.

[buddhamama]

9. i agree that it is possible

but i wouldn't consider what Carter and Clinton negotiated to be neutral.

there's no doubt that Israel was the big winner in the accords.

[jos]

6. Why Lieberman is doing this

Lieberman is the PNAC/DLC/AIPAC candidate in the race. All three groups have an interest in taking down Dean, or any other truly left-of-center candidate who has a shot at the nomination. Israel is one of the wedge issues for them. Iraq and trade are two others. So, by attacking Dean on this issue Lieberman not only serves their agenda, he gets in the headlines.

Look for a lot more of this, unfortunately.

[LizW]

10. The Dean attackers are giving me whiplash!

One second, it's "Dean says we're neutral -- How COULD he???" The next second it's "Dean is the AIPAC guy -- blah, blah, blah..."

Could you guys get together some kind of coherent attack? Cause this is giving me a headache.:P

Edited to say: Not you, sfecap. I meant Dr. Funk and blm, et al.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

11. Nice observation.

[LuminousX]

12. Clear as Crystal

That Dean doesn't want to go into the White House with a prejudgment in regards to the Israel-Palestinian conflict. He is not going to disrupt what has occured thus far but he wants the U.S. to be actively engaged instead of the hiatus Bush took from the region.

Find me one person who can be elected who won't support Israel?

[Tinoire]

13. There is support and there is partisanship

The only candidates I trust to support Israel and to help negotiate peace impartially and fairly is Kucinich.

Call me jaded but I am not convinced by Dean's sudden evolution after he took such a walloping on his previous stand. I hate to be unfair but the timing and rapidity are too propitious for me to accept that easily. I really would like more proof than a few recent, vague statements.

Kucinich's stance is long documented and has been even-handed and fair from the very beginning. I am especially reassured by the fact that he's been pushed by Tikkun and Jews for Peace from the beginning. He's the only one being pushed by Tikkun; JFP only has 3 candidates listed on their web-site- Kucinich, Sharpton and Carol Mosely Braun (whose stance I honestly do not know).

Bush was criminally negligent as far as public involvment went and for clear reasons. His people were certainly not negligent behind the scenes!

Clinton was better than Bush but he was clearly biased partial to Israel.