Rep. Alan Grayson, Israel Uber-Hawk By M.J. Rosenberg TPM

[grassfed]

Max Blumenthal on Rep. Alan Grayson, Israel Uber-Hawk

By M.J. Rosenberg - December 1, 2009, 3:18PM

Max Blumenthal has a nice expose on Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL). Grayson has become something of a progressive hero because of his stand on a number of issues.

He seems fearless.

But not when it comes to Israel where he is pure AIPAC. 100% path of least resistance. And proud of it.

It just goes to my point that most Members of Congress only stick their necks out on issues when they are sure it won't cost them....anything. That is why some of your favorite legislators who are great on the environment, labor, marriage equality, health care, Afghanistan, Iraq, whatever, are hawks on Israel. They are afraid of AIPAC.

Grayson is typical. Brave, with a big asterisk.

AIPAC is for liberals what the NRA is for the right. The only differences are that AIPAC is a foreign policy lobby while the NRA's clients are American gunowners and manufacturers. And, two, the right's stand on guns is not inconsistent with its other views.

more http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/12/01/max_blumenthal_on_rep_alan_grayson_israel_uber-haw/#more

[SteppingRazor]

1. Particularly here in Florida, that's almost always the case.

See: Robert Wexler and Debbie Wasserman Shultz. Both great legislators, both unquestioning supporters of Israel.

[unabelladonna]

17. certainly not wexler

who is now going to be working for a J street associated organization. he is the anti-AIPAC as well as his successor ted deutsch (which was pretty much kept on the downlow because his district is heavily jewish).

[oberliner]

18. Where do you get this infomation from?

I have never heard anyone refer to Wexler or Deutsch as "anti-AIPAC" - I don't think that description fits in either case.

[shira]

2. so real liberals and progressives should join in on the demonization/defamation campaign vs Israel?

Trying to understand...

Unless Grayson joins in on an irrational demonization campaign (paid by the Oil Lobby) to single out and vilify Israel by joining obsessed, foaming-at-the-mouth antisemites like the Hamas, Fatah, and Hezbollah leadership, Pat Buchanon, David Duke, Gilad Atzmon, Israel Shahak, Bobby Fischer, etc, ...unless he joins such a gallery of rogues, Grayson is betraying his progressive values.

Is that correct?

[Shadrach]

4. Grayson is progressive, no question here

The problem is if he stays pro-Israel but does not listen to the status quo Israel lobby (AIPAC) he'd be demonized as anti-Israel (even if not true) and not get elected.

[shaayecanaan]

6. No, he's not...

see here:-

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=124x294953

[Shadrach]

8. What does not make him a progressive?

Am I missing something here?

[Violet_Crumble]

9. Let's start with supporting the occupation and mistreatment of the Palestinian people...

How exactly is that a progressive value?

[shira]

10. David Forman - founder of Rabbis for Human Rights - just committed the highest blasphemy

.....imaginable by blasting the Goldstone Report:
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?apage=1&cid=1259831449470&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

He was a progressive champion before this article but has just made a sharp turn to the far-right by joining those awful supporters of Israel.

:)

Just like these "former" leftist progressive champions of human rights before "THE DREADED LOBBY" got to them and forced them to become far RW supporters of the settler movement ...


David Landau, former editor of Haaretz
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=124x287828

Jessica Montell of Btselem
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=124x287828#293544

Robert Bernstein, founder of HRW
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=124x284937

all tossed to the trash heap....their opinions do not matter anymore to the 'enlightened', due to their religious blasphemies against HR groups.

:eyes:

[miscsoc]

16. yeah that's the blunt fact of it

You have to appease organised lobbies. AIPAC has money and connections, J-St or whatever doesn't. What good would he do if he took a stand on Israel and lost because of it. The winner would be as pro-Israel but would be worse on every other issue.

[unabelladonna]

5. thank you

perhaps cong grayson supports israel because it's the only democracy in the mid=east. i too get disgusted with the litmus test some progressives place on others.

[Violet_Crumble]

11. It all depends what yr definition of *support* is...

It appears very much like to many US politicians 'support' means blind and unquestioning slavering over Israel and criticism is strictly off limits. And Israel isn't immune from criticism because it's a democracy. Democracies still do some terrible things and to play the democracy card to try to avoid scutiny and criticism is so wrong. Personally, I see very little of LW values in supporting and cheering along the mistreatment of the Palestinian people, but clearly in the US some of the Left is what we view as the Right over here...

[Donald Ian Rankin]

13. No, that is not correct. N.T.

[shira]

14. What's not correct?

Who, in that gallery of rogues mentioned in #2, would you refuse to join forces with - and why?

[azurnoir]

3. another notable character in this vein would be Anthony Weiner

In May 2006, Weiner stirred controversy in his attempt to bar entry by the Palestinian delegation to the United Nations.<15> Weiner claimed that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas does not represent the PLO, and implied that this was because the group is listed as a terrorist organization by the US State Department. Weiner's statement was erroneous,since the PLO has not been on the terrorist organization list since 1988. Weiner further stated that the delegation "should start packing their little Palestinian terrorist bags." Weiner went on to claim that Human Rights Watch, the New York Times, and, in particular, Amnesty International are biased against Israel.<15>

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Weiner

[IndianaGreen]

7. The man is standing up to the fascists, which is more of I can say about Obama

He is a hero in my sight, and I will cut him a lot of slack. Being strongly in support of Israel is not a crime, nor is it an indefensible position. The settlements are another matter altogether, as is the dead 2-state solution.

[Jim Sagle]

12. Maybe he IS afraid of AIPAC. Or maybe he's prosemitic. You never can tell.

;)

[IndianaGreen]

15. His good points trump his 'bad point'

AIPAC has problems, but it is not fair to compare it to the NRA.