To the shock of many Democrats who just days ago thought Chuck Hagel’s confirmation was a cinch, the effort to force a cloture vote on his nomination failed this afternoon in the Senate. That puts the Hagel nomination on ice for at least another 10 days until after the President’s Day Congressional recess. Had the White House been forthcoming with more information about the president’s actions during the terror attack in Benghazi, this might have been avoided. Several Republicans said the delay of the vote on Hagel would be lifted as soon as the administration relented on that point but it refused to do so and Majority Leader Harry Reid forced a vote that he knew he would lose.
It is possible that during the intervening week, the president will surrender the data that the Republicans want and that the vote on Hagel will take place later this month and, following the party line vote in the committee, he will be confirmed. But the delay will also allow senators more time to ruminate on the nominee’s hapless performance at his confirmation hearing as well as to digest other information that is coming out about even more disturbing comments that Hagel has made about Israel. As I wrote earlier today, our former colleague Alana Goodman’s reporting at the Washington Free Beacon uncovered an account of a 2007 speech given by Hagel at Rutgers University during which he claimed the U.S. State Department was being run by the Israeli Foreign Ministry.
This hateful statement is actually worse than Hagel’s infamous complaint about the “Jewish lobby” intimidating Congress. It is not only absurd since the State Department has always been a stronghold of Arabists but a rehash of the old anti-Semitic myths about foreign Jews manipulating American policy. The only question now is whether the same Jewish groups that have been conspicuous by their silence about Hagel’s nomination will find their voices and help kill this unfortunate nomination once and for all.
As I noted earlier this month, the reluctance of most major Jewish organizations, including the influential Anti-Defamation League, the American Jewish Committee and AIPAC to take a stand on Hagel was rooted in their unwillingness to step into what had become a partisan fight. Though all had misgivings about the elevation of a man who had been an open antagonist of the pro-Israel community, opposing him meant picking a fight with the administration and the groups were not happy about risking their access to the White House on behalf of a fight that few thought Hagel would lose.
But with this latest proof of Hagel’s hateful mindset about Israel and the fact that the nomination no longer seems quite so inevitable ought to cause the organized Jewish world to reassess their silence. This is especially true since some pro-Israel Democrats have used this failure of the Jewish groups to speak out as cover for their own decision to go along with the president’s poor choice.
There should be no doubt in anyone’s mind that had a Republican president nominated a man to lead the Pentagon who had been quoted saying the things that Hagel has said and who had such a poor record on Israel and Iran, the Democratic donors to major Jewish groups would be screaming for the organizations to pull out the stops to prevent that person from taking office. But Hagel’s crack about the Israeli foreign ministry should convince even the most partisan liberal Democrats that they can’t give their party a pass on this issue.
If Jewish groups speak out now in the aftermath of the cloture vote the Hagel nomination will collapse. The president may not like it but the longer this goes on the less defensible his choice for the Pentagon has proved to be. The time is now for Jewish Democrats to end this farce and send Hagel back into retirement where he can say as many hateful things about Jews and Israel either on or off the record as he likes.
Let Hagel be. Let it be upon Obama's head. Israel will not take Hagel or Obama seriously until they prove themselves by neutralizing Iran. n nLet Obama royally f*ck everything up, so that his stink will taint Hillary in 2016. n n
Iran is not our responsibility and neither is Israel. We need government employees who put America first, no matter what other nations think. If you believe otherwise, you need to choose which master you serve, the United States or a foreign nation on the other side of the world.
and you choose Iran and shia supremacy over the gulf. Hagel chooses whoever puts money in his pocket.
A government or a country is not your master. You are its master.
By your logic, the US should not have fought the Nazis. Your as dumb as you are immoral.
Since most American Jews (78%) voted for 0bama, why would they object to Hagel. Anything 0bama does should be fine with them. I dont hear anything, do you?
As a matter of fact in the 2012 election the Jewish vote for obama went down to 68%–nothing to be proud of but at least, like a million Democ-rats at the bottom of the ocean, it's a good start!
I am afraid it wont make any difference. Look how royaly they screwed up in Benghazi, but people dont seem to care. Most American voters are stupid, they probably dont know where or what Benghazi is.. even if 4 Americans were murdered. As long as they have their American Idol, the Kardashians and other dumb TV. The late night comedy shows is where they get their political information. The dumbing down of America was very successful..
Jenn Rubin is saying on the Hugh Hewitt radio show that Hagel told one audience (ADC?) that the United States should not "dicatate" Iran's nuclear policies. Can't find a google.
she's not trustyworthy and never has been too dainty to avoid deliberate inaccuracy when it suited her prejudices…… n nbut I am willing to believe that she said "dicatate", probably while imagining herself feasting on some dicatator tots.
In return for help in nuclear technology, Iran (and many other nations) signed the non proliferation treaty in which it agreed that it would not use the technology for military purposes. Iran, though sovereign, must live up to its agreements. r nr nPakistan, India, and Israel which did not seek such help did not sign the non proliferation treaty and are therefore free as sovereign nations to develop nuclear weapons if they choose to do so. Pakistan and India and disclosed they have done so. Israel has not bragged about it – it does not disclose whether or not it has a nuclear arsenal.
Iran is a sovereign nation. It is not our place to dictate any of their polices.
Hagel tells Arab Americans who support Arab and Islamic nations on the other side of the globe that America has to let Iran dictate America's policies in the MIddle East because Iran is a rising power and there is nothing that America can do about that. If Iran wants nukes America wants Iran to have nukes because America must follow Iranian dictates. n nAmerica first. n
So was Nazi Germany.
Sovereign means it makes its own decisions, which is well and good. It does not mean it is not a rogue state or sponsor of terrorism and its proxies.
you're silly. it is entirely our place to react to their actions and to object to those actions as much as we wish
Iran is sovereign but it signed an agreement not to use the technology it sought from other nations, for military purposes. It may be sovereign, but it should be required to stick to its agreements.
Let's see. Hagel, among other things, said there was a powerful Jewish Lobby that intimidates people. Therefore, the Jewish organizations ought to get together to put the kibosh on the nomination. n nMy friend Harvey the rabbit thinks that makes perfect sense.
Piss off. No one cares what you think. You've been outed as a Jew hater.
Harvey does huh? Sheesh, Grumpy, that calls for another drink. Heck, make it a double. And Grumpy ole boy, don't forget to take out your teeth and put them in the glass before you pass out.
you realize this isn't even a riposte. n nTry it this way. n n"Harvey the Rabbit said that GrOM is a prostitute beater and congenital mongoloid with a psychopathic aversion to allowing Imaginary Rabbits from exercising their rights of free speech and exposing his thin-skilled history of social extortion and chiseling street hookers out of their ten bucks. n nTherefore GrOM should get together to put the kibosh on Harvey the Rabbit's nomination." n ncapiche? n nYes people do actually oppose folks who defame them. n nShocka! n nEven your imaginary rabbit friend can't abide your half-wit.
he only appears to be a rabbit
if Tobin was not as low and dishonest as he's routinely been, he might try providing some actual evidence for his bullspit claim that Hagel said that n n" the U.S. State Department was being run by the Israeli Foreign Ministry. " n nbut we all know that Tobin is lying and that he has not anything with which to back up his lie other than hearsay.
Are you constitutionally incapable of making a simple comment absent personal insult, Idubinsky? I don't recall a single civil comment following your name. Leaves me scratching my head and wondering what your private life must be like.
I'm pretty amiable and mild-mannered most of the time, but react strongly to lies, ignorance, shoddy argumentation, and fanaticism from the right or left. n n n
Like a nice game of pinochle?
used to love the game. played it with my father and grandfather and their friends while a kid summering around Loch Sheldrake nalso used to play a game (and I haven't the faintest idea of how really to spell it) called klabiash. n n n n
In Arnold Rothstein's day there were Jewish gambling houses in NYC called "shtuss parlors." Shtuss was a variation of faro. Rothstein–friend of Damon Runyon, mentor to Lucky Luciano, Meyer Lansky and other underworld notables and arguably the first modern American gangster–started his career with shtuss parlors.
Hagel has already confirmed he has made these statements in the past, but he likes Jews now , and Iran not so much anymore. LOL!!! Head over to the stormfront website Idubinsky- I understand your IQ of about 60 will allow you to be feted as the leading intellect over there.
I really don't require travel instruction from a mentally unbalanced person, jeffy. stick to catching and consuming flung feces
tsk tsk n nwash your potty mouth with strong soap
Too bad all those Jewish groups don't have one full set of cojones between them.
By openly bashing the "Jewish Lobby", Hagel has intimidated them into silence. They are now afraid to be involved in partisan politics. And the simple fact is that Jewish Democrats are all pro-Palestinian, because their voters are. Even in Israel, there are lots of libs who are pro-Palestinian, but the immediate danger prevents them from being a majority. That isn't true here. Obama got 80% of the Jewish vote in 2008, and last year it was more like 70%. After 4 years, they surely know which side he is on, and they voted for him anyway. So are they going to stop a nominee who believes as Obama does? Not a chance.
Yes, the ADL is run for its head guy's benefit (Abe Foxman) and not for the Jewish community at large. The number one agenda item has always been to raise funds and stay in existence, and pay for your expensive trips and condos and vacations in Palm Beach. It was that way during the Epstein/Forster era. As long as he can keep the money machine going, Abe can maintain his apparatus of regional "offices" and the press release factory that is now the ADL. He must cater to the current generation of donors, and they tend to be more of the New Politics bent than the traditional liberalism of the New Deal Democrats. He's afraid to say too much, because his donorship and lay "leadership" is in bed with the Obama Democratic Party. They are delusional and can't really believe that Hagel will be dangerous to Israel because they are in denial. It would just be better if most American "Jews" (really post-Jews) continued to assimilate and disappear. They are useless and will undermine Israel's survival if they continue to support Obama, Hillary and their ilk. That cretin Carl Levin probably has more Arab constituents than Jewish ones, so he now caters to them. He's a typical political whore without principles, the same with Cardin, Boxer (a true dimwit), Feinstein (a fake Jew) and Schumer (slimy opportunistic snake).
So, I guess Cardin is succeeding to the chairmanship of the Foreign Relations Committee (did I read that correctly)?. Harry knows how to keep his Democrats in line. The Committee chairmanship would be quite a prize. n n(By the way, in the '70's, I lived in San Francisco, was often called up to do all kinds of volunteer work for Democratic races, and probably did do volunteer work for Feinstein. I don't remember, but she was a local pol at the time. i did do some work for Joe Alioto, I recall, but it is conceivable that one of Feinstein's races was one for which I was called on to assist. Just low level work, stuffing envelopes, handing out flyers, etc. but I did it. So nobody can accuse me of just being a partisan. I'm a very unhappy registered Democrat and paid my Democratic dues, and wonder what's happened to my once proud and wonderful party.) n nI think all these Jewish Democrats are scared and don't want to appear too "Jewish" or too "pro-Israel." Keep the distance, I guess. The thinking might go: fine if the righteous Gentiles in the Republican Party do the right thing. I just wish one or two non-Jewish Democrats would break and do the right thing….and let's hope Lindsay Graham and John McCain don't switch. n nInteresting how the Jewish organizations, etc. are silent. Maybe the Israelis aren't too worried. Hagel is such a nincompoop apparently, that they think if they can manage the Obama relationship adding Hagel to the mix couldn't possibly make it worse. Just a theory. n nThe overall damage will be the reining in of American power and consigning the world stage to the rogues and the scoundrels. Obama is already doing that, Hagel's just a useful tool.
It is clear what side Obama is on and that is Israel's side. He has always been pro-Israel. Relations with Israel are good, and military cooperation is at a high level. Now the President is a moderately left of center Democrat, and PM Netanyahu is a far right conservative, so they are never going to be buddies, but that does not change the fact that the President is pro-Israel. Does the President sometime disagree with Israeli policy, yes. Hey, I've been to Israel a dozen times and I often disagree with israeil government policy.
regarding n n nNow the President is a moderately left of center Democrat, and PM Netanyahu is a far right conservative, n nhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah
So Jewish groups supporting another nation on the other side of the world should exert influence and kill the nomination of a man who said that Jewish groups who support another nation on the other side of the world exert undue influence on the United States government. n nHagel would put America first, that should be good enough for any American.
Hagel tells Arab Americans who support Arab and Islamic nations on the other side of the globe that America has to let Iran dictate America's policies in the MIddle East because Iran is a rising power and there is nothing that America can do about that. If Iran wants nukes America wants Iran to have nukes because Iran is setting the pace. n nThen he receives money for telling Arabs who support Arab and Islamic nations on the other side of the globe that America has to support Arab and Islamic nations on the other side of the globe. n nThat's what you call putting America first. n nYou see anti-Semites support other nations on the other side of the globe, accept money from other nations on the other side of the globe, get paid by the supporters on the other side of the globe, and then complain about the Jews undue influence.
Hagel agreeing that America is the worlds bully is your idea of putting America first? n n
Actually, most of the opposition comes from Christian Republicans who realize that Israel's interests are in perfect alignment with American's. It's the Democrats (along with their boy Hagel) who don't realize that, and don't realize that America has interests, including opposition to Islamic extremism and rogue states like North Korea and China.
Jewish organizations exist to collect contributions and give their high donors "humanitarian awards." They simply no longer do what they once did–defend Jewish interests and Israel. Even worse, they have become, in effect, Democ-rat party clubs. Oh, they'll take money from Jewish Republicans, but after the check clears Jewish Republicans are frozen out when it comes to policy choices. n nIn 1987 Jewish organizations, especially Hadassah, weighed in heavily on the confirmation of Robert Bork to be a Supreme Court Justice (they were against it). The issues in that controversy had NOTHING to do with Jewish interests or positions. Indeed, as a young attorney Bork had organized a revolt of junior associates in his old line law firm which ended the "Jewish quota" in hiring and promotions to partnership. Yet this meant nothing to Jewish organization next to Bork's views on the constitutionality of court decisions on abortion. n n
"Jewish organizations exist to collect contributions and give their high donors "humanitarian awards." They simply no longer do what they once did–defend Jewish interests and Israel. Even worse, they have become, in effect, Democ-rat party clubs. Oh, they'll take money from Jewish Republicans, but after the check clears Jewish Republicans are frozen out when it comes to policy choices. " n nHave you got it right! Exactly what I said above about Foxman and the ADL. Wouldn't surprise me if they would name Hagel as their "Humanitarian of the Year and hold a big dinner for him to raise money to keep Abe in first-class seats and expensive suites for another year. I can see, it $1000 a chair (or $7.5K a table) for CAIR, Arab-American Anti-Discrimination Committee, etc., etc. n nAnother year of using the press release machine to swipe at Pamela Geller and the other grassroots bloggers who expose the jihadist honor murderers, torturers, and terrorists, who do, perhaps in a strident tone too much for the ADL to bear, what the ADL and like organizations should be doing. n nThe ADL problem started back around '77 or so, when the Labor Party first lost power. The ADL had a very comfortable relationship with the longstanding Labor Party leadership. As basically New Deal Democratic Party libreals, they were in culture shock from facing a country led by Revisionist Zionists with a power base of non-European Jews. n nThe American Jewish Community is fragmenting, and perhaps in its earliest death rattle. I didn't pay much attention for a long time, then a few years ago that B'nai B'rith had splintered into almost a half dozen organizations I guess: ADL, BB, BBW, Hillel, etc. The largest grassroots organization was no more. The remaining base of the B'nai B'rith is a shrinking group of middle-class altacockers (at least they have no problem with israel, unlike the younger generation). AJC spins off Commentary, it's proudest achievement. Its old German-Jewish base is no more. If you can find any German Jews anymore they're Episcopalians owning newspapers. n nThank God the Israelis themselves are a productive, tenacious, ingenious, and vibrant people without all the neuroses of Diaspora Jews and will be able to keep growing and put up a good fight against those who seek to destroy it.
Here we have issues that directly affect Jews in the United States and the world. An open anti-Semite is being proposed for the second most important cabinet post and Jewish organizations are silent because of fear of offending their Democ-rat donors of Jewish origin and the misleadership of these organizations reflects the views of these Democ-rats. These organizations are a total waste and should dissolve! As Oliver Cromwell put it to the Long Parliament, they "have stayed around too long for any good that they have done."
I wish they would dissove. The one organization that seemed to have some promise was the grassroots ZStreet, but their application for tax-exempt status has been bottled up for years in the IRS and the Courts. n nI don't think it's any accident it's bottled up in the same court that unjustly sentenced Pollard to a life sentence. (though a different judge.)
The majority of American Jews are truly pathetic. It takes a few courageous gentiles to stand up to this monstrous appointment. Are these gentiles also to be called Israel firsters? What a crock!
How Dare Ted Cruz? nJewish Groups Must End Silence on Hagel nInterest in Hagel Speeches Isn’t Racist nGOP Must Hang Tough on Hagel nIs a Hagel Filibuster Still Possible? nThese are today’s Israeli hymn mantras to put Hegel’s votes to death. Republican Frugals gonna walk out this after to deliberately celebrate President’s (Jack Daniel’s) Day and most-importantly a toss for Death-to-Hagel as their Zionists masters in Tel Aviv told them to March away. Merkley’s filibuster requires 60 votes for Hagel to be confirmed. Harry Reid’s Cloture was 58-40. Remember the Senate is only 100. It means Hagel most get the Warring Industries kidnap Louisiana’s David Vitter dog to extort him to vote in favor or Obama use the Executive Branch to veto the filibuster and buy real Dante Alighieri hat for Antonin Scalia in order let Hagel go to Brussels and chair NATO summit this week. It’s a walking Circus. n
where are the six pointed stars? that's pretty much the only thing worth reading in your Tom Sawyer joins Hiterjugend and translates Bonner soap wrappings into Anglo Saxon Deutschegrams and they're gone. n n??
Cry Auschwitz Dachau Birkenau n
sorry if my dica-ing around poked a sore point. n nI posted a link to the entire speech…..and would like to point out that while I freakin loathe the Iranian theocratic dictatorship, in 2007 it was indeed a regional power and was on the ascendant, in no small part because of our own missteps and failure to either confront them or even to engage with them. n nHagel might well be incorrect as to whether Iran will be powerful in the next couple of decades, but if they're not it's the work of the Obama admin that has set them back and may lead the way in breaking them down. n nWhile the hysteria about Obama's nomination of Hagel continues, try to focus a bit on who has them on the defensive.
besht — some"supporter's" interpretation and claims are not of much value when Hagel's text is also available and does NOT say what the supporter claimed. n nI call out Tobin for pretending that he doesn't know better than to take the word of some person and he doesn't know from a hole in the wall and claim that the interpretation is proof of Hagel's words while ignoring the actual words spoken by Hagel. n n nIf you wish to chide me for being certain that Tobin knows better, then I understand and accept the criticism. n n———- nbut I do recall when I was in the audience when Ben Gurion spoke saying that he accepted partition and urged that we all make great efforts to accept that the Arabs should be our neighbors and that we should accept their influence in the area. n n nListening to his words, I remember writing down that what he was saying was that we should spare no effort in to kill the Arabs and drive the survivors far far away because the Arabs were ignorant and inferior. n n n n…….. perhaps you and even Mr Tobin would understand that while I was a great supporter of Ben -Gurion, I might not have correctly understood him and that quoting my notes might not prove that the old man meant to start a slaughter.
Hagel ain’t neither appeas’n nor apologiz’n to Zionists control’n within-the-beltway to get confirmed. Israelifirsters foolishly sporting Hagel christening is a game that keeps ‘em on headlines though deep-down they know that they are digging their own graves in the Donuthole. REPUBLICANS WILL REGRET THIS. In order to let lummy Hagel go to Brussels and chair NATO summit this week. Hagel most get Flummox Warring Industries interested in his appointment to go and gonoph Louisiana’s David Vitter Dachshund as hostage to extort him to come outta hiding and vote IN-FAVOR on the rampage or get Obama use the Gorm vulgar substitute for (God) damn Executive Branch to VETO the filibuster and buy REAL Dante Alighieri hat for Antonin Scalia. nHere’s today’s Israeli hymn mantras to put Hegel’s votes to death. nu2721How Dare Ted Cruz? nu2721Jewish Groups Must End Silence on Hagel. nu2721Interest in Hagel Speeches Isn’t Racist. nu2721GOP Must Hang Tough on Hagel. nu2721Is a Hagel Filibuster Still Possible? nRed-Tapeworm Republican Frugals gonna frogmarch outta Capitol hill deliberately to celebrate President’s (Jack Daniel’s) Day and most-importantly a toss-for-Death-to-Hagel as their Zionists masters in Tel Aviv ordered them to do so. Sawbones Merkley’s filibuster requires 60 votes for Hagel to be confirmed. Harry Reid’s whiz-bang Cloture was 58-40. Remember the Senate is only 100. It means Hagel most get the Warring Industries in his appointment to kidnap Louisiana’s David Vitter dog to extort him to show up and vote in favor for him or ask Obama to use the Executive Branch to VETO the filibuster and buy REAL Dante Alighieri hat for Antonin Scalia in order let Hagel go to Brussels and chair NATO summit this week. It’s a walking Circus devil-may-care. n
The Jews controlling the SD is a typical "Arabist" attempt to enrage those who know nothing about politics, disinformation and propaganda and the alliance of the oil countries with leaders in the Dem and Rep parties and the US oil industry. While blaming on the Jews everything that go wrong they fill their pockets with mega box.
thanks, charleston. . little wonder that I can't spell it. grandma's family were from Romania and she pronounced it " club-yash " although she rarely played