Dems: Aipac Needs To Mend Fences

[Left Coast Lynn]

As Democrats prepare to take control of Congress, they are quietly saying that the pro-Israel lobby needs to “do some work” to improve relations with their party.

Democratic sources said that on several occasions in recent months, they felt as if the American Israel Public Affairs Committee appeared to be siding with the Republicans. In addition, some Democratic operatives complain that Aipac should have done more to speak out against the Republican campaign to paint Democrats as unreliable when it comes to standing up for Israel’s security.

Aipac officials deny that the lobby has been leaning toward the Republicans, and its executive director and president issued a November 1 statement insisting that support in Congress for Israel would remain strong regardless of which party is in power. But some Democrats complained that the statement was released Wednesday afternoon, after Jewish newspapers had gone to press with their last issue before the elections...

http://www.forward.com/articles/dems-aipac-needs-to-mend-fences/

[jody]

1. IMO AIPAC is very skilled in currying favor with which ever political party is in power.

For example, Pelosi's Israel Connection, "Before a packed meeting of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee three years ago, U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) connected her political support for the Jewish state with her personal life. 'My daughter is Catholic. My son-in-law is Jewish,' she said. 'Last week I celebrated my birthday and my grandchildren -- ages 4 and 6 -- called to sing 'Happy Birthday.' And the surprise, the real gift, was that they sang it in Hebrew.'"

Number of Jewish lawmakers worldwide reaches record high
QUOTE
Tuesday's U.S. elections brought the number of Jewish parliamentarians worldwide to an all-time high, according to the International Council of Jewish Parliamentarians.

Following yesterday's results, the number of Jews in the Senate rose from 11 to 13 and in the House of Representatives from 26 to 30. However, the United States is still only in third place worldwide for the number of Jewish legislators, after Israel and Britain.
UNQUOTE

International Council of Jewish Parliamentarians, Steering Committee members
Representative Gary Ackerman, House of Representatives, United States (Democrat)
Representative Benjamin Cardin, House of Representatives, United States (Democrat)
Senator Norm Coleman, Senate, United States (Republican)
Representative Barney Frank, House of Representatives, United States (Democrat)
Representative Jerrold Nadler, House of Representatives, United States (Democrat)
Representative Debbie Wasserman Shultz, House of Representatives, United States (Democrat)
Representative Henry Waxman, House of Representatives, United States (Democrat)

[Lurking Dem]

2. "AIPAC is very skilled in currying favor with which ever political party is in power."

Isn't that the job of a PAC?

[jody]

3. Obviously you agree with me that AIPAC is very successful in using both parties. One difference is

that AIPAC represents a foreign government whereas most PACS represents groups indigenous to the United States.

Would you approve a PAC to represent al-Qaeda or perhaps PACs to represent Palestinians or Iran?

[Lurking Dem]

4. So that big todo over the Justice Department's

database of foreign lobbiests was about what?

You think it is only AIPAC?

Did you know that APIPAC (American Petroleum Institute) spent 4 times the annual budget of AIPAC to defeat one single proposition in California? Do you think foreign interests weren't served by that?

[jody]

5. The OP was about AIPAC, not APIPAC. Do you represent AIPAC? n/t

[Lurking Dem]

8. LOL

[leesa]

6. Kick AIPAC out as much as possible. They have far too much control

Limit their lobbying power drastically. Especially until their spying investigation and trial is completed.

[wholetruth00]

7. How about a rule that there can be no money taken from foreign nation PACS

What a friggin conflict of interest to take money from a PAC whose sole purpose is to ensure that this government develops a foreign policy largely to support that PAC's foreign country unconditionally to the detriment of our own best interests.

[Name removed]

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