Ed Koch changes his mind about Obama and Israel

[oberliner]

When Ed Koch endorsed the Republican in New York’s ninth Congressional district a few weeks ago, leading to a surprise victory for the GOP in a heavily Jewish district, many proclaimed that a certain type of Jewish swing voter looked to be deserting Obama. After all, Koch had specifically cited Obama’s alleged “open hostility to the State of Israel” as a reason to endorse the Republican.

But that was then. Koch has now come out and endorsed Obama, specifically citing Obama’s cooperation with the Israeli military as a key reason:

The President should be praised for intervening with the Egyptian army to save the Israeli diplomatic personnel from physical assault and providing the Israeli military with bunker buster bombs, advanced military technology and providing military intelligence cooperation far exceeding his predecessors. I’m now on board the Obama Reelection Express.

As Ben Smith noted: “Perhaps the Jews-against-Obama storyline has hit its high-water mark.”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/post/ed-koch-changes-his-mind-about-obama-and-israel/2011/03/03/gIQA2S951K_blog.html

[DesertFlower]

1. ed koch endorsed george bush because

he said the country had swung too far to the left under clinton. WTF?

[oberliner]

2. Actually he endorsed Bill Bradley in 2000

Anyone remember that campaign? Whatever happened to him?

[Douglas Carpenter]

3. actually Koch endorsed Bush in 2004 because of the "war on terror"

On Sept. 12 on Fox News’ “Hannity & Colmes,” on a segment on 9/11, Koch said, “I think been terrific. And I have never voted in the past for a Republican president…. But I am voting for George Bush this time around. And I will tell you why. He has created what is now known as the Bush Doctrine, equal to the Monroe Doctrine. And what is the Bush Doctrine? That we will go after the terrorists and the countries that harbor them. And he’s kept his commitment, unlike anybody else in the world. And certainly unlike any of the nine or so Democratic candidates for president. And the worst one is Howard Dean. I mean, that’s McGovern II.”


In an interview with The Villager last week, Koch elaborated on why he’s endorsing Bush. Again, Koch stressed it’s because of the so-called Bush Doctrine — that the U.S. has the right to proactively attack any country perceived to be a threat.

“We have gone after two of them, Afghanistan and Iraq, so he means what he says,” said Koch. “I can’t imagine a Democrat doing that.”

http://www.thevillager.com/villager_22/whatshedoin.html

[oberliner]

4. And it was Obama who actually followed through on it

With respect to this comment:

"That we will go after the terrorists and the countries that harbor them."

Obama certainly stayed true to that principle.