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October 20, 2008
Obama Campaign Against Free Speech in the Jewish Community
The Obama campaign is using every tool at its disposal to ban the Republican Jewish Coalition from speaking to the public. My friend Omri Ceren of Mere Rhetoric has posted an extensively researched and meticulously cited expose on how this tactic is part and parcel of the Obama campaign's attack on dissent and free speech.
Obama shill Mel Levine has never been shy about throwing around his AIPAC credentials. That's a good strategy given how his pro-Obama arguments are mindbogglingly stupid, but it does beg a question: given how the Obama campaign is on the attack against AIPAC, aren't Levine's credentials kind of a bad thing? Maybe someone should ask him about that. Not a Republican though, because they're not allowed:
What actually happened is that the Obama campaign demanded that the CIC [Council of Israeli Community in Los Angeles] ban Greenfield from the debate as a condition for their participation. They're doing the same thing all over the country: no preconditions for meeting Iran but thuggish demands before they'll sit down with American Jews. And they're getting really good at this game: have someone spend months organizing a non-partisan event, pull their people out right at the end, and then shriek about partisanship. The only thing left is for them to threaten legal action. Then it would be a perfect replay of how they detonated the anti-Ahmadinejad rally.
To read the complete article, please click here.
Meanwhile, the Democrats are busy trying to destroy Joe the Plumber. You see he had the chuitzpah to ask Obama a question.
Karen and I wish all our friends and relatives an inspiring Shemini Atzeret and a joyous Simchat Torah.
Posted by Robert J. Avrech at October 20, 2008 09:07 AM
Comments
Seraphic Secret is private property, that's right, it's an extension of our home, and as such, Karen and I have instituted two Seraphic Rules and we ask commentors to act respectfully.
1. No profanity.2. No Israel bashing. We debate, we discuss, we are respectful. You know what Israel bashing is. The world is full of it. Seraphic Secret is one of the few places in the world that will not tolerate this form of anti-Semitism. That's it. Break either of these rules and you will be banned.
Robert, the saddest part is that so many Jews DON"T SEEM TO CARE. I hear from people who have kids living in Israel, i.e. committed Jews, that Bush was bad for Israel, that Obama would be good for Israel. No debate, no listening about O's many anti-Israel advisors and supporters...the fingers are in their ears and over their eyes; "hear no evil, see no evil" is the order of the day. ar
I also hear the accusations against Palin, taken from the worst of the smear sites against her, from these same Jews...and they again do not want to hear any dissent. Or if asked to look at the evidence...videos of Obama saying one thing then another, or any of "advisors" who say hateful things about Israel...the response to me is "the Republicans manipulated everything", or "Palin loves Pat Buchanan", or any of the other standard smears. No evidence to the contrary, such as that Palin might be a huge SUPPORTER of Israel and not have an anti-Semitic bone in her body? THEY DON"T CARE. They just send me the latest slime-down from the odious Pravda substitute the NY Times.
I'm convinced we are just plainly either suicidal or willfully stupid. Why, I have been asking for a long time, and I remain without an answer.
I know my grandparents fled Russia to have freedom and build a life for their children and grandchildren here, and that is slipping away. My other grandparents died under the jackboot of the Nazis, only 64 years ago...and now we're at a time when most Jews are willing to blind themselves to the realities of the world and vote for a man who is inimical to freedom and to Israel.
Posted by: Maurice at October 20, 2008 11:47 AM
Bless you for your lovely and thoughtful blog. I have been lurking out here and had to write today. I love reading your blog and your writing about Ariel is touching and devastating. I am so sorry for your great loss.
I live in SoCal and attended one of these forums at the UCLA Hillel where Mel Levine debated Larry Greenfield. All Levine did is read from Obama's speeches and Larry Greenfield was brilliant. I belong to a reform congregation because my husband is not Jewish (never realized how important it would be to marry a Jew 20 years ago!) and most of the Jews there are blindly supporting Obama. It is true ignorance and it breaks my heart. I have been making calls for the Republican Party and I continue to pray. What else can I do?
Posted by: nora at October 20, 2008 01:28 PM
Maurice:
I believe that most Jews for Obama would vote for the Democrats even if Farrakhan were on the ticket.
Posted by: Robert J. Avrech ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.seraphicpress.com/nav-commenters.gif)
at October 20, 2008 02:54 PM
Nora:
Thanks so much for your kind and generous comment. Your words of nechama for Ariel ZT'L help more than you could ever know.
I think it's wonderful that you belong to a shul. To many Jews are without any affiliation whatsoever—outside of the Democratic party.
I also think it's wonderful that you volunteered time for McCain/Palin. Karen and I have been making donations.
Keep up the fine work and please do stay in touch.
Enjoy the last two Yom Tovim. Simchat Torah should be a blast.
Posted by: Robert J. Avrech at October 20, 2008 03:00 PM
That's the trouble with democracy, the voters.
re: the "liberal Democrats"
reminds me of what I overheard in high school, during the '60's:
"All of the non-conformists have green bookbags."
Posted by: Batya at October 22, 2008 02:44 PM
I am an RJC Leader, and I am outraged. I have witnessed these events firsthand, and blogged about it on my Republican Jewish blog. Omri's piece was excellent, and I hope mine is up to your standards.
My Jewish republican blog is the Tygrrrr Express.
www.tygrrrrexpress.com
If you feel it is of a high quality, please consider a link or blogroll exchange.
Also, I get a decent amount of traffic, in case you have anything
you would like to promote.
Respectfully,
eric aka the Tygrrrr Express
P.S. Happy Simchas Torah!
Posted by: eric at October 22, 2008 10:58 PM
"...Obama Campaign Against Free Speech in the Jewish Community..."
here's a great bumper sticker response, posted on Debbie Schlussel's site:
Posted by: exdemexlib at October 23, 2008 01:50 PM