Gilad Shalit

We can't give up hoping for the best for Staff Sergeant Gilad Shalit, IDF soldier being held by Hamas terrorists for the past four years today. John McCain was held for five and a half years by the North Vietnamese and survived. When he returned to the states he became a senator and then even ran for President of the USA. Such a good outcome should only happen to Gilad.

Hamas still will not let Gilad see the International Red Cross or his family while in captivity. They're afraid a visit would give away the location where he is being kept. Gilad was only 19 when he was captured after being injured by the terrorists, who had killed two other soldiers in a surprise attack. He has never been allowed medical attention. It's interesting to note that Fatah (Abba's party who now resides in Judea and Samaria (West Bank) was in charge of Gaza at the time Gilad was taken as a POW.

Besides taking or killing soldiers, Hamas has arrested and kidnapped journalists. No one is safe with Hamas in this seat of power.

Reference: The Israel Project: http://www.theisraelproject.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=hsJPK0PIJpH&b=3587015&ct=8452565&notoc=1&tr=y&auid=6545042
Fox News: Glen Beck Program-bottom on tickertape 2:55pm PST.

Alan Dershowitz's Answer to Presidential Pick

Alan Dershowitz, my favorite lawyer and author of "The Case For Israel" in which he has done an outstanding job of defending Israel's right to exist, is juggling reasons in promoting Obama as president.

He feels that we should elect a liberal president who strongly supports Israel because the worry is that "radical academics" on university campuses are trying to present Israel as the darling of the right and an anathema to the left. I feel that Noam Chomsky and Norman Finkelstein are good examples of this. It is true that Arab organizations on campuses are very forceful and outnumber Jewish students on many campuses. They are speaking out against Israel. I took a class in Middle -East History here in Portland several years ago, and the textbook we were using was written in an Arab country. I had to disagree with many parts of it.

My worry is: does Obama strongly support Israel as he says he does. One can only hope and pray. The fact that he has been associated and surrounded by academics and politicians and religious people who do not bothers me. Actions speak louder than words. When I heard that Obama spoke so eloquently at an AIPAC meeting about Jerusalem and that it must remain undivided, I had high hopes, but less than 24 hours later, after being confronted by a Palestinian, he changed his statement to having used the wrong words. Really! He mumbled that he meant that it wouldn't be divided by barbed wire!

On the other hand, it took untold beatings and breaking of bones to get McCain to say anything that his enemies wanted to hear. He, being the most stubborn man, could not be made to weaken until his life was more than ready to part from this world in the five and a half years he spent as a prisoner during Viet Nam. McCain has been a friend of Israel for many years and has supported pro-Israel votes in Congress. He is a defender of Israel to have the right to defend itself.

I've seen in this election period that words are cheap. Candidates say anything in order to get elected. I don't think the very young have learned that fact, yet. In a very short time we will learn what course will be taken on the subject of Israel. We should have learned long ago in history that appeasement never works. I see that Israel was not even a subject listed by the Oregonian this morning in showing the differences between our two candidates of McCain and Obama.

I only hope that Dershowitz is right about Obama this time in that he will continue the American support of an Israel, and not have Israel to be a part of his "Change". I hope he is not going to be as wrong as Greenspan has been about the state of our economy and say that he didn't see it coming.

Resource: The Jerusalem Post: Joel Pollak's McCain and Obama: compare records, not rhetoric
http://support.tjci.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=5445&JServSessionIdr--1=0s5

The Debate Dance Over Education: Obama and McCain

Education Got My Goat

Nadene Goldfoot
I watched the debate tonight between Obama and McCain, the last chance for them to speak before the public and share their differing views before we vote, and I'm frustrated with both of them over their inept background about education.

I've been a teacher in the school system in the states for over 22 years, mainly teaching in Oregon, but I've taught in Idaho, Alaska and Israel as well. Your students are like cards you are dealt in a card game. You don't always get a good hand. Today you receive children that have either both parents working or are children of a working mother. Very few have the benefit of a loving mother at home seeing to all their needs, including education. As the children get older, they seem to have less respect for teachers and are harder to handle. Learning for many is not their goal at school; social connections are more important. Unless they know their parent's feelings about their education and what is expected of them, and what is not acceptable as far as their behavior goes, they are just attending aimlessly.

I've never known any of my peers that haven't given 100% of their abilities to be an excellent teacher. It's a matter of pride. We helped each other to improve. We have wanted our students to do as well as possible. We haven't been of the same ilk as some teachers I remember in high school who simply wrote something on the board for us to copy and then scooted out of the room. I had excellent elementary school teachers and sought for excellence, also. I'm not for any special monetary rewards for some teachers. It's up to a good principal to weed out poor teachers, and they have a chance to do that in the teacher's first 3 years. Experience and education should remain the reason for upgrades in pay, such as our system is working under now. So, gentlemen; take heed.

I get so mad hearing both McCain and Obama saying things like they would get people in to teach that don't have to bother with certification to teach! That is so ridiculous! In fact, I've seen people at very high levels in their field not being able to get across one fact in a school setting! Teaching is part acting, part entertaining, part being a policeman and part being a person full of all sorts of information. McCain would get soldiers into the classroom to teach after their service, without any training. Sorry, but that simply is a waste of our money. I believe I heard Obama say he wasn't very popular with the educators, and I have to agree with them.

The one thing I liked that Obama mentioned was that parents had to take on responsiblity to improve their children's education. I wondered at the time how he would put that across. It hasn't been working so far, unless there's a substantial reward system in the works that I don't know about, as he didn't elaborate on that. It should be a given that families that excell in reading and learning in the home would produce like children. What do we do about families that never read a thing, that spend their time with 6 packs as their intellectual outlet?

I taught in Alaska in a very posh neighborhood, where parents had quite a social life. They couldn't manage to always be on time in the morning to help their children get ready for school, being they were partying the night before, so I wound up combing little girls' hair to help them feel presentable. Neglected children aren't always in the poorest schools. These children were equally neglected, and almost for the very same reasons. In Oregon I taught children who also had a parent or two who imbibed too much. Their breakfast consisted of a coke, a bottle, that is. Often we had a police car at our school for reasons I never learned, but someone was in trouble.

Times had changed from when I was a little girl with a mother at home full time only worrying about cleaning the house and putting meals on the table. She joined the PTA and was there for all the meetings, and that became a social outlet for her. Besides that, she became a Brownie leader, so there she was in my school again, keeping an eye on me as well. She and my teachers talked to each other, and both knew what was going on.

So, Barak, you have said a mouthful with getting parents involved. I wish you well and wonder how it can be done. Perhaps children who receive a GPA in Elementary School can be rewarded somehow with points towards a scholarship for college. It would have to be tangible. Perhaps good GPA's could receive a morning at a movie theater as a reward; something the children would like, or a time at the roller rinks or ice rinks.

Other than education, I didn't go bananas over anything else that was debated. Each person had his turn to perform his dance, and it did seem to go better than previously. They seem to be informed about other issues quite well. The question remains if all of the voters have done their homework on the issues.

Reference October 15, 2008 Debate: Obama and McCain 6pm. TV

Choosing a President of the USA:

Nadene Goldfoot
It's too bad that we can't go back to the days of having a prophet select the next king, like David was selected. Somehow, a prophet knew what to look for. Perhaps it was how David treated his sheep. Something like G-d guided the selection.

Nowdays, the contenders have to have lots of money behind them to run a campaign. They wouldn't get away with coming from a log cabin and going through the agony of walking miles to a school.

We are faced today with two flawed candidates who have decided to fling mud at each other like schoolchildren and who are vying to see who can tell the best lies about each other. Obama has been treated like the coming savior of the world, and has had the bad fortune to somehow be associated with such shocking people as his pastor who hates America, Alinsky's books ( a radical socialist) which helped to prepare him to do a job of community organizing, and now William Ayers who not only invited him to use his living room for a "Meet the Candidate", but is reported to have been the one who handed Obama money that was to be used for some sort of shady education to be spread among the poor students of Chicago, and it wasn't used for reading or math. Evidently there's more of a connection between the two men than just neighbors. They both were professors at the same university, so did have a chance to tip their hat to each other and exchange views possibly in teacher's meetings. Neither Obama or Ayers will say anything about it, which doesn't help to clear up matters. Ayers had an extremely vile past, being a Weatherman who spent his time trying to bomb important places in America. He escaped being in prison on a technicality, and is now acting like a good person except on 9/11 when he stated that he had participated in bombing and wasn't sorry, or some such thing. It seems that Obama's male friends have been questionable and on the radical side. The one good choice he has made is his wife, Michelle and Joe Biden. Obama is very liberal and wants to tax the rich big time and give the money to the poor, like Robin Hood. The rich are not in favor of this idea at all and say it will halt business growth. Not only is he extremely liberal with ideas and money, but he's only been a senator for only two years, and is younger than my own son, so many feel that they don't know him or trust him. Yet he's such a great orator that he has the majority in his pocket at this point. He's cool and collected and very well educated.

McCain's claim to fame is that he was a poor student in the academy and on the wild side like his father, an Admiral in the Navy. His grandfather was also an admiral. We could hope that genetics would play a role in his ability to lead, if not his grades. He was in prison enduring pain for many years while serving his country. I'm not surpised that he went a little wild when he got out, divorcing his wife and marrying a much younger and richer woman. At this point his life is like some movie I've seen. Everyone is worrying about McCain dying while in office. He's two years younger than me, and two years ago I felt quite well. If he survives this campaign, I think he has a good chance to make it through the next four years. It'll take stamina to continue this pace for another month. That's because he made a radical move of selecting Sarah Palin for the Vice position. She's an ex beauty contender, and a maverick like himself. At a time when Obama refused to pick Hillary for a running mate, it was a slick move on McCain's part to choose this young and pretty governor who is the epitamy of the liberated woman who works while having a huge family of five children, too. The problem is that she's kind of hokey in a countrified way, and doesn't seem to know as much as Joe Biden. Women are up in arms with the dreaded thought that she could become president. I don't know. Harry Truman was just a hat salesman, and he turned out to be a great president with great values, like "The Buck Stops Here." She has values, too, but they're not popular ones, like, she's against abortions. That's very unpopular with many. McCain has been in the senate for years and years, so he's old and experienced, but a Republican, a maverick Republican. He doesn't go along with his party on everything, and since the Republicans got us in quite a mess with the Iraq War, and are being blamed for the recession we seem to be in right now, McCain is up against all of this. I've heard that he has never taken any entitlements while Obama has gone silly with them, so he's very careful with money. I've heard that our recession started with Clinton signing off some restrictions on our money, but each are blaming the other for the pickle we're in.

This is a fight, and both are stooping to lying about the other. It's tragic. There should be a referee in the middle at all times to declare what is truth and what is fiction. People's decisions are being formed by a press who already knew who they wanted, and TV stations who also form thoughts in people's minds. We have mostly very liberal stations, except Fox News which is the anathama of a station you wouldn't turn on, as they're Republican. Little do most know that Fox airs both sides and tries to be very fair, but when people refuse to learn both sides, they'll never know this. They're one station against many. Luckily, we have a few brave radio stations that air that other side as well, so people like me can get both sides and hear what they are saying and doing.

We're supposed to have free reign on our decisions, a freedom of choice. On the other hand, G-d is said to already know our decisions even before we do. I hope next month that we make the right decisions for our land of the free and home of the brave, and for little Israel, also land of the free and home of the brave. I hope Israel will also be guided to another president who knows what is best for its people. We could all use a prophet to make the selection for us. This is getting ridiculous.

Resource: Fox News, CNN, MSNBC, http://www.votesmart.org/voting_category.php?can_id=9490&type=category&category=1
http://sayanythingblog.com/;entry/obama-had-a-pattern-of-contacts-with-weathermen-te..

Both Support Israel: What Are Differences?

Yoram Ettinger has some important views on how McCain and Obama view Israel. Yoram is a former Deputy Ambassador to the USA from Israel. He's a Middle East and American Affairs expert.

Both McCain and Obama support Israel and a Two-State Solution, but in opposing ways. There are arguments among the religious Jews against this idea of Palestine being created in Judea and Samaria "West Bank" and so much of Jerusalem, but it seems to be the only solution offered so far.

McCain feels the war is already in progress between Western democracy and Islamic terror. He says the US should lead the way against terror.He supports Israel's battle against terrorism. The root cause of the Arab-Israel conflict is not the size but the existence of Israel. McCain feels that terrorists are driven by ideology against our values and that they are a most lethal threat and must be demolished. From all evidence so far, his worldview is that an Israeli retreat would turn Israel from a deterring power to a "punching bag." Israel would no longer be able to secure itself and would then become a burden to society.

Obama, on the other hand, has different views, and is much more laid back. He feels the conflict is with a radical Islamic minority to be dealt with by diplomacy, foreign aid, cultural exchanges and less US soldiers around. He feels we need to adopt the Dept. of State bureaucracy. "This is Israel's staunchest critic in Washington." meaning Rice and her declarations. He intends to pacify the UN who is anti-Israel. Like Chamberlain, he wants peace at any price like Western Europe and will appease the 3rd World which blames the West and Israel for terrorism. Obama would turn terrorism over to international law enforcement agencies and bring terrorists to justice. Obama's concerns are much like Tony Blair. They both think that the Palestinian issue is the only cause of problems in the Middle East and need our involvement including exerting more pressure on Israel. He would eventually get back the 1949 ceasefire lines and repartition Jerusalem and look into the Return of Refugees for Palestinians regardless of a population that would overwhelm Israel.

Reference: The Jerusalem Connection International Obama, McCain and Israel http://support.tjci.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=5437&JservSessionIdr001=m86
My input.
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Articles/Article.aspx/7270 from Yoram Ettinger

Candidates Views on Israel-Palestinian Question

Our Sunday Oregonian newspaper has come out with the following views of our two candidates.

McCain

1. Supports two-state solution.

2.Encourages talks between Israel and Palestinian leaders.

3. Would provide military aid and aid to build schools, hospitals, road and power generation for moderates in Lebanon to counter Hezbollah.

4. Cut off weapons and equipment to Hezbollah in Gaza and Lebanon to isolate Hamas.

5. Press Saudi Arabia and other Arabs to help Palestinian Authority.

Record:

1. Backed US military aid to Israel

2. Israel's right to defend itself against attacks by Hezbollah in Lebanon in 2006 affirmed.

3. With 3/4 of US Senate signing June letter to Bush criticizing Saudi Arabia for small $62 million in 2007 for Palestinians. (This is part of UN plan to support Palestinians-I have an article about it already. Arabs pay less or nothing compared to USA.)

Obama:

1. Supports two-state solution: that results in secure Israel and Palestinians are a sovereign, democratic, economically viable state recognizing Israel's right to exist and in agreement not to strike with military and terrorism against Israel. (I like this very much. We might see it happen at the time of the Messiah. It's not going to be overnight. I agree with him in that there's no way it should happen until they can give and carry out these guarantees.)

2. White House would encourage peace talks with effort.

3. Would isolate Hamas until it agrees to recognize Israel's right to exist and renounces violence against Israel. (I think this is happening right now. They have said they refuse to do this.) I imagine that Obama means he would continue this goal, which is the same as Israel's.

4. Would press Arab nations to normalize relations with Israel. (That will be the day. So far, we just aren't fighting with Jordan and Egypt. We have tourists go to Egypt. We're not allowed in other Arab nations. Iran is preaching just the opposite. They want us all butchered.)

5. He would increase economic and humanitarian aid to Palestinians Authority which would be under Abbas.

Record:

1. Backed military aid to Israel.

2. Israel's defending self against attacks by Hezbollah from Lebanon in 2006 affirmed. (Same as McCain.)

3. Co-sponsored legislation now before Senate for USA states and cities wishing to divest themselves of interests in energy companies doing business with Iran. (This is very wishy-washy in my opinion. It's not coming down hard on Iran in a diplomatic way at all. To me it's a "fearful I'll put my big toe in the water to test it" way. He spoke earlier of having divestment against Iran. This is lukewarm, and no one will do it.)

4. Among 1/4 of Senators who did not sign the letter to Bush about the paltry sum given by Saudi Arabia to the Palestinians that others did. He wrote a letter of his own.

I like Obama's first goal very much. I'm happy to see that he realizes that until the Palestinians are willing neighbors, it shouldn't happen that they be rewarded with a state. He needs to get tougher about showing Iran that we think their goals to wipe out Israel are detestible. He's not even thinking of slapping their hands. It's more like a tch tch.

McCain is so specific in what he's plannning. Until Lebanon realizes that they could easily be peaceful neighbors with Israel, bribing them with material things may not do the trick. They'll take them with a wink, and then fire away. Palestinians in Gaza depend on Israel's power plant. They shoot the plant, then cry that they have no power. It's an upside down world. I'd hate to see us throw away money. McCain might be right. I'd feel better if he took a crash course in the mindset of the Middle-East.

As for giving more money to the Palestinians, yes, Saudi Arabia, the richest country, is doing the least. They may have a reason. The Palestinian Authority would possibly just turn around and buy weapons to use against Israel with the money. We see this happening a lot with what they have. I have an article about this in my blog, also. When are the Palestinians going to learn to take care of themselves? Are they developing other skills besides killing us or each other? When we left Gaza, we left greenhouses where we had business going. They destroyed them. Did they not want a business? A job? Nothing has replaced them. They're on the dole and that seems to suit them.

How about this? For everytime a rocket lands in Israel, money is deleted from the Palestinian check that the USA donates to them. Let's make it a goodly amount. Every time they do something positive, showing friendship, they'll receive a monetary reward, like stop using schoolbooks that are hateful towards Jews. You could get any elementary teacher from the states to keep tabs on this behavior. It works in schools.

Resource: Sunday Oregonian Newspaper, September 28, 2008 A10.

Obama Speaks Out Against Ahmadinejad's Anti-Semitic Statements

Nadene Goldfoot
Ahmadinejad of Iran spoke to the U.N. today, condemning Israel with the "Protocals of the Elders of Zion" type accusations heard in the early 1900's spread in Germany. He called Israel the "Zionist murderers" and said he would defend Iran's right to nuclear power.

Not too long agao he said Israel should be wiped off the map. Today he continued with the remark that "The Zionist regime is on the definite slope to collapse, and there is no way for it to get out of the cesspool created by itself and its supporters." Then he commented at length about Zionist control over international "financial and monetary centers," which is right out of the Protocals that were fraudulent and described a Jewish and Masonic plot to take over the world.

He doubted Israel's possibility of military action against Iran and said that Iran was big and strong, and has different ways of defending its interests and it is so powerful, that it will be able to stop any activities before guns are pointed at us.

The comments were swiftly denounced as anti-Semitic by Barack Obama, the Anti-Defamation League, the Simon Wiesenthal Center, and others. Good for Obama for being quick and doing so. I would imagine that our Jewish organization would speak out, and am pleased to hear that Obama also joined them in protest.

Obama also urged McCain to join him in calling for the states and private companies to divest from doing business with Iran. I certainly hope he can get the ball rolling and do so quickly. Others waste no time in having divestments against Israel without any cause.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080924/wl_nm/us_un_assembly_iran_ahmadinejad_intern...
http://thepage.time.com/obama-statement-on-ahmadinejads-un-remarks/

Sarah Palin and Israel

In 1996, I find that Sarah Palin was supporting of all people, Pat Buchanan, the most horrid anti-Israel person that I have found in American politics so far. She was actually at a fund-raiser for him when she was a mayor.

from factcheck.org:Palin never endorsed or supported Pat Buchanan for president. She once wore a Buchanan button as a "courtesy" when he visited Wasilla, but shortly afterward she was appointed to co-chair of the campaign of Steve Forbes in the state.

Since being selected by McCain to run for Vice President with him, she has immediately gone to an AIPAC meeting and has spoken to the members. She told our pro-Israel lobby that she would "work to expand and deepen the strategic partnership between U.S. and Israel." This was related by AIPAC's spokesman to the Wall Street Journal today.

Strangely, I believe that McCain feels that Palin will bring in Evangelicals who do back Israel whole-heartedly. McCain had had a break with this group, and then has become friendly with them again. I can only hope that Sarah doesn't agree with Buchanan's philosophy which is so detrimental towards Israel.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1017828.html
http://www.adl.org/special_reports/buchanan_own_words/buchanan_intro.asp

Democratic Presidential Candidate's Views On Israel

Nadene Goldfoot
Now that the candidates are speaking and people are voting, I am one of the 15% of Jews who consider what their views are about Israel. I think we are lucky to have such fantastic people in the running, but guess that some are more opinionated than others about Israel. I want the person who not only is the best for America, but also for Israel. We don’t need another holocaust there, and a good president will value the country and their lives.

First, I looked at Hillary Clinton, b: 26 Oct 1947 and Methodist. She is 60 years old and has been the senator from New York for 7 years. She graduated from Yale Law School. I quickly found that she has a marvelous website about her views and deeds involving Israel. Go to: http://clinton.senate.gov/issues/nationalsecurity/israel/. I found it by googling: Clinton, Israel,
and read about her accomplishments concerning Israel. She has even gone against her husband’s decision about Jerusalem being divided. It appears right now that she would not push to divide it. I was very impressed with the information on her website and feel that this shows she is a well organized person who values the votes of the less than 1% of the Jews of America. She isn’t all talk and promises; she’s a doer and has done well so far. She was in favor of moving the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. I'm all for that! On Haaretz's ratings, she received an overall score of 7.63, which was high. However, the memory of Hillary's kiss for Yasser Arafat's wife Suha in 1999, after she accused Israel of poisoning Palestinian women and children, is still fresh in the memory of many Jews.

Next, I looked at Barack Obama, who just won in South Carolina, and was endorsed by the Kennedy family. He is 46 years old, b: 4 Aug 1961 and member of United Church of Christ for past 20 years, and has been a senator from Illinois for 3 years, since Jan 4, 2005.
2/25/08 He has selected his foreign policy adviser. Sadly, it is a man who supports Walt and Mearsheimer's volume against the Israel Lobby. He is Zbigniew Brzezinski, Harvard Professor from Poland who became a citizen in 1958. He was a part of Carter's team, so it is not surprising that he is also holding anti-Israel feelings. This foreign Relations Advisor to Obama will probably have a lot of clout with him. I note that Alan Dershowitz has contributed to Hilary Clinton's campaign. Alan is a Harvard law professor, and Obama graduated from Harvard. I heard a news bulletin today that told about how he felt about Israel, and it wasn't that promising; in fact, it was scary. I need to see it in print. I note from below that promises or support in Israel's welfare is changing, as is usual for many politicians. For example, just look at past presidents.

He made a speech to AIPAC on March 2, 2007 and stated these issues:
1. He ensures a strong US -Israel partnership
2. He supports Israel's right to self defense
3. He wants to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons
4. He supports foreign assistance to Israel
5. He works towards two states living side by side in peace and security
6. He wants to help Palestinian families get the aid they need without suppporting terrorism
7. He wants to limit Hezbollah's influence in the region.
8. He supports US-Israel research and development
9. He wants to achieve energy independence.
In his speech he mentions that our job is to do more than lay out another road map; our job is to rebuild the road to real peace and lasting security throughout the region.

Ha'aretz Newspaper in Israel said that Obama sounds as strong as Clinton, as supportive as Bush and as friendly as Giuliani. He is pro-Israel. Period.

I could not find a website like Hillary’s, but have found some articles that are wary about his feelings about Israel. Ed Lasky has written several such articles. One thing he is concerned about is that Obama has only been a senator for two years, and has not done much to show how he feels in foreign policy. The problem I see is that Obama has been surrounded by friends that are not favorable towards Israel. Some troubling thoughts are things such as his name. He has a Muslim father. Though he was not raised by him, his mother did remarry another Muslim, and he had a smattering of Muslim education which is not favorable towards Jews , and it's been hard to find Muslims favorable towards Israel.

We all know that he is now a Christian, but the church he has been attending is the Trinity United church of Christ, and their Pastor Wright is a supporter of Louis Farrakhan. In 1984 Farrakhan and Wright traveled to visit Col. Muammar al-Gadaffi, who is a supporter of terror groups and archenemy of Israel and America. Wright has been a severe critic of Israel. His pastor and mentor, being a fan of Louis Farrakhan, who called Judaism either "a dirty religion" or "a gutter religion," depending on the reading of the audiotape, causes concern. Obama has publicly distanced himself from Wright now that he is in the presidential race. Another friend of Obama to worry about is a well-known Chicago activist for Palestinian causes, Ali Abunimah. He met Obama in May of 1998 at a community fundraiser where the late Edward Said was the speaker. Edward Said was a severe critic of Israel. Abunimah has written columns for the Chicago Tribune and has been critical of Israeli and US policy. I would classify Obama as an extreme leftist Democrat. He has worked with the poor in the states and may be identifying the Palestinians as the poor ill treated people who problems are all due to the mean Israelis. When asked about Israel’s wall that was constructed to save Israeli lives from terrorists, he said, "the creation of a wall dividing the two nations is yet another example of the neglect of this Administration in brokering peace." I note that Palestine is not yet a country or nation. The fence is saving the lives of many innocent civilians in Israel. Less than 5% is a wall; the rest is a fence.
3/16/08: Saturday's Oregonian article:Obama condemns pastor's words but won't quit church page A3. It amazes me that Obama has been attending this church for the past 20 years, yet claims that the pastor has never used such words as have been on TV the past few days villifying the USA and saying, "damn the USA" and He has always just preached the gospel, claims Obama.
Pastor Wright said that the United States invited the attacks by supporting Israel's treatment of Palestinians. This pastor is now retiring from his Chicago church. Obama has been busy denying. I can't help but wonder how much has influenced Obama and his wife's thinking after attending for 20 years. I heard his wife speak about how this is the first time she has been proud of America. It seems to me that she certainly was influenced by Wright's sermons if this is the first time, meaning that her husband is now running for president, that she is proud. This same church ha honored Louis Farrakhan with an award in Wright's name. Obama claims that his interest in the church is because of their work with the poor and homeless and those with HIV/AIDS. Obama says he strongly condems the statements. They make him feel uncomfortable.

If I were attending a synagogue that I did not agree with, it wouldn't even take me 6 months to change to another one. Why has he attended for 20 years? He and his wife, two super intelligent lawyers, had to learn at some point about how much of an agitator their pastor was and what he stood for politically. Nothing has been brought out that the Obamas tried to change him in any way.

What’s interesting is that the Republican, McCain, was just on television and spoke about how he knows how to have a fence between Mexico and the USA and all the things he would have on it to keep the Mexicans out. I don’t believe that Obama understands the value of such a fence at all. He doesn’t realize that in Israel, this fence or wall is saving lives. Obama now has the approval of billionaire George Soros who has tried to shake the American-Israel alliance by donating to Wesley Clark who is a severe critic of Israel, and has written an essay that is critical of the ties between America and Israel. Also approving Obama is ex President Jimmy Carter. In fact, some are calling him the next Jimmy Carter. Need I say more? That is the kiss of my vote not going towards Obama, I had felt before discovering the AIPAC speech. Now, I think I'll just say "present", and not yes or no. This is how Obama handled voting time in Illinois as a state senator many times. I know that everybody is speaking nicely and saying things we want to hear in order to win votes. What matters is: actions. On Haaretz's rating, he received an overall score of 4.88, which was the lowest score of all the candidates. He was weakest on his answer about if he would take military action to stop Iran's nuclear weapons plan. His highest was playing a role in the peace process and having an emotional tie to Israel. He talks about bringing change. I just hope that his change would not be to be against AIPAC , being it supports Israel but is chastized by Mearshimer and Walt and ex President Carter unfairly. He has never stated just what kind of change he would bring.
Edited 1/28/6:31pm. with positive information about Obama.

1/29/08 I keep finding more information on Obama, both good and bad. One of his inner circle friends is Robert Malley, a foreign policy critic of Israel. However, Obama just spoke to Jerusalem and Jewish reporters in a conference call from Florida at 12:00, just an hour ago. It it he states these views:

1. He opposes the return of all Palestinian refugees to homes they fled in Israel.
2. He says that Israel must remain a Jewish state. refugees should be resettled in a future Palestinian state.
3. Palestinians must set up a security force to make sure militants cannot attack Israel.
4. He is against talks with Hamas who control the Gaza Strip until it recognizes Israel's right to exist.
5. He wants diplomatic contacts between Iran and US, and believes in carrots and sticks.
Iran is Israel's biggest worry right now because Iran has vowed Israel's destruction, and the fear is that they might be developing nuclear arms. They say they only need energy.
4/5/08 Co chair for Obama's presidential campaign is General Merrill McPeak, resident of Lake Oswego, Oregon. He is against the Israel Lobby in the United States. He has spoken out against Israel's settlement policies in the Palestinian territories and U.S.'s lack of interference. He wants Israel to withdraw some of the settlements that are already there. This was voiced in 1976 in an article to Foreign Affairs Journal. He's also against the Christian Zionist movement's influence on US foreign policy in the Middle East. It appears that anyone that is supportive of Israel is someone he is against. There is an article about him in the Oregonian that came out on 3/27/08.

John Edwards is the former senator for North Carolina. He has said that Iran is a big threat to Israel and the Israeli people. When asked what the greatest threat to world peace was, he answered, "Israel would bomb Iran's nuclear facilites." This was not very positive in viewing Israel. He was strongest about viewing Israel as a stategic asset. His overall score was 6.25.


Edited 2/7/08 about Hillary and Obama
References: Hillary Clinton's website shown above
Thoughts on Israel: Ed Lasky on Barack Obama
American Thinker: Barack Obama and Israel by Ed Lasky
http://www.haaretz.comhasen/spages/832668.html
http://www.barackobama.com/2007/03/02/aipac_policy_forum.php
http://www.electronicintifada.net/v2/article6619.shtml
Obama'08 Israel Fact Sheet.pdf (35.6KB)
Obama speaks to Jewish voters on Israel: ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5giFJHDWVc
Suzanne Field: "John McCain as Judah Maccabee"
Oregonian Newspaper; March 27 and April 5, 2008