Pro-Israel PAC Contribution recipients

[Dover]

http://www.wrmea.com/archives/june2003/0306036.html

Pro-Israel PAC Contributions to 2002 Congressional Candidates
While much of the attention during the 2002 congressional elections focused on House races, where pro-Israel PACs and individual contributors poured money into the campaigns of vulnerable incumbents Earl Hilliard (D-AL) and Cynthia McKinney (D-GA), resulting in both losing their primary elections to fellow African Americans who undoubtedly know on which side their bread is buttered, the lobby did not fare so well in the Senate. Unsuccessful in their re-election bids were favored incumbents Max Cleland and Jean Carnahan (and her late husband, Mel, who somehow managed to spend all but $3,000 of the $22,500 he received from pro-Israel PACs); New Hampshire Gov. Jeanne Shaheen lost to the dreaded Arab-American Rep. John Sununu; and Sen. Mary Landrieu had to survive a run-off in order to return to the Senate.

Perhaps the American Israel Public Affairs Committee and its trained Stealth PACs are not as invincible as they like to pretend.
—Janet McMahon
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Top Ten 2002, Career Recipients of Pro-Israel PAC Funds
House: Current Cycle

Berkley, Shelley (D-NV)
Davis, Artur (D-AL)
Majette, Denise (D-GA)
Gephardt, Richard (D-MO)
Cantor, Eric (R-VA)
Hastert, J Dennis (R-IL)
Levin, Sander (D-MI)
Maloney, James (D-CT)
Swett, Katrina (D-NH)
Engel, Eliot (D-NY)

House: Career

Gejdenson, Sam (D-CT)
Gephardt, Richard (D-MO)
Berkley, Shelley (D-NV)
Obey, David (D-WI)
Frost, Martin (D-TX)
Engel, Eliot (D-NY)
Levin, Sander (D-MI)
Lowey, Nita (D-NY)
Gilman, Benjamin (R-NY)
Evans, Lane (D-IL)

......MORE

[Dover]

1. From that same web site........."To Howard Dean"

To: Dr. Howard Dean

As members of the Democratic Wing of the Democratic Party, The Green Party, Progressives, Independents, and other parties interested in your candidacy, we would like to express our deep reservations regarding your stated positions on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Based on speeches and interviews given last year and early this year, you spoke often of the Israeli victims of terror, yet you failed to acknowledge the three-fold number of Palestinian civilians who have been killed by the Israeli Defense Forces, or the Israeli military's incursion and illegal occupation of large portions of the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem. These incendiary actions by the Israeli military have fueled much of the animosity in the region, and they must be acknowledged in any fair assessment of the situation. It is also important to recognize that the expropriation of land and settlement activities have been repeatedly condemned by the U.N. Security Council, and the United Nation's General Assembly has determined that Israel's occupation of the territories have "no legal basis".

Additionally, in an interview with The Forward earlier this year, you stated that your views are closer to AIPAC's (American Israel Public Affairs Committee) than APN's (Americans for Peace Now). We view AIPAC's positions as more hawkish and one-sided, resembling the vision of the neocons within the Bush administration; and APNs as multilateral, reaching out to all sides of the conflict. We understand that statements can be taken out of context and misread. Can you clarify this statement?

Lastly, you said in an interview with the Jerusalem Post that you support the $8 billion in loans recently given to Israel and would in fact increase the amount of annual aid from $3 billion to $4 billion . Consider the following facts:



1. Israel already receives close to 1/3 of all foreign aid--granted without any significant oversight on the part of the U.S.

2. The grant money alone is close to 20 times the amount going to the Palestinians to help them rebuild after years of demolition.
3. According to the Congressional Research Service (CRS) and the Washington Report for Middle Eastern Affairs (WRMEA), from 1949-2003 the U.S. has granted or extended in waived loans a total of $97.5 billion through 2003—which exceeds that given to all of the countries of South and Central America, sub-Saharan Africa, and the Caribbean combined with a total population of over 1.1 billion people.
4. With only 6.6 million people (smaller than El Salvador), the total U.S. taxpayer aid amounts to over $70,200 per Israeli household from 1974 to 2003.
5. Israelis have a longer life expectancy than Americans, and their per capita income is higher than African-Americans and Latino-Americans.
6. The Israeli military is already vastly superior to the militaries of all of its neighbors combined.
7. According to the World Bank, 70% of the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza are living on less than $2 per day and malnourishment and anemia among children in the territories are reaching catastrophic proportions due to rapidly declining economic conditions


Do you think this is a fair and equitable relationship?...>MORE

http://www.stop-us-military-aid-to-israel.net/deanpetition/

[lapauvre]

12. More than agree.

Amen. Amen. Amen. I am really tired of watching Palestinians throw rocks from the rubble of their communities, while being attacked by American armed, with tanks and weapons of mass destruction provided by the US to Israel. I am retired now, but I didn't really know how my tax dollars were being spent. I am sorry. I have nothing against jews, as there are many American jews who have acted on behalf of humanity in this country. I have utter disrespect for the behaviour of the Israeli government and the Israeli military. I am particularly distressed since those currently employed and paying tax dollars are funding such a regime.

[newyawker99]

30. Hi lapauvre!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[lapauvre]

18. Thank you, Dover.

Must be a republican site.  Republicans are really weird.

I did find it interesting, however, to hear during one of the
debates, that Clark is half Jewish, Dean is married to a
practicing Jew, Kerry's grandpa was Jewish, and Kucinich, who
is apparently single, is dating an orthodox Jew.

And Lieberman pointed out all except for Kucinich.  The most
liberal of the lot.
  
Considering the number of jews in this world and the number of
non-jews, it makes one wonder.

That is why I appreciate so much the American Jewish support
for democrats.  But, and this is a big But, I do not know how
to separate American Jewish Pacs from Israeli pacs.  I have
been called very often, on Pol chat, a pro-Palestinian.  No. 
I am a pro-human decency and respect for human life, and a
whole bunch of truth instead of all the crap I get on the
news.

[JohnKleeb]

19. I didnt know she was Orthodox Jew

That he is single Ive known that.

[Tinoire]

2. Totally discouraging.

Levin, Carl (D-MI) Career total: $657,887 2002: 93,029

Davis, Artur (D-AL) - 61,567

Majette, Denise (D-GA) - 52,000

Totally discouraging.

[jiacinto]

3. Jews are a major part of the Democratic Party

You honestly expect the Party to become pro-Palestinian? That's like expecting the GOP to become anti-NRA. It just isn't going to happen.

And shame on some people for not supporting the upstanding, good people of Israel.

[Dover]

6. And Palestinians aren't "good people"? Your own prejudice

is shameful. The Democratic Party is inclusive.

[jiacinto]

7. I never said the Palestinains were not "good"

You are putting words into my mouth.

[Dover]

9. It was implied in your last statement. Why don't you take a stab

at rewording it so it's less judgemental and more in keeping with your actual attitudes toward Palestinians then. I, for one, support a more balanced relationship with and support for both Israel AND the Palestinians.

[Julien Sorel]

10. I have no problem supporting the 'upstanding,

good people of Israel.' It's supporting the rest of them that makes me sick to the stomach. Shame on anyone who talks about a subject they obviously know next to nothing about, and cares less, as long as a key faction of a group they support is placated, and to blazes with morality.

[Tinoire]

11. Some people can only see either or with not a nuance in between

Shame on some people for not supporting peace and justice! For shame on rationalizing stolen elections such as Majette's and all this money to make sure out policiticians remain unfair and unbalanced when it comes to Middle East peace so that jets don't come flying into our buildings killing Americans! For shame.

[lapauvre]

29. I expect MY party and MY country to Protect!

Please do no misunderstand me. I support all the good upstanding, decent, fairminded, Jews in the world. However, their current government, like ours, is obviously overly arrogant and likely to cause far more harm than good by throwing their weight around.

And I value the life of an Israli as much as I do the life of a Palestinian or an American or any other life.

But, to my way of thinking, the GOVERNMENT of Israel is somehow, after fifty some years of my faith in them, a disgrace. And I blame it on the on-going support by the US to fund our arms manufacturers and keep a power going in the middle east so we have some place to land, and some excuse to attack those middle eastern countries which just happen to have oil underneath the desert.

And, from what I can only catch here and there within our news media, a lot of Israelis agree with me. But those who disagree with their maniacal regime cannot do anymore than I can with my maniacal regime.

So be it.

But this is America, and I can express my thoughts on the subject, until, of course, that right is taken away.

[morebunk]

32. And a major part of the problems in the world as well.

They cover all bases and when the sheeple wake up it won't matter who wins...the election.

[Jim Sagle]

4. Stout-hearted people, doin' the best they can...

to make the world a better place.

[lapauvre]

5. Thank you for this information. Now get this.

We, Americans, that is, have long been sending somewhere around $10 million or is it $10 billion a year to Israel out of tax payers'money.

Of that aide we send to Israel, do you think it is for schools and medicine? For housing? For religious freedom?

It is for ARMS! And guess who is selling the arms? Russia? China?
Indonesia? Japan? Don't think so. It is very profitable for the USA arms manufacturers.

And to whom do the USA arms manufacturers donate the most heavily.
Do that research?

Many American Jews were active and are active for liberal causes. Like the civil rights movement, for example. Many Jewish lawyers work for the ACLU, spelled out that is, The American Civil Liberties Union. Many American Jews believe in American principles of freedom and justice.

You call it Israel Pacs. But is it?

And, furthermore, take a flying leap where Max Cleland is concerned.
Check out the donations made by the arms manufacturers and to which party. Then get back to me.


I don't know. I haven't looked it up yet. But, I do know this. For over forty years I have been watching the State of Israel, armed with US weapons, tanks, bombs, and stolen intelligence, slaughter a people armed with rocks gleaned from the rubble that the State, and American armed military, of Israel has provided for them.

If Israel would get within its borders and stop whining, it would be a better world.

And, so, and, furthermore, please define "Pro-Israel Pacs."

Thank you

[Dover]

8. Not sure who your argument is with. Me?

I can't really tell....but I think we're in agreement. And the term "pro-Israeli PACs" is a direct quote from this article, not my words.

[lapauvre]

14. You are probably correct, Dover.

You may have misunderstood me, or I you. More likely the later since I was responding to your post. I apologize. I just wanted to point out that the number of democrats listed, from whatever source you found them, seemed to greatly outnumber the republicans. And I felt compelled to explore the republican's obvious support of Israel's kinda obnoxious policies. You post without expansion seemed to indicate that mostly democrats were getting support from Pro-Israeli Pacs. My contention is that the republicans are getting much more, with much cleverness, than American Pro-Israeli support for liberal causes.

I haven't been on here for over a year, and am using a $10 computer.
So, forgive me if I haven't seen previous posts of yours.

I didn't know where you were coming from.

[Dover]

20. Again...a bit confused. I included a link with my post so you can

check out my source there. I ran across this web site tonight after searching on google for a story about the Israeli bulldozing of olive orchards a few years ago. So there you have it.

I'm not sure why you didn't post this second part of your response in the first place. It explains your point of view much more clearly and doesn't automatically assume where I or someone else is coming from. Much better than your first post. No need for attacks here....this isn't a freeper infested place.

[lapauvre]

23. Sorry. And help me out on another problem?

I got the link after I had posted. Truly sorry.

Can you tell me what the heck a freeper is?

I have been away too long. It is a new term to me.

[Dover]

31. A freeper is the nickname for those neoconservatives

who inhabit the Free Republic web site (hence "freepers"). It is now more broadly used to refer to people of that ilk. If you haven't ever visited their web site, it's difficult to convey the full implications of the name.

[lapauvre]

28. I didn't get the link

But I will read the quote. I am kinda elderly and I may have missed something.

[lapauvre]

15. Where did this information come from???

Incidentally, where did you find this source of information?

I do hope it is not your only source, and I don't think it is. But I would like to know the source of this particular list.

Thanks.

[mdvet]

13. israeli borders

Israel staying within its borders is all well and good, but it seems that they are surrounded by people who believe that isreali borders should encompass nothing more that the meditteranian sea. Israels borders have to be what the israelis can defend, otherwise there is no chance of peace.

[lapauvre]

16. Isreal doesn't feel safe????

Oddly enough, Big Brother is here. Israel has violated yet another country, Syria. Israel apparently hasn't gotten over 1939. Israel is apparently relying upon US taxpayers to fund their need for "protection." Not to mention armaments. Apparently Israel will not feel "safe" until they, with our backing, destroy all Muslims, and own the entire middle east. Israel doesn't happen to have oil reserves, now does it? And who wants the oil?

But guess what? The US, because it suited our purposes, trained and armed just about every Muslim country in the middle east. And if you think the entire US and all of its taxpayers are willing to sacrifice for Israel to "protect" itself by continuing to go beyond it's UN (1948) or even the 1967 borders, you are mistaken.

The Palestinians may be armed only with rocks, but the other countries, whom, or is it who, Israel is ticking off at the moment, are armed, with US weapons.

Planes, tanks, ammunition, military. And when you compare the muslim constituency with the jewish constituency, then Israel better stop counting on Big Brother over here. If they want our taxpayer's money, then they can start acting like sensible people and not a theocratic oligarchy.

[mdvet]

17. israels neighbours

And havent Israels enemies always had tanks, planes etc, the difference is that the Israelis have a qualative advantage, not just in material but also in thequality of the its soldiers. Having spent time with the Israeli military and the armies of jordan and egypt, the difference is immense.

Also i think it is wrong to say israel wants to destroy all muslims and take over the middle east, i seem to remember that only people interested in driving anyone into the sea are the aforementioned neighbours.

[Julien Sorel]

21. Please show me where the 'aforementioned neighbors'

have said they wanted to 'drive Israel into the sea.'

[lapauvre]

22. Except for, I think, two pathetic scud missles

I do not recall any incidence, since 1967, where any of those "other" muslim nations have used the US provided armament against Israel.

Do you have any idea when the idea of living has become so valuleless to those desiring Israel's complaince with accepting its borders, and accepting its legal limitations, that a subjected people have nothing left to fight with but committing suicide? Do you have any idea of what that means? And do you have no concept of what Israel is doing by ghettoizing Palestinians, and destroying a site in Syria?

Do you have no idea?

I believed in and even sent money, way back then, for the creation of a State of Israel, a homeland. Never, never did I expect my desire to see such a homeland turn into what it has become. There is room for Israel AND Palestine!

Isreal was given the land, not by God, but by the UN. The Palestinians were displaced. And that wasn't enough. The Israelies want it ALL.

[Josh]

25. Actually, the Palestinians wanted it ALL in 1948

when they decided the UN mandated two state solution wasn't good enough and, with the help of bordering Arab states, INVADED Israel and tried to wipe it out.

The Palestinians will never get what they want through terrorism, and the Israelis will never get what they want with a Likud government, but trying to blame it on just merely one side or the other is incredibly intellectually dishonest.

I'm leaving this thread now, as usually they deteriorate and I get upset.

Peace.

[Julien Sorel]

26. Israel is getting what it wants, and it is with a Likud government.

Not that a Labor, or Mapei, or any other government has done or would do anything different than Likud.

[lapauvre]

27. Be at peace, my absent friend

I understand that the Palestinians were very hostile about the creation of the State of Israel. How would you feel if the UN decided that Southern California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas should be deeded to Mexico? Rather hostile, I would imagine.

And how would the various individual States of this USA feel if the UN decided that we should give back all the lands we took from the Native Americans? That, as well, would give rise to a lot of American hostility.

Look at the Ancient Maps to be found at the University of Texas (of all places) and see what were the lands occupied by the Palestinians, or arabic people, prior to 1948. And I think it is Yale University that has the ancient documents. And I think it is the Jewish-American Virtual Library that has other things of interest.

Give it a shot.

[lapauvre]

24. Our memories differ

Actions speak louder than words.

And just how much of the middle east will this country based on justice, mercy and equality, fund Israel in order for them to feel "safe?"

[Muddleoftheroad]

33. Armed only with rocks

Your propaganda is laughable. Tell that to the endless stream of victims of the Palestinian bombings.

[John_Shadows_1]

34. Surprising....

... Feinstein and Feingold are not on the list. Neither is Lieberman.