Dean folks: Need help countering this I/P e-mail

[Hawkeye-X]

My Republican uncle passed this along (he called himself a conservative, but I know he's a dittohead, and has been with GE for as far as I can remember)....

This is an I/P issue, but it also directly attacks Dean.

I need help countering this -- we are Jewish, so Israel is a part of this issue (I stay away from the I/P stuff, but I will re-post there)

> > HOWARD DEAN PROMISED THAT IF HE IS ELECTED
> > PRESIDENT, THE UNITED STATES WILL NO LONGER
> > SUPPORT ISRAEL THE WAY IT HAS IN THE PAST
> > UNDER BOTH DEMOCRATIC AND REPUBLICAN
> > PRESIDENTS.
> > IN HIS OWN WORDS HE WILL INSIST THAT THE
> > UNITED STATES BE "EVEN HANDED" . THIS IS A
> > TERM REGULARLY EMPLOYED BY ARAFAT AND HIS
> > COTERIE OF ADHERENTS THAT MEANS TO BE
> > ANTI-ISRAEL!!
> > GOVERNOR DEAN MADE THESE COMMENTS ON CNN
> > ON SEPTEMBER 10,2003 ON THE WOLF BLITZER
> > SHOW. HE HAS REPEATED THOSE WORDS SINCE.
> > &n! bsp; IF THIS WERE NOT ENOUGH, GOVERNOR DEAN ON
> > THAT SAME SHOW CHARACTERIZED THE HAMAS
> > TERRORISTS AS "SOLDIERS".
> > FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 9/11 WE HAVE SOMEONE
> > RUNNING FOR THE OFFICE OF PRESIDENT OF THE
> > UNITED STATES CALLING TERRORISTS SOLDIERS.
> > I URGE YOU THAT IF YOU HAVE ANY LOVE FOR
> > AMERICA AND ISRAEL YOU SHOULD NOT AND CANNOT
> > VOTE FOR HOWARD DEAN FOR THE OFFICE OF
> > PRESIDENT.
> > THIS COMING ELECTION MAY VERY WELL BE ONE OF
> > THE MOST IMPORTANT IN DECADES.
> > PLEASE PASS THIS MESSAGE ON TO AS MANY OF
> > YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS AS YOU CAN.
>

Help me counter this.

Hawkeye-X

[pruner]

1. here's the Anti-Defamation League response…

This e-mail, which relates to comments made by Dean in early September, is malicious, misleading and factually inaccurate.

http://www.adl.org/rumors/dean_rumors.asp

[dajabr]

2. "Debunked" Here...

http://www.osmond-riba.org/lis/DeanIsrael.htm

More here: http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2003/09/23/dean_israel/index_np.html

[BlueEyedSon]

3. I have no idea what Dean's IP policy will look like

when deployed. I don't think he does yet either. Anyway....

Selfish US citizen perspective:
Current policy is expen$ive.
Muslims/Arabs hate us to pieces because of our Israel policy.
Given the choice between undoing much of the domestic damage the Bush admin and keeping existing Israel policy in place, I chose the former.

World citizen perspective:
The current behavior of the Israeli state does not lead to a peaceful conclusion.... why not encourage them to try something else?

[DuctapeFatwa]

4. I don't support a candidate but here is what Dean said

"...the former Vermont governor declared that, while the United States should become more engaged, he did not have any fundamental objections with President George W. Bush’s policies...

When asked by the Jewish newspaper Forward late last year as to whether he supported APN’s perspective, Governor Dean replied "No, my view is closer to AIPAC's view."..

He also rejects calls by APN and other liberal Zionist groups that Israel’s requested $12 billion loan guarantee be linked to an Israeli freeze on constructing additional illegal settlements on confiscated Palestinian land, arguing that such aid should instead be unconditional...

http://www.commondreams.org/views03/0226-04.htm