Opps, I jumped the gun and posted this in the prior post before Steve put this post up.

Call toll free number for all their offices
1-877-762-8762

Raul Grijalva
Lois Capps
Sam Farr
Bob Filner
Barbara Lee
Loretta Sanchez
Pete Stark
Michael Honda
Lynn Woolsey
Jackie Speier
Diane Watson
George Miller
Jim Himes
Andre Carson
Bruce Braley
John Yarmuth
Elijah Cummings
Donna Edwards
Michael Capuano
William Delahunt
Jim McGovern
John Tierney
John Olver
Stephen Lynch J
ohn Conyers
John Dingell
Carolyn Kilpatrick
Keith Ellison
Betty McCollum
James Oberstar
Donald Payne
Rush Holt
Bill Pascrell
Yvette Clarke
Maurice Hinchey
Paul Tonko
Eric Massa
David Price
Mary Jo Kilroy
Marcy Kaptur
Earl Blumenauer
Peter DeFazio
Chaka Fattah
Joe Sestak
Peter Welch
Jim Moran
Jim McDermott
Adam Smith
Jay Inslee
Brian Baird
Nick Rahall
Tammy Baldwin
Gwen Moore
Glenn Nye.

Scorecards may be slippery things but I applaud them for doing it. We need more scorecards to keep track of what the congressional clowns are doing.

Wow, these brave people are putting their political careers, if not
their lives, at risk. Where are Paul, Kucinich and Abercombie?

I wonder when the "New Policy PAC" is going to release its scorecard for the United States Senate. When it does, I guess it won't be issuing any points for voting against the Iran sanctions bill.

After all, it passed last night by a vote of 100-0 (or to be more precise it passed on a unanimous consent request).

As for the House ratings, they are rather interesting. Only two House members made it into double digits; Keith Ellison (D-Minnesota) and Brian Baird (Democrat-Washington). I guess the "New Policy PAC" decided not to deduct points for supporting George W. Bush on Iraq; as it turns out, Brian Baird was one of a very small number of Democratic House members to vocally support the Bush "surge" in Iraq.

Speaking of false choices, it looks like Brian Baird is wise enough to recognize a false choice when he sees one; in his case, it's the false choice of pretending he could defend his voting record to his contstituents; he's retiring at the end of this term (at the ripe old age of 54).

So this "New Policy PAC" is staking its ground: It's for Hamas. It wants to legitimize Hamas and whitewash Hamas, just like Goldstone tried to do.

You won't make any friends with Egypt that way, never mind Israel.

If you look at Mideast policy and ask yourself, "what would radical Islamists like to happen now?", it's just what the new Left want to do.

All in the name of human rights. Support the terrorists for human rights! It would be a joke if it weren't so insane.

The Gazans aren't laughing; they've learned the costs of supporting terrorists who are ready to make you an "involuntary martyr" (this is really what they call it when they kill Gazans) for Allah.

At least Obama seems to have followed up his stunning, brilliant unprecedented discovery that Mideast peacemaking is hard, with a desire to leave it alone.

"House Resolution 867, which passed on November 3, 2009: The 36 who voted Nay were given two points, the 52 who voted present or did not vote were scored 1 point..." (Steve Clemons)

Perhaps it hasn't occurred to the "New Policy PAC" or to Steve Clemons that sometimes House Members don't vote on a bill simply because they are genuinely unavailable. While voting *present* is an affirmative declaration of a legislator's feelings about a bill, not voting is an affirmation of nothing.

Don't believe it? Let's look at some of the House Members that the "New Policy PAC" and Steve think agree with them about eschewing "false choices" on the basis of one point obtained by not voting on H-Res 867:

Artur Davis (R-AL)
Mark Souder (R-IN)
Bart Stupak (D-MI)
Michelle Bachman (R-MN)
Frank Palone (D-NJ)
Gary Ackerman (D-NY)
Zach Wamp (R-TN)

Not one of these Representatives voted "present;" none of them voted at all.

In fact, had those seven Representatives been present in the House Chamber that evening, they would virtually certainly have voted in the affirmative for the resolution; everything about their voting histories demonstrates it beyond a shadow of a doubt.

In fact, 30 Representatives were not in the Chamber that night to vote on a bill that did not require their presence because it was sure to pass overwhelmingly. The vast majority of these members received no points for voting on the other measures in a manner that Steve and the "New Policy PAC" support.

The conclusion is inescapable; most of those Steve lauds because they received one point don't support his views; they oppose his views.

It's obvious to anyone who knows how to read. Why the obfuscation?

Nadine - You really don't do nuance, do you? To you, all Hamas members are equally rabid terrorists. In reality, Hamas membership is not close to a majority of the Palestinians in Gaza. Furthermore, Hamas members exist on a continuum from minimal identification with the group's goals and methods to full support and involvement.

I've met with and had extensive discussions with some Hamas members at Sari Nusseibeh's forums at Al-Quds University. Some of the Hamas members were reasonable and some made my skin crawl. I can say the same thing about Jews. I have an old picture my grandfather took of Begin standing over the bodies of a British soldier and two arab men that he killed in an ambush. In the picture, Begin is standing triumphantly, grinning from ear to ear, looking like a hunter proud of his kill.

We are fortunate that the British did not treat all Jews like they would have, and should have, treated Begin, Shamir and hundreds of others including my grandfather. The British could have sent their bombers in and leveled Tel Aviv, like Gaza. They certainly were sufficiently provoked. Yet they did not and I am unaware of any time they imposed collective punishment.

Nadine, you seemingly are unable to treat this issue as anything but black and white. Such thinking is indicative of a paucity of intellectual rigor.

jdledell, let me alter your statement slightly:

"You really don't do nuance, do you? To you, all KKK members are equally rabid white supremacists. In reality, KKK membership is not close to a majority of white southerners. Furthermore, KKK members exist on a continuum from minimal identification with the group's goals and methods to full support and involvement."

This would have been an entirely truthful statement about the nature of the KKK in most American states, especially at the height of its membership. Many reasonable and only moderately white supremacist young men joined to further their career ambitions, such as the future Senator Robert Byrd.

So, would it have been reasonable to have accepted a KKK takeover of any American state? Or should one have protested the persecutions and lynchings that followed by some kind of sanctions or blockade, even if it harmed the livelihoods of some innocent white people in the state? Would you have supported sending in Federal troops to restore Constitutional rule?

This is not an idle comparison. The official KKK platform was more moderate than Hamas'. The KKK didn't want to kill all the blacks, just to keep them down. Hamas does want to destroy Israel and kill all the Jews and is propagating this viewpoint.

That some of its members are just careerists and not as bloodthirsty as others does not impress me; you could have said exactly the same thing about Nazi party members.

The ideology of the decision makers matters a lot more. I have seen ZERO evidence that Khaled Meshaal has moderated one iota, despite Steve Clemons' efforts to help him sound moderate in English. If Hamas wants to impress me with newfound moderation, let them un-renege on the treaties signed by the PA with Israel.

OA makes an interesting point. Truth is, this list, for not including Ron Paul and Dennis Kucinich, becomes just another insincere bit of fluff.

"Nadine, you seemingly are unable to treat this issue as anything but black and white. Such thinking is indicative of a paucity of intellectual rigor"

You are too kind in your assessment of the nasty bigoted wretch.

If I were a Palestine in Gaza I would be with Hamas...or worse.

And you know all those bible spouters and gun toting evangelical christian zionist?...they would the first ones to start lynching Jews if they so much as pouched on their rabbit hunting territory, much less started stealing their land.

I think I know where nadine gets some of her zionist philosophy.

I was looking for site that translated Hebrew to English and found one (http://coteret.com/)
and then saw mention there of a book called a "Guide to Killing Non Jews" written by several Rabbis...the head one a settler Rabbi.
I though it was most likely a spoof so I googled it and saw that it was actually written.
Can you imagine if the KKK published a book titled "A Guide to Killing Jews"...lol..the NYT would be headlining.."Second Holocaust Coming in US"!
These people are crazy but they serve Israel's purpose I suppose.

Here is a full translation of an article in the Maariv newspaper of Israel about the book.

http://didiremez.wordpress.com/2009/11/09/settler-rabbi-publishes-the-complete-guide-to-killing-non-jews/

Ma’ariv 09.11.09 (p. 2) by Roi Sharon –

When is it permissible to kill non-Jews? The book Torat ha-Melekh [The King’s Teaching—INT], which was just published, was written by Rabbi Yitzhak Shapira, the dean of the Od Yosef Hai yeshiva in the community of Yitzhar near Nablus, together with another rabbi from the yeshiva, Yossi Elitzur. The book contains no fewer than 230 pages on the laws concerning the killing of non-Jews, a kind of guide for anyone who ponders the question of if and when it is permissible to take the life of a non-Jew.

Although the book is not being distributed by the leading book companies, it has already received warm recommendations from right-wing elements, including recommendations from important rabbis such as Yitzhak Ginsburg, Dov Lior and Yaakov Yosef, that were printed at the beginning of the book. The book is being distributed via the Internet and through the yeshiva, and at this stage the introductory price is NIS 30 per copy. At the memorial ceremony that was held over the weekend in Jerusalem for Rabbi Meir Kahane, who was killed nineteen years ago, copies of the book were sold.

Throughout the book, the authours deal with in-depth theoretical questions in Jewish religious law regarding the killing of non-Jews. The words “Arabs” and “Palestinians” are not mentioned even indirectly, and the authours are careful to avoid making explicit statements in favor of an individual taking the law into his own hands. The book includes hundreds of sources from the Bible and religious law. The book includes quotes from Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook, one of the fathers of religious Zionism, and from Rabbi Shaul Yisraeli, one of the deans of the Mercaz Harav Yeshiva, the stronghold of national-religious Zionism that is located in Jerusalem.

The book opens with a prohibition against killing non-Jews and then justifies it, among other things, on the grounds of preventing hostility and any desecration of God’s name. But very quickly, the authors move from prohibition to permission, to the various dispensations for harming non-Jews, with the central reason being their obligation to uphold the seven Noahide laws, which every human being on earth must follow. Among these commandments are prohibitions on theft, bloodshed and idolatry. [The seven Noahide laws prohibit idolatry, murder, theft, illicit sexual relations, blasphemy and eating the flesh of a live animal, and require societies to institute just laws and law courts—INT]

“When we approach a non-Jew who has violated the seven Noahide laws and kill him out of concern for upholding these seven laws, no prohibition has been violated,” states the book, which emphasizes that killing is forbidden unless it is done in obedience to a court ruling. But later on, the authors limit the prohibition, noting that it applies only to a “proper system that deals with non-Jews who violate the seven Noahide commandments.”

The book includes another conclusion that explains when a non-Jew may be killed even if he is not an enemy of the Jews. “In any situation in which a non-Jew’s presence endangers Jewish lives, the non-Jew may be killed even if he is a righteous Gentile and not at all guilty for the situation that has been created,” the authors state. “When a non-Jew assists a murderer of Jews and causes the death of one, he may be killed, and in any case where a non-Jew’s presence causes danger to Jews, the non-Jew may be killed.”

One of the dispensations for killing non-Jews, according to religious law, applies in a case of din rodef [the law of the “pursuer,” according to which one who is pursuing another with murderous intent may be killed extrajudicially] even when the pursuer is a civilian. “The dispensation applies even when the pursuer is not threatening to kill directly, but only indirectly,” the book states. “Even a civilian who assists combat fighters is considered a pursuer and may be killed. Anyone who assists the army of the wicked in any way is strengthening murderers and is considered a pursuer. A civilian who encourages the war gives the king and his soldiers the strength to continue. Therefore, any citizen of the state that opposes us who encourages the combat soldiers or expresses satisfaction over their actions is considered a pursuer and may be killed. Also, anyone who weakens our own state by word or similar action is considered a pursuer.”

Rabbis Shapira and Elitzur determine that children may also be harmed because they are “hindrances.” The rabbis write as follows: “Hindrances—babies are found many times in this situation. They block the way to rescue by their presence and do so completely by force. Nevertheless, they may be killed because their presence aids murder. There is justification for killing babies if it is clear that they will grow up to harm us, and in such a situation they may be harmed deliberately, and not only during combat with adults.”

In addition, the children of the leader may be harmed in order to apply pressure to him. If attacking the children of a wicked ruler will influence him not to behave wickedly, they may be harmed. “It is better to kill the pursuers than to kill others,” the authors state.

In a chapter entitled “Deliberate harm to innocents,” the book explains that war is directed mainly against the pursuers, but those who belong to the enemy nation are also considered the enemy because they are assisting murderers.

Retaliation also has a place and purpose in this book by Rabbis Shapira and Elitzur. “In order to defeat the enemy, we must behave toward them in a spirit of retaliation and measure for measure,” they state. “Retaliation is absolutely necessary in order to render such wickedness not worthwhile. Therefore, sometimes we do cruel deeds in order to create the proper balance of terror.”

In one of the footnotes, the two rabbis write in such a way that appears to permit individuals to act on their own, outside of any decision by the government or the army.

“A decision by the nation is not necessary to permit shedding the blood of the evil kingdom,” the rabbis write. “Even individuals from the nation being attacked may harm them.”

Unlike books of religious law that are published by yeshivas, this time the rabbis added a chapter containing the book’s conclusions. Each of the six chapters is summarized into main points of several lines, which state, among other things: “In religious law, we have found that non-Jews are generally suspected of shedding Jewish blood, and in war, this suspicion becomes a great deal stronger. One must consider killing even babies, who have not violated the seven Noahide laws, because of the future danger that will be caused if they are allowed to grow up to be as wicked as their parents.”

Even though the authors are careful, as stated, to use the term “non-Jews,” there are certainly those who could interpret the nationality of the “non-Jews” who are liable to endanger the Jewish people. This is strengthened by the leaflet “The Jewish Voice,” which is published on the Internet from Yitzhar, which comments on the book: “It is superfluous to note that nowhere in the book is it written that the statements are directed only to the ancient non-Jews.” The leaflet’s editors did not omit a stinging remark directed at the GSS, who will certainly take the trouble to get themselves a copy. “The editors suggest to the GSS that they award the prize for Israel’s security to the authors,” the leaflet states, “who gave the detectives the option of reading the summarized conclusions without any need for in-depth study of the entire book.”

One student of the Od Yosef Hai yeshiva in Yitzhar explained, from his point of view, where RabbisShapira and Elitzur got the courage to speak so freely on a subject such as the killing of non-Jews. “The rabbis aren’t afraid of prosecution because in that case, Maimonides [Rabbi Moses ben Maimon, 1135–1204] and Nahmanides [Rabbi Moses ben Nahman, 1194–1270] would have to stand trial too, and anyway, this is research on religious law,” the yeshiva student said. “In a Jewish state, nobody sits in jail for studying Torah.”

"Can you imagine if the KKK published a book titled "A Guide to Killing Jews"...lol..the NYT would be headlining.."Second Holocaust Coming in US"!"

In the old days, maybe. Today they would spike the story just as they spike the story about Hamas and Hizbullah's genocidal intent.

Rabbi Shapira is a nut who is on trial in Israel for having torched a mosque. The genocidal maniacs of Hamas run their government. That makes a difference.

PA TV extols Jew-killing every Friday. "Moderate" Abu Mazen just named a square after a female terrorist who murdered 40 civilian in the 1970s.

"If I were a Palestine in Gaza I would be with Hamas...or worse."

And if you were a German in the 1930s you'd be a member of the SS. You're not fooling anybody. Israel is just your excuse.

Nadine - Why do you refuse to acknowledge Jewish terrorism in the name of resistance? You have to admit it was very successful. Please expain to me how the approach used by Begin and Shamir was any different than Meshaal and Haniyeh? Similarly, Marwan Barghouti is serving multiple life sentances for 5 murders yet Begin would have laughed at such a puny total.

Nadine, you seem to have this idealized image of Jews. Can you get your head around the concept that we are no different than any other members of the human race? You complain that Hamas wants to drive the Jews out of Israel. Do you understand that Begin's goal was to drive the arabs out of Israel?

You complain about the Palestinians naming a square in Ramallah after their terrorist Mughrabi. Is that really worse than Israel handing reigns of the government to the Jewish terrorists, Begin and Shamir?

You complain about Palestinian TV yet you are silent about the words spoken at shul virtually every shabbat. Have you ever listened to what is said there about the arabs? This occurs not only in the settlements but also within Israel. Some of the most vile language I've heard in my life occurs in a House of prayer and reflection.

Nadine, do you speak Hebrew? If you don't please try to learn and spend time listening to what Israeli politicians and regular Jews say about the "situation". I guarantee it will be a real eye opener.

Understand where I'm coming from. My grandfather fought for Israel's existence. I fervently believe in Israel as the national home of the Jewish people. Yet the path Israel is currently taking will end in despair unless we abandon our greed and selfishness and seek justice for all the peoples of the Land.

"And if you were a German in the 1930s you'd be a member of the SS. You're not fooling anybody. Israel is just your excuse"

You are the most obnoxious, most bigoted, most despicable excuse for a human being that has EVER frequented this site, Nadine. In truth, you have no right to make such a statement. Whats more, almost virtually everyone that comments here realizes it, (if their comments to you are any indication).

It is YOU that "isn't fooling anybody", Nadine. It is YOU that have been caught here in numerous lies. It is YOU that has refused to admit to even one small iota of Israeli wreongdoing. It is YOU that has condoned, justified, and rationalized the nazi-like behavior of the Israeli leadership. It is YOU that belittles and scoffs at the hardships, trials, sufferings, and deaths of Palestinian women and children.

You're scum, Nadine. Openly racist, callously indifferent to human suffering, and overzealous in your propensity to use propaganda, talking points, and outright lies to advance a fanatical and murderous religious and ethnic ideology. You and your ilk are equally as dangerous as the most radical of the Muslim fanatics, and pose just as big a danger to mankind.

We suffer for people such as you, and this planet, and mankind, would be far better off without you and your age old hatreds and prejudices. Why can't you, and ALL religious fanatics, of ALL faiths, just stay under your rocks and leave the decent folks alone?

" Why can't you, and ALL religious fanatics, of ALL faiths, just stay under your rocks and leave the decent folks alone?"

Unfortunately, such is not the sectarian fanaticist's imperative, and there are way more of those folk than is good for this planet and its inhabitants. And because decent folk are just that, these bastards too often are able to seize the initiative and set the terms of the debate, not to mention wreak death and destruction on the defenseless, as was the case in Gaza. Actually, in the case of Likud, it is the same imperative that drove our forebears and their "Manifest Destiny," which of course included God on their side.

I would like to see or find a study on why, or what it is in, some people that make them religious fanatics of mostly hate.
Anyone know of one?
It's got to be some mental or emotional deficit that makes them latch onto something mystical like religion in a twisted way.
How else do you explain it other than some inherant quirk in certain individuals.
I had a Jesuit priest tell me once that not all people are "born good"..quite a radical statement at the time. But now I think he was alluding to something like the part genetics plays in determining an individual's character.

PissedOffAmerican, please check the entire list of Congressmen.
Ron Paul and Dennis Kucinich both score a relatively high 6, mostly
because neither one has visited Gaza. They would tie with 17 other
Congressmen for 7th place with six points.

https://newpolicy.org/2009CongressionalScorecardByScore.pdf

"ANewPolicyPAC"........

Thank you for responding. I will take a gander at your PDF. I am distrustful of "PACS" marketed by "progressive" personalities, think tanks, or organizations, due to the obscene support Israel recieves from the left side of the aisle.

I imagine, should your efforts appear to be close to bearing fruit, that it won't be long before you are the victim of trumped up accusations of ties to terrorism, anti-semitism and anti-americanism, and serious efforts are launched to shut you down for good.

Posted by nadine

And if you were a German in the 1930s you'd be a member of the SS. You're not fooling anybody. Israel is just your excuse.>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Acutally if I been had a German in 1930's I would have been one of the ones against Hitler just as I have been against the US neocon warmongers and the US assault on the ME and Muslims.

On the other hand what we see in zionist like yourself is that if they gain any power at all they use it the same way and become exactly like the nazis in trying to exterminate their undesirables...which at present are the Palestines and anyone else who doesn't capitulate to the zionist.
Of course mainly I think the whole zionist israel things is about hubris, greed and revenge.
Except who the zionist really hate is us Europeans and Americans who they blame for the holocaust and everything else.
But not being able to wage war on us without being wiped out entirely they take out the revenge part on a less powerful group, the Palestines and Arabs.

"Nadine, you seem to have this idealized image of Jews. Can you get your head around the concept that we are no different than any other members of the human race? You complain that Hamas wants to drive the Jews out of Israel. Do you understand that Begin's goal was to drive the arabs out of Israel?" (jdledell)

jd, I think you've got Begin on the brain. Do try to regain a sense of proportion. The Irgun was a splinter group in the 1930s and 1940s, disapproved of by most, and brought to heel by Ben Gurion, who disapproved of their tactics. It's not running around today. Yes, I know some of the settlers are wack jobs. But they don't run Israel.

On the other hand, Arab groups like Hamas and Hizbullah with openly expressed genocidal intent operate freely today, and rule Gaza and Southern Lebanonon. Fatah, which is ruled by its mostly hardline central committee, is also committed to destroying Israel. They rule today; they are preventing peace.

You're missing the forest for the trees. Jews are different from Arabs in this: if Hamas or Fatah had Israel's weapons, and Israel had Hamas' or Fatah's weapons, there would in short order be no Jews anywhere in Palestine. If they had to kill off the Jews, they wouldn't mind a bit.

Yet Israel has not killed off the Arabs; does not want to kill the Arabs; and has been trying since 1948 to arrive at a peace treaty with its neighbors, while the neighbors have refused to recognize Israel or sign the treaty, and have tried to destroy Israel a number of times.

At the most basic level, this is a difference.

I think it's you who must have idealized Jews: you can't get over your shock that the Irgun should ever have existed, or that lots of Israelis make racist remarks about Arabs. Somehow for you, that deprives Israelis of the right to stick up for themselves.

"Understand where I'm coming from. My grandfather fought for Israel's existence. I fervently believe in Israel as the national home of the Jewish people. Yet the path Israel is currently taking will end in despair unless we abandon our greed and selfishness and seek justice for all the peoples of the Land."

I'm glad to hear it. But I feel just the same about your path. There aren't any takers on the Arab side for a two state solution. I think Oslo proved that quite well. They don't want it. It's not a new pattern for the Palestinians: for them, it's the whole loaf or nothing. Their "justice" is no Jews in Palestine. How does that co-exist with your "justice"? They won't compromise unless they have no choice; and of course the whole world rushes to save the poor dears from such a predicament.

Here is an interesting email exchange I had with Sama Adman of the "New Policy PAC".

--------

Email sent to "New Policy Pac...

"As a regular reader and commentor at Steve Clemons' "The Washington Note", I have been made aware of your PAC. I am curious if you have any intention, or plans in place, to try to change the narrative that reaches the average outside-the-beltway American. It is wonderful that you are addressing our politician's role in their obscene support for all things Israel, but until the prevailing "message" that reaches the general public is changed, you will be unable to sway Washington DC in the direction described in your "about" section on your website. Do you have any plans to institute measures or programs to improve the general public's awareness of the ISR/PAL situation??? Should you respond, please be specific beyond describing vague "intentions"."

Sama Adnan's response.....

"ANewPolicyPAC was established to fund the campaigns of Congressmen and Senators who support a peaceful resolution to the conflict. We are the only political action committee (PAC) that is working for an end to the Gaza siege, an end to Jewish settlements in the West Bank, and an equitable resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. There are only two other PACs working on this issue in the country and both are pro-Israel: AIPAC (and its affiliated hardline pro-Israel PACs) and JStreetPAC (self-described as pro-Israel and pro-peace)."

"There is not a single political action committee (the only organizations capable of funding campaigns under US law) that is not pro-Israel. ANewPolicyPAC is a coalition of American citizens of Arab, Muslim, Jewish, Protestant, Catholic, humanist and secular backgrounds
that are working together to end the Palestinian-Israeli conflict so that we can preserve American security and stem the tide ofterrorism
that has plagued this country, precisely because of this intractable conflict and its emotional significance around the world."

"I completely agree with you that we have to reach the American public "outside the beltway", however, there are many educational
organizations working on precisely that, including CNI, US Campaign to End the Occupation, If Americans Knew, Brooklyn for Peace... There are literally hundreds of pro-peace educational organizations right now.
What we need to do is get Congressmen, who agree with us and who have heard our calls, get elected. As of now, AIPAC has complete control on the US Congress when it comes to all issues Middle East. If any Congressman opposes AIPAC's vision, s/he will not get reelected because his opponent will suddenly seize a large pot of gold."

"We need to fund the many brave Congressmen who speak out on this issue and have them go on MSNBC, CNN and FOX new and describe how our
foreign policy has hurt us economically and militarily at a time when we should be competing with China by investing on alternative energy
innovation and biotechnology research. As of today, every single Congressman you have seen on television will say the same thing: Israel has a right to defend itself and Palestinians hate Israel (and us) for no reason. When all Americans hear the same narrative from all
their Congressmen (who somehow happen to all agree only on this one issue), the average American reasons that they can't all be wrong."

"The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has never been and will never be a major priority for the average voter because most Americans don't
realize how much damage America's blind support of Israel has cost us. However, the only way to end this support is to help the executive
branch (when there is a will executive as now) to push for an end to the conflict by getting supportive Congressmen elected. Many people in
Congress know that this conflict must be ended and quickly. However, they have no way of opposing AIPAC's money. We must bring to them the valuable financial support that they need. Otherwise, no matter how many Americans care about this issue (5% or even 10%), Congress will still obstruct any action towards peace and give Israel free rein to do as it wishes in the region, no matter how damaging it is to America's long term interests."

"ANewPolicyPAC was founded to stop the inequity of funding in Congress because we want Congressmen to speak their conscience on this issue. Alas, they can only do so if we provide the funding."

2nd Email sent to Sama Adnan.....

"If, as you say, there are literally "hundreds" of "educational" organizations seeking to increase public awareness, I must say, at least in my neck of the woods, they are doing a dismally poor job of it. I am assumming you would consider "If Americans Knew" one of the premier organizations taking on this task. Regretably, I have yet to meet one single "offline" person who has ever heard of this group, much less any of the others that you have cited directly, or by implication with your "hundreds" number. If AIPAC can match and surpass your ability to fund campaigns, what politician is going to choose your funding in order to launch a campaign that runs counter to public sentiment? Bear in mind that because of your goals and interests, you are likely exposed to a citizenry that has a far greater body of knowledge on this issue than the average American "man on the street". I hope your newly founded efforts do not underestimate the power of the narratives espoused by the likes of Hannity, Limbaugh, etc. I meet people daily whose ONLY source of information is entities such as Fox News, and even those on the left who choose sources such as MSNBC are woefully uninformed due to MSNBC's failure to address the ISR/PAL issue in any meaningful or informative and unbiased manner. I suppose, should you approach Maddow or Olberman, (or the MSNBC producers), with an invitation to publicize your efforts, the response will parallel the kind of response you would recieve from Hannity, Limbaugh, or the Fox News producers."
"Truth be told, it is nigh on impossible to find a fellow citizen who is informed on the issue, despite the efforts of organizations such as "If Americans Knew". I do not hold much hope for your efforts if you discount the immense power the media and the Hasbara arm of Israel has on framing the narrative. I hope that you consider involving yourselves in aiding the "hundreds" of organizations you allege are working to change the narrative, because if the body of knowledge possessed by the average American is due to their "success", than you are tilting at windmills."
"BTW, thank you for your prompt and informative response. Do you mind if I post your response in the comment section of Steve's blog, on the thread whose topic is your new PAC?."

Sama Adnan's response........

"Thank you for your response. It makes a lot of sense but rest assured I am not discounting the power of the narrative and Israeli Hasbara,
but I think it can be challenged by Congressmen who want peace. As for who would take the money of ANewPolicyPAC while AIPAC is surpassing
our fundraising capabilities, simply look at our Congressional scorecard. There are already more than a hundred Congressmen risking their electoral prospects on this issue with no opposing PAC. We must support them before they are pushed out by the pro-Israel lobby in the
coming elections."

"Finally, remember that most Americans don't go voting on election day thinking about the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. It is probably a
distant 10th or 20th in their top pet issues and grievances, (which it shouldn't be if they knew how much it hurts our security and our
pocketbook). Therein lies the power of the pro-Israel lobby, they speak directly to Congress because they know most Americans wouldn't be able to point Israel out on a map, let alone muster a vote for it."
"We must take the fight to Congress to undo AIPAC's grip on the political class, which automatically filtrates into the mainstream
media as well."
"Please go ahead and post the response on "the Washington Note". I would not mind at all"

END EMAIL EXCHANGE.

I am not convinced that a pro-peace/two state solution PAC can go anywhere without an epic effort to inform the American public. As Sama points out, ISR/PAL is not exactly a pressing issue to the average American voter, so changing the "mindset" of those in Congress is not enough to change actual policy, because the heavy hitters of both parties are still firmly in Israel's tent, primarily because Israel helped make them heavy hitters through the efforts, and unlimited finacial resources of organizations such as AIPAC. It hardly matters what middle level congress critters such as Ellison advocate as long as those in the media spotlight, such as Reid, Hoyer, Huckabee, etc are pushing the status quo narrative that demonizes the Palestinians.
I'd love to see "questions" debate someone such as Sama Adnan, while spouting his absurd nonsense about the impotence of AIPAC and the various Israeli lobbies in directly influencing United States' policy in the middle east.
Something tells me Sama might have a bit to say about the unrealistic and absurd arguments that are the hallmark of questions' obsfucating and deflective narrative.

After Canada I believe that Israel is the most importent ally America has, yet strangly the former is ignored even though canada is by far americas largest trading partner and israel is slighted by your president and so many others very strange that americans dont know any better.

"And if you were a German in the 1930s you'd be a member of the SS" (A quote from the bigot and rabid RW zionist abomination, Nadine. Does anyone else see the similarity the IDF has to Hitler's SS?)

http://palestinenote.com/cs/blogs/blogs/archive/2010/01/31/idf-joins-assault-on-israeli-human-rights-community.aspx

Didi Remez

IDF joins assault on Israeli human rights community

As international pressure mounts on Israel the government assault on civil society is reaching new lows. Now it appears that the IDF and GSS [Shin Bet] are working in tandem with Im Tirzu, which over the weekend launched an unprecedented campaign reminiscent of Der Sturmer,against Prof. Naomi Chazan, President of the the New Israel fund.

continues.....

(Der Stürmer (literally, "The Stormer;" or more accurately, "The Attacker") was a weekly Nazi newspaper published by Julius Streicher from 1923 to the end of World War II in 1945, with brief suspensions in circulation due to legal difficulties. It was a significant part of the Nazi propaganda machinery and was vehemently anti-Semitic. Unlike the Völkischer Beobachter (translatable as The People's Observer), the official party paper which gave itself an outwardly serious appearance, the tabloid-style Der Stürmer often ran obscene materials such as anti-Semitic caricatures and propaganda-like accusations of blood libel, pornography, anti-Catholic, anti-capitalist and anti-"reactionary" propaganda too, in order to appeal to a larger public of readers, especially among the lower class. (Wikipedia))

"After Canada I believe that Israel is the most importent ally America has, yet strangly the former is ignored even though canada is by far americas largest trading partner and israel is slighted by your president and so many others very strange that americans dont know any better"

Thanks for the chuckle. I too am perplexed by the ignorance of the average American on this issue. An ignorance that you seem to display unabashedly, I might add.

dear pissed-off
If you could bring yourself to accept the obvious ie; that ALL of Israel naturally,historically,legally,morally belongs to the jews you would be alot happier

Keep talking. The collective impression that your overzealous ilk, such as Nadine and yourself, give to your readers cannot help but underscore the futility of trying to reason with you.

More and more, informed people are figuring out that it is time to sever Israel's umbilical cord. In no small part because of the insane rationales and justifications that your racist and nazi-like camp uses to discredit itself.

Nadine Hi! I'm proud and pleased to be your " ilk" (I'never had an ilk before!)It feels good! BTW that guy,that israel ranter/basher is not worth your attention,really not ! your way too good for him (I bet thats not the first time you heard that one) some people are simply incorrigable -whatareyougonnado-

Hi Marcus! Welcome to my "ilk", whatever that is. I'm not talking to the POS. I was trying to figure out why people like jdledell think Israel is so morally stained by the Irgun having existed 60 years ago that they have no right to oppose Hamas or Fatah today, even to save their own lives. It's as if he has some inner moral compass where one ounce of sin on "my" side weighs heavier than a ton of sin on "yours." (Even back in the 1930s, it's not as if whatever the Irgun was doing wasn't out-numbered 100 to 1 by the killings of the Arab Revolt. The Irgun arose to fight fire with fire.) He keeps trying to fool himself into seeing moderates were there are none, or certainly none with any power.

Nadine,the thing is that these people are the nazis we have here in north america,)their world view is shaped by events of ww2 ,a powerful jewish military is an abberation they will never accept. the majority of them will never be changed(they dont want to be)and as you mentioned, they indeed have a romaticised idea of what a real" jew" is,these biblical/religous ideas they have(religous fundamentalism anyone?) are often taught in jesuit-run schools,it allows them to de-legitimize jewish identity (deny that jews even exist in th 21st century0 thereby de-legitmizing the soverign rights of jews/israel to defend itself.They are willfully ignorant/dismissive of the extraordinary 2000 year effort to maintain and expand on jewish culture/identity that has happened in exile.
Much as the arabs deny any jewish history in israel or achmejdiadad(whatever the hell his name is) denies the holocaust.The only response is a continual education of evey new generation.in the meantime their is some cosolation in knowing that,the striking thing about that POS (and his ilk),above all is how LOW they are in their tone and the commitment they reveal to the spreading of lies by grimy,cowardlly and underhanded neans.

Marcus, the Arabs and Persian who deny the existence of Jewish history are more understandable than jdledell, who loves Israel but wants it to self-destruct piece by piece.

nadine,ref:jdiedell Im not a psycologist but a guess would be that she is a classic liberal appeaser someone without the sense to take their own side in a quarrel,as well she is projecting unto the arab opponent in that she believes that the more israel gives that the arab will reciprocate with the same warm fuzzies.most unlikely !
she lacks the stubborn resilience and determination that project israel requires as well for sure she is a victim of on-campus/media propoganda the anti-israel kind
perhaps her parents liberalism had something to do with it (her grandfathers zionism seems to be a great source of consternation to her
perhaps she is simply a optimistic fool not fully appriciating the mortal threats israel/jews face
perhaps she resents being jewish with the history that comes with it afterall its alot easier being someone thought to be more carefree and glamourous
perhaps she doesnt qualify whats going on as a war( because in a war sooner or later you must take sides) maybe like obama she cant take sides
maybe she hates her parents
maybe she is dissapointed in israel and the militarism that has been foisted on it
One thing for sure SHE IS IGNORANT of history,because as far as i know there is not one single country in the world that has not been created or maintained except by the force of arms,not a one and israel is no different
perhaps someone called her a nasty name once?
for sure she has no appreciation of the epic unique never before seen liberation of an historic homeland after so long a time. it is as you can imagine an inspiration to me and to millions of other diplaced,disenfranchised people around the world. if the jews can do it so can the mohawks,perhaps she is troubled by how unprecedented israel is perhaps she herself lives on former mohawk land?
maybe she has been spoonfed fantasies of the joys of multiculturalism she is post-national,post-ethnic,post-religous just post everything if it interferes with her fairy-tale vitual world
maybe shes just fearful of what would happen to israelis if they ever did lose a war