| Author | Message | | sharkman | | Posted: Sat Jun 29, 2002 12:19 am Post subject: president bush and republicans make gains with jewish voters |
| http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A39002-2002Jun24.html
GOP Makes Gains With Jewish Voters
Democrats Worry Party Critics of Israel Are Costing Support
By Thomas B. Edsall
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, June 25, 2002; Page A13 Leading congressional Democrats are increasingly concerned that party critics of Israel are helping drive Jewish voters, donors and opinion leaders toward the Republican Party, according to Democratic strategists and leaders.
While support of Israel is strong among most Democrats and their leaders, a small but significant faction is openly questioning whether the Bush administration has tilted too far in favor of Israel. They include some of the most senior members of the House, as well as a sizable number of the Congressional Black Caucus.
In addition, the proportion of Democratic voters sympathetic to the Palestinian cause is much higher than the proportion of Republicans, according to polls.
Jewish leaders have voiced consternation over these developments, and party leaders are worried that the Democrats' long-standing reliance on heavy support from the Jewish community nationwide could be threatened. This comes as the GOP and the Christian right have made a concerted push to make inroads in this traditionally Democratic and liberal constituency.
"The Democratic Party has problems and has to deal with this," said Ira N. Forman, executive director of the National Jewish Democratic Council. "You tell me how do you constitute a Democratic majority, long term, without the strong support of Jewish community?"
Democratic National Committee Chairman Terence R. McAuliffe said he has met with House Minority Leader Richard A. Gephardt (D-Mo.) and Senate Majority Leader Thomas A. Daschle (D-S.D.) to discuss strategies -- such as holding conference calls and meetings with Jewish leaders -- to prevent the GOP from eroding Jewish support for the Democratic Party.
The issue of Democratic conflicts over Israel policy took center stage last month, when the House voted 352 to 21, with 29 members voting "present," for a pro-Israel resolution sponsored by Majority Whip Tom DeLay (R-Tex.) and Rep. Tom Lantos (D-Calif.). Many of those voting "present" were expressing their unwillingness to support a resolution that strongly endorsed Israel while condemning "the ongoing support and coordination of terror by Yasser Arafat and other members of the Palestinian leadership."
Of the 50 "no" and "present" votes, 44 were cast by Democrats and six by Republicans. More significantly, five of the most senior Democrats voted against the resolution, including Democratic whip David E. Bonior (Mich.), and four members in line to become committee chairmen if Democrats win back the House: David R. Obey (Wis.), John D. Dingell (Mich.), George Miller (Calif.) and John Conyers Jr. (Mich.).
Obey said the resolution "asks everything of the Palestinians without asking anything of the Israelis." Passage of the resolution undermined the United States' "credible position as an honest broker."
Gephardt insisted that the resolution demonstrated tremendous bipartisan support for Israel," and that Democratic support would have been higher if sponsors would have been willing to add some "minor changes" referring explicitly to the peace process.
Still, Mortimer Zuckerman, chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, said, "The Jewish community is a very solid community and a very nervous community, and they pay very close attention to those votes, who did and who didn't." The Republican Party, he said, "is viewed much more favorably than in the past."
A sampling of Jewish campaign donors showed considerable ambivalence and concern about the Democratic Party and appreciation of the pro-Israel stands taken by the Bush administration and GOP congressional leaders.
"I'm not angry at the Democratic Party," said Harris Bak, a Democratic donor from New York. "But certainly the trend of the Republicans has been wonderful."
J. Michael Fried, also of New York, who has given to both parties, but more to Democrats, said, "It is of concern to all of us who are strong supporters of Israel that it took a Republican administration to become the best friend of Israel in 30 years. As strong supporters of Democrats, it bothers us."
David Cordish, a Baltimore developer who served in the Carter administration, said, "Here are many Democrats who do not understand the situation. It's not going to be helpful to the Democratic Party whatsoever."
The vote also forced to the surface long-standing tensions between the Jewish and black communities. Of the 37 members of the Congressional Black Caucus, a total of 17 either voted no on DeLay-Lantos (4), voted present (8) or did not vote at all (5).
Two black Democratic House members, Earl F. Hilliard (Ala.) and Cynthia McKinney (Ga.), have become lightning rods in the Jewish community, and their primary challengers are raising hundreds of thousands of dollars from Jewish supporters determined to defeat the two incumbents because of statements they have made.
Gephardt has tried to quiet black-Jewish tensions, encouraging members to have meetings and dinners to air conflicts. He is considering holding a special retreat to deal with the tensions.
Daschle has pointedly affirmed his commitment to Israel. "The United States is, and will remain, Israel's best friend," he said on the Senate floor this month.
In voter surveys, there is a significant difference in the level of support for Israel among Democrats and Republicans. When the Gallup poll last month asked voters whether they were more sympathetic with the Israelis or the Palestinians, support for Israel among Republicans was overwhelming, 66 percent to 8 percent, while among Democrats, it was 40 to 20 percent.
Conservative Republicans have worked hard to stress their support, and that of their conservative evangelical supporters, for Israel.
On June 2, in Englewood, N.J., DeLay, a leading ally of the Christian right, was honored at a Jewish fundraiser. DeLay's outspoken advocacy for Israel produced a turnout of 300 people who gave his political action committee, Americans for a Republican Majority, $50,000 to $100,000.
"What the Democrats have to understand is that Jews are feeling terribly abandoned by the world community," said Rabbi Shmuel Goldin, of Congregation Ahavath Torah in Englewood, who encouraged attendance at the DeLay fundraiser. "In the face of that abandonment, up come people like DeLay and other House and Senate members, who are willing to say 'We are standing with Israel.' We would be terribly remiss if we didn't thank our friends."
"I think the Democratic Party would do well to be concerned," Goldin added. | |  | | | ©2002-2009 WarWithoutEnd.co.uk |
