NJDC's Blog

Harvard Legal Scholar Exposes Jimmy Carter's Financial Agenda: Carter's Anti-Israel Rants Funded by Middle Eastern Oil Money; Saudis

Eloquent Harvard Legal Scholar Alan Dershowitz has exposed "Recent disclosures of Carter's extensive financial connections to Arab oil money, particularly from Saudi Arabia," saying these financial connections have "deeply shaken" the Professor's belief in Carter's integrity.

Writes Dershowitz:

When I was first told that he received a monetary reward in the name of Shiekh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahayan, and kept the money, even after Harvard returned money from the same source because of its anti-Semitic history, I simply did not believe it. How could a man of such apparent integrity enrich himself with dirty money from so dirty a source?

Dershowiz goes on to point out:

The entire premise of his criticism of Jewish influence on American foreign policy is that money talks. It is Carter, not me, who has made the point that if politicians receive money from Jewish sources, then they are not free to decide issues regarding the Middle East for themselves. It is Carter, not me, who has argued that distinguished reporters cannot honestly report on the Middle East because they are being paid by Jewish money. So, by Carter's own standards, it would be almost economically "suicidal" for Carter "to espouse a balanced position between Israel and Palestine."

Republican Chuck Hagel "resentful" of pro-Israel community?

From the Jewish Telegraph Agency:

U.S. Sen. Chuck Hagel told an Arab-American audience that his support for Israel was not "automatic." Hagel (R-Neb.), who is considering a run for the presidency, told the Arab American Institute's annual dinner that he believes Israel and the United States have a "special relationship," but resented being told by a pro-Israel activist that if he wants backing from the pro-Israel community, his support for Israel should be "automatic."

"First, I am an American senator," Hagel told the AAI audience in Washington on Wednesday, to applause. He also said he would not sacrifice his friendships in the Arab world to please pro-Israel groups.

"No relationship should be founded on holding hostage other relationships," Hagel said. "Why can't I have that relationship" with Israel and its allies "not at the expense of my friends in the Arab world, in the Muslim world? Why must it be a choice? It is not a choice."

Guest Commentary from U.S. CONGRESSMAN JERRY NADLER: The Need to Codify Roe v. Wade

GUEST COMMENTARY

THE NEED TO CODIFY ROE v. WADE
By Representative Jerrold Nadler (NY-08)

The Supreme Court’s ruling last week on the so-called “Partial Birth Abortion” ban was a clear signal that President Bush’s anti-choice stacking of the Court has, for the moment, succeeded.  The decision was based on a challenge to nearly identical legislation struck down by the Court only a few years earlier.  But, since that time, Justice O’Connor retired and President Bush and a Republican Senate replaced her with a reliably anti-choice vote on the Court.

It may be the president’s prerogative to pack the Court, but then it is equally the duty and obligation of Congress to stand for protecting women’s rights.  My “Freedom of Choice Act,” introduced last week with Senator Barbara Boxer (CA), would for the first time, codify the rights guaranteed under the Constitution by Roe v. Wade.  It would bar government - at any level - from interfering with a woman’s fundamental right to choose to bear a child or terminate a pregnancy.  It recognizes that medical doctors – and not politicians – should be the ones who determine what is or is not medically appropriate.

Many lawmakers say they support Roe v. Wade.  My bill is a binding codification of that decision.  It is time for members to step up to the plate and go on record in support of legislation that will provide meaningful protection for women.  The Freedom of Choice Act will ensure that women will able to make personal medical decisions safely, legally and privately.

Congressman Nadler is the Chair of the House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties.

Democratic Rep. Gary Ackerman's Eloquent Defense of Israel on the House Floor

See here for the complete transcript from the Congressional Record.  From Rep. Ackerman of NY:

Mr. ACKERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I might consume.

   To my good friend from California, as well as my good friend from Ohio, I would address the following observations and concerns. First, I would like to thank each of them for their support for this resolution condemning Hezbollah for their actions.

   But I would like to note for the record that there is a tremendous difference between a perpetrator and a victim. A perpetrator is the one who initiates the act. The victim is the one who is victimized by the act. Very often, in an act of violence, murder, mayhem, the victim fights back.

Conference Highlights Coming Soon

We are working on getting conference highlights online ASAP -- Check here for updates coming soon.

Correction to Blog Entry and Email on Choice Supreme Court Decision

My apologies for the following error in a previous blog posting and an action alert email we sent out.

I wrote that the late term abortion ban does not offer protections for the life and health of the mother. While I was correct in asserting that the ban does NOT offer "health of the mother" protections -- and a strong case can be made that this put's a woman's life in danger -- the Washington Post reports the following: "It [the ban] does, however, provide an exception to save the woman's life."

I apologize for the confusion.

** NJDC CONFERENCE STARTS TODAY **

The NJDC Washington Conference starts today.  We'll be hosting Senator John Edwards this evening, along with a panel on new media and the 2008 elections, hosted by Steve Rabinowitz. 

DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES STRONG AGAINST BUSH COURT'S ASSAULT ON CHOICE

As NJDC Blog readers are undoubtedly aware, the Supreme Court launched an assault on choice yesterday, upholding legislation which bans third trimester abortions without offering protections for the life and health of the mother.  Both of Bush's new right wing justices voted for the ban (in a 5-4 decision).

Democratic presidential candidates have been strong in voicing objections to this effort to undermine a woman's right to choose. "Democratic candidates uniformly deplored the 5-4 ruling in which the court said the 2003 ban does not violate a woman's constitutional right to an abortion," reported the AP. 

MILWAUKEE JOURNAL-SENTINAL CALLS ON TOMMY THOMPSON TO DROP OUT AFTER COMMENTS ABOUT JEWISH COMMUNITY

From the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinal:

Editorial: Long shot made longer

An inexcusable gaffe should spell an end to his candidacy: The former Wisconsin governor's remarks about Jewish tradition reveal him to be unpresidential.

If Tommy Thompson's presidential run isn't over, it should be.

And this has nothing to do with his relatively light campaign chest. His remarks about Jewish people and tradition Monday revealed him simply to be ill-suited to the presidency.

Bob "CIA Leak Traitor" Novak's Anti-Israel Rantings

Hear that silence?  That's Republican party leaders refusing to say a peep about Bob Traitor Novak's repeated bashing of Israel.  Where is the outrage from the right?  Are Republican politicians afraid to stand up to Grumpy Bob?

In a release yesterday, NJDC called out GOPers for their silence on this matter.  You know, the same people who hem and haw whenever anyone who has ever been in the same room as a Democrat says something remotely questionable on Israel.

Just how bad is Tweety Bird Bob on Israel?  As NJDC reported yesterday:

In recent columns, Novak has suggested Israel’s policies are “worse than apartheid,” implied that Israel is oppressing Christians, claimed that terror organization Hamas wants peace, and chastised President Bush for failing to pressure the Israeli government. [Washington Post, 4/9/07, 4/16/07 and 4/5/07]