NJDC's Blog

NJDC rising stars mentioned in Politico

As some may have noticed in our blog entries, there are some new names on the byline. With the 2008 elections, we at NJDC are ready for the fight. To bolster our ranks NJDC hired Alexis Rice as our new Deputy Executive Director and Communications Director and Aaron Keyak as our Press Secretary. We already knew how great these two are, but apparently the Politico has also taken notice. Check out this blog entry to read more.

A Shameful Smear

This week Senator Obama spoke movingly on Memorial Day of his Grandfather’s service during World War II, and specifically of his role in liberating victims of Auschwitz. As was pointed out, Obama was mistaken, and that it was in fact Buchenwald that he helped liberate, as Auschwitz was liberated by the Soviets. Obama’s campaign quickly corrected the mistake. After all, it was an honest mistake, family stories get passed down and facts might be forgotten. However, the Republican National Committee jumped at him with wild abandon, noting that his grandfather would have had to be part of the Soviet Army to be at Auschwitz, and that maybe he was in fact a Soviet Soldier. To suggest that a patriot who served faithfully in World War II in the American Armed Forces was a “red” as it were is an outrage. To impugn the dignity of the service of heroes of our greatest generation is beyond contemptible, it’s frankly offensive. Some, even worse, have pointed out that Buchenwald was merely a “work camp,” somehow less horrific than other Concentration Camps. Trying to equate any forced incarceration by the Nazis is absurd and reprehensible. To downplay the horrific nature of Buchenwald is an affront to the estimated 56,000 prisoners who died there. Most died from exhaustion and starvation, but many died of being unceremoniously executed with a shot to the back of the head. It was the temporary home of legendary Jewish author and Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel. Anyone who has read his numerous works knows of the pain in every word, words brought to fruition by Buchenwald. Many have suggested this outcry is pay back for criticism of Sen. McCain’s failure to distinguish between Sunni and Shia insurgents in Iraq. If so, this charade will have reached a new point of insanity. There is a big difference between fudging facts on honorable family history, and a supposed expert of foreign policy not knowing the fundamental players in the biggest foreign policy issue currently on the books. Sen. McCain and the RNC owe two things: better fact checkers and an apology.

Philadelphia Jewish Voice - Profile about NJDC

The Philadelphia Jewish Voice has a nice profile online about NJDC.  The profile can be found online here.  The newspaper also has extensive coverage of NJDC's Washington Conference, found here. 

With Obama Announcement, five of six Democratic presidential candidates confirmed to speak at NJDC conference

NJDC announced today that Senator Barack Obama will speak at our Washington Conference, to be held April 23-25, 2007. We’ve previously announced that Senator Joseph Biden, Senator Chris Dodd, Senator John Edwards, Governor Bill Richardson, DNC Chairman Howard Dean, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer and Israeli Ambassador Sallai Meridor will be joining us.

Click here for more information and click here to register.

A tentative schedule is available here.

 

GUEST COMMENTARY: Critiquing the Critics of AIPAC

GUEST COMMENTARY

Debunking AIPAC Conspiracy Theories
By Steve Sheffey

Some Americans love conspiracy theories—mob involvement in the assassination of President Kennedy, a cover-up of evidence of extra-terrestrial visitors by the Air Force, and the belief the fluoridation is an attempt to poison the water supply are but a few of the theories that appeal to the fringe of the population that refuses to see things as they are, but instead imagines sinister forces pulling strings behind a curtain.

Most of these theories are benign or easily refuted. Paul, after all, is not dead. But a new theory making the rounds is more disturbing. After nearly 60 years of virtually uninterrupted bi-partisan support, some people are alleging that America’s strong alliance with Israel is not the result of geopolitical and moral considerations, but rather the result of undue influence exerted by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), a lobby formed in 1954 to advocate for a strong U.S.-Israel relationship based on the shared values of America and Israel and on Israel’s strategic importance to the United States.

http://www.njdc.org/issues/detail.php?id=657

click to register

NJDC Director Interviewed by Philadelphia Jewish Voice

NJDC Executive Director Ira N. Forman discusses a wide range of issues -- including congressional ethics reform, U.S.-Israel relations, and some of Dick Cheney's wacky statements -- in an interview featured in the current edition of the Philadelphia Jewish Voice.

Click here for the complete interview....

It Really is a Worldwide Web

When you make it to Stockholm (I think?  That's Swedish, right?)..., I think NJDC Blog has proven it is capable of generating links from bloggers located just about anywhere.