Israel Matzav: Cantor spokesman clarifies remarks on Netanyahu meeting

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Cantor spokesman clarifies remarks on Netanyahu meeting

Since none of the Leftist bloggers who attacked House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va) bothered to call Cantor's office, here are some clarifications from Brad Dayspring, Cantor's press secretary regarding the readout they've been parsing since last Thursday.

As the author of these two sentences, I feel it is my obligation to set the record straight, starting with the first point: “Eric stressed that the new Republican majority will serve as a check on the administration and what has been, up until this point, one party rule in Washington.”

This sentence was intended to summarize the portion of their conversation about the U.S. election. The checks and balances message was a dominant theme of the 2010 campaign, and certainly played a role in the defeat of many incumbent members. In that context, it would be difficult to imagine a serious conversation about the post-election shift in power without at least mentioning the role of the new Republican majority in the 112th Congress.

The separation of powers was designed by the Founders to prevent a majority from unbridled rule, prohibiting any branch of the new American government from attaining too much power. In a divided government, policy differences will naturally be more prevalent than during periods of one party rule.

With that in mind, it hardly seems shocking that a senior member of the House would reiterate the constitutional responsibility of checks and balances. Additionally, it is noteworthy that nothing in this sentence relates to, sides with, or advocates for Israel or its prime minister – despite efforts by Think Progress and others to insert that notion for argumentative convenience.

Second: “He made clear that the Republican majority understands the special relationship between Israel and the United States, and that the security of each nation is reliant upon the other.”

To be clear, Eric understands this special relationship, and he felt it important to make clear to the prime minister that the new Republican majority does as well.

Do you know who else does? According to this White House Press Office readout, President Barack Obama does: “…The President and the Prime Minister reaffirmed the strong, unbreakable bonds that characterize the special relationship between the United States and Israel.”

In other words, Eric reiterated administration policy, according to its own definition.

The second half of the statement, “and that the security of each nation is reliant upon the other,” is something that Eric wanted to stress, particularly in the current global environment.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton seems to agree, if her remarks to AIPAC are any indication.

“Given the shared challenges we face,” Clinton said, “the relationship between the United States and Israel has never been more important. The United States has long recognized that a strong and secure Israel is vital to our own strategic interests. And we know that the forces that threaten Israel also threaten the United States of America. And therefore, we firmly believe that when we strengthen Israel’s security, we strengthen America’s security.”

Last, Rozen wrote on Politico, “Kampeas also characterized the one-on-one meeting between the prime minister and the lawmaker as unusual.”

Yet both Kampeas and Rozen failed to mention that on the same day Netanyahu met with Eric, the prime minister held a similar meeting with the New York Democrat, Sen. Chuck Schumer.

For some reason, neither found that meeting to be so unusual.

Somehow I doubt we'll be seeing any mea culpas from Kampeas, Rozen, Sullivan, Benen, etc. But this certainly is a different perspective.

Forgive me, but I was actually hoping the Leftists were correct and that Cantor really was telling Bibi, "we've got your back against Obama." My, my, these Lefties really are becoming paranoid, aren't they?

Labels: Eric Cantor, US - Israel relationship