Is Rand Paul the Tea Party? Is he anti-Israel?
The New York Times raises the concern that Israel is becoming a partisan issue (in fact, it has been one for at least the last two years) in the US Congress, but frets that some Republicans may not be as supportive of Israel as we would like them to be. However, the Times only has one example: Rand Paul. Scores of Tea Party-backed candidates are entering Congress, many of whom favor isolationist policies and are determined to cut American foreign aid, regardless of its destination. Rand Paul, the newly elected Tea Party-backed senator from Kentucky, bluntly told the American Israeli Public Affairs Committee, an influential pro-Israel lobbying group, that they were going to disagree about the need for foreign aid and suggested that they move on to other topics, according to a person briefed on the meeting.Yes, there may be an issue with Rand Paul. But the same issues exist with some Democrats as well (Keith Ellison?).
...
Yet the Tea Party-backed lawmakers remain something of a mystery. One of their brightest stars, Marco Rubio, went on a personal trip to Israel days after winning his Florida Senate race. But pro-Israel analysts point out that Mr. Paul once said he did not view an Iran with one nuclear bomb as a threat, though he has subsequently been more hawkish. Mr. Paul did not reply to a request for comment.
But is the Tea Party Rand Paul or is it Marco Rubio? And didn't most of the Tea Party candidates (Christine O'Donnell) supposedly lose anyway?
I'll put up with one Rand Paul if the rest of the Republicans are more pro-Israel than their Democratic colleagues. Marco Rubio? John Boehner? Eric Cantor? Mike Pence? Do I need to go on?
Read the whole thing.
I have a feeling this may just be the Times trying to head off a massive flood of Jewish votes to the Republicans in 2012. I'm inclined to wait and see how Paul behaves once the new Congress is in session.
UPDATE 2:05 PM
For a more positive view of Tea Party support for Israel, go here.
The Times also expresses concern about foreign aid to Israel, but the truth is that what Israel needs (and mostly gets) is military aid, much of which is paid for in cash or in kind, albeit generally at a discount.
Labels: Eric Cantor, Marco Rubio, Rand Paul, Republicans
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 12:57 PM
10 Comments:
The Tea Party has vague outlines, organizationally, socially, inspirationally. If you want to worry about something worry that in past polls, his father, Ron Paul, undoubtedly hip deep in anti-Jewish crankery, scores very high in Tea Party popularity polls. Put another way, is the "paleo-conservative" Pat Buchanan American Conservative anti-Zionist(/semitic) faction of the GOP tied into the Tea Party?
Sparky's got it. Also, along with the paleo Pat Buchanan types, a swath of the (R)s are libertarian, who, by their own definition of their view, will want to NOT get involved internationally. That would be fine in some cases, but they also don't intend to stop slaughters... they will tell you that they are sick of financing the policing of the world. As in any country in the world, people don't tend to fit 100% into a box, even if it is named "Tea Party".
The Tea Party is not a party. There are those that have adopted it is their affiliation, but there is no leader and no headquarters.
People that identify themselves as Tea Party people LEAN towards certain candidates that are minimalist - prefer minimal government and minimal government control of or involvement people's lives and minimal spending and minimal taxes. That is as close as you'll get to monolithic. On foreign policy and social policy, they are all over the map, except with respect to aid and bailouts. It is not about Israel.
At least, that is my perception.
I'm a Kentuckian who opposed Rand Paul. He doesn''t support Israel. His statement on Israel indicates that he is not much better than his father. His campaign got off the ground with donations from his father's supporters, who are anti-Israel, mostly through Alex Jones' fundraising for him. I'm appalled to have him representing Kentucky.
The Tea Party is very loosely organized, and if it could be considered organized at all, it's built around fiscal responsibility and domestic liberty. There is no particular Tea Party foreign policy, so naturally people will have very different notions about international involvement. Most Tea Partiers I know however have been very pro Israel.
The US would not of been hit on 9/11 except for out support of Israel.
It was the jews who got us entangled in serial wars against the
innocent enemies of zionism. It was the jews that got
our sons killed in TWO world wars! It was the jewish banks that financed
both sides of these horrible conflicts and profited from the blood
death and suffering! It was the jews who have turned our Television
screens into springboards for pornographic - Godless - Christ
mocking - pervert glorification. It was jews that have worked
tirelessly to destroy the spirit of Christmas with their secular godless
version of "Xmas" It was the jews who have made pornography a billion dollar
business in our once Christian country!
What rock did Todd Pollard slither out from under? Obviously not an informed, or even educated one, to say nothing of his being totally, even hysterically, dishonest. Not one truth in his post, nor even one sentence that was grammatically correct! The epitome of bigotry - thanks for showcasing the example.
(& to the other posters: as clear-headed a view of the Pauls & the Tea Party as I have ever seen on Usenet.)
The Tea Party (like any broad-base political group) contains people with a wide spectrum of views, so it's not surprising that some of them are Ron/Rand Paul backers. My impression is that the group as a whole is not racist or antisemitic or anti-Israel. In fact, the Democratic Party has a much more serious problem of all three!
RAND PAUL AND THE TEA PARTY ARE NO FRIENDS OF ISRAEL!!! WATCH THIS VIDEO, WHERE A JEWISH WOMAN ASKS RAND PAUL IF HE WILL PROMISE TO ALWAYS STAND WITH ISRAEL!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8o_74AYhxmA
HE NEVER MAKES THAT PROMISE!!!
RAND PAUL AND THE TEA PARTY ARE NO FRIENDS OF ISRAEL!!!! WATCH THIS DISGUSTING VIDEO, WHERE A KIND OLD JEWISH WOMAN POLITELY ASKS RAND PAUL IF HE WILL PROMISE TO ALWAYS STAND WITH ISRAEL!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8o_74AYhxmA
RAND PAUL TALKS AND TALKS BUT NEVER MAKES THAT PROMISE!!! JEWS WILL NOT FORGET THAT!!!!!
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