president

Thursday, November 13th, 2008

Larry Cohler-Esses

It was in Grant Park, at East Ninth Street, that my past revisited me amid the cacophony of Barack Obama’s victorious night in Chicago last week.

Tuesday, November 11th, 2008

James Besser in Washington

Remember all those stories about how Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) would be booted from the Democratic caucus once the party no longer needed him to hold on to their razor-thin majority in the Senate?

It’s looking less and less likely that’s going to happen, despite the fury of some Democrats and  a major “Netroots” campaign to have the three-term senator ousted from his position as chair of the Homeland Security Committee.

Tuesday, November 11th, 2008

James Besser in Washington

Howard Dean is calling it quits as chair of the Democratic National Committee after an election that restored his party to the White House, increased its majorities in both Houses of Congress – and solidified a Jewish vote that analysts once believed was getting soft around the edges.

Monday, November 10th, 2008

So what, exactly, does it mean that Rep. Rahm Emanuel, the son of an Israeli who served in the Irgun, has been named White House chief of staff under President-elect Barack Obama?

It means a lot, in terms of White House management and policy; the hard-charging, experienced, hyper-aggressive Emanuel will undoubtedly  keep the incoming administration organized, deal effectively with Congress and serve as an effective gatekeeper to a new president who will be besieged by those seeking influence and jobs.

Sunday, November 9th, 2008

James Besser in Washington

You have to hand it to Jewish Republicans; they know how to make lemonade out of lemons.

Thursday, November 6th, 2008

If you believe the 7th graders in my daughter’s yeshiva class, we’re all doomed.

There is about to be a nuclear war, it seems. Iran is going to take over the world, or perhaps it will be Iraq. Israel? Forget about it.

This might be an amusing reaction to the election of Barack Obama if not for the reality that many of these pre-adolescents, if not most, are getting this stuff from their parents.

Sunday, October 26th, 2008

James Besser in Washington

Why have Sen. Barack Obama’s Jewish numbers surged, at least according to two polls released last week?  The pollsters don’t answer that question in detail,  but several likely explanations jump out from the numbers.

*  The economy.

Sunday, October 19th, 2008

James Besser in Washington

It was billed as a “tele-town hall with Jewish leaders nationwide,” but Sen. John McCain’s electronic meeting on Sunday sounded more like a staged campaign event than a give-and-take with community leaders.

Friday, October 3rd, 2008

James Besser in Washington

This week’s polls are showing Sen. Barack Obama opening up a significant lead over Sen. John McCain, but don’t start placing your bets on the November outcome.  A cascade of events and some unprecedented political factors make this the most volatile election year in recent history.

Sunday, September 28th, 2008

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has come and gone, and while our community focused primarily on the Stop Iran rally outside the UN last week ­ and was caught up in a controversy over which, if any politicians to invite — it seems we have almost taken for granted how the Iranian president is treated with respect rather than disdain inside the halls of the UN, despite his anti-Semitic rantings.