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'Bloomberg For President' Redux

Stewart Ain — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 19:50:00 +0000

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Stewart Ain

Here we go again.

New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg is being encouraged to run as an independent after a concerted attempt to get him to run in 2008 went nowhere.

There was even a web site -- Run Mike Run-- that was set up to persuade him to throw his hat into the ring. But Bloomberg didn’t bite – and the web site is still there.

“Should events encourage Mr. Bloomberg to reconsider for 2012, this site will be here to assist in that cause,” it says.

Bloomberg for President Hank Sheinkopf Michael Bloomberg Russell Dalton Thomas Friedman

David Weprin To Run For Weiner's Seat

Adam Dickter — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 16:33:00 +0000

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Adam Dickter

David Weprin, a Queens Democrat who served in the City Council and now the State Assembly, has been named by his party bosses as the candidate in September’s special election to fill the seat of ex-congressman Anthony Weiner.

Politics is the Weprin family business. David’s father Saul was the speaker of the Assembly until his death in 1994, after which his brother, Mark assumed their father’s Assembly seat (while the speaker job went to Sheldon Silver). A third brother, Michael, served as a Huntington Town Councilman.

Anthony Weiner David Weprin Saul Weprin Sheldon Silver

Bibi Told his Policies Need More than Cosmetic Changes

Douglas Bloomfield — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 03:53:00 +0000

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Douglas Bloomfield

When a staunch critic of Barack Obama and long-time contributor and supporter of Benjamin Netanyahu tells the Israeli prime minister he a bigger part of the problem than the solution in the search for Mideast peace, it's important.

More on the Case of the Missing Hillary

James Besser — Mon, 09 May 2011 21:16:00 +0000

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James Besser

Reading the comments and emails on Rabbi Jason Miller's Jewish Week blog about the Yiddish-language newspaper that Photoshopped out Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and White House terrorism official Audrey Tomason from an official photo, I've been struck with how many readers, choking on outrage, seemed to blame the Jewish Week.

How could we do it, many fumed? We should be ashamed.

Der Tzeitung Hasidic Hillary Clinton Orthodox Judaism Photoshop

Helen Thomas, Israel and a graduation speech that won't happen

James Besser — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 15:18:48 +0000

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James Besser

Update: JTA is reporting that Thomas has retired, effective immediately.

Walt Whitman High School in Bethesda, MD, a prosperous Washington suburb, had a graduation speaker all lined up for the June 14 event. But then the proposed speaker was caught on camera saying Israels should “get the hell out of Palestine” and maybe just go back where they came from – presumably places like Germany and Poland.

That was Helen Thomas, the Hearst Newspapers columnist and a member of the White House press corps for 60 years. Her comments produced the predictable reaction, with some Jewish groups calling for Hearst to give her the ax because of her blatant bias against the Jewish state and some Jewish Republicans trying to lay the controversy in the lap of the Obama administration.

Obama, Afghanistan and the Jewish agenda

James Besser — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 17:15:14 +0000

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James Besser

To say President Obama's Tuesday speech to the nation laying out his plans for Afghanistan will be the most critical moment yet in his 10-month old presidency is risking understatement.

The expected deepening of U.S. military involvement, coupled to a change in its objectives, represent a high-risk strategy in a crisis in which every option is laden with danger – for the nation and for the Obama presidency.

White House Jewish outreach on steroids

James Besser — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 16:30:35 +0000

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James Besser

White House Jewish outreach on steroids

Pretty much every Jewish reporter was focused this week on President Barack Obama’s meeting with 16 Jewish leaders at the White House – a presidential performance described as masterful even by some participants uneasy about his evolving Middle East policies and his determination to speak bluntly to Israel about issues such as settlements (read the Jewish Week story on the meeting here).

Jewish activism Obama administration

Senate passes hate crimes bill - but jet controversy could kill it

James Besser — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 16:29:01 +0000

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James Besser

Here’s the good news for the ADL and other Jewish groups that have fought for it for than a decade: the Senate today passed a new hate crimes bill expanding coverage of existing statutes to include, among others, gays and lesbians. The House already passed the measure.

hate crimes Obama

Human Rights Watch in Saudi Arabia: dumb, dumb dumb

James Besser — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 20:00:23 +0000

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James Besser

I generally admire human rights watchdog groups, even if I agree they sometimes show a little more enthusiasm in criticizing Israel than in criticizing its neighbors. Human Rights Watch has always struck me as reasonably fair and balanced – contrary to the views of some pro-Israel groups, which regard any criticism of Israel as blasphemy.

But for the life of me I can't figure out what the group was doing in Saudi Arabia recently, fundraising by allegedly bragging about their battles with the pro-Israel lobby here.

human rights Israel

Madoff joins Pollard at NC jail

James Besser — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 15:03:45 +0000

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James Besser

The nation’s two most famous Jewish inmates are now sharing an address: FCI Butner.

Madoff Pollard

Israel, health care and gays in the militar

James Besser — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 16:02:48 +0000

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James Besser

As Congress debates health care reform and frets about the special interests that want to make it a lot less than genuine reform, maybe it’s a good time for lawmakers to take a good look at how Israel delivers medical services.

Talking Points Memo’s Jo-Ann Mort does here. While Mort is no fan of Israeli policies with respect to the Palestinians, she thinks its health care system has ours beat by a country mile.

Film Kempner Mrs. Goldberg

Netanyahu and the 'self hating Jews' in Washington

James Besser — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 14:43:05 +0000

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James Besser

You have to wonder about some of the members of Bibi Netanyahu’s government.

Netanyahu Obama

John Ensign's 'family values'

James Besser — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 14:33:12 +0000

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James Besser

So Sen. John Ensign’s (R-Nev.) parents paid some $96,000 to his mistress (see this Washington Post story).

It sure is nice to see family members helping each other out in times of crisis.

ensign family values politics

The Democrats not-so-super Senate majority

James Besser — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 14:48:59 +0000

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James Besser

If I was Rabbi David Saperstein (and that's not likely; who has that much energy?), I'd be pleased as punch that Al Franken now has “Sen.” and “D-Minn.) stuck on his name. But I wouldn't be popping any champagne corks; the 60 vote super majority the Democrats gained in theory when Franken was finally sworn in this week will be hard to mobilize in practice.

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Obama administration a disappointment to military church-state leader

James Besser — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 20:53:20 +0000

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James Besser

The leading activist in the fight to make the U.S. military live up to constitutional church-state protections is glad the Pentagon has decided not to allow an Air Force “flyover” as part the annual God and Country Festival in Nampa, Idaho – the first time military authorities have denied the sponsoring group’s request in 42 years.

church-state