After weeks of feuding over Mideast, candidates head to AIPAC conference

[Scurrilous]

<snip>

"If there's any doubt about AIPAC being the belle of Washington, check out next week's ball.

The lobbying powerhouse's conference, to be held June 2-4, is the only policy event since the presidential election campaign was launched that has attracted all three major candidates: U.S. Sens. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.).

The conference comes on the heels of a spate of Middle East-related dust-ups involving Obama and McCain.

They have engaged in a bruising battle over Iran policy. McCain favors increased isolation for Iran, Obama favors what he calls tough diplomacy and direct negotiations, and both are casting their arguments in terms of what's better for Israel.

Those differences promise a lively conference. That's fine, officials of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee said.

"They want to compete over who's more pro-Israel?" one said. "Let them compete."

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[Dr.Phool]

1. What?!? No Debbie Lieberman-Shultz?

Their staff has been busted, how many times for spying on us, and stealing secrets?

Declare them a terrorist organization, and run them out of town.

[oberliner]

2. A terrorist organization? Run them out of town?

One hundred thousand Jewish-Americans should be "run out of town" and called terrorists because they are members of AIPAC?

Why do you refer to Debbie Wasserman-Shultz as "Debbie Lieberman-Shultz"?

[EFerrari]

7. One hundred thousand Jewish Americans or anyone that supports that leadership

need to take some responsibility and implement some reform.

[LeftishBrit]

8. I would agree with that...

and judging from Oberliner's post below, some are; but that still doesn't make the others terrorists or worthy of being 'run out of town'. It just makes them wrong IMO. There's a difference.

[EFerrari]

9. Throwing around words like "terrorist" isn't very meaningful

especially when you're talking about such a large group.

[LeftishBrit]

3. Huh?

From what I know, most of the current leadership of AIPAC are far too right-wing; and if I were American, I'd be supporting J-Street and Ameinu. No way would I belong to AIPAC, the way it it is at the moment.

BUT- "Declare them a terrorist organization and run them out of town?" - (And I suppose put them in Gitmo without trial, while you're at it?) You seem to have learned a bit too much from your current President about how to treat people with whom you disagree politically!

[oberliner]

4. Ameinu is part of AIPAC

They are one of the member organizations.

[LeftishBrit]

5. Thanks - not being American I get confused.

I assume they aren't anything like the dominant faction in AIPAC at the moment, however?

[oberliner]

6. No, indeed

They have expressed their frustration with the dominance of right-wing voices in AIPAC and are making a concerted effort to counter that dominance.