Netanyahu has been contacting Dems in Congress....trying to turn them against Obama

[Cali_Democrat]

Netanyahu Is Talking to Leading Democrats to Little Effect So Far
By CARL HULSE and JEREMY W. PETERSJAN. 29, 2015

WASHINGTON — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel has been reaching out to leading Capitol Hill Democrats to try to ease criticism over his coming address to Congress, but has made little progress.

Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the Democratic leader, said Thursday that Mr. Netanyahu had called him the previous afternoon to explain why the White House had been circumvented before he was invited to speak before Congress. The prime minister has also called Representative Nancy Pelosi of California, the House Democratic leader, and Senator Charles E. Schumer of New York, the Senate’s No. 3 Democrat.

The calls came at a delicate time. Congress is split over whether to impose further sanctions on Iran as the United States and Tehran negotiate a possible freeze to its disputed nuclear program. President Obama has said any vote on sanctions would jeopardize the talks. Mr. Netanyahu, who is to address the issue in his congressional speech, and many pro-Israel lawmakers in Congress have urged a hard line.

Mr. Netanyahu’s office confirmed Thursday that he had called Democrats and “other friends” in Congress in recent days, and that he “reiterated that the survival of Israel is not a partisan issue.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/30/us/politics/benjamin-netanyahu-is-talking-to-harry-reid-and-leading-democrats-to-little-effect-so-far.html

[BeyondGeography]

1. Cuz Obama, ya know, he's trying to destroy Israel

[A-Schwarzenegger]

2. Why doesn't he just run for President.

Cut out the middleman.

[msanthrope]

3. That's right Bibi--the survival of Israel is non partisan. So it will be there long after your

batshit insane party is out of power.

[olegramps]

19. I can only remind this war monger that Israel would not even exist without the United States.

[GummyBearz]

4. Wait...

Politicians are involved in both domestic AND international politics? Since when??

[aquart]

5. The little vonce.

I hope this costs him his election.

[louis-t]

23. Vonce: bedbug.

Learned that from watching M*A*S*H.

[old guy]

30. I remember that episode. One of the best!

[aquart]

48. Yep.

[TwilightGardener]

6. A foreign country attempts to hijack our legislative branch

and manipulate our elected officials into serving its interests instead of ours. American citizens should be outraged. But, you know, whatever.

[Nye Bevan]

7. Were you outraged when Syria's Assad met with Nancy Pelosi in 2007? (nt)

[Ichingcarpenter]

10. fuck Isreal ....and his fascist country he's ruined

by doing war crimes in gaza.

[atreides1]

11. One member

As opposed to the entire US Congress...apples and oranges!

And for the record...I don't like the idea of any member of the US Congress meeting with a foreign head of state!!!

[TwilightGardener]

12. Seriously? You think this is comparable?

Sorry, this isn't a mere superficial, symbolic meeting with a foreign head of state. Boehner invited Netanyahu to address Congress specifically to undermine the Iran deal, of which the success or failure has very big implications for the United States.

[Bandit]

14. Did she have him speak before both Houses of Congress?

Congress does not do foreign policy, that is entirely up to the President. One on one with any foreign leader is quite acceptable but not an official address to Congress. That goes completely against protocol.

[Nye Bevan]

38. Would you be OK with the congressional Republicans traveling to Israel

to meet Netanyahu "one on one", behind closed doors?

[Bandit]

43. Yes that is fine, totally up to them

In that capacity they speak solely as individuals and not as Representatives of America. When it become Official then there is a problem.

[SickOfTheOnePct]

58. Foreign leaders speaking to joint sessions of Congress is not unusual

Netanyahyu has done so twice before.

[brush]

60. The way this invitation was sent —behind the president's back — is unpresedented though nt

[SickOfTheOnePct]

61. Very true

It was sneaky and rude.

Unprecedented but certainly not illegal.

[Leith]

21. Why Did Pelosi Meet with Assad?

According to NBC News, to talk peace. Did Assad try to turn Congress against the President and his policies?

Why is Netanyahu speaking to the entire US Congress? To encourage war with Iran. There's a big difference there.

For that matter, McCain went to Syria to meet rebel leaders and Breitbart seems to be fine with that. Romney visited the UK (and fucked that up), Israel, and Poland when he was a candidate for office and there was no big outcry. It seems that it's fine only when a Republican does it - even here on DU.

[BeanMusical]

22. What a stupid thing to say.

[mopinko]

25. she went through channels.

and she went over there. didnt invite assad over here.

but keep trying to gin up that outrage.

[Nye Bevan]

29. I wasn't outraged.

And I'm not outraged about Netanyahu coming to make a speech.

[Ichingcarpenter]

32. a speech before both houses.... on national tv.......what a load of shit

vs talking to pelosi...... what a hypocrite.

[Nye Bevan]

39. Nobody says you have to watch it (nt)

[azureblue]

33. and I can see why

with that attempt at false equivalency.

[Ichingcarpenter]

41. right wing talking points usually have false equivalency

what a load shit.

[karynnj]

40. Not really very similar

Pelosi went to Syria and met with Assad - just as other Senators and Congressmen did with many leaders. In fact, a huge number of legislators go to Israel each year -- and they meet with Netanyahu and others.

Here, you have a head of state who accepted an invitation to speak to a legislature AGAINST the policy of the head of state. That is pretty unusual -- so unusual that I can't think of a previous time where it happened.

Not to mention, the Obama administration only said it was a breech of protocol to give the President a heads up before making the invitation.

Now, it ignores that the obama administration spent December working overtime for Israel - trying to stop the Palestinian resolution - then working to get enough votes against it so that a US veto would not be needed. Dermer, Israel's former Republican operative ambassador met for 2 hours with John Kerry, who called at least 50 states to get support for Israel to prevent the Palestinians from taking Israel to the ICC. You would think all his effort - done in spite of repeated personal attacks by Netanyahu and his cabinet - might have been returned with a polite heads up on this --- but NO.

There are other real issues -- like Netanyahu today adding to settlements -- in areas that would be contrary to any Palestinian state. Done now - I suspect - so they can complain when the US and EU speak against them.

[gcomeau]

42. If you seriously cannot see the difference...

Between a foreign leader meeting with one official who is visiting THEIR country and a foreign leader arranging to address the entire legislative branch of the United States government, IN Washington DC, for the explicit purposes of trying to undermine the publicly stated foreign policy priorities of the president, without so much as consulting the White House, you are beyond any hope of rational discussion with on this issue.

[JI7]

54. what a weird comparison, kind of like comparing Richard Sherman to George Zimmerman

[Nye Bevan]

62. I assume you're referring to the thread where I called Zimmerman a "thug",

said that "thug" was a good word for people like Zimmerman, and said that it was a pity that some have adopted this word as a racist "dog whistle"?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=6159240

I am sorry if this characterization offended you so much that you are bringing it up in other, unrelated threads.

[atreides1]

8. It's Israel

If it were, say a European country, then people would be speaking out!

[GummyBearz]

9. Welcome to international politics

I'm pretty sure heads of state lobby other countries' politicians over any big international sanction vote, or worse... such as sending the CIA to go in and overthrow governments like we do..

[Brother Buzz]

13. AIPAC is so yesterday

[summerschild]

15. We shall thank Mr. Boehner and the Republicans for

the pending Iranian war.

God, I'm sick of em.

[aquart]

49. We are not going to war with Iran.

Curb the hysteria.

[Ykcutnek]

16. Going to be a joy watching the people of Israel toss this trash out in the upcoming election. nt

[aquart]

51. I hope the fear of alienating their one ally

is greater than their PTSD-fueled terror of the growing Arab populations set to engulf them. Bibi has played that terror like a violin.

[Blue Owl]

17. Who is this yahoo?

[Dont call me Shirley]

27. He is Nitwityahoo.

[freshwest]

18. Necessary for FOX to cheer another war. The GOP's already been outted:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10026152447

More sound bites from the GOP. 'Better Believe It' they'll have Bibi and all the christian dominionists on between now and 2016 to fight the Dems.

[BeanMusical]

20. You're an anti-semite and a Holocaust denier for saying that, don't you know?

[aquart]

52. Isn't it funny how you're the only one saying it?

I could laugh for milliseconds.

[jalan48]

24. What is it they call Bibi?

That's right. The U.S. Senator from Israel.

[Orrex]

26. If Iran were doing this, we'd already have bombed the country flat

But it's ok if you're Israel, apparently.

[hifiguy]

35. Definitely

[aquart]

53. No, we wouldn't. This is a diplomatic kerfuffle.

Hysterical hyperbole helps nothing. But it is very Bibi-ish. Do you want to become Bibi in your emotionally manipulative rants about Israel? Just wondered.

[Orrex]

55. That depends. Will the US give me billion$ for no good reason?

Last edited Sun Feb 1, 2015, 10:15 AM - Edit history (1)

If so, then I guess I could become Biibi for a weekend or so.

[azureblue]

28. what a load

"Mr. Netanyahu’s office confirmed Thursday that he had called Democrats and “other friends” in Congress in recent days, and that he “reiterated that the survival of Israel is not a partisan issue.” "

No. It's not about "survival of Israel", and if that isn't a guilt trip, I don't know what one is. It's all about free money from the US, and insuring its continued flow. Israel does not need our money. We can support Israel without giving them money that our own people need.

And the calls make it plain that, from the time the GOP and Netanyahu talked, interfering with the US government is his objective. And that is exactly what these calls are - interfering.

[George II]

31. MORE meddling in US politics and government? Why doesn't he move here, get US citizenship....

....and THEN try to affect our politics? Otherwise, STFU!

[es35]

66. Netanyahu’s crowd throws US secularism under the bus

Netanyahu’s meddling in US politics is all the more outrageous because his supporters in Israel have a callous disregard for the survival of American secularism. Most Israeli conservatives support some of the most reactionary right-wing theocratic groups in the US which endangers our own secularism. Right-wing Jewish or Israeli theocrats have become key contributors to anti-secular American politicians and movements.18-20 An international poll by the WIN/Gallup organization in Sept 2012 prior to the US Presidential election found that of a total of 32 countries representing 55% of the world's population, Israeli respondents showed the highest level of support for Mitt Romney (65%), a stridently anti-secular Mormon, over Barack Obama (35%). The tilt of the Israeli government toward right wing US theocrats was therefore true of the average Israeli citizen, which is very surprising given their high percentage of nonbelievers.21 Nonbelievers opposed to secularism shows the extent to which nationalism trumps commitment to the Enlightenment.
Israelis therefore apparently have very little concern for the survival of secularism in the USA, or actually want to destroy it like the religious-right of our country they support, but want us Americans to be fully committed to the survival of Israel. They do not seem to understand that the freedoms that our secular Constitution provides are just as important to our survival as their nation’s security is for theirs. Yet they expect us to fully support theirs while they oppose ours. That is unfair, unacceptable and an outrage

[hifiguy]

34. Were I one of those contacted I would tell Bibi

to take a long walk of a short pier regardless of my position on Israel. That crawling shit has no business sticking his nose into US internal affairs. Nor does AIPAC for that matter. Fuck Bibi with an iron stick.

[tartan2]

36. I really really dislike this jack ass!!

Would somebody just drop kick him back to Israel..

[Corruption Inc]

37. I read that netanyahu is also a big poopyhead

who want sanctions against Iran.

[oldandhappy]

44. Just in case you want to tell him to take care of his own business --

Benjamin Netanyahu
{rime Minister's Office
3 Kaplan St. Hakirya
Jerusalem 91950
Israel

I wrote a week ago. Please send some more letters.

[kentuck]

45. Obama should sue...

Boehner.

[Cali_Democrat]

47. LOL....best idea yet.

Sue him for failing to follow the Constitution which specifically states that the executive branch is in charge of foreign affairs.

[SickOfTheOnePct]

59. I'm sure you're joking

but based on what? The Speaker of the House can invite whomever he or she chooses to speak before Congress. No Presidential approval required.

[williesgirl]

46. Cut all aid to Israel NOW

[aquart]

50. Gosh, what would we win if we were stupid enough to do that?

[malaise]

56. That's what happens when you defend war criminals like Bibi

Stop giving the criminal enterprise money - stop falling over one another to say how much he is your friend while he slaughters Palestinians.

[madokie]

57. There will be no peace in the middle east

as long as Israel is there
I'm wore out with their sense of entitlement, not to mention the cruelty of their actions toward their neighbors

[ann---]

63. This man is a menace

Nuttyahoo should resign so a sane person can lead Israel.

[fredamae]

64. Has this ever happened before?

And If "beebs" is chatting with My lawmakers in DC, does that not also allow My voice/participation to the conversation?

[Jesus Malverde]

65. Benjamin Mileikowsky

More desperate by the day. What a loser, always on the wrong side of history.