Shabbat Shalom 21 Av 5768 (Update 11:47 pm)

"It's Biden"
Career politician gets VP nod from Obama

Deleware Senator and two-time former Presidential candidate Joseph Biden will be Barack Obama's Vice Presidential nomination. Associated Press first reported and within a few minutes was confirmed by Fox News and CNN at approximately 11:45 pm this evening.

Biden is a fascinating choice for Obama. He will not be one of these guys that has no impact on the ticket. His selection will be a brilliant move or disastrous one, nothing in-between.

Obama has completely abandoned the "change" theme by selecting the Deleware senator. Biden has been serving in the Senate for over 35 years and can be described as the ultimate Washington insider. Biden ran for President twice. First in 1988 where he was forced to end his candidacy after it was learned that he plagiarized a speech by a British politician. It was then learned he was also guilty of plagiarism during his law school days. He also ran in the Democratic primary this past election season.

Biden does bring excellent foreign policy experience to the Obama ticket. However some of that experience may haunt the Illinois senator. Biden has been very complimentary of John McCain, who the Delaware senator has praised countless times over the years. Biden was an adamant supporter of going into Iraq and it's well documented that he called for the removal of Sadam Hussein when it was fashionable for Democrats to talk tough.

The far-left won't be happy with the choice. Independents will approve, but most important, the 20% of Hillary Clinton supporters planning to vote for McCain will not be swayed back by a Biden selection. That fact in conjunction with the hypocrisy factor of selecting one of the current elder statesman of Washington in the supposed campaign for "change," is why I believe this is a bad decision by Obama.

Fun fact: Drudge Report eats big bowl of crow. Reporting earlier that Evan Bayh of Indiana was the probable selection since they reported Obama/Bayh bumper stickers being printed. Niiice!



America has elections not anointed kings
McCain leads in polls, NBC and NY Times panic

A few months ago I was discussing politics with a friend of mine who believes an Obama Presidency is inevitable. After explaining to him how the electoral map favors McCain, he still believed the future was already set in stone.

"Don't you watch the news or read the newspapers," he told me. "They talk as if his victory is a forgone conclusion." I laughed and told him he was right. Sure they presume he will win in November because they want him to and they want to create the perception that he is President-in waiting Obama. However the average Americans vote counts the same as Keith Olbermann and Chris Matthews.

This past week fear and panic could be found in most newsrooms in America. The latest Reuters/Zogby poll shows that McCain leads Obama by five points among likely voters. The electoral college map also has McCain ahead.

Is it conceivable that the Messiah image of Obama presented by the media is not fooling the public. Is it possible that voters realize that "change" is just a word, which can have negative consequences. Dare I say that an original thought, ideas and real substance may be necessary to win the Presidency. Say it ain't so Paulie, say it ain't so.

Barack Obama is a product of the Cook County Democratic machine. He comes from a world in which people don't actually run for office, they in fact are anointed by the political machine and either get named to fill a vacant seat or are given an easy pathway in the general election. Having to come up with real solutions and be held accountable to constituents doesn't exist in the Peoples Republic of Chicago.

This past week the media hit a new low when they felt the need to cover for Obama after his disastrous performance at the Saddleback Civil Forum on the Presidency. McCain gave clear precise answers to the questions asked by pastor Rick Warren, while Obama was often vague and appeared uncertain. Andrea Mitchell of the National Barack Channel suggested that McCain was "so well prepared," and that the Obama people are "putting out privately" that "McCain may not have been in the cone of silence and may have had some ability to overhear what the questions were to Obama." Of course major media outlets and the left-wing blogosphere jumped on this possibility like Bill Clinton on an intern.

Desperate...Desperate...Desperate.

The bottom line is that Obamessiah may be the chosen one for the Democratic Party, but he certainly is not anointed king of the United States. The people not the New York Times will determine our next President.


Jimmy Carter must be removed
Democrats to feature anti-Israel advocate at convention

A few years ago your brilliant blogger garnered some attention with my article Democratic Support Dwindling for the Jewish State. My concern at the time was that support for Israel was not as strong as it used to be among Democratic elected officials as well as voters who identify with the Party.

At the time I received praise and criticism by pro-Israel advocates. Many Democrats at the time were still in denial of the anti-Israel ideas growing within the Party. To this day they refuse to recognize that the Progressive movement, the most powerful element within the Party, is consumed with anti-Israel and too an extent anti-Semtic thinkers. However when former President Jimmy Carter released his anti-Israel book Palestine: Peace not Apartheid those who criticized me began singing a differen tune.

The name Jimmy Carter is synonymous with incompetence. His ignorance has been noteworthy since his Presidency, but it's his behavior toward Israel and comments about Jewish influence is why he remains a plague on the world stage. Besides his anti-Israel attitude, Carter has been a terrorist sympathizer. He has used his stature to legitimize murderers as freedom fighters and partners for peace. His travels to Syria in April to meet with Hamas leader Khaled Meshal was a triumphant moment for an organization that is dedicated to finishing the job Hitler started, not to mention responsible for killing hundreds of American citizens.

This week the Democratic National Committee announced their convention program, which includes Carter as a featured speaker Monday evening. This decision by Barack Obama and Howard Dean to include Carter in the convention is a slap in the face to the American Jewish community. Sen. Obama is not calming the fears of Jewish voters who are not convinced he will be a friend to the state of Israel.

This past May your brilliant blogger published an article explaining why an Obama Presidency would be "Jimmy Carter's second term." It is the similarities of the two men that I explore that also leads me to believe that Carter and his ideas will be welcomed with open arms by Obama. He has hired enough ex-Carter staffers and confidants to show that he believes in what Carter does and what he has accomplished. Unfortunately for Jews those accomplishments include strengthening Hamas and adding credibility to Jewish stereotypes of power and control. Now these ideas get to be front and center at the Democratic National Convention.

Paulies Point joins with the growing barage of pro-Israel voices who call on Sen Obama, Howard Dean and the rest of the Democratic leadership to remove Carter from the program. As Matt Brooks of the Republican Jewish Coalition said, "The hand that shook Khaled Meshal's should not be allowed to rise in support of Senator Obama's candidacy for president."

Mr. Obama don't let your nomination be tainted by a man who has blood on his hand and hate in his heart.

Paulie