From the Washington Post:
A handful of people at Democratic National Headquarters distributed material critical of Israel during a public forum questioning the Bush administration’s Iraq policy, drawing an angry response and charges of anti-Semitism from party chairman Howard Dean on Friday.
“We disavow the anti-Semitic literature, and the Democratic National Committee stands in absolute disagreement with and condemns the allegations,” Dean said in a statement posted on the DNC Web site.
Rep. John Conyers of Michigan, the senior Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, organized the forum on Thursday at the Capitol to publicize and discuss the so-called Downing Street memo. That document suggests that the Bush administration believed that war with Iraq was inevitable and that the administration was determined to use intelligence about weapons of mass destruction to justify the ouster of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.
The Sunday Times of London has reported that the prewar document, which recounts a meeting of Prime Minister Tony Blair’s national security team, was leaked from inside the British government. The White House has rejected the memo’s assertions.
Conyers’ event occurred in a small Capitol meeting room, and an overflow crowd watched witnesses on television in a conference room at DNC headquarters. According to Dean, some material distributed within the DNC conference room implied that Israel was involved in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
One witness, former intelligence analyst Ray McGovern, told Conyers and other House Democrats that the war was part of an effort to allow the United States and Israel to “dominate that part of the world,” a statement Dean also condemned.
“As for any inferences that the United States went to war so Israel could ‘dominate’ the Middle East or that Israel was in any way behind the horrific September 11th attacks on America, let me say unequivocally that such statements are nothing but vile, anti-Semitic rhetoric,” Dean said.
“The inferences are destructive and counterproductive, and have taken away from the true purpose of the Judiciary Committee members’ meeting,” he said. “The entire Democratic Party remains committed to fighting against such bigotry.”
Well, clearly not the entire Democratic Party, Howard. But regardless, good on you for acknowledging the problem, rather than acting as a willing apologist for the anti-Zionist wing of the Democratic left by burying your head in the sand and trying to make the issue conservative outrage.
More from QandO and Bill INDC, who notes, “It strikes me that all of this praise is like awarding a solid gold medal to a problem child because he didn’t pee on the living room floor. This time.”
Precisely. How very telling is it that when a Democrat publically disclaims overt anti-semitism, conservatives are literally suprised and abuzz…?
I’ve arrived! I’m now the poster child for the new anti-Semitic Democratic party.
Hey, keep it up, though. I’m sure that everyone is going to really get on board this here jihad y’all are on. I’m sure the American people are behind you 100%.
Oh yes, you are just so bemused by it all! So postmodern, this is—your interacting here with the rubes who haven’t yet figured out that all politics is about the Jamesonian control of narrative!
Yawn.
For what it’s worth, though, I’m glad you left this comment, because it fairly clearly points out your pathology and the pathology of many of your fellow travelers. You write:
But the thing is, I don’t judge the validity of my positions by how many people support them. I don’t believe in consensus. I believe in right and wrong.
The very fact that you would even think to couch outrage over House Dems’ spreading anti-semitic conspiracy theories as a “jihad” against the conspiracy theorists themselves shows just how delusionally partisan you’ve become.
You can continue responding with carefully affected bemusement if you wish, but do be aware that rather than finding it part and parcel of some interesting and spirited partisan debate, I find it rather pathetic. In fact, I feel genuinely sorry for people like you.
But don’t listen to me. After all, I’m just a slackjawed wingnut. Instead, you just keep telling yourself that each time you assume the role of apologist for the vile shit being floated by the left wing of your party, what you’re really doing is beating back the tide of fascist theocrats who want to turn America into a playground for the rich. After all, it’s more important to get in some digs at those unthinking Rethugs than to take a good look inside your own heart.
Who is this man disavowing antisemitism, and what has he done with the real Howard Dean?
And consider how bad the anti-semitism actually is, if a dip like Dean can spot it.
You know, I disapprove of a lot of things about Van Halen. I think the way that Van Halen have hired and fired singers with no notice is classless in the extreme. I think Eddie is personally to blame for his unique whammied-up guitar style becoming such an Eighties cliche. I think Van Hanlen are a bloated, strife-ridden corporate entity, whose contract squabbles are at least as interesting as their music. I think Van Halen fans are uniformly and irredeemably obnoxious, in their triumphalist mockery of predecessors like The Who and Led Zeppelin. I think Van Halen in no way deserve to headline any bill, or even to be able to book most venues. I think Van Halen’s continued existence stifles the emergence and growth of newer, fresher bands. Indeed, it could not be construed as much of a loss if Van Halen and its fans were to disappear altogether, in some non-violent way.
But no one can honestly say I’m anti-Van Halen. You racist Repuke, you.
Hey, is that you Alpha? Just stirring shit to see what floats up? Again, I thought I was good but damn you’re a master, although Jeff did a damn fine job on them folks up north.
Well,,,,,, Good Luck,,,,,,,, I guess.
Now, to establish control of this narrative:
Bingo!
More than a bit sad that I read the Wash. Post excerpt and I’m not initially sure if it’s satire or a legit story. I’m so sick of this anti-semitism under the guise of a foreign policy debate.
When will it be considered ok to quit pussyfooting around and acknowledge one simple (apparent) fact– that black liberals are almost uniformly anti-Semitic? I can’t think of a single pro-Israel black liberal politician, much less one that is friendly to Jooooz. Yet Conyers and others like him are the first to say the Jooooz (and everyone else!) are racists. I’m so sick of THEIR racist crap.
Someone, please tell me I’m wrong.
And no, I’m not a racist. I just can’t stand leftist idiots.
Jeff,
Love your response to TTMYGH. The Left/Dems really don’t see 9/11 as anything other than a crime. Like a deliberate freeway pileup, to be handled by the police and the courts. So of course they think that Bush’s reaction is not just illegal but stupid.
It’s why the detainees must be put on “trial,†because it must be determined if they are part of the “crime.†And, if we are fighting a war, it must be because of a sinister conspiracy between Bush, the oil industry and Joooooos (who are acting like Nazis in Palestine).
With his worldview, of course it makes sense to play politics since the only threat is from Bushhitler, Halliburton and the Jooooos. Once these threats are removed, it’s back to the end of history.
Pogroms start at noon.
More proof that we are fortunate to live in a time where the Democrats can only playact a leadership role.
See, what did I tell you? It always come back to Jews, Jews, Joooooooooooooooooooooooooooooos!!!
Would it be too cynical to guess that the whole sham forum – anti-Semitic lit and all – was nothing more than a ploy to give the new DNC chair a chance to publically polish his image a bit?
I wouldn’t put it past them.