| It's time to put up or shut up, guys. |
If I had a son he'd look like Trayvon...
and his Israeli counterpart, developments that are creating a rift in the durable alliance between Jews and the Democratic Party in the run-up to the 2016 elections.
Worried that Iran might still develop a nuclear weapon despite the accord announced Thursday, the Jewish leaders say they feel torn between an B.O. regime that has pressed hard for a deal and an Israeli government that has repeatedly warned that Iran is a grave threat to the Jewish state and can't be trusted to abandon its nuclear ambitions.
A group of Jewish Democratic House members met with White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough in his office last week and cautioned that for them to help "sell a very unpopular [Iran nuclear] deal to our constituents," Mr. Obama must "increase his popularity with our constituents," said a Democratic congressman involved in the meeting.
Republicans have begun making moves to try to capitalize on this unease, hoping to peel away Jewish votes and campaign contributions that have historically skewed Democratic.
Republican congressional leaders have been critical of the proposed Iran deal, and the GOP's likely 2016 presidential contenders have largely opposed it. It isn't clear congressional Republicans have a way to block any final deal, and experts warn that even if a Republican wins the White House in 2016, it won't be as easy to wipe off the books an international agreement as campaign rhetoric may suggest.
Hillary Clinton... sometimes described as
America's Blond Eminenceand at other times as Mrs. Bill, never as
Another Dean Rusk...
, the presumed Democratic front-runner, has voiced guarded support for the Iran deal, casting it as "an important step toward a comprehensive agreement that would prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon." Many Jewish leaders have said that if Mrs. Clinton, who enjoys strong ties to the Jewish community, becomes the party's nominee, that would help salve the discontent with the White House.
The politicians who met with Mr. McDonough last week also urged that Mr. Obama soften his tone toward Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and avoid "getting into a daily argument with" him, one participant said.
After Mr. Netanyahu won re-election, White House officials criticized him for moving farther to the right during the campaign by warning about Arab Israelis flocking to the polls and dropping his support for a two-state solution to a Middle East peace agreement.
A White House front man said Mr. Netanyahu had used "divisive
...politicians call things
divisivewhen when the other side sez something they don't like. Their own statements are never
divisive,they're
principled...
rhetoric" and cautioned that the U.S. would "reassess" its options toward the Middle East conflict. Mr. Netanyahu later reaffirmed his commitment to a two-state solution and apologized for his comments on Arab Israeli voters.
