Friday, March 16, 2012

CD6: John Delaney on Iran: "All Options on the Table" // Do Candidates Think We Want More Saber-Rattling? We Don't.

UPDATE: A fresh poll shows a majority of Americans are opposed to warmongering with Iran. Further, a majority of poll respondents from all parties support the U.S. Government discouraging Israel from launching its own strikes against Iran.

ROLLING MY EYES: Maryland Juice highlights the following alarming press release from John Delaney. He is running as a candidate in the heated 6th Congressional District Democratic Primary and has issued a press release announcing his position on the growing possibility of a new conflict in the Middle East. Delaney today announces that he believes when dealing with Iran, we must "leave all options on the table." Groaning. Rolling my eyes. Puking in my mouth.

Delaney also feels the need to reiterate that he supports Israel's "right to exist" -- as if there is a wing of the Democratic Party that opposes Israel's right to exist. Did I miss something, or are we answering a question that only Republicans and lobbyists are asking? This is precisely the cynical type of Dinosaur politics that I KNOW members of my generation are tired of seeing. Even talking in these frames reinforces the problem and leads to ridiculous things like people thinking Obama is anti-Israel. I grew up in Bethesda and the vast majority of my Jewish friends from high school (who themselves made up a majority of my friends from that era), are far more solution-oriented in their view of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict than their parents (ie: more J-Street than saber-rattling, if that means anything to you).

As a child of Korean immigrants, my own family harbors a far more adversarial view of how to deal with North Korea than I do. But if we don't start calling out these tonal dynamics, we'll never solve the problem. We are already seeing a shift with Cuba policy -- which mirrors a growing generational divide among Cuban immigrants. Personally, I'm not interested in a world where the infants of today are still dealing with these issues when they are adults. And yet, it is the kind of political dialogue that Delaney's press release encourages that seems to be perpetuating our stalemate on the issues of our day. I'm not praising the construction of Garagiola's issue-set, either -- but this Democratic Primary is our moment to tell candidates how we actually feel about these issues. So let's do it! If we don't, the candidates will keep engaging in cynical politics.

In fact, the issue of "Israel" is now the number one issue on John Delaney's website. I would note the issue is not "Middle East Peace" or "Israeli-Palestinian relations" -- simply "Israel." It lies atop seniors, education, ethics and health care (those two are at the bottom of the list):



See Delaney's statement below:
Congressional Candidate John Delaney Releases Policy Paper on Israel

Vows to Protect Long-Standing US-Israel Relationship

March 16, 2012

Today Democratic Congressional candidate John Delaney laid out his vision for the future of US-Israeli relations, expressing his strong support for this important ally.

“Israel is the strongest democracy in the Middle East and I believe that nothing should ever threaten its right to exist,” said Delaney.

“As a member of Congress, I will work hard to protect the long-standing relationship between the United States and Israel. Israel shares our values and has been our most steadfast ally in the Middle East,” said Delaney. “Our relationship enables mutual growth, greater strength, and enhanced democracy in a turbulent world.”

“I agree with AIPAC that a strong US-Israel partnership is more important than ever,” said Delaney. “The Sixth District’s large Jewish community is very concerned about the current geopolitical climate in the Middle East. In Congress, I will support tough economic measures against Iran.”

“Israel is the strongest voice in the Middle East in supporting and promoting important democratic values, including free elections, women’s rights, freedom of speech, and freedom of all religions,” said Delaney.

Delaney’s paper can be read in full on Delaney2012.com.




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Below is a copy of the "Israel" paper, that I've copied and placed in my Scribd.com library:



CD6: Businesmann John Delaney's Position on War with Iran


This framing of the issue in Congress should help promote peace in the Middle East:

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