Obama

[Soldier4Christ]

Obama's Kenyan sister stranded in U.S.
Violent unrest in native Africa keeps Auma Obama in N.H.

Violent political unrest in Kenya has prevented the half-sister of Sen. Barack Obama from returning to her native African homeland after visiting the United States during the Iowa caucus campaign, WND has learned.

Auma Obama is now stranded in New Hampshire and indefinitely in the U.S., according to U.S. security officials involved with the presidential campaign.

Barack Obama's protective detail recently was boosted to deal with overflow crowds the new Democratic frontrunner is attracting.

The State Department still views the situation in Kenya as too dangerous for Americans, as well as his sister, to return.

Auma Obama is from Nairobi, where rioters have killed hundreds after a contested presidential election between Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga.

Supporters of Odinga accused Kibaki of rigging the Dec. 27 vote. The charges rekindled tribal tensions, sparking mayhem that has left at least 250,000 people homeless. Ethnic factions have battled police and attacked each other with automatic weapons and even bows and arrows.

Barack Obama reached out to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to discuss the situation before taping a Voice of America statement urging normally peaceful Kenyans to stop the violence.

"Despite the irregularities in the vote tabulation, now is not the time to throw that strong democracy away," Obama said. "Now is a time for President Kibaki, opposition leader Odinga, and all of Kenya's leaders to call for calm, to come together, and to start a political process to address peacefully the controversies that divide them."

Auma and Barack Obama share the same father – the late Barack Hussein Obama Sr., who had abandoned a pregnant wife and child when he met the Illinois senator's mother Ann, a white woman from Kansas, while studying in Hawaii. Barack Obama Jr. was 2 when his father left his new family to study at Harvard.

His father, who at the time was a practicing Muslim, was a member of the Luo tribe in Kenya, one of some 45 tribes there.

It was Auma who reintroduced her younger brother, Barack, to his ancestral village in Kenya in 1995. Their 83-year-old grandmother, Sarah, still lives there. During a return trip to the village last year, Obama opened a school – the Senator Obama School.

Obama has another half-sister in Hawaii and five surviving half-brothers scattered across the globe, including older brother Abongo "Roy" Obama, a Muslim convert.

[Soldier4Christ]

Irregardless of his current beliefs it sounds like a major conflict of interest in the war against terrorism to me.

[Soldier4Christ]

Kenyans ponder largesse from 'President Obama'
'1 of our own': 'We will get a lot of foreign aid and attention'

U.S. Senator Barack Obama's Kenyan grandmother said her grandson is "full of surprises" and will come back from defeat in New Hampshire's primary to become the first black U.S. president.

In Obama's ancestral village of Kogelo in western Kenya, 85-year-old Sara Hussein on Wednesday expressed the general feeling among locals intently focused on the U.S. presidential race amid the violent election turmoil in their own country.

"I know my son will be number one because he is very bright," Obama's grandmother told Reuters as she dried maize cobs in her simple backyard amid grass-thatched farmsteads.

"He keeps a lot of secrets and is full of surprises. I am very confident he will win the race and become president," Hussein, wrapped in brightly coloured clothes, said in a husky voice.

Obama's uncle, Said Obama, said the family were praying for an election come-back after the Illinois senator lost Tuesday's Democratic primary in New Hampshire to rival Hillary Clinton despite going into the poll as favourite.

Barack Obama defiantly told supporters there that together they could still win the White House and change the world.

Born in Hawaii to a white American mother and Kenyan father, Obama is revered by many Kenyans the way the Irish idolised U.S. President John F. Kennedy in the 1960s -- as one of their own who succeeded beyond their wildest dreams.

Obama, who has worked as a civil rights lawyer and law professor, has said he is "deeply troubled" by violence that has killed 500 people since Kenya's disputed Dec. 27 polls.

He last visited Kogelo, which boasts the Senator Obama Primary School, in 2006 and was received like royalty by thousands of cheering well-wishers.

Obama's Kenyan family hail from the Luo tribe of opposition leader Raila Odinga, who accuses Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki of stealing re-election in a poll that has triggered ethnic bloodshed, especially between the Luo and Kibaki's Kikuyu tribe.

Yet support for Obama, whose first name means "blessed" in east Africa's Swahili language, runs across Kenya's tribes.

"I hope to see Obama as the first black president of America," Dan Chemotei, from the picturesque Rift Valley province, which has seen some of the worst violence, told Reuters in central Nairobi where he works as a guard.

"If we get one of our own to lead the world's most powerful nation then we will get a lot of foreign aid and attention. Obama will definitely address the current political crisis in Kenya because he is ours," he said.

Charles Odhiambo, who drives a bicycle taxi in Kogelo, said a President Obama would bring tarmac, water and hospitals to Kenya.

"If he becomes president we will get all that. He will buy me a new motorbike to replace my old bicycle," the 30-year-old father of three said with a smile. 

[Brother Jerry]

Yeah.  But he is all American...all for America....has a "new" idea that will probably follow his turning his back on the flag and handing this coutry over completely to Osama....maybe that should be his new campaign slogan "Obama for Osama"

[Soldier4Christ]

It would be more fitting than the stolen slogan he has of "Change Rocks".

[Soldier4Christ]

Teen claims invention of Obama slogan 
Lawyers suggest campaign review U.S. trademark No. 3,266,236

A teenager who invented a series of rings with interchangeable rocks is challenging the use by the Barack Obama presidential campaign of a "Change Rocks" slogan.

That's because, according to U.S. trademark No. 3,266,236, that slogan belongs to Stefan Doyno, a Scarsdale, N.Y., resident who invented the jewelry products – rings and pendants – and is working on expanding his line. As part of his work he obtained "Change Rocks" as a registered trademark, according to a report in the White Plains, N.Y., Journal News.

Doyno told the newspaper he learned the campaign had used his "Change Rocks" trademark for a concert and campaign fundraiser in Chicago Dec. 7 when he saw the results of an Internet search.

"I was shocked," the first-year student at SUNY-Buffalo told the paper. "I flipped out kind of because I was like, 'Oh no, someone else is using it.'"

He said he called lawyers for advice, and they sent a letter before Christmas to David Plouffe, the national campaign manager for Obama, pointing out the use of the name could bring difficulties if the campaign sells T-shirts or other memorabilia with the slogan.

He told the newspaper the letter also suggests it might be to Obama's interests to work out a deal with the trademark owner.

"Westchester County, as you are obviously aware, is heavily Democratic and we have no doubt that Mr. Obama – despite Ms. Clinton's residence here – enjoys considerable support in the area. Mr. Doyno is far more interested in exploring possible synergies between Mr. Obama's use of Change Rocks as a slogan or theme and the Change Rocks mark and products than he is in preventing Mr. Obama from using the mark in connection with the campaign," said the letter.

So far, neither the teen nor his lawyers has heard back, the newspaper said, but an Obama campaign representative was expected to be considering the issue.

"We thought Obama would recognize the trademark when he realized another Democrat was giving this inventor praise," Howard N. Aronson, managing partner at the Scarsdale intellectual property firm Lackenbach Siegel, told the newspaper.

[Shammu]

Barack Obama's foreign policy for the 21st century

**Note:** There is also a video of this interview, on this website..

Senior Advisor Susan Rice outlines Obama's "21st century approach" to foreign policy

Friday January 11th, 2008
Susan Rice is currently the senior advisor on foreign policy for Barack Obama's presidential campaign. In 2004, on leave from the Brookings Institute, Susan Rice served as Senior Advisor for National Security Affairs on the Kerry-Edwards campaign. Rice was US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs from 1997-2001 during the Clinton administration. From 1995-1997, Rice was Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for African Affairs at the National Security Council.

Transcript:

JAY What differentiates Senator Obama's foreign policy from Senator Clinton?

RICE Well, they differ on a number of the issues of the day, and I'll come back to that. Obviously, they differed on Iraq and whether it was wise to go to war there. They've differed on Iran, whether we ought to negotiate directly and unconditionally with our adversaries. They've differed on Pakistan, Senator Obama saying early on that we shouldn't put all of our eggs in Musharraf's basket and we should back the pro-democracy movement and recognize that our interests in Pakistan are wider than any one man. What Bush did was to say, look, Musharraf's our friend; he's our ally, without him we're screwed.

JAY: So would the senator have stopped aid [crosstalk]

RICE: He came out the day of the state of emergency and issued a very strong condemnation; the next day, worked in the Senate for efforts to suspend aid to Pakistan, our non-counterterrorism military aid and our balance of payment support, so essentially all of our non-counterterrorism and non-humanitarian or educational assistance, until the government of Pakistan had taken the necessary steps to free political prisoners, free the press again, let the activists out of jail, restore the courts, etcetera, all the steps that need to be taken.

JAY: He would make a condition of aid restoration of the Supreme Court and the justices that had been removed [crosstalk]

RICE: And all of the other steps that need to be taken. Of course, Musharraf finally took off his uniform, but that was only one piece of the puzzle. Having now free and fair elections that genuinely allow people to compete without impediment is a critical step in this process. He wants all of the steps that need to be taken. We still don't have a free press. We still don't have political prisoners released. We don't know what kind of investigation we're going to have into the Bhutto assassination. It's a good thing Scotland Yard's involved, but we have a long way to go. So all of these things need to come together. The judiciary, being one of those components, is important. But I want to talk about the broader worldview, because there's a significant difference there too between Senator Obama and Senator Clinton. Senator Obama is looking forward, and he has a 21st century conception of the nature of the security challenges we face. He recognizes that one of the consequences of globalization is that we live in a world where transnational security threats can arise from any part of the globe and rapidly spread to any other part of the globe. So whether we're talking about terrorists, weapons of mass destruction, disease, environmental degradation, and climate change, these effects are now communal, in a sense, because we can't isolate them in any part of the globe. So he has talked in terms of recognizing that we have a common security, that the security of Americans is inextricably linked to the security and wellbeing of people in other parts of the world, and we share a common humanity. So a common security and a common humanity. The common humanity means that we're all people of equal worth, and if we act on the basis of understanding and embracing that common humanity, dealing with issues of conflict, of insecurity, of poverty, of underdevelopment, of disease in parts of the world that we have long ignored, we're not doing that only out of a moral and humanitarian concern, as important as that may be, but also out of a recognition that by doing so we'll enhance our own national security. That's a very different insight than you typically hear from most of our politicians, and it's not a retrospective insight, which I think is the foundation of where Senator Clinton's coming from. She talks about restoring American power, getting back to where we were at the end of 2000, when President Bush came in.

JAY: But this sounds to me, frankly, like comparing generalizations. So I'll give you one specific. In terms of withdrawal from Iraq, is it -- close all American bases and a complete withdrawal?

RICE: He has said no permanent American bases. Senator Obama has been very clear about that. He's talked about withdrawing all of our combat brigades at the pace of one to two a month, so that within sixteen months US combat brigades are out. He would leave behind a very modest residual to protect our civilians, our embassy, and to conduct targeted counterterrorism operations. Senator Clinton's been very ambiguous about whether to maintain permanent bases. She said that we would keep forces in Iraq with a mission of checking and countering Iran, as well as going after other terrorist organizations beyond al-Qaeda in the region. That's a very expansive view of a residual mission. She hasn't specified her time line for withdrawal. It was only in December, when finally she said that, yes, she thought that one to two brigades withdrawn a month is a pace that is reasonable. But we don't know, really, what her plan is. Senator Clinton has also not put forward a comprehensive counterterrorism strategy. She paints herself as a candidate who's best able to govern on day one and protect American interests. But on the critical issue of the day we don't know what she thinks and how she'd approach it.

JAY: President Bush has said Iran does not have the right to enrich uranium, even if it's for peaceful purposes. What is the senator's opinion on this?

RICE: We need to understand that Iran poses serious risk and threat in the region. It's a threat to Israel. It's a threat to our forces inside of Iraq. And were it to develop a nuclear weapons capacity, that would be a grave threat. But his view is also that we have time and space and an interest in negotiating. And he has talked about options on the table that would include, for example, taking the back end of the fuel cycle out of Iran and allowing that to be done someplace else.

JAY: But you do agree that the non-proliferation agreement you do have the right.

RICE: [crosstalk] that countries have the right to enrich for civilian, peaceful purposes. But the reality is the non-proliferation regime needs to be updated, that there are many loopholes in it. Iran is only the latest to demonstrate those loopholes. So he said that as an urgent priority, he would take leadership in trying to update the non-proliferation regime so that it deals with these loopholes and has far more realistic and intrusive ways of ensuring that civilian nuclear programs are not readily converted into military programs. He's also said, if I can just add on this, that for the United States to lead on these issues of non-proliferation, we have to be much more aggressive in fulfilling our end of the non-proliferation treaty, now, which is working towards and reaffirming the goal of eliminating our nuclear arsenals not in a unilateral fashion, but through negotiated reductions with the other nuclear powers. He's restated his commitment to the goal of a nuclear weapons-free world, and he will work towards that goal.

JAY: But would he accept an enrichment program guaranteed or overseen by the IAEA in Iran?

RICE: I don't think it makes good sense for us to preclude or include any specific aspects of the contours of a potential negotiation. What he said is we can explore these options in a fashion that we haven't to date because we haven't negotiated directly with the Iranians, we haven't sat down unconditionally and seen where we can get to. The goal is, obviously, an Iran that is incapable of producing or having nuclear weapons.

cont'd next post

[Shammu]

JAY: There are reports in The Washington Post and New York Times that there are plans for special ops operations in the Northwest Frontier Provinces in Pakistan. Does the senator have a view towards that?

RICE: Well, the senator's been pretty outspoken on our counterterrorism interests in that region, and he's said that they have been neglected, that Afghanistan is a forgotten front, that Pakistan is of increasing concern, that as he redeployed US forces from Iraq, he would put at least two additional combat brigades inside Afghanistan to beef up our effort there as we step up our economic and political efforts inside of Afghanistan. And with respect to Pakistan, he said that when he is president, if we have actionable intelligence about high-value al-Qaeda targets in Pakistan or elsewhere, and the host government is unable or unwilling to act, then he's prepared to act.

JAY: What do you think would be the consequences of that inside the Pakistani military?

RICE: Well, it depends what the “that” is. I mean, you know, I don't know what the special forces plans are. There's more than one way to skin that cat, depending on the nature of the target and the nature of the threat. So I wouldn't want to get into speculating about how we'd go about doing it and therefore what the consequences would be. But obviously we need to be mindful of the fragility and instability inside of Pakistan. But we also need to be mindful of the fact that Pakistan is increasingly the source of a number of terrorist operatives that are infiltrating Europe and elsewhere, and that's a real concern.

JAY: If you talk to anyone that knows the situation, they know more troops in Afghanistan, mustered hundreds of thousands of troops in Afghanistan for years to come, it's not going to significantly change the situation without dealing with warlords and dealing with reconstruction.

RICE: Not by itself. I mean, I mean I mentioned very—said coupled with the economic and political steps.

JAY: So what would be political steps?

RICE: Well, we've under-invested in Pakistan and Afghanistan, but particularly Afghanistan with respect to the counterterrorism effort. We haven't done the social and economic investments in infrastructure and education, in alternatives to poppy.

JAY: There's two different dialogues going on. Over here you have sort of Ron Paul and Kucinich talking about fundamental, different objectives for US foreign policy. There's words used like empire. You have Ron Paul talking about bringing all US troops home. Clearly it's resonating with a section of the population. But what's being talked about is not just a change of attitude, but a real change of objectives, that the United States should stop using projected military power around the world. What's your view on that?

RICE: Well, our military has a role to play in securing and enhancing our national security. And those who think we can walk away from the rest of the world and stay behind our borders I think are missing an important piece of the equation. And we've under-invested in the political, diplomatic, and economic aspects of our engagement with the rest of the world.

Barack Obama's foreign policy

[Shammu]

Pro-Family Groups Blast Obama as 'Extremely Liberal'

Two of the nation’s most prominent family values organizations lambasted rising Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama as “extremely” liberal and “no friend” to values voters during an analysis this week of the New Hampshire primary. ( )

Fri, Jan. 11, 2008 Posted: 11:05:26 AM EST

WASHINGTON – Two of the nation’s most prominent family values organizations lambasted rising Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama as “extremely” liberal and “no friend” to values voters during an analysis this week of the New Hampshire primary.

Obama, who won the Iowa caucuses and came in second in the primary, was denounced as a “fundamentalist left-winger” on social issues by Focus on the Family’s (FOTF) Tom Minnery.

Minnery, FOTF’s vice president of public policy, pointed out that Obama is against the federal marriage amendment that would define marriage as between a man and a woman; is against the abstinence program in sex education and for the distribution of condoms; supports a strong civil union law that would give all benefits to gay partners; supports embryonic stem cell research; and is in favor of permitting minors to cross state borders for abortion.

“This man is no friend to anything that we hold dear,” Minnery declared during the FOTF Citizenlink special.

“Without question,” chimed in Tony Perkins, president of the influential Washington-based Family Research Council.

Both Christian conservative leaders noted that Obama has built his campaign on the image of being the moderate voice and as the consensus candidate.

“He likes to say, ‘I bring people together across the aisle,’” Perkins said. “I don’t know what for, maybe for coffee or something, but it is certainly not for the past policies that are favorable for the family.”

Obama has only been in the U.S. Senate for three years, but his Illinois record is extremely liberal, according to Perkins, who was a former Louisiana state legislator. The FRC head further contended that the Illinois senator is so liberal that he challenges the establishment of the Democratic Party.

“He is to the left of Hillary Clinton, that is maybe why he isn’t talking about the issues,” Perkins noted.

Besides Obama and Clinton, the FOTF analysis also criticized New Hampshire Republican winner Sen. John McCain for being difficult to work with. Although McCain was praised for being “pretty good” on the pro-life issue, he was criticized for opposing President Bush’s policy that restricted embryonic stem cell research.

The family values leaders also did not like McCain’s stance on the federal marriage amendment, which they said has been their top issue for the past several years. McCain supports giving states the right to define marriage rather than a constitutional amendment that would set the definition of marriage as the union between a man and a woman in all 50 states.

Meanwhile, the pro-family leaders praised Republicans Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney for sharing the same social values.

During the broadcast, Minnery highlighted that Obama received a score of “absolutely zero” on a recent Family Research Council (FRC) Action/Focus on the Family (FOTF) Action voter’s guide that rated all congressional members on their voting record on pro-family legislations. Clinton also scored zero on the scorecard.

Still, Obama has resonated with many African American religious leaders who created a committee last month in support of the Democratic contender. Faith leaders of the committee believe that Obama is living out his faith and values in his public life.

“As a lifelong advocate for the less fortunate and the forgotten, Senator Obama lives his faith everyday. He continues to talk about a faith that works to unite and not divide people," African American Religious Committee Co-chair the Rev. Otis Moss, Jr., has said.

Unconvinced of Obama living out his faith, Perkins advised values voters to look at all the candidates’ records and past performance rather than allow 30-second commercials to “tug at your emotions, your heart strings.”

Evangelicals across America are tired of empty promises, he said. They are looking for a president that will take the values voters’ agenda to the president’s office and “get something done.”

“Even if they don’t succeed they are willing to fight for the values that you and I believe in,” the FRC president added. “That is the candidate that we are looking for.”

Pro-Family Groups Blast Obama as 'Extremely Liberal'

[Soldier4Christ]

Obama's 'unashamedly black' church escapes media scrutiny

A conservative watchdog group is criticizing the media for questioning GOP presidential candidates Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney about their religious beliefs while asking no questions about the controversial teachings of the church of which Democrat Barack Obama is a member.

Former pastor and Arkansas Baptist state convention president Mike Huckabee has been asked about abortion, homosexuality, creation, and the role of women in society since he became a candidate for the GOP presidential nomination. Just last week during a debate on the Fox News Channel, he was asked to defend the Bible verse that calls for a wife to submit to her husband.

But there has been almost no media coverage of Senator Barack Obama's membership in Chicago's Trinity United Church of Christ, which calls itself "a congregation that is Unashamedly Black" and identifies its membership as "an African people [who] remain true to our native land."

Seton Motley with the Media Research Center says the liberal bias in the coverage is obvious. "The media is trying to cast Huckabee as even more of an evangelical 'nut,' from their perspective, than Bush ... whereas, they certainly do not want to discuss this church that Obama, to this day, still says, 'I attend this church.'"

Motley says the bias is even more obvious when the lack of coverage of Obama's church is compared to the coverage of prominent Mormon Mitt Romney, who has been asked about his religion's former polygamist and racist views -- even though "he's not running as a Mormon."

"He [Romney] didn't bring these questions on himself," notes Motley. "He's running as a guy who happens to be a Mormon and they're asking him about polygamy, which ended 130 years ago -- and they're asking him about blacks in the church, which he has absolutely no say in.

"Meanwhile, you have this church and Obama belongs to it; but he's not running on it -- but again, neither is Romney -- and they're not asking Obama anything about this church."

Motley believes the media are ignoring the controversial teachings of Obama's church not because of race, but because they do not want to damage the viability of a Democratic candidate. "I think, first and foremost, that's their priority in staying away from the United Church of Christ, vies-a-vie Barack Obama," he argues.

[Soldier4Christ]

Barack Obama and Israel

The ascent of Barack Obama from state senator in Illinois to a leading contender for the Presidential nomination in the span of just a few years is remarkable. Especially in light of a noticeably unremarkable record -- a near-blank slate of few accomplishments and numerous missed votes.

However, in one area of foreign policy that concerns millions of Americans, he does have a record and it is a particularly troubling one. For all supporters of the America-Israel relationship there is enough information beyond the glare of the klieg lights to give one pause.  In contrast to his canned speeches filled with "poetry" and uplifting aphorisms and delivered in a commanding way, behind the campaign façade lies a disquieting pattern of behavior.

One seemingly consistent them running throughout Barack Obama's career is his comfort with aligning himself with people who are anti-Israel advocates. This ease around Israel animus has taken various forms. As Obama has continued his political ascent, he has moved up the prestige scale in terms of his associates. Early on in his career he chose a church headed by a former Black Muslim who is a harsh anti-Israel advocate and who may be seen as tinged with anti-Semitism. This church is a member of a denomination whose governing body has taken a series of anti-Israel actions.

As his political fortunes and ambition climbed, he found support from George Soros, multibillionaire promoter of groups that have been consistently harsh and biased critics of the American-Israel relationship.

Obama's soothing and inspiring oratory sometimes vanishes when he talks of the Middle East. Indeed, his off-the-cuff remarks have been uniformly taken by supporters of Israel as signs that the inner Obama does not truly support Israel despite what his canned speeches and essays may contain.

Now that Obama has become a leading Presidential candidate, he has assembled a body of foreign policy advisers who signal that a President Obama would likely have an approach towards Israel radically at odds with those of previous Presidents (both Republican and Democrat). A group of experts collected by the Israeli liberal newspaper Haaretz deemed him to be the candidate likely to be least supportive of Israel. He is the candidate most favored by the Arab-American community.

Joining Trinity United Community Church

When Obama moved to Chicago and became a community organizer, he found it expedient to choose a Christian church to join.  Even though his father and stepfather were both Muslims and he attended a Muslim school while living in Indonesia, suspicions based on his days as a child are overheated and unfair. Still, his full name alone conveys the biographical fact that he has some elements of a Muslim background.

Saul Alinsky, whose philosophy infused community organizing in Chicago, emphasized the importance of churches as a basis for organizing. There are literally hundreds of churches on the South Side of Chicago that Obama could have chosen from. He selected one that was headed by Reverend Jeremiah Wright, Junior. The anti-Israel rants of this minister have been well chronicled. Among the gems:

    The Israelis have illegally occupied Palestinian territories for almost 40 years now. It took a divestment campaign to wake the business community up concerning the South Africa issue. Divestment has now hit the table again as a strategy to wake the business community up and to wake Americans up concerning the injustice and the racism under which the Palestinians have lived because of Zionism.

Jeremiah Wright, Jr.

Pastor Wright is a supporter of Louis Farrakhan (who called Judaism a "gutter religion" and depicted Jews as "bloodsuckers") and traveled with him to visit Col. Muammar al-Gaddafi, archenemy of Israel's and a terror supporter. Most recently, as head of the UN Security CouncilGaddafi prevented condemnation of attacks against Israel. As Kyle-Anne Shriver noted,

The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan received the "Rev. Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright, Jr. Lifetime Achievement Trumpeteer" Award at the 2007 Trumpet Gala at the United Church of Christ.

Wright routinely compares Israel to apartheid South Africa and considers blacks "The Chosen People". Wright sees his role not just as a religious counselor but also as an educator and political activist. As part of his schooling, he has posted the following tutorial:

    Q: How many UN resolutions did Israel violate by 1992?
    A: Over 65

    42. Q: How many UN resolutions on Israel did America veto between 1972 and 1990?
    A: 30+

    43. Q: How much does the U.S. fund Israel a year?
    A:$5 billion

     48. Q: How many nuclear warheads does Israel have?
    A: Over 400

    49. Q: Has Israel every allowed UN weapon inspections?
    A: No

    50. Q: What percentage of the Palestinian territories are controlled by Israeli settlements?
    A: 42%

    51. Q: Is Israel illegally occupying Palestinian land?
    A. Yes.

Tucker Carlson of MSNBC has called Pastor Wright a total hater and wondered why the ties that bind Obama to Wright have not been given greater scrutiny. Mickey Kaus of Slate has also wondered when the ties between Obama and Wright will receive more criticism, given Wright's seeming bigotry, which is in contrast to the soothing melody of unity that Obama has trumpeted on the campaign trail.

Some in the media have taken notice. The New York Times did have one front-page article on Wright by Jodi Kantor in which Wright was quoted as saying that should more information come to light about himself, "a lot of his Jewish support will dry up quicker than a snowball in hell". After the article came out Wright attacked Jodi Kantor, referring to her Jewish heritage in a way that might create discomfort.

This fear is why Pastor Wright was disinvited at the last minute from appearing with Obama when Obama announced his run for the Presidency. Wright admitted in a PBS interview that he understands this distancing from the Obama campaign since "he can't afford the Jewish support to wane or start questioning his allegiance to the Israel"

Wright has been disappeared by the campaign; Obama has replaced him with high profile white ministers who do not preach the racial exclusiveness and racial superiority that is a hallmark of Jeremiah Wright; however, they seem to share an anti-Israel bias.

Fortunately, bloggers and others have started to note the views of Pastor Wright (which also include an unhealthy does of racial exclusiveness, in Tucker Carlson's words)  and     . Finally these views may be crossing over to major media outlets. Washington Post columnist Richard Cohen published a recent column that criticized the award to Louis Farrakhan of the Reverend Jeremiah A. Wright Jr. Trumpeter Award -- an award that supposedly was granted to a man who "truly epitomized greatness". As Cohen noted, Farrakhan is not only a race-baiter but also an anti-Semite and a promoter of anti-Semitism. He falsely accused Jews of cooperating with Hitler and helping him create the Third Reich, has slandered Jews by his insistence that Jews have played an inordinate role in victimizing African-Americans (he has also called Jews "bloodsuckers"). Cohen questions why Obama has stayed steadfast in his allegiance to Pastor Wright over the years.

Obama has called Wright his spiritual mentor, his moral compass and his sounding board. He was the man who gave Obama the term, "The Audacity of Hope" after all. He was also the man who told Obama that there are more black men in prison then in colleges -- a statement that Obama parroted until he was told that it was false. What other "facts" has Wright taught Obama? Has he taught Obama to blame 9/11 on America because of our foreign policy?

Nevertheless, an Obama spokesman told the New York Times he is proud of his pastor and his church.The church also is the largest recipient of Obama's charitable donations. The pastor married Obama and his wife Michelle and baptized his two daughters. Obama has shown continued allegiance to a man who preaches racial exclusiveness, the superiority of black values over white middle-class values, and whose teaching contains anti-Israel diatribes. All these are sharply at variance with what Obama himself preaches on the campaign trail.

One should also note that the governing body of the United Church of Christ has taken a series of anti-Israel actions over the years. A broad coalition of Jewish groups have rebuked the Church for these actions.

Has Obama, the most famous and prestigious member of the Church and an inspiring orator who can move millions, taken steps to work with his church to moderate its anti-Israel invective? No.

He has been honored repeatedly by the church and has been its keynote speaker at various national assemblies. Has he called for change in the anti-Israel approach of the church? No.

For those who claim that Obama is the next JFK (an absurd claim and an insult to a revered President that was skewered recently) he is certainly not a Profile in Courage.

cont'd

[Soldier4Christ]

David Axelrod is Obama's chief political adviser, he is also the man who always comes out to explain that Obama (the master orator) did not really mean some of the offensive off-the-cuff statements he has made about Israel on the campaign trail (see below). Axelrod has also come out with the typical bland statements that Obama does not agree with all the things that Wright says and does. This is a lame defense.

Recall, this is a church and a pastor who Obama has relied upon to shape his views, to be his sounding board; the church is the largest recipient of his charity dollars; he proudly states that he admires the church and Jeremiah Wright, Junior. He prayed with Wright before he announced his candidacy for President. He is a beacon for Obama.

If a white candidate belonged to a church where the minister promoted an anti-black, anti-Semitic theology he would be roundly subject to criticism (assuming his candidacy would even be viable in the face of this background). Why should Obama get a pass?

George Soros

As Obama took steps toward the United States Senate he found a very powerful sugar daddy who would help fund his rise: George Soros. The billionaire hedge fund titan began supporting Obama very early -- as befits a legendary speculative investor always looking for opportunities.   Obama coveted support from George Soros  and Soros responded  -- along with many family members and probably the Soros ring of wealthy donors. Soros even found a loophole that allowed him and assorted family members to exceed regular limits on campaign contributions.

Soros is also a fierce foe of Israel, for years funding groups that have worked against Israel. He is also a man who has flexed his political muscle as a major funder of Democrat candidates and a slew of so-called 527 groups that are active in pushing their agendas (a reliance on international institutions, defeat of Republicans, Bush-bashing, Israel-bashing). He has also openly proclaimed his desire to break the bonds between America and Israel and has written of his desire to erode political support for Israel.

Soros also called for concessions to Hamas -- a terror group that has killed many innocent people and that has called for the destruction of Israel. When this came to light, some leading Democrats personally denounced Soros; Obama had a spokesman issue this rather bland statement:

"Mr. Soros is entitled to his opinions," a campaign spokeswoman, Jen Psaki, said. "But on this issue he and Senator Obama disagree. Sound familiar? It is similar to the response the Soros campaign has given regarding Obama's close relationship with Pastor Wright.

This mild reproach did not prevent Obama from appearing a few weeks later with George Soros at a fundraiser.

Soros invests when he sees a large return as likely; he proverbially "broke the Bank of England" a few years ago speculating on the pound. Does he intend to break the American-Israel alliance?

"Blood on their hands"

Nor did anti-Semitism of another fundraiser seem to ruffle Obama or his campaign. A fundraiser was held at the home of Allan Houston, formerly of the Knicks, and a man who had previously very publicly proclaiming that Jews had Jesus' "blood on their hands" and were "stubborn". The American Jewish Congress protested and noted that Obama would not take any money from someone who had expressed the same sort of remarks about African-Americans. The very same spokesman who addressed the Soros controversy blithely dismissed the concerns of the Jews and said the campaign would not return the money or reject any of the contributions made by Houston.

Senator Obama's stands

Obama has been a Senator for only a couple of years. His supporters will point to a string of votes that are supportive of the American-Israel alliance (foreign aid, for example). These generally are not controversial and routinely pass by large margins, precisely because they support an ally and serve American interests.

Iran

However, Obama did introduce the Iran Divestment Bill along with two Democratic Congressmen (Congressmen Barney Frank and Tom Lantos). Given that Barney Frank is one of the most knowledgeable members of Congress and chairs the House Financial Services Committee and knows the financial industry well, would know how to craft such a bill.  I suspect that Obama signed on as a co-sponsor for protective coloration, while Frank and fellow veteran Tom Lantos felt it could not hurt to have a rising star as a co-sponsor.

This bill would:

Require the U.S. government to publish a list every six months of those companies that have an investment of more than $20 million in Iran's energy sector.  This comprehensive list will provide investors with the knowledge to make informed investment decisions as well as a powerful disincentive for foreign companies to engage with Iran.

Authorize state and local governments to divest the assets of their pension funds and other funds under their control from any company on the list.

Protect fund managers who divest from companies on this list from lawsuits directed at them by investors who are unhappy with the results.

Obama supporters and Obama himself trumpet this bill as Obama's efforts to somehow "sanction" Iran. This bill does not sanction Iran; it merely requires the government to publicize companies that invest in Iran's energy sector. Such companies are already listed various think tanks.

States and local governments are already divesting from these companies, so the second provision is superfluous. Protecting fund managers from lawsuits might be of help since we do live in a litigious society.

But there are grounds to doubt Obama's seriousness on the issue. He has openly advocated outreach towards Iran, a state that makes clear its genocidal intentions towards Israel, funds Hezbollah and terrorism against America, Israel, and Jewish targets around the world. Obama has seemed to excuse attacks against Americans by Iranian-supported terror groups because we have provoked Iran by trying to liberate Iraq (we are in their neighborhood)  or as Barack has put it, Iraq is under occupation by America  (which makes one wonder how he feels about Israeli settlements).

The bill languishes, not promoted or pushed; but does serve as a nice campaign prop every now and then.

Furthermore, there already are targeted sanctions in place now. They can be employed against Iranians and Iranian groups identified as being terrorists or terror groups. Yet when Congress voted to identify the Iranian Revolutionary Guards as a terror group-thus making it susceptible to sanction-Barack Obama was not just AWOL (as has been widely noted, Obama has a history of missing votes and avoiding unpleasant decisions) but harshly attacked his political opponents for voting to so designate the Guards as a terror group.  This is absurd: the Guard has been implicated in terror attacks against Americans in Iran, Argentinean Jews in bombing attacks in Buenos Aires, and has bolstered Hezbollah in Lebanon.  Designating this group as terrorists is crucial in weakening its power. Yet, Obama objected to characterizing them as terrorists. That does not bode well for how seriously a President Obama would deal with Iran or how supportive he would be of our ally.

Obama has called for withdraw from Iraq, which would destabilize the region and lead to a further expansion of Iranian power. He also introduced a Senate Resolution on Iran that strips President Bush of the authority to take military action against it. .

cont'd

[Soldier4Christ]

Unilateral nuclear disarmament for Israel

Obama has also called for the abolition of all nuclear weapons in the world and said that America, by not openly leading a campaign to end nuclear weapons is "giving countries like Iran and North Korea an excuse."

This is naïve beyond belief and is identical to arguments made in the Arab world that justify their pursuit of nuclear weapons because Israel has nuclear weapons. We all know how such a program would operate in the real world: Western, open nations such as Israel would be stripped of the capability of nuclear weapons; dictatorships, such as Iran, would continue to operate their secret programs.

Israel's nuclear arsenal has helped offset the strategic peril that comes from being surrounded by much larger nations openly declaring their goal of its destruction. Obama's call would unilaterally work to disarm Israel.

Pressuring Israel

Obama has also blamed that "our neglect of the Middle East Peace Process has spurred despair and fueled terrorism"  implicitly blaming Israel for terrorism and a sign that a President Obama would pressure Israel. Obama seems to ignore the roles that schools play in the Middle East in the teaching of hatred; the roles of mosques and Imams in stoking terrorism; the glorification of violence and martyrdom in the media; the role of jihad in the Koran.

He also was the only Democratic Presidential aspirant to sign a Senate Resolution that would ban the use of cluster bombs. These are the types of weapons used by Israel to counter massed attacks by Hezbollah, and are vitally important to her security; Hezbollah also used the same type of weapons. Does anyone think Hezbollah will refrain from using these weapons? How about suicide bombers who rely on similar types of "ordinance' to inflict mass casualties among civilians?  Once again, high-minded rhetoric conceals an agenda of unilateral disarmament of the Jewish state.

Advisors

Every Presidential candidate assembles a foreign policy team of advisers. A glimpse into the makeup of Obama's team has leaked to the media.

Martin Peretz of The New Republic -- a supporter of Obama and of Israel -- had this to say about Obama's Foreign Policy team:

    "I have my qualms, as you may know, about Barack Obama, and most especially about what his foreign policy might be.  If elected (and actually before he were to be elected), the first decision he would have to make would be who would represent him in the transition to power from early November to January 20.  And, frankly, I get the shudders since he has indicated that, among others, they would be Zbigniew Bzrezinski (I don't know much about his son, listed as Mark, but I can guess), Anthony Lake, Susan Rice and Robert O. Malley."

Lake and Brzezenski both earned their spurs in the Carter Administration.  The Carter era led to the fall of the Shah of Iran (a stalwart ally of both America and Israel), which gave birth to the Iranian revolution. We all know how well that has turned out. Jimmy Carter, of course, has led a very public campaign of vilification against Israel-defaming it as an apartheid state (a view that Obama's Pastor would concur with).

Anthony Lake has been all but retired for the last dozen years-living on a farm in the Berkshires. This makes one wonder what he is bringing to the table, other than his Carter-era pedigree and beliefs. He has been reactivated though-one of his roles seems to be as ambassador to the Arab-American community .

The appointment of Brzezenski elicited much dismay among supporters of Israel since Brzezinski is well known for his aggressive dislike of Israel. . He has been an ardent foe of Israel for over three decades and newspaper files are littered with his screeds against Israel. Brzezinski has publicly defended the Walt-Mearsheimer thesis that the relationship between America and Israel is based not on shared values and common threats but is the product of Jewish pressure. Brzezinski also signed a letter demanding dialogue with Hamas-a group whose charter calls for the destruction of Israel and is filled with threats to Jews around the world.

After Hezbollah launched attacks against Israel in the summer of 2006, murdered Israelis and took hostages, Israel tried to get its citizens back by moving into Lebanon. Warfare resulted. Brzezinski wrote that Israel's actions amounted to the "killing of hostages" (the hostages being Lebanese caught in the battles). http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steve-clemons/zbig-brzezinski-israel_b_25821.html

Brzezinski's son, Mark, is also on Obama's foreign policy team. Evidently the apple does not fall far from the tree. Mark recently co-wrote an op-ed advocating that America forge ties with Iran.

Susan Rice was John Kerry's chief foreign policy adviser when he ran for President. One of the major steps Kerry suggested for dealing with the Middle East was to appoint James Baker and Jimmy Carter as negotiators. When furor erupted at the prospect of two of the most ardent foes of Israel being suggested to basically ride "roughshod" over Israel, Kerry backtracked and blamed his staff for the idea. His staff was Susan Rice.

Drilling down further we have Robert Malley. He was part of the American negotiating team that dealt with Yasser Arafat at Camp David. He has presented a revisionist history of those negotiations since then: presenting a view that blames Israel for the failures of the negotiations. His version has been radically at odds with the views of Americans and Israelis (including the views of American Middle East negotiator Dennis Ross-also an adviser to Obama- and President Clinton).

He has spent years representing the Palestinian point of view, co-writing a series of anti-Israel articles with Hussein Agha-a former Arafat adviser. Palestinian advocate. These have appeared in the New York Review of Books a publication that has served as a platform for a slew of anti-Israel advocates from Tony Judt to the aforementioned George Soros to the authors of the Israeli Lobby book Stephen Walt and John Mearsheimer. Malley has also called settlements "colonies" -- implicitly condemning Israel as a "colonial" state. His writings have been so critical of Israel that the media-monitoring group CAMERA has a "dossier" on him. (CAMERA also has a listing for Brzezinski).

Then there is this disconcerting article in the Financial Times about Democratic Presidential candidates and Israel. One of the key advisers to one of the Presidential candidates admitted to some tactical moves to garner pro-Israel support in America:

    "The plain fact is there is no upside for candidates to challenge the prevailing assumptions about Israel," said one of their advisers, who asked not to be named. "The best strategy is to win the White House and then change the debate."

One well-regarded blogger, Rutgers Professor Judith Apter Klinghoffer believes this adviser was Ivo Daalder, who was quoted throughout the article and who is one of the foreign policy advisers to Barack Obama. Professor Klinghoffer is skeptical about Daalder and his feelings towards the American-Israel relationship. .

cont'd

[Soldier4Christ]

A snapshot of Daalder's views:  He has, like Obama, singled out Richard Perle and Paul Wolfowitz as being responsible for manipulating the levers of power to serve the interests of other countries  (it bears reiterating, Perle had no official position in the Administration; Bush, Powell ,Cheney, Rumsfeld, Rice-those were the decision-makers). Daalder has seemingly advocated talks with Hezbollah, Syria, Iran. Daalder stated that Israel's bombing of Qana (an attack targeting Hezbollah missile placements that resulted in civilian death) in the war against Hezbollah imperiled Israel's claim to the moral high ground. These and assorted other positions lend credence to Professor Klinghoffer's view.

Scott Lasensky has also been appointed a foreign policy adviser to Obama. This step should also be viewed with a gimlet eye. In a book to be published this month, he and co-author Daniel Kurtzer write glowingly of the George H.W. Bush and James Baker's approach towards dealing with Israel, but faulted Bush and Baker for inadequately derailing the pro-Israel lobby which was more skeptical of the push against Israel into Yasser Arafat's arms.

He has called for Islamists and Hamas to be brought into the "peace process," before this Mideast moment slips away.

He has called residents of Israeli settlements "obstructionists" He has been given the stamp of approval by the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, a notoriously harsh anti-Israel group .

He was also used by CNN's Christiane Amanpour to castigate Israel in her widely criticized CNN's Jewish Warriors "documentary" -- a documentary that has been heavily criticized for its bias and factual errors)

Lasensky has been hosted by the activist group Brit Tzedek v'Shalom   and will be hosted by Americans for Peace Now , both of which groups have been highly critical of Israel over the years.

He has recently called for aggressive American involvement in pushing for a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians -- calling for the end of the incremental approach (which is  "trust but verify" approach meant to test each side's honesty and ability to bring about peace). Abolishing it would be a foolish and potentially disastrous leap of faith into the unknown.

He has called for engagement with Iran.

The group for which he works, the Unites States Institute of Peace, was the key organizer of the Iraq Study Group that produced a report that has very troubling recommendations concerning Israel (James Baker, whose approach towards Israel Lasensky admires, was one of the two people who headed the Iraq Study Group).

Obama supporters might counter that Obama has a wide range of foreign advisers and seeks input from people with a variety of views. Most likely, Dennis Ross-with deep ties to the American Jewish community-will be headlined in this argument. However, it is unclear what role Ross has on the team. He is clearly angling to join what may be the next Administration in the White House. How likely is it that Ross, who served the Clintons (now Obama's opponents), will hold sway against the triumvirate of key Obama heavyweights: Lake, Brzezinski, and Susan Rice?

Obama and John Bolton

Conversely, Obama actively opposed the nomination of John Bolton as our Ambassador to the United Nations. Bolton's track record in support of Israel is impressive.

As Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security, Bolton took started a new project, the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI), that has played a very important role in preventing hostile nations (including those in the Arab world) from developing weapons of mass destruction. Boats were interdicted on the high seas, for example, when suspicions arose that they carried suspect cargoes. The PSI was also responsible for helping to put an end to Libya's nuclear program, which led to the unraveling of the A.Q. Khan nuclear weapons black market that has imperiled our friends in the region (and ourselves).

While at the United Nations, Bolton was a stalwart defender of American interests and those of our allies. He was also a firm supporter of Israel (next to Patrick Moynihan, probably one of the best) -- a thankless task given the pervasive anti-Israel bias at the UN.

Bolton has continued to support the American-Israel relationship after leaving government service -- for example, writing a series of op-eds, the latest of which support Israel's decision to bomb the likely nuclear plant in Syria.

Regardless of Bolton's evident talents and drive, Obama worked to derail his career. Was it his views that Obama objected to?

Congressional support

Similarly, Obama supporters might rely on the support Obama has drawn from various Democratic Jewish Congressman (Wexler, Rothman, Schiff among them) over the last year. These stamps of approval might be met with some skepticism (Wexler went so far as to talk of Obama's "love for Israel" based on a single tip Obama took to Israel when he began considering a Presidential run).

These Congressmen are well aware that Obama might be the next President-certainly it never hurts to have a friend in the White House. They are also Democrats who would want to bolster a fellow Democrat-particularly if it helps them with their own African-American constituents. Obama is a very compelling speaker -- he has campaigned for fellow Democrats across the nation. Having a chit with Obama might be very useful in during the endless campaigning these Congressmen will be facing in the years ahead

The team seems to reflect an approach that should come as no surprise.

Obama would place a great deal of reliance on international institutions -- the same international organizations that have opposed America and Israel for many years.  Obama's approach towards the Islamic world indicates an approach form weakness, as if, to invert Osama bin Laden's dictum, people were attracted to the nicest horse.  He would organize a meeting between Muslim leaders from all over the world and Americans so we can move forward with them as partners with "dignity and respect."

Partners? To be sure this may be flowery diplo-speak. But most of these are leaders who are responsible for spreading hatred throughout their societies: a hatred that manifests itself in violence.

We have shown respect and dignity in our actions in Bosnia, Afghanistan, and yes, Iraq, We have liberated millions of people from genocide and dictatorship-we have given much in the blood of our soldiers and the billions in aid showered on the Muslim world (as the oil kleptocrats spend their billions buying up our corporations). Where is the dignity and respect shown towards America from these Muslim leaders?  His approach towards terrorism was eloquently expressed by Wall Street Journal writer Dorothy Rabinowitz who wrote that a President Obama's stance against terrorism would "consist largely of antipoverty programs, reassuring the world of our peaceful intentions, and attending Islamic Conferences."

cont'd

[Soldier4Christ]

Speeches and public remarks

There are those willing to give Obama the benefit of the doubt and rely on his speeches to give comfort. Most recently, the New York Sun took excerpts from a speech he gave to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee in Chicago last march. I was there, just a few yards in front of Barack Obama. His speech was desultory and lacking the spirit and energy that are a trademark of the gifted oratory of Barack Obama. He clearly seemed to be going through the motions. The content of his speech gave many listeners qualms, including me. Others have their suspicions about whether Obama truly believes what he is saying in his speeches before groups supportive of the American-Israel relationship. .

Beyond that, how valuable are a candidate's speeches for determining what his (or hers) true beliefs are? There are media reports that indicate he has "recalibrated his words about Israel and the Middle East" as part of his efforts to court the Jewish vote.  So there are grounds for skepticism about relying on canned speeches as a guide towards divining Obama's true views.  Obama is a skilled orator; he has shown an adroit ability to hide friendships that might harm him on the campaign trail. Why not also hide his views behind a smokescreen of aphorism and bromides?

I think a more accurate reflection of these feelings and ideas are found in unscripted, off-the cuff remarks. As Michael Kinsley wrote, a "gaffe is a mistaken utterance or action which actually reveals what a politician truly believes". Obama has a record of off the cuff remarks that are disconcerting. There is, of course, his well-known remark in Des Moines that "Nobody has suffered more than the Palestinian people" (which sounds like Pastor Wright is being channeled) that created controversy. He later tried to revise history by insisting he had said "Nobody has suffered more than the Palestinian people from the failure of the Palestinian leadership". However, the well-respected Fact.Check.org and the Des Moines Register newspaper (which has an audio record) dispute Obama's "redo".

He also has objected to Israel's security fence that has all but ended the suicide bombing campaigns that killed so many innocent people. In an interview in 2004 he stated:

    "...the creation of a wall dividing the two nations is yet another example of the neglect of this Administration in brokering peace."

There are not two nations (at least yet) and the security fence is not a wall, it is a fence (only a small percent, less than 5% can be considered a "wall" and that is only because of space constraints and the desire to prevent sniper fire from the Palestinians).

His use of the term Cycle of violence" has caused ripples of concern for its intimations of moral equality between the Palestinians and Israelis; as has his elevation of "cynicism" as a core problem in the Middle East, rather than say, terrorism.

At an anti-war rally he stated that he was

    "Opposed to the cynical attempt by Richard Perle and Paul Wolfowitz and other armchair, weekend warriors in the administration to shove their own ideological agendas down our throat" .

This is disturbing. Obama ignored the role of Colin Powell, George Bush, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, Condi Rice and other movers and shakers in the Administration. But Perle (who never even served in the Administration) and Wolfowitz (who was a Deputy Secretary) have been lumped together by many anti-Semitic conspiracy theorists as Jews who led us into the Iraq War to serve the interests of Israel. Who has Obama been listening to? His moral compass, Reverend Jeremiah Wright, Junior?

There are other remarks of Obama's that have struck others as being less than supportive of Israel. . Among them are words that put the onus on Israel to change the status quo in its relations with the Palestinians. He was the only candidate at the National Jewish Democratic Council conference that burdens Israel with that role.

There are grounds to be concerned that he would discard the "Road Map" that provides guidelines for negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. He has stated that the "Israel government must make difficult concessions for the peace process to restart."  The Road Map places obligations on both sides to take steps simultaneously on the road to peace. Israel is explicitly not obligated to take the first steps. This confirms the views he expressed to the NJDC that he would place the onus on Israel in future peace negotiations. .

Shmuel Rosner, the Washington correspondent of the liberal Israeli newspaper Haaretz, noted that that the prediction that Obama would be least favorable of any of the candidates toward Israel may partly be due to the fact that his "supporters come mainly from the left-wing of the Democratic Party and from the African-American community -- from constituencies which are traditionally not that supportive of Israel".

But Obama has on his own volition assembled his networks of friends, mentors, financial supporters and foreign policy advisers. In his judgment -- a judgment that he regularly trumpets as being superior to others - these people are worthy of advising him. There are among those friends and advisers key people who seem to display a great deal of antipathy towards the American-Israel relationship.

These are the constituencies and associates that should warrant concern among all those who care about a strong American-Israel relationship. His electoral success will send a message to all future politicians that they can willingly ignore the views of those Americans who value a close relationship with the sole democracy and our only true ally in the Middle East. We may see the ramifications of Obama's ascent in the years yet to come.