...I'm Jewish. I guess only pro-Lieberman, Beltway elites can debate Lieberman's support of the Iraqi invasion/occupation as being linked to his security concerns for Israel. That would exclude me.
As I couldn't sleep last night (and still can't), I tuned into C-SPAN's Washington Journal, pleased to find Katrina Vanden Heuvel set to debate a former Clinton special counsel, a talkative fellow whose last name is Davis.
Mr. Davis couldn't have been more obnoxiously pro-Lieberman if he was on Joe's payroll, often interrupting callers or dismissing them as "liars" or "bigots" when they didn't serve his purpose of selling Joe as a progressive Democrat. Anyway, after touting Joe's 'liberal' credentials and his support from Planned Parenthood, the AFL-CIO, and all the other usual incumbent-supporting interest groups...
...Mr. Davis went on to say that Bush-smoochin' Joe shouldn't be judged solely on his vote for war. After all, Mr. Davis was against the authorization of force just like you and me, but LAMONT is just a big phony apparently. It was all very on-message, accusing Lamont of flip-flopping on the war issue, of being a "Reagan Democrat", of "making fun" of Ted Kennedy (a tad desperate? I'd say so). So I felt compelled to call, and I got through.
I happened to follow a guy from Oceanside, CA who was a Republican, who with a certain glee in his voice, pointed out that Joe Lieberman voted for the authorization of force because he was Jewish and was concerned about the 'homeland.' The caller said he too would support a policy that supported his 'motherland' of Germany, for example. The guy was a bit of a fool, but the issue wasn't inane. Mr. Davis immediately dismissed the caller as a 'bigot'. I was next.
I pointed out, somewhat nervously and only after giving quick praise to the very capable (and dare I say, sexy? Can I say that?) Ms. Vanden Heuvel, that it was laughable for Mr. Davis to tout Joe's party loyalty when he says he'll run as an independent if he loses, and that the War vote and Bush-supporting is not JUST another issue, as it's cost us thousands of lives, billions of dollars, prestige, etc. (I wish I'd brought up so many things, but these came to mind in the adrenaline rush). I also said there was a reason why Anne Coulter and David Brooks are high on Joe Lieberman, and Mr. Davis made fun of me or something, but I missed what he said. Didn't care too much.
And then I merely pointed out that Mr. Lieberman's support of Israel ought not be outside realm of debate, as it is a cornerstone of why he supports the invasion/occupation unwaveringly, and pointed out that many Neo-Cons who conceived of the invasion happen to be pro-Israel (though we Jews who know better realize we have only ENDANGERED Israel's future by destablizing the g-damn region).
Ah, but that was too much for Mr. Davis, who said that one can be an Anti-Semite and still be Jewish. Glad he felt so free to label me. Geesh. Questioning the links to the culture and state religion of Israel of a man who proudly wears his religion on his sleeve (but who wouldn't even tell Jewish voters in Florida that Kerry was pro-Israel enough compared to Bush in 2004) makes me an anti-semite? Puh-leaze. I'm proud to be Jewish, proud to be a progressive Jew, one who realizes that guys like Lieberman and Richard Perle and Wolfowitz are armchair warriors who are very short-sighted. I too have Israel's interest at heart, Mr. Davis, and just because you are defending the Beltway Elite, pro-Lieberman line doesn't mean you can pull out the Anti-Semite card when ya feel like it.
By the way, he went on to call another person a 'bigot' after the caller brought up another Jewish-related issue that was not at all anti-semitic. When Vanden Heuvel brought up the same points (albeit more smoothly) later in the show, I was waiting for the dishonorable Mr. Davis to call her a Nazi. He instead said she's entirely wrong, but he still respects her, and then continued to smear Lamont.