Joy Reid on Monday interviewed Rep. David Cicilline (D-RI) about the situation in Gaza and the unconditional, bipartisan support Israel receives in Congress. The segment is notable for Reid's commendable journalism, as she refuses to allow Cicilline to evade her tough questions with repetitive talking points. Yet it also helped illuminate the larger fracture between the Obama Administration and Congress on foreign policy.
As Reid noted, support for Israel's incursion into Gaza is weak among young people and minorities. These two groups are central parts of the "coalition of the ascendant" that elected and reelected President Obama as well as those who were swept into office on his coattails. As such, their perspectives should be considered alongside those of more entrenched interests in the current conflict.
The Administration understands this. After Israel's most recent attack on a UN school in Gaza that had been designated as a civilian shelter, White House officials condemned it using "language [that] was tougher than previous U.S. government reactions" to similar attacks -- the State Department called the attack "disgraceful," Valerie Jarrett found it "indefensible," while "horrifying" was Samantha Power's description. Secretary Kerry has continued to seek a ceasefire welcomed by both sides despite revelations that the Israeli government has been spying on him. He referred to Israel's recent shellings, which have claimed an extraordinary number of civilian lives under the guise of targeting Hamas militants, as "a hell of a pinpoint operation."
Congress takes a different view. Responding to domestic political concerns and a well-funded Israel lobby, Congresspeople have tripped over each other to declare their unwavering support for the Netanyahu government in the face of human rights abuses. Even progressive figures like Elizabeth Warren and Alan Grayson find themselves to the right of the President on Israel.
This dynamic was on display when Reid asked Rep. Cicilline -- the same Rep. Cicilline who just days ago took Michele Bachmann to task for fantasizing out loud about handcuffing President Obama -- to comment on the Netanyahu government's hostile stance towards the Administration. The United States' and Israel's "shared values" transcend the ups and downs of "Bibi Netanyahu's relationship with the American people," Cicilline said.
Ironically, these "shared values" seem to include commonplace racist vitriol directed at President Obama.
And when asked why no one in Congress would represent the Democratic-leaning demographic groups skeptical of Israel's incursion, Cicilline tried to claim Reid sought Congressional representation of Hamas.
Undermining the President's foreign policy agenda is one area where Congress still acts in a bipartisan fashion. In the wake of the hard-won Interim Deal that deescalated tension between the United States and Iran, Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) almost jeopardized the White House's efforts with unnecessary sanctions.
Meanwhile, President Rouhani, leader of the supposedly rogue state of Iran, acts considerably more respectful towards our Administration than Romney-supporter Benjamin Netanyahu. But only the latter has spoken before Congress and received standing ovations.
Democratic candidates seeking the votes of Obama supporters in November need to make clear that they will stand with the President in defense of peace and prosperity. Following Rep. Cicilline's lead and speaking dismissively about rising Democratic constituencies only risks depressing turnout and strengthening the GOP's stranglehold on Congress.