[Needtoknow] Lamont and Lieberman both hawks on Lebanon

[John Walsh]

Here again is evidence that the Democratic Party even at its "best" is
pro-war.  Lamont, Lieberman's adversary in the CT Dem primary, has
come out in favor of Israel's criminal attack on Lebanon.  Lamont is
supported by PDA's ("Progressive" Dems of America) Marcy Kaptur.
I believe that certain Dems are permitted now to be against the War on
Iraq, because the mission of US/UK/Israel imperialism has indeed been
accomplished.  Iraq has been reduced to civil war and rubble, no
longer a danger to US empire or Israel.  But Lebanon is another story.
 The work of Israel and the U.S. there is just beginning - and so
everyone from Lamont to Kerry to Hillary, with only a very few
exceptions (not even McGovern of MA or Murtha of PA) has opposed the
Israel war, now having driven close to a million from their homes and
killed many, many hundreds of civilians.
We need a genuine antiwar party - not more of the SOS.
WE NEED THE GREENS AND THE GREEN-RAINBOW PARTY IN MA.

Here is the relevant article from the Jewish Forward (a very good
source of info):
****
Antiwar Candidate Backs Israeli Strikes   Forward

http://www.forward.com/articles/8190

Antiwar Candidate Backs Israeli Strikes
By JENNIFER SIEGEL

The anti-Iraq War challenger in Connecticut's upcoming Democratic
primary has issued strong statements backing Israel's military
operations in Lebanon, but his campaign boosters are being painted as
anti-Israel by supporters of Senator Joseph Lieberman.

Greenwich, Conn., businessman Ned Lamont, who holds a slight lead in
the polls over Lieberman, told the Forward that he supports Israel's
current operations in Gaza and Lebanon, and that he disagreed with the
European Union's declaration that criticized Israel's actions as a
"disproportionate" response.

"When we're dealing with Hezbollah and Hamas, who are both dedicated
to the elimination of Israel, it's a little presumptuous of us to say
what's proportionate and what's not from over here on this side of the
Atlantic," Lamont said. "I don't think it's for the United States to
dictate how Israel tactically defends itself."

On July 22, Lamont campaigned with two Democratic members of the House
of Representatives — Maxine Waters of California and Marcy Kaptur of
Ohio — who also have called for an end of American military
involvement in Iraq. Some Lieberman backers are pointing to the
legislators' support of Lamont in an effort to raise doubts about
Lamont's commitment to Israel.

Over the years, the two lawmakers have backed several measures pushed
by the pro-Israel lobby, and both have supported American aid to
Israel. But they were among a small group of House members who did not
vote in favor of a July 20 resolution supporting Israel and condemning
Hamas, Hezbollah, Syria and Iran.

A willingness to campaign with Waters and Kaptur "raises a question
about his commitment" to Israel, one informal adviser to the Lieberman
campaign told the Forward. "The Lieberman-hating community has
relentlessly attacked him for, you know, talking to conservatives, as
if that's a cardinal sin. If that's the standard," then when Lamont is
"embracing two noted opponents of Israel, then he must share their
views, and it's up to him to tell us that's not so, and why he is
embracing them."

In response, Lamont said, "I've been very clear from the get-go that
[I'm] a supporter of Israel."

"I think both Maxine and I think that the invasion of Iraq did nothing
for America's security, nor did it do anything for Israel's security,"
Lamont said. "But in regard to her vote on any given resolution, give
her a call."

A spokesperson for Waters declined to comment.

The back-and-forth between the competing Democratic camps comes less
than two weeks before Connecticut's August 8 primary, as Lamont enjoys
a razor-thin advantage. He leads Lieberman among likely Democratic
primary voters, 51%-47%, according to a Quinnipiac University poll
released July 19. The margin of error was 3.8%.

Lieberman has said that if he loses the primary, he will run in the
November general election as an independent. Polls show that Lieberman
would win a three-man race easily against Lamont and the Republican
nominee.

In his interview with the Forward, Lamont said that he did not agree
with calls for an immediate, unconditional cease-fire between Israel
and Hezbollah.

"I think first and foremost, return the kidnapped soldiers, Hamas and
Hezbollah," Lamont said. "And I think that would be sort of a
prerequisite for everything that goes on beyond."

In addition to blasting Israel's enemies, the challenger blamed the
current escalation on the Bush administration's decision to invade
Iraq and on the failure to be more engaged in the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict. "We took our eye off the ball," Lamont said. "The invasion
of Iraq… we got bogged down. We didn't deal with the peace process in
a serious way over the last five years — that's part of the reason
that Israel is under attack today."

Lamont said that he supported burgeoning plans to put an international
force on the border between Israel and Lebanon.

On July 20, Waters and Kaptur voted "present" in response to the House
resolution in support of Israel. In May, Waters voted for the
Palestinian Anti-Terrorism Act, a measure restricting American funding
to the Hamas-controlled Palestinian Authority; Kaptur was one of 37
representatives to vote against the bill. In December 2005, Kaptur
supported a resolution urging P.A. President Mahmoud Abbas to bar
terror groups from elections, while Waters was one of 17
representatives who voted against the measure.

In October 2003, Waters voted for the Syria Accountability and
Lebanese Sovereignty Act; Kaptur voted "present."

Copyright 2006 (c) The Forward