Writing in Counterpunch (of course), Jerry Kroth– an Associate Professor of Counseling Psychology at Santa Clara University and part-time Kennedy assassination conspiracy theorist– decries the Democratic “apostates” in the Senate:
In November, the American electorate repudiated Bush’s Iraq debacle and established Democratic majorities in both the House and Senate promising to bring this “flawed policy wrapped in illusion” to a decisive end….In the end, though, 37 Democratic senators capitulated and gratuitously gave the President his $100 billion no-strings- attached blank check.Bloggers called them “traitor Democrats”, and the descriptor is apropos. At the time of the vote, sixty-two percent of the American people favored a timetable for a withdrawal, but, more significantly, “seventy percent” of Democrats were so inclined. Voting against this burgeoning tide of anger betrayed the will of the people and party that put these Democrats in office.
Curiously, all of the traitor democrats were huge career recipients of funds from the Israeli lobby. If we took ten Democratic apostates and compared them to ten Democrats who stood by the voters, pro-Israeli PAC contributions were “ten times” greater for the turncoats than those who stayed with their constituencies ($322,000 versus $34,000 on average).
To be specific: Carl Levin, outspoken critic of the war and, we thought, a loyal supporter of the new regime to end it, defected and blithely turned his back on his Michigan support base. Despite his strident anti-war rhetoric, the Grand Rapids Independent reports Levin has supported Bush all the way “consistently funding the war and not introducing any meaningful legislation to bring it closer to an end.” Practically unknown to his constituents, Levin is one of the largest beneficiaries of Pro-Israeli PAC funds collecting $600,000 in career contributions according to the Washington Report on Mideast Affairs.
Ah, behold the mighty power of AIPAC. (But, if Levin is one of the “largest beneficiaries” of AIPAC funds, why did he oppose the war, which, as we all know, was “planned” by AIPAC…oh nevermind, my head hurts.)
More to the point, I love the way these folks misrepresent Levin. He was the Senator who introduced an amendment to begin the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq within 120 days “as a way to pressure the Iraqi leaders to reach a political settlement and to recognize their responsibility for their own country.” He ultimately withdrew it, under threat of presidential veto. Recently, he declared, “I will continue to fight for a bill that requires the President to begin bringing our troops home starting in 120 days. But I cannot vote to stop funding for the troops in harm’s way.”
How downright treasonous of him.
