Democratic Politics Archive

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    Contentions Roundup: Ambassador Howard Gutman Flashback

    Posted on April 10, 2012
    A roundup of the Commentary Contentions posts from December on Howard Gutman, Obama’s ambassador to Belgium. The ambassador blamed Palestinian intransigence on Israel, then blamed European anti-Semitism on Israel, and then found himself defended by the President’s water-carriers in the […]

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    Contentions Roundup: J Street Conference Pre-Mortem

    Posted on April 9, 2012
    A roundup of recent Commentary Contentions posts leading up to the J Street annual conference, including the 2011 spectacle of an evangelical urging participants to go forth and undermine support for Israel by reference to a classical anti-Semitic canard: J […]

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    Merely Tweeted, “If Only Israel Supporters Would Read More…” Edition

    Posted on October 14, 2011
    Highlights, lowlights, links – and frantic White House efforts to throw Obama’s anti-Israel diplomatic offensives down the memory hole – from the Mere Rhetoric Twitter stream: 14 months left of having Forman/WH/@NJDC explain that Jewish voters oppose Obama because they […]

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    Merely Tweeted, “Jewish Americans For Obama Myths vs. Facts Page…” Edition

    Posted on October 11, 2011
    Highlights, lowlights, links, and tidbits from the Obama campaign’s delightful new “Jewish Americans for Obama” page, from the Mere Rhetoric Twitter stream: Remember when Obama defenders said he wouldn’t plunge US/Israel alliance into crisis, then he did, then they lectured […]

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    Merely Tweeted, “Dictionary.com Word Of Day Is ‘Malinger’…” Edition

    Posted on February 25, 2011
    Highlights, lowlights, links, and the spectacle that is a deeply unserious administration ginning up domestic unrest against serious political opponents, from the Mere Rhetoric Twitter stream: I’m kind of skeptical that he is, actually | MT @markknoller: Obama says focused […]

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    Merely Tweeted, “After SOTU Government Is Back To Picking Winners And Losers…” Edition

    Posted on January 26, 2011
    Highlights, lowlights, links, and big government innovation from Thanksgiving through the SOTU, from the Mere Rhetoric Twitter stream: I for one am glad to know that government is back in the business of picking winners and losers, esp in the […]

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    “Robust Democracy,” “Contentious Debate,” Etc – Not So Much Hypocrisy As Chutzpa

    Posted on January 26, 2011
    There have been suggestions that the left’s Strange New Respect for “the inevitability of robust debate in a democracy” is exactly as obnoxious as their hypocritical sermonizing about political civility. That’s a little bit unfair, and it denies due credit […]

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    Merely Tweeted, “Not Sure It’s A Good Idea For J Street…” Edition

    Posted on December 1, 2010
    Highlights, lowlights, links, and another bonhomie-filled J Street post, from the Mere Rhetoric Twitter stream: Not sure it’s a good idea for J Street to dare Josh Block to “address what he actually disagrees with re J Street’s agenda” israel […]

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    Merely Tweeted, “Is Obama going to attack Israel during Korea visit?…” Edition

    Posted on November 29, 2010
    Highlights, lowlights, links, and surreal anti-Israel double standards, from the Mere Rhetoric Twitter stream: Is Obama going to attack Israel during Korea visit? Or does he only do that from countries where Israeli Jews are verboten? Obama attacked ethics of […]