Jewish Reps Bash McCain- Forward
By Nathan Guttman, Thu. Jun 26, 2008
Washington - Jewish Democrats are ratcheting up criticism against Republican candidate John McCain by attempting to focus attention on a 2005 vote in which McCain opposed toughening restrictions on business ties with Iran.
In a June 26 press conference on Capitol Hill, organized by the National Jewish Democratic Council, Democratic lawmakers praised the Democratic nominee, Senator Barack Obama, and attacked the presumptive Republican nominee for what they characterized as his refusal to close loopholes that allow firms like Halliburton to continue doing business with the regime in Tehran.
“Obama has already shown that he will fight against Iran, while McCain tries to give the impression that he is tough on Iran,” said Senator Frank Lautenberg, a Democrat from New Jersey, “but when it comes to facing Halliburton and big oil industry, he does not stand up.”
The McCain campaign has argued that McCain did vote in favor of a similar amendment proposed by Republican Senator Susan Collins of Maine. The Collins amendment was adopted by both parties as an acceptable compromise and was approved in a 97-0 vote.
Lautenberg proposed the 2005 amendment to the Defense Appropriations Bill, with a declared aim “to stop corporations from financing terrorism.”
The amendment sought to repair what Democratic lawmakers saw as the existing legislation’s loophole, which allowed American firms and individuals to bypass sanctions against Iran by conducting their business through offshore subsidiaries.
When the amendment came to the Senate floor, it was voted down with a 51-47 count, roughly split along party lines. McCain and most other Republican senators voted against the amendment, while almost all Democrats, including Obama and Hillary Clinton, voted to approve it.
According to press reports, Halliburton, which was headed in the past by Vice President Dick Cheney, was among the American firms that benefited from the arrangement.
Democratic sources said they saw importance in raising the issue, since McCain claimed that his Democratic rival is soft on the matter of Iran and does not support tough measures against the regime.
The attendees of the press conference were Senators Lautenberg and Ben Cardin, and Reps. Russ Carnahan, Sander Levin, Steve Rothman, Jan Schakowsky and Brad Sherman.
Leave it to the Forward. Is this the best the Obama at any price crowd can do? Wave a Senate vote in which the entire Republican caucas voted no along with McCain to a sanctions amendment as a way to "obfuscate" (see Barack Obama - Myths, Facts, and Obfuscating. At least the Forward had the decency to point out that a similar competing amendment was supported by a 97-0 vote (including McCain). Well, since the amendment that passed did so missing 3 possible Senate votes, did Obama support the compromise? (see how easy this is).
And Lautenberg, time to hang it up.
“Obama has already shown that he will fight against Iran, while McCain tries to give the impression that he is tough on Iran,” said Senator Frank Lautenberg, a Democrat from New Jersey, “but when it comes to facing Halliburton and big oil industry, he does not stand up.”
First, it is Obama, as we all know who wishes to begin no pre-condition negotiations with Iran as soon as he becomes president(G-d forbid) along with other nations who call the US their enemy. One could call this policy theory, "Peace through Kowtow".
It would be comedy indeed, if not the words of a US Senator, that Lautenberg by juxtaposing Halliburton to Iran, seems to believe that Halliburton is as much a threat to the US as Iran. I haven't heard Halliburton threaten do blow any other country off the face of earth recently, and certainly I doubt the corporation is either harboring or sponsoring Islamo-terrorism. If this is the best the Obamaniacs can do, the November 2008 election may become quite the classic.
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