Schumer abandoning Obama over Israel?
A week ago, I reported that Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) may be about to break with President Obama over Israel. The report was attributed to former New York City Mayor and Congressman Edward I. Koch (D). If you look at the comments to that post, you will see that all three of them were skeptical. But here's some evidence that my report may be right.In an interview with ABC on Sunday, Schumer totally ducks a question on whether the Obama administration is (as attributed to a confidant to Prime Minister Netanyahu) a 'strategic disaster' for Israel. The question was a softball and Schumer could have fended it off. Instead he tried to duck it. As Ron Kampeas notes:
Schumer utterly ducks a question about whether Obama is a "strategic disaster" for Israel, and it's not Tapper's fault -- that was the direct question, quoting a Netanyahu confidante, and there was no wiggle room (although the senator, native New Yorker that he is, was not shy about grabbing it anyway.)
This should have been an easy "give" for a politico, particularly one from the president's party. "Of course not Jake, President Obama has shown his commitment through yadda yadda, he has said blah blah blah -- but I do believe that the United States and Israel need to settle their differences behind closed doors." Heck, he could even have gotten in a dig to the president, while still protecting him from the broader swipe: "Heavens no, Jake, President Obama has done much to boost Israel's strategic edge, blah blah blah, but I'd wish he'd be a little more discreet about this relatively minor disagreement," and on and on.
Two easy, politic ways out. But no.
Anyone want to reconsider what they said in the previous thread? There's a transcript here.
Israel Matzav: Schumer abandoning Obama over Israel?
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