From the Republican side in the Senate committee hearings, there was only polite deference displayed for Hagel's Vietnam military and senate service. Instead, adopting the style of another prosecutorial senator, Arizona's Republican Senator John McCain, Cruz demanded yes or no answers, or the order of "do you or do you not stand behind this quote from 1999 (or 2002, or whenever)."
It was, overall, an ugly scene in the nation's capitol as Republican senators bolstered their Israeli bona fides to demonstrate just how much they love the Zionist program that occupies a Palestinian population and elevates Israel above criticism or blame.
If there was any senatorial concern over Israel's refusal to attend the UN Human Rights conference this week, it did not surface in any format I could locate. To these senators, Israel does no wrong.
During the Hagel hearings, Republicans focused exclusively on loving Israel as they leveled blistering attacks on a former senate colleague, forcing him to explain, clarify and at times, appear to reverse statements made over the past decade. The senators tried to get him to give yes or no answers to questions about some of the more complex issues this nation will confront during his term as defense secretary.
In spite of these highly personal attacks, Hagel remained cool, maintaining his composure to such a degree that, if you are pulling for him, he succeeded in making his attackers look both nasty and petty.
In preparation for the hearings, Hagel did his political homework. He bolstered his support among pro-Israel Democratic senators. Once he convinced Chuck Schumer of New York, that he (Hagel) was not anti-Israel, he passed the Schumer litmus test.
Here is JTA's reading of the groundwork Hagel and his White House counselors, laid prior to the hearings:
"In his efforts to tamp down the pro-Israel opposition to his nomination, Hagel has won support from some of the leading Jewish pro-Israel Democrats in the Senate: Carl Levin (D-Mich.), who chairs the Armed Services Committee, as well as Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.).
"The Vietnam War hero also has the support of liberal Jewish groups, including Americans for Peace Now, the Israel Policy Forum and J Street. On Wednesday, J Street was set to join Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.), a veteran and a member of the Armed Services Committee, on a conference call backing Hagel.
"Hagel also has met with leaders of centrist pro-Israel groups, several of which had expressed concerns about his candidacy, including the Anti-Defamation League, the American Jewish Committee, the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations and the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. The groups described the meeting as 'an important opportunity for a serious and thorough discussion.'"
In his fight against Hagel, John Hagee's CUFI had the support of co-religionist groups in the Jewish community, none of which, however, to my knowledge, ran ads "praying" for senatorial votes
The Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC) did contribute a web video which the JTA describes as "featuring Democrats and Jewish organizational leaders expressing concern about Hagel."
"Expressing concern" is Zionist polite parlor talk for "we don't like you or what you stand for."
No prayer talk either from the Emergency Committee for Israel which ran a full-page ad in the New York Times, January 15, joining the Zionist Organization of America in opposing Hagel.
And of course, it would not be a pro-Israel alley fight without the presence of casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, described by JTA as "one of the GOP's most generous donors and an RJC board member." Adelson made his pitch directly by calling senators who appreciate his fondness for Israel as well as his generous deep pockets.
Matt Brooks, the RJC's executive director, went all down-home-like on us with his comment, "We've made a strategic decision to gin up as much support among our leaders to reach out to the folks."
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