Dissent with Candidate Obama

As an ardent Barack Obama supporter, let me be the first to STRIDENTLY disagree with this butt-kissing of the Israel lobby group AIPAC by Obama, Clinton and McCain. I can honestly not think of any other group before which the candidates have to go prostrate themselves and swear allegiance in such a naked manner. I truly believe that this belittles America's stature, her greatness, and her independence.

In his statements before AIPAC, Obama makes no acknowledgment of the intense sufferings of the Palestinian peoples. Speak truth to the SPECIAL INTERESTS like you said you would Mr. Obama! My thoughts on the Middle East were expressed in a post here.

Visit Open Secrets for disclosures on the group's lobbying influence.

Update I: The moment that made my heart jump during this speech was Obama's forceful statement about the final status of Jerusalem. Middle East 101, this is one of the KEY pieces of a final settlement of the crisis, meaning, you can't settle it unilaterally or away from the negotiation table. I believe this was a major foreign blunder by Senator Obama. Not even the Bush Administration has gone so far. You don't throw out major policy changes like that out to get votes!

Well, surprise surprise, Obama has had to backtrack. I hope he's not about to prove Hillary right and show he doesn't know what the heck he's talking about. Glenn Kessler writes:

The Bush administration's official position is that the status of Jerusalem is among the most sensitive issues and must be decided by the parties. Former President Bill Clinton, before he left office, had proposed a formula under which "Jerusalem should be an open and undivided city," including locating the Palestian capital in East Jerusalem.

Obama quickly backtracked today in an interview with CNN.

"Well, obviously, it's going to be up to the parties to negotiate a range of these issues. And Jerusalem will be part of those negotiations," Obama said when asked whether Palestinians had no future claim to the city.

Obama said "as a practical matter, it would be very difficult to execute" a division of the city. "And I think that it is smart for us to -- to work through a system in which everybody has access to the extraordinary religious sites in Old Jerusalem but that Israel has a legitimate claim on that city."

More room for Republican attacks on inexperience. Can we get Dennis Ross on the Obama team anytime soon? I'm really nervous about Obama overcompensating in his attempt to woo Jewish support.