Attack dog? Fresh meat? Quest for Jewish vote flips Biden and Palin roles

By Ron Kampeas
Published on September 10, 2008

Republicans and Democrats campaigning for the Jewish vote have flipped the traditional role of the vice-presidential candidate from "attack dog" to fresh meat.

State Assembly hopeful is a political and personal bridge builder

By Tom Tugend
Published on July 23, 2008

If elected, one of his top priorities will be California's "quality of life," especially in upgrading the state's infrastructure. "Every one dollar invested in infrastructure adds seven times that amount to the general economy," he said

Racism colors judicial bid: Candidate Bill Johnson advocates deportation of ‘non-whites’

By Brad A. Greenberg
Published on May 29, 2008

Because voters are notoriously uninformed about judicial races, the June 3 Los Angeles County election could see the election of a white-supremacist candidate who advocates restricting U.S. citizenship to non-Hispanic whites and deporting most non-whites, including anyone with more than one-eighth Semitic blood

Diversity lost

By Gina Nahai
Published on May 1, 2008

Are we electing a candidate based on his or her ability to lead the country, or are we crowning a king who looks good in pictures and who is above criticism, examination and challenge?

Rev. Wright’s outreach to Jews still unsettling for many

By Ron Kampeas
Published on May 1, 2008

Barack Obama has sought to distance himself from his former pastor, calling Wright's rhetoric "offensive."

20 questions with John McCain

By Rob Eshman
Published on April 3, 2008

Interview with presidential candidate Senator John McCain and a transcript of remarks by the Senator to the Los Angeles World Affairs Council.

Obama?  Been there

By Gina Nahai
Published on April 3, 2008

I don't think Obama is a bigot or malicious. I think he's someone who's risen too high too fast, on the merit of some exceptional oratorical skills and some natural charm and charisma, at a time when this nation is hard-pressed to find a person in whom it can put its faith. I think he hasn't even had a chance to examine his own loyalties and politics enough to know where he has stood up to now and how he can reconcile his "base" -- the Louis Farrakhans and the Rev. Wrights of the world -- with his new, much wider constituency.

Letter to Obama

By David Suissa
Published on April 3, 2008

If anybody will ever earn the respect of the warring parties of the Middle East and of the rest of the world, it will be a black American president with a Muslim name, a sense of universal fairness, and the courage to speak the truth as he sees it. As someone who is deeply pained by how the world continues to malign the state of Israel, I have the audacity to hope that such a change will be good for the Jews.

Undressed up

By Rob Eshman
Published on March 1, 2007

I sought out Vilsack because, of all the candidates so far, he had a detailed plan for achieving energy security -- he had made it the cornerstone of his campaign.

Choice of Seminary Leader a Bold Move

By Dr. Michael Berenbaum
Published on April 13, 2006

Arnold Eisen is a distinguished scholar of modern Jewish thought and an insightful student of the American Jewish community. His work, "The Jew Within," written jointly with Steven Cohen, explores the identity of marginally affiliated contemporary Jews and illustrates the crisis that institutional liberal Judaism has in maintaining the allegiance of a new generation of American Jews.

Questions Emerge Over School Board Candidate

By Howard Blume
Published on March 1, 2006

A leading contender in next week's L.A. school board race is at odds with USC and UCLA over his academic standing, the latest in a series of uncomfortable disclosures for Christopher Arellano.

Olmert’s Conversion From Pol to Leader

By Larry Derfner
Published on January 19, 2006

You have to judge politicians, especially those running for prime minister, without sentiment. And if they've changed direction, you have to give more weight to what they've done lately than what they did before. Unless the candidate is a truly malevolent character, you have to judge him or her on two things: leadership ability and political direction. And on that basis, I think Olmert is better suited to be prime minister than anybody else around.

Wolpe Leading Pick for Seminary Spot

By Amy Klein
Published on November 24, 2005

The position of JTS chancellor is widely viewed as the head of the entire Conservative movement, as well as the leader of its flagship institution.

Conservative Jews Face Turning Point

By Chanan Tigay
Published on June 23, 2005

It has become axiomatic in certain circles to say that the Conservative movement is at a crossroads as it considers its future.

An Endorsement on Rye for Antonio

By Idan Ivri
Published on October 28, 2004

If you were aching for a sandwich on Fairfax Avenue last Monday, you might remember pushing through a crowd of reporters. That day, three prominent Jewish politicians, often yelling over passing traffic noise, gathered in front of Canter's Deli to publicly endorse City Councilman Antonio Villaraigosa's bid to become the mayor of Los Angeles.

Kerry’s Flip-Flops on Israel Stir Concern

By Rick Richman
Published on May 20, 2004

Earlier this year, Sen. John Kerry started shifting his position on Israel in hope of removing it as an issue of concern to Jewish voters.

Kerry Begins Jewish Outreach Effort

By Ron Kampeas
Published on March 4, 2004

Until now, Kerry's campaign says, the candidate has had little breathing room for such explanatory encounters because of the grueling primary schedule and because his energies were devoted to his come-from-behind triumphs.

Dean’s Judaism Ties Span Decades

By Matthew E. Berger
Published on January 1, 2004

In the middle of a rowdy rendition of "I Have a Little Dreidel" at the Sobelson family Chanukah party in Concord, N.H., Howard Dean walked in and declared himself the cantor.

The Democratic presidential candidate recited the blessings over the candles in near-perfect Hebrew in a dining room crowded with campaign staffers.

"It's another Jewish miracle," Carol Sobelson exclaimed

Schwarzenegger Retracts Waldheim Wedding Toast

By Adam Wills
Published on September 25, 2003

California gubernatorial candidate Arnold Schwarzenegger said that he regrets his 1986 wedding toast to former U.N. Secretary Kurt Waldheim.

Recall Golus

By Gaby Wenig
Published on September 18, 2003

If Golus is recalled, then the entire state of California will be transported to the Holy Land, and we won't have to worry about a budget crisis, Davis's lack of personality or unsavory Arnold Schwarzenegger interviews -- which definitely makes recalling Golus something worth thinking about.

Lieberman Raises Funds in Newport Beach

By Journal Staff
Published on May 1, 2003

When Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Joe Lieberman made an April visit to Newport Beach, Orange County's most Republican stronghold, he found an attentive group of about 100 people at a $1,000-a-person fundraiser at the private Pacific Club.

Why Not Lieberman?

By Paul Kujawsky
Published on March 6, 2003

What a difference two and a half years make. When Democratic presidential candidate Al Gore selected Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman as his running mate in 2000, there was a surge of Jewish pride and support. Now that Lieberman has announced his own candidacy in the 2004 presidential race, there's a surge of Jewish doubt and ambivalence. Why?

The objections to the Lieberman candidacy reveal a nice mix of Jewish fears and neuroses. However, they don't withstand serious scrutiny.

A Jewish president would provoke anti-Semitism. Actually, one of the most heartening aspects of the 2000 election was precisely that having a Jew on a major party ticket for the first time was a big yawn among non-Jews. We braced ourselves for the backlash -- and nothing.

To Elected   Love

By Wendy J. Madnick
Published on February 13, 2003

Once in a while, when you lose in politics, you can still win.

Kerry’s Jewish Roots

By Peter Ephross
Published on February 6, 2003

First it was then-Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. Next it was Gen. Wesley Clark, the supreme allied commander of NATO during the war in Kosovo. Now it's Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry whose Jewish roots are being reported.

Kerry? The Massachusetts senator, the quintessential WASP-y looking politician with an Irish-sounding name?

Yup.

Two of Kerry's grandparents were Jewish, it turns out.

The Liebermans’ Tasty New Year

By Beverly Levitt
Published on August 22, 2002

This year, 5763, Rosh Hashana falls on Shabbat, the weekly observance that Sen. Joseph Lieberman calls "a sanctuary to put the outside world on hold and concentrate on what's really important -- your faith and your family." And although Lieberman, who was the Democratic candidate for vice president in 2000, will experience the same joy he feels every Friday night as he takes off his watch and prepares to get into the Sabbath mood, during Rosh Hashana all activities are heightened -- the prayers are longer, the conversation more intense, the urgency to evaluate the past year and make resolutions for a sweet New Year more palpable.