Jews looked past worries to embrace Obama

By Ron Kampeas
Published on November 6, 2008

For months, polls showed Obama languishing at about 60 percent of the Jewish vote, a critical chunk short of the 75 percent or so Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) garnered in 2004. But exit polls from the Tuesday election showed Obama matching those results, garnering about 78 percent of the Jewish vote against 22 percent for Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), his Republican rival.

Let bygones (not) be bygones

By Marty Kaplan
Published on November 5, 2008

So John McCain -- while claiming that not he's not impugning Barack Obama's patriotism -- impugns Barack Obama's patriotism, but we're supposed to understand that it doesn't really matter, because that's just what people do in campaigns.

McCain—and Lieberman—defend Palin in conference call with Jewish leaders [AUDIO]

Published on October 19, 2008

John McCain called Sarah Palin a “threat to the left-wing feminist liberal movement” and passed up an opportunity to criticize Barack Obama’s relationship with Rev. Jeremiah Wright

Dems to Palin: Bring up Rev.  Wright, we’ll bring up Rev. Muthee [VIDEO]

Published on October 8, 2008

Sarah Palin is saying more attention should be paid to the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Barack Obama's former pastor. Democrats counter that they are ready to fight back with their own barrage of guilt-by-association attacks.

Keep religion out of presidential politics

Published on July 3, 2008

Since last summer, when I volunteered for a Barack Obama event, I have received many nonsensical e-mails and heard many nonsensical arguments -- from friends and family as well as on TV -- about Sen. Obama's alleged lack of allegiance to the United States of America.

Birthright Israel, sex and the column

Published on June 12, 2008

" . . . It is wishful thinking by the writer that Obama's chance to be president has been torpedoed by his past association with the Rev. Jeremiah Wright. McCain and the writer want us to focus on this guilt by association nonissue, rather than on Obama's own actions and words and the terrible political and economic conditions our beloved country has fallen into under the Bush/Cheney regime . . ."

Negotiating with Syria, still with the Rev. Wright brouhaha, Museum of Tolerance expansion

Published on June 5, 2008

". . .The Museum of Tolerance is not a Holocaust museum. It is the educational arm of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, and its mission is to educate, using the history of the Holocaust. . . One should never forget but remember by the example of how we live our lives . . ."

Obama and the politics of distraction

By Raphael Sonenshein
Published on June 1, 2008