The Republicons Will Lose the War on Women

I was having lunch with a friend today and she brought up the Republican war on women.

She laughed, “That crazy guy Romney thinks if just says”there's no war on women, “ women will believe him.

Republicans don't like strong women.

They hated Hillary Clinton, they still do.

They despise Debbie Schultz Wassermann.

They HATE Nancy Pelosi.

Remember what the leader of the Republican Party , Rush Limbaugh,called the female law student, Sandra Fluke,  who testified on birth control before congress?

He called her a slut, a prostitute.

The Republicans share a lot of feelings towards women with the radical Muslims.

That's what radical Muslims call strong women, sluts.

Romney said his source of information on women's issues is  his wife.

To compare his wife, a multimillionaire with access to nanny's, jet planes and all of the resources that super wealth can buy, with working women who struggle to raise their families and put food on the table,  is ridiculous.”

I smiled, “But you're a Republican.”

She looked at me, “The Republican party has  changed. They have moved so far to the right that they don't share American values, but, particularly women's values.

Romney said 'We are going to get rid of Planned Parenthood,'

the main provider of women's health information, breast cancer screening, cervical cancer screening  and birth control information.

They want to eliminate insurance payments for birth control.

Right now, in the states, Republicans are firing thousands of teachers.

Education is important to women.

We want our children to receive an education.

They are firing firefighters and police .

We want protection for our families.

Women really don't like Romney.

He is handsome, a good looking guy.

But he is a liar.

He lies and he lies and he lies, and all of my friends say he reminds them of the good looking guys they have known that do that, that look you in the eye and lie to you.

That's the bottom line for the Republican women I have talked to.”

I asked, “So you are going to vote for Obama?”

She sighed, “I don't agree with all of Obama's policies, but he's honest, and he cares about women's issues, and children.

The first act Obama signed was the Lilly Ledbetter act which gives women the right to sue when they are discriminated against.

The Republicans made a big mistake when they declared this war on women, it's a war they are going to lose.”

How could I disagree?

It was obvious that she was right.

Why Obama Should Raise Taxes in 2013

By Joseph Rauch

 

If my title didn't catch your attention, I'll say it again: Obama is going to win the election this year and when he does, I want him to raise taxes on wealthy Americans by repealing the Bush tax cuts or introducing new tax legislation on the "1 percent" as well as capital gains. Why he will win is an entirely different issue, so for now I'll just explain why raising taxes on the rich is a good idea.

Proponents of tax cuts often ask the question, "Why punish success?" I think the implications of this question and the beliefs of those who pose it are much more important than the question itself. The first implication is that raising taxes on wealthy Americans, commonly referred to as job creators or investors, will make these job creators stop creating jobs and investing/stimulating our economy. I believe this is false because raising taxes will not affect the potential of an investment. In other words, a good investment will still be profitable and appealing and allow wealthy Americans to create jobs and stimulate the economy even if they have to pay a little more money in taxes as a result. I am certain that taxes would not stunt the growth of an industry if the idea behind it has potential and if the investors see this potential.
The second implication of "Why punish success?" is that raising taxes on the rich is class warfare. Hyperbole aside, this is also not true. Raising taxes on the rich in any capitalistic society is simply logical. We have a massive debt to China, and one of the most feasible ways to pay them back and regain our economy is to generate revenue by raising taxes. Raising taxes on rich people is the most sensible solution simply because they have more money. A member of the "1 percent" will still be able to live the same lifestyle and will not have to make significant sacrifices if their taxes are raised while a tax increase for a poor American can mean the difference between sending a child to college or not. It is not class warfare, just math and the idea that shaving a piece off a loaf of bread is not so tragic if the loaf is as big as a refrigerator.
I believe the last purpose of the "Why punish success?" question is to generate sympathy for wealthy Americans by creating the illusion that all rich people gained their wealth by working incredibly hard throughout their life. Proponents of tax cuts for the wealthy want people to think, "How could I possibly be so spiteful as to raise taxes on someone simply because they worked hard and earned every penny they have?" While many of the "1 percent" percent are rich because they worked hard on brilliant ideas or creating businesses, the life stories of these people are not the definition of becoming wealthy. The less inspiring story is that a lot of wealthy Americans (in this case I mean Americans that make more than $300,000 dollars a year) are rich because their parents were rich and afforded them connections, opportunities and the financial support to go to a top-tier college. Thus, rich people with rich parents usually have their inheritance to thank more than hard work, not that these people aren't capable of working hard in addition to their given advantages. There are also a lot of Americans that become rich due to having luck in their investments and not necessarily skill in predicting the market. I always chuckle when I think of the people who were persuaded into investing into some little company named Google because they thought the worst case would be they would lose a little money if the company bombed.
The logic of believing rich people are necessarily rich because they worked hard is also dangerous because of its implications about other Americans. If rich people have lots of money because they worked hard, then are poor people inherently lazy, and are middle class Americans inherently not quite lazy but not hard-working either? Fortunately, some of the wisest and most influential of the "1 percent," whose financial savvy and hard work earned them their fortunes, such as Warren Buffet and Irwin Jacobs, do not see taxes as punishment and have stated that their taxes should be raised. Jacobs stated that the economy was healthy during the Clinton years when taxes were high and Buffet argued that it was unfair for him to pay fewer taxes than some of his staff. I hope these men act as shining examples and that Warren Buffet does not continue to be a pariah due to his statements.
If Obama raises taxes on the "1 percent," the worst-case scenario is that they will be upset. Many of them will moan and make threats, but please do not take this as a stereotype of being rich. Rich people will not like increased taxes simply because they are human or rather because they are American. However, if Obama wants to raise their taxes, he has to change his attitude a bit from what is was in his first term and be less willing to compromise. The word bipartisan has a nice ring to it but is generally a waste of political time and effort for both parties. I'll try to use a positive analogy by saying that American politics is and should be, for better or worse, a lot like American football. The opposing teams smash into one another and try to score more points than the other team. The fans of the winning team cheer and the fans of the losing team boo and have to swallow their pride and cheer again next game. In conclusion, I believe this is the attitude that the formerly naïve Obama should have in his second term if he wants to implement new tax legislature or repeal the Bush tax cuts.

Joseph Rauch

Student, NYU

Obama's Support for Israel

By Jeffrey Goldberg

 

Before joining The Atlantic in 2007, Goldberg was a Middle East correspondent, and the Washington correspondent, for The New Yorker. Previously, he served as a correspondent for The New York Times Magazine and New York magazine. He has also written for the Jewish Daily Forward, and was a columnist for The Jerusalem Post.

His book Prisoners was hailed as one of the best books of 2006 by the Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Slate, The Progressive, Washingtonian magazine, and Playboy. Goldberg rthe recipient of the 2003 National Magazine Award for Reporting for his coverage of Islamic terrorism. He is also the winner of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists prize for best international investigative journalist; the Overseas Press Club award for best human-rights reporting; and the Abraham Cahan Prize in Journalism. He is also the recipient of 2005's Anti-Defamation League Daniel Pearl Prize.

In 2001, Goldberg was appointed the Syrkin Fellow in Letters of the Jerusalem Foundation, and in 2002 he became a public-policy scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, D.C.

Sep 21 2011, 8:12 AM ET

Antony Blinken, a key figure on President Obama's National Security Council, has put to paper some of President Obama's concrete achievements on behalf of Israel. It is an impressive list. I know there are people out there who have made themselves impervious to facts on this matter, but here goes anyway:

Our dedication to maintaining Israel's qualitative military edge is not talk; we are walking the walk. Since coming to office, we have launched the most comprehensive and meaningful strategic and operational consultations, across all levels of our governments, in the history of this relationship. These interactions, from our heads-of-state on down, are what averted tragedy in Cairo--and they only exist between the closest of allies.

In October 2009, our nations' armed forces conducted their largest ever joint military exercise, Juniper Cobra. In 2010, nearly 200 senior-level Department of Defense officials visited Israel, and senior Israeli officials visit the U.S. just as often.

And this year, despite tough fiscal times, President Obama fought for and secured full funding for Israel in our 2011 budget, including $3 billion in military assistance--the most ever.

We secured an additional $205 million to help produce Iron Dome. This short-range rocket defense system has been a godsend for besieged communities along Israel's border with Gaza, and it has now been installed in the north, along the Lebanon border, as well. Already it has intercepted dozens of rockets that might otherwise have struck homes, schools or hospitals, providing peace of mind for people, like the residents of Sderot whom President Obama visited in 2008, living perpetually in the line of fire.

To guard against more distant, but also more dangerous threats, we have worked with the Israelis on the Arrow weapons system, to intercept medium-range ballistic missiles, and David's Sling, for shorter-range missiles. And we have collaborated on a powerful radar system linked to U.S. early warning satellites that could buy Israel valuable time in the event of a missile attack.

We know that Israel sees the threat posed by Iran as existential. And make no mistake: An Iran armed with nuclear weapons on long-range missiles would pose a direct and serious threat to the security of the U.S. as well.

That is why we are determined to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. And we have backed up that commitment by building an unprecedented coalition to impose the most far-reaching sanctions Iran has ever faced. As a result, Iran finds itself increasingly isolated from the international community. It finds it harder than ever to acquire materials for its nuclear and weapons programs and to conduct transactions in dollars and euros. And it has struggled to buy refined petroleum and the goods it needs to modernize its oil and gas sector.

Already close to $60 billion in Iranian energy-related projects have been put on hold or discontinued. And world-leading companies are deciding to stop doing business there, including: Shell, Total, ENI, Statoil, Repsol, Lukoil, Kia, Toyota, Siemens and foreign subsidiaries of U.S. firms such as GE, Honeywell and Caterpillar, among many others.

Standing up for Israel's security also means remaining ever vigilant against attempts to delegitimize Israel in the international arena. As President Obama has said, including in the speech he gave in Cairo, the heart of the Arab world, Israel's legitimacy is not a matter for debate.

That is why we stood up strongly for Israel's right to defend itself after the Goldstone Report on the 2009 Gaza War was issued, and why we refuse to attend events that endorse or commemorate the flawed 2001 World Conference Against Racism, which outrageously singled out Israel for criticism.

That is also why we are working literally around the clock and around the world to try to prevent steps taken at this month's U.N. General Assembly meeting from further isolating Israel or undermining efforts to reach a secure, negotiated peace with the Palestinians.

JEWISH ORTHODOX UNION EXPRESSES APPRECIATION TO PRESIDENT OBAMA

The Orthodox Union is the world's largest Jewish resource, working to support Israel and promoting the values of the Orthodox Jewish community in the public square

Today, in the wake of scores of rocket attacks launched by Palestinian terrorists in the Gaza Strip against innocent civilians in Israel, the leadership of the Orthodox Union – the nation’s largest Orthodox Jewish umbrella organization – wrote to President Barack Obama to express appreciation for his Administration’s support for Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system – which has, to date, prevented the terrorists’ rockets from claiming innocent lives, and for the President’s recent statements of support for Israel’s right of self defense.  The Orthodox Union leadership sent a similar letter of appreciation to the leaders of the U.S. Congress as well.
The text of the Orthodox Union’s letter to the President is as follows:
March 12, 2012
President Barack Obama
The White House
Washington, DC
Dear President Obama,
We hope this letter finds you well.
As recently as last week, you publicly spoke of your unshakable commitment to the security of the State of Israel and your Administration’s proactive efforts to strengthen that security.  Among those efforts, you cited the financial support the United States has provided for Israel’s “Iron Dome” missile defense system.
In the space of but a few days that have passed since your statements, we now see terrorists in the Gaza Strip launching scores of rockets at innocent Israeli communities forcing schools to close and men, women and children to spend the day crouching in fear near bomb shelters.  Thankfully, the Iron Dome has performed remarkably well and, to date, prevented civilian casualties from the terrorists’ attacks.  We write to express our appreciation to your Administration for providing the material support that is saving lives today.
Last week, Mr. President, you also strongly endorsed the State of Israel’s sovereign right of self defense.  As we watch on with concern in our eyes and prayers in our hearts for the success of the Israel Defense Forces as they act to defend the innocent, we express our appreciation for your Administration’s call for the rocket attacks to cease and anticipate your support for Israel’s actions.
Sincerely,
Dr. Simcha Katz          Rabbi Steven Burg
President                     Managing Director
Yehuda Neuberger          Nathan Diament
Chair, Public Policy           Exec. Dir., Public Policy

Contact: Nathan Diament  202-513-6484

History
In 1898, Dr. Henry Periera Mendes, the spiritual leader of the Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue in New York, established the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America. More readily known today by its shorter name, the Orthodox Union, or simply by its initials "OU," the nascent organization was founded with 50 congregations from across the United States and Canada with several formidable goals: to unify the fragmented traditional ranks of Jews, to provide a strong political voice for Torah Judaism and to halt the frightening trend of assimilation among New World Jews. The OU's early concerns – advancing Shabbat observance, battling missionaries who preyed on Jewish public school students in the pre-Yeshiva days, and struggling to effectively transmit Jewish heritage to a new generation of youth – reflected the then fragile condition of American Orthodoxy.
As American Orthodoxy stabilized, the OU pioneered programs to assist in the Orthodox synagogue and community, easing the path for the flood of Jewish immigrants who would arrive in the ensuing decades. In 1924, the OU undertook a monumental, unprecedented endeavor: the creation of the first nonprofit, communally sponsored kosher certification. In the years to come, the OU symbol would become renowned throughout the world and ultimately the revolutionize the kosher food industry.
The World Wars caused the OU to organize relief undertakings, cater to the religious needs of the Jewish servicemen in the American army and work with other Jewish organizations to awaken the American public to the menace of Nazi Germany. With the miraculous birth of Israel, the OU committed itself to strengthening and protecting Israel's spiritual, political, and economic well-being. In the decades since the founding of the Jewish State, the OU has been involved with issues such as the peace process, international terrorism and Israeli MIAs and POWs.
Addressing the ever-challenging threats of intermarriage and assimilation, the OU created the National Conference of Synagogue Youth (now known simply as NCSY), an innovative and dynamic outreach movement for teenagers. Reorganized in 1959, NCSY spurred the birth of the North American Teshuva Movement, reversing the fate of thousands of individuals, hundreds of synagogues and communities and of American Jewry in general.
Underscoring the responsibilities to the disabled segment of the Jewish community, the OU created Yachad and Our Way, the only national Jewish programs offering religious, educational and social opportunities for youth and adults with developmental disabilities or who are deaf or hearing impaired.
Expanding its international agenda in the 1970s and 1980s, the OU served as a pivotal force in the epic struggle to free Soviet Jewry and set out to ensure the safety and security of Jews throughout the world. With the collapse of communism, the OU was among the first to provide an outreach infrastructure in the Ukraine, bringing hundreds back to their Jewish roots. On the domestic front, the OU, through the Institute for Public Affairs (IPA), continued to defend Jewish civil rights and vocalize the concerns of Orthodoxy in Washington.
During the past century, the Orthodox world has been guided and enriched by the OU, an organization that is today the world's foremost leader in kashrut supervision, Jewish outreach, advocacy for the disabled, synagogue services, adult education and political action. As the face of Orthodoxy continues to change, the OU is ever-committed to its original goals of unifying, representing and strengthening traditional Jewry.