Biden makes his case to Congress.

November 1, 2023

          Members of the Biden administration spent the day on Capitol Hill lobbying for the supplemental aid package for Israel and Ukraine. As expected, Biden’s proposal has split Republicans in the House and Senate. Per The Washington Post,

On Tuesday, Senate Democrats and Republicans on the Senate Appropriations Committee appeared to be in broad agreement about a need for swift approval of a major package that would help Israel and Ukraine.

          Meanwhile, Speaker Mike Johnson’s proposal for an “Israel-only” supplemental spending package paid for by cuts to IRS funding continues to draw derision from all corners. Indeed, Secretary of State Antony Blinken penned an op-ed in the Washington Post directed at congressional Republicans: Antony Blinken: Defending Israel is essential. So is aiding civilians in Gaza. (This article is accessible to all.)

          Secretary Blinken wrote:

Some in Congress are making the case to fund only parts of the president’s request, including proposals to cut out all humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza.

That would be a grave mistake.

It will deepen the suffering of more than 2 million Palestinian civilians — including women, children, the elderly, people with disabilities and other vulnerable populations — who have nothing to do with Hamas’s deplorable attacks. It will undercut Israel’s security and regional stability. And it will worsen problems and risks that will end up costing American taxpayers many magnitudes more over time.

         As Secretary Blinken was lobbying Congress in the opinion pages, he also testified before the Senate Appropriations Committee along with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. During his testimony, Blinken revealed the administration’s view that a “revitalized Palestinian Authority” should govern Gaza when hostilities cease. See The Times of Israel, Blinken to visit Israel on Friday, says ‘revitalized’ PA should govern Gaza after war.

          Blinken explained his comment on a “revitalized Palestinian authority” as follows:

At some point, what would make the most sense would be for an effective and revitalized Palestinian Authority to have governance and ultimately security responsibility for Gaza.

Whether you can get there in one step is a big question that we have to look at. And if you can’t, then there are other temporary arrangements that may involve a number of other countries in the region. It may involve international agencies that would help provide for both security and governance.

          During the testimony of Secretaries Blinken and Austin, protesters in the audience interrupted Blinken’s remarks on multiple occasions as they called for an immediate cease fire. Secretary Blinken addressed the calls for a ceasefire directly, saying:

I also hear very much the passions expressed in this room and outside this room. All of us are committed to the protection of civilian life. All of us know the suffering that is taking place as we speak. All of us are determined to see it end.

When it comes to a ceasefire. In this moment ... that would simply consolidate what Hamas has been able to do and allow it to remain where it is and potentially repeat what it did another day. And that's not tolerable. No nation would tolerate it.

[Let me interrupt my commentary to put in a quick plug for Aaron Rupar, who frequently provides real-time detailed reporting on congressional hearings and trials not readily available from other sources. He is @atrupar on Twitter and publishes Public Notice on Substack. I relied on Aaron’s reporting in providing the above citations.]

          Despite the Biden administration’s efforts to provide aid to Palestinians in Gaza, to urge a humanitarian pause in the fighting and condemnation of “extremist settlers” who are “pouring gasoline” on the volatile Middle East by attacking Palestinians in the West Bank (per Biden), the widespread perception among opinion writers is that Biden is suffering politically because of his steadfast support for Israel. Simon Rosenberg of Hopium Chronicles provides a countervailing view in his most recent post, A Week From Election Day, The Speaker Stumbles Bigly Out Of The Box, Hamas' 2m Human Shields

          Rosenberg writes,

Biden’s approval rating - I know there has been chatter that Biden’s standing with Democrats has taken a hit over Israel but that is just not showing up in the data right now. As I wrote on Saturday, support for Israel among Democrats has actually gone up since October 7th, and Biden’s approval rating in the 538 average is actually a point higher than a month ago. If things were moving against Biden we would see it in the weekly tracking polls, and the first one out this week, Morning Consult, has Biden’s head-to-head against Trump and his approval on handing of Israel unchanged from last week.

          While I generally counsel against following polls this far out, Simon Rosenberg’s point is that whatever you are being told about the polls is probably wrong or exaggerated. That is worth knowing.

          I share Simon Rosenberg’s optimism—even if Biden’s approval ratings dip for a time. The situation in Israel and Gaza has defied solutions for decades. No party is likely to come up with a single solution to a multi-faceted problem in the short term. The best any party can do is to operate in good faith to bring about a prompt and fair resolution. Although many Democrats and Independents disagree with Biden’s foreign policy choices in this situation, it is clear that he is making a good-faith effort to do the right thing for the Israeli, Palestinian, and American people. That is what we should expect of any US president—and Biden is measuring up to that high bar.

Colorado trial to disqualify Trump from presidential ballot.

          The trial of CREW’s effort to disqualify Trump from the Colorado presidential primary ballot proceeded to expert testimony regarding Trump's intent to communicate with extremist groups. See The Hill, Trump signaled to extremist groups on Jan. 6, experts testify in Colorado 14th Amendment case. The issue of Trump's intent is one of the most interesting and thorny questions in the case. Trump has a feral instinct that allows him to walk to the edge of objectionable, actionable speech while stopping short of saying explicitly what he means.

          Per The Hill, extremism expert Pete Simi testified that Trump “signaled” to extremist groups that he wanted violence. (“For extremists there was a clear understanding that fighting is the real message, not peaceful.”) When challenged on cross-examination about the ability to discern Trump's intent, Simi responded:

I can say he expressed a consistent pattern of messages over time that encouraged violence. He expressed messages over time that endorsed violence. And that’s very, I think in clear terms, part of this pattern.

          The expert is correct. Trump ensures that his statements in isolation are sufficiently vague to avoid criminal or civil liability. But his pattern is unambiguous, conveying messages that are readily apparent to motivated extremists. Everyone knows what Trump means, Trump's denials notwithstanding. The only real question is whether the trial judge will find that embedded meaning in the patterns is sufficiently apparent to meet the burden of proof in the Colorado civil proceeding. We will apparently know the answer by November 17 (according to a participant in the trial).

          CREW is bearing the costs of expert witnesses, travel and lodging for the trial team, tech support, security, and transcripts. If you are interested in this issue and want to help, check out the Crew website.

DOJ arrests, charges student for making death threats against Jewish students at Cornell.

          Per a DOJ press release on Tuesday evening:

Patrick Dai, age 21, a junior at Cornell University who is originally from Pittsford, New York, was arrested today on a federal criminal complaint charging him with posting threats to kill or injure another using interstate communications.

The complaint alleges that Dai posted threatening messages to the Cornell section of an online discussion site, including posts calling for the deaths of Jewish people and a post that said “gonna shoot up 104 west.” According to information provided by Cornell University Police and other public information, 104 West is a Cornell University dining hall that caters predominantly to Kosher diets and is located next to the Cornell Jewish Center, which provides residences for Cornell students.

          Per the DOJ release, the defendant threatened other atrocities that I cannot bring myself to include in the newsletter, even by quoting the DOJ allegations.

          The incident is part of a broader rise in hate crimes and threats across the US against Jews, Muslims, and Arabs. See WaPo, Threats, hate crimes against Jews, Muslims are rising, U.S. officials say. (“U.S. officials say they are responding to a rise in threats against Arab, Jewish and Muslim communities as Gaza war intensifies.”)

Opportunity for reader involvement in California.

          I received the following note from Sienna Guzman, leader of Swing Left West Valley (in the San Fernando Valley are of Los Angeles). Sienna writes:

Swing Left West Valley is partnering with Grassroots Democrats HQ for a fundraiser on Nov. 5 in Woodland Hills, California to raise money for flipping CA27 Blue. Ticket sales will benefit our Swing Left CA27 Fund AND the GDHQ Paid Youth Canvass program (to fund canvasses in CA27). Ben Meiselas of Meidas Touch Network is our keynote speaker, and Tamara Melzer Levenson, Executive Director of GDHQ will speak about their Youth Canvass program. 

We always aim to make our fundraisers affordable and fun for everyday activists. Tickets start at just $50. During the event, we will serve our "Blue Wave" cocktail along with Codify Roe-se wine (benefiting Field Team 6 voter registration efforts), as well as yummy hors d'oevres . We will also have Tarot card readings, a silent auction, raffle and fun items to buy ahead of the holidays - all to raise money to flip CA27 Blue!

Here is the link to RSVP: Swing Left West Valley & Grassroots Democrats HQ Nov. 5 Grassroots Fundraiser  

Concluding Thoughts.

          There is more to discuss, but my wife and I spent four hours this evening handing out Halloween candy from our driveway. (We moved to an outdoor tent to distribute Halloween candy during the Covid lockdown and have kept up the tradition because it creates a “block party” feel.) So, full disclosure, most of this newsletter was written between flurries of activity as we distributed candy to waves of “trick-or-treaters” that travel in large bands shepherded by proud parents.

I have been impressed by the level of discourse in the Comments section over the last several days. Readers have disagreed with one another, sometimes sharply, over Israel’s war on Hamas. But they have nonetheless managed to remain focused on issues, facts, and views expressed by other readers rather than engaging in personal attacks and accusations. It is not easy in this supercharged environment, so I commend the readers who are willing to share their views and engage in civil discourse. If we can keep it up long enough, we are bound to find common ground.

Talk to you tomorrow!