After Debbie Wasserman Schultz attacks Tim Canova over Middle East statement he changes website

[Freddie Stubbs]

Source: The Miami Herald

During the CBS4 debate Sunday, U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz accused her rival Tim Canova of wanting to force Israel to disarm -- a charge with implications at the ballot box in the heavily Jewish South Florida district.

Canova's website had stated: "The U.S. must do everything in its power to reverse the militarization of the region, including full diplomatic efforts to negotiate a general disarmament for the entire region that includes nuclear, missile, and conventional arms reductions. We should recognize that peace and security for Israel, the U.S., and the rest of the world is no longer possible without general disarmament and fundamental political and social reforms throughout the Middle East. We must work to bring about such reform as much as possible through non-violent peaceful means using the full range of U.S. economic and diplomatic power."

Canova shot back that he didn't mean to suggest that Israel should disarm -- he meant Saudia Arabia and Iran. But he had made similar statements in the past about generally disarming the Middle East.

After the debate, Canova said that the wording on his website was an "oversight" and that it would be changed. The new portion is in italics:

Read more: http://miamiherald.typepad.com/nakedpolitics/2016/08/tim-canova-tweaks-website-statement-on-iran-.html

---

So, Canova used radical-fringe anti-Israel rhetoric on his website to raise tons of money but now has to change his tune because he just figured out there are a lot of Jewish voters in his district.

[onehandle]

1. He's toast. nt

[think]

4. DWS used the DNC to help her campaign against Canova.

Tim Canova Files Formal Election Complaint Against Debbie Wasserman Schultz

BY JERRY IANNELLI - MONDAY, AUGUST 8, 2016 AT 1:21 P.M.

When WikiLeaks published a trove of hacked Democratic National Committee emails in July, website founder Julian Assange promised the world he'd upend the 2016 presidential election. That hasn't quite happened, but Assange did get to at least claim one politician as a trophy: The document dump forced Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz to resign her post as chair of the Democratic National Committee.

Now the leaks have also triggered a formal Federal Election Commission complaint, which could lead to sanctions against the embattled Florida congresswoman.

~Snip~

Last month, New Times broke news that Canova's name turned up repeatedly in the DNC's email leak. WikiLeaks' email database showed that DNC staffers, who were not part of Wasserman Schultz's campaign team, routinely kept tabs on Canova's campaign, shared articles about him, and helped the congresswoman coordinate her fight against him.

~Snip~

In another email chain, DNC spokesperson Luis Miranda asked staffers to "do some digging" for information about a May rally at which Canova planned to speak in Alaska. The rally had been scheduled to compete with one of Wassserman Schultz's speeches....

Read more:
http://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/tim-canova-files-formal-election-complaint-against-debbie-wasserman-schultz-8667388

DWS abused her power at the DNC, supported Pay Day Lenders who donated to her, and openly opposed the effort to get medical marijuana in Florida.

Debbie Wasserman Schultz also has refused to support other Democrats running for congress in her area due to her personal relationships with the GOP incumbents.

It's time for Debbie Wasserman Schultz to move on....

[ananda]

19. That's a shame.

I was so hoping DWS would lose!

[YOHABLO]

25. She's won nothing yet. What are you talking about?

[nikto]

28. DWS is a cancer on the Democratic Party

Every bit as bad as Rahm Emanuel.

[Callmecrazy]

26. No, I think she is toast...

Sanders had a strong following here. The way she tried to minimize his campaign won't be forgotten but we who are in her district.

[bananakabob]

2. Sorry but wanting to stop the warmongering from Israel isn't "radical fringe".

I fail to see what was wrong with the original statement.

I'm more disgusted with the pro-Israel pandering from a Democrat.

[Freddie Stubbs]

8. Canova was embarrassed enough by it to change the statement on his website

[bananakabob]

10. Sure, I'm used to Democrats being spineless >_<

But what was so wrong with it? It was wrong for Debbie to use it as an attack, too.

I don't know enough about this Tim Canova but Democrats shouldn't be taking positions defending Israeli warmongering.

[Plucketeer]

23. Can you IMAGINE.....

What a utopian burg we could develop here on U.S. soil if we'd slathered on the same amount of funds on it that we've wasted on Israeli turf??? Israel is what.... to us? The ridiculous argument that they're some sort of "stabilizing factor" for the Middle East is like saying let's drop a lamb into a cage of starving hyenas to see if it will calm the hyenas! Besides billions, we GIVE them stuffs that THEY are capable of creating right there in their squatted "homeland". Another delusional cling-to from the stupidity of religion. A factor of lunacy that will be zealously guarded and perpetuated by our establishment governance. Cyrin' shame we don't have and WON'T have anyone with the balls to holler ENOUGH!

[wildbilln864]

24. agree completely. thank you! n/t

[Hortensis]

13. It's context not just content in this case.

Mr. Canova's background seems to be Catholic with a Jewish stepfather. This is a strongly Jewish district. Mr. Canova is proudly left wing, which is fine in itself, but that means means he has to extremely unambiguously separate himself from the rise of strong anti-Israel sentiment on the far left.

Some in the rising anti-Israel movement on the far left are not content with condemning just Jewish warmongers and persecutors of Palestinians but are actually hostile to the very existence of Israel itself. Willing to stop short of erasing Israel altogether are many of the DBSers, who'd use that to force Israel to its knees until it stopped persecuting Palestinians. The last is certainly a worthy goal, but perhaps the movement is not something someone running for Congress in this district should risk confusing himself with.

I'm perfectly ready to take Mr. Canova's meaning as wanting disarmament of all Middle Eastern nations and not think badly of him at all, a very happy fantasy at this point; but if Canova didn't want suspicious constituents frowning over what his statement might indicate, he needed to draw a very heavy line between himself and Israel's inimical far-left enemies.

I imagine he felt he'd soft-pedaled his views enough already, but apparently not.

[bananakabob]

15. Ah, that makes sense!

Admittedly I don't know much about the race since I'm a Massachusetts yankee

I just get worried when people backpedal on the issue. Thanks for the explanation! I'd like your post if I could!

[nikto]

30. I am Jewish, and I agree

[Blue State Bandit]

3. "The work we did to prepare for Hillary Clinton to be our nominee.."

Once again admitting that she was far from impartial during the nomination process.

[tom_kelly]

18. I caught that when I was watching it on the teevee

and wondered if he would pick up on it. No. He appeared uncomfortable. So did she though.

[NWCorona]

29. What was the follow up question?

[Blue State Bandit]

32. There was none on that, she stomped on the follow-up...

and changed course to blame Russia.

?t=2m5s

[NWCorona]

33. Wow! That was an amazing slip but kinda irrelevant at this point I guess.

Thanks for the link

[murielm99]

34. So what?

The superdelegates were far from impartial when they endorsed Hillary, as they had a right to do. So were the many, many other Democratic leaders. I am glad DWS did what she did.

BTW, the primary is over.

[Blue State Bandit]

35. Not for DWS.

[murielm99]

36. She will win.

I notice that the former Bernie staffers have already deserted Canova. There must not have been enough money to suck up from his campaign.

Bernie is running for Senate and an independent. I support Democrats only.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

5. Did he add any references to "Ballots or Bullets" Joyce Kaufman on his website?

Since she appears to like him, and he feels perfectly fine going on her show?

[FairWinds]

6. What are you talking about?

The majority of jewish-americans and Israelis would agree with the statement that had been on Canova's website.

Why are peaceful solutions ". . radical-fringe anti-Israel rhetoric . ." ??

And someone should point out that it is the US taxpayers who foot the bill for Israel's military.

BTW, well-known jewish guy Bernie S. has similar "radical fringe" views, and got a lot of votes with them - including from very many jewish-americans.

[Freddie Stubbs]

9. Then why did Canova flip-flop and change the statement on his website?

[turbinetree]

12. He's entitled why can't he?

[nikto]

31. He chickened-out, IMO

IMO, bullies must be stood up to, and that means "Little-Miss Subterfuge" herself, DWS.

[NurseJackie]

7. Experience matters. Hillary will need strong and seasoned members of congress on her side.

[stonecutter357]

11. Good for Debbie Wasserman Schultz.

[druidity33]

14. I still think he'd be a better congressperson. nt.

[muriel_volestrangler]

16. What a load of bollocks.

"radical-fringe anti-Israel rhetoric"?

Have you the faintest idea what politics is about? Or international relations? I despair that a long term reader of the DU site is still so totally uninformed about the world or politics.

[Gman]

17. The guy is a blithering idiot.

He's an ignorant opportunist trying to piggyback on Sanders. He doesn't know his district? And he wants to be a congressman? The guy is stupid.

[Ford_Prefect]

20. The "radical-fringe anti-Israel rhetoric" remark comes out of the anti-BDS playbook Bibi is using.

There's a whole department in the Israeli Foreign Office that does nothing but work on making anyone who speaks out about Israeli abuses and policy appear to be politically toxic, if not terrorist. They attack American and European peace groups who support divestment and question the perpetual expansion of settlements as anti-Semitic.They have accused mainstream American political and social justice groups of the same.

It is a political attack as when the Republicans accuse Liberals and Democrats of being unpatriotic and soft on crime. Wasserman-Schultz has gotten very close with AIPAC. Surprising when you consider the lengths they went to trying to embarrass the President. They have lots of money to spread around and are willing to do anything it takes to maintain their influence in Congress, anything at all. Does that sound so unfamiliar in the context of Debbie's campaign?

[McKim]

27. Excellent Post

Excellent post, Ford. We should all become familiar with the AIPAC Playbook so that we can judge information being fed to us.

[Sunlei]

21. his expertise is banking and finance, and it shows.

[FairWinds]

22. Some propagandists try to get us to believe . .

that American Jews are in full support of Israel and its policies.

But this is anything but true.

From PEW research - "About four-in-ten American Jews (38%) think the current Israeli government is making a sincere effort to bring about a peace settlement with the Palestinians, while 48% say this is not the case."