September 6, 2012

Schumer Says Obama Must Address Israel in Convention

Source: Bloomberg News

President Barack Obama is sure to talk about Israel tonight in his nomination acceptance speech, especially in the wake of a dispute over excluding any mention of Jerusalem from the party’s platform, Senator Chuck Schumer said.

“I know he will,” Schumer, a New York Democrat, told reporters at a breakfast meeting of the New York delegation to the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina.

His comments today follow an amendment of the Democratic Party’s platform yesterday to declare Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, a provision that had appeared in previous policy statements and was initially left out of this one.

“It was a mistake,” Schumer said. “It was an act of omission, not commission.”

Representative Eliot Engel, a New York Democrat, said he has urged White House aides to make sure Israel is part of Obama’s speech.

Read more: http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-09-06/schumer-says-obama-must-address-israel-in-conventio

September 6, 2012

President Barack Obama personally intervened to change party platform on God, Jerusalem

Source: Associated Press

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - President Barack Obama personally intervened to order Democrats to change language in their party platform to add a mention of God and declare that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel, campaign officials said Wednesday.

Scrambling to end a furor, Democrats abruptly changed the platform early Wednesday evening to reinstate language from the 2008 platform that said "we need a government that stands up for the hopes, values and interests of working people and gives everyone willing to work hard the chance to make the most of their God-given potential." Mitt Romney and other Republicans had seized on the omission to criticize the Democrats.

Democrats also restored 2008 language on Jerusalem, declaring the city "is and will remain the capital of Israel. The parties have agreed that Jerusalem is a matter for final status negotiations. It should remain an undivided city accessible to people of all faiths."

Campaign officials said Obama's reaction on the omission of God from the platform was to wonder why it was removed in the first place.

Read more: http://www.660news.com/news/world/article/398472--under-fire-from-republicans-democrats-change-platform-to-include-god-jerusalem

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Thank God President Obama did the right thing here. The last thing that we need is to give the Republicans fodder to paint us as Israel-hating atheists.

September 4, 2012

Some Florida Dems disgusted with Crist role at DNC

Source: The Miami Herald

To President Obama’s reelection team, former Republican Gov. Charlie Crist’s high-profile speaking role at the Democratic National Convention is a coup.

But to many longtime Florida Democrats, it’s revolting.

"If he gets up to speak at the convention, it’ll be a good time to go to the bathroom," said Palm Beach County’s tax collector, Anne Gannon, a Florida Democratic delegate.

“He’s a born-again Democrat,” Gannon said. “He’s a nice man, but he doesn’t have a clue about his value-system.’

Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/09/04/2984054/florida-dems-disgusted-with-crist.html