Bitt,

Brad: the "neocon" term ironically is most commonly used to imply "conservative Jew"
I didn't have time or inclination to take Brad to task for some very broad statements. Others took up those tasks who I thought were speaking to those statements more personally. Reading this line, though, I am troubled. Where did this "is most commonly used" come from? Your deliniation of neocon history, Bitt, seems pretty straightforward for anyone who is willing to spend a few minutes with Google..

I have heard a couple of commentatotors on the radio, David Frum comes to mind, offer near-sotto voce comments like "well, those people have a thinly-veiled antisemitic agenda" in a defensive shot at critics of US-Mideast policy. So is this it? Critical mention of "Neocon" as antisemitic codeword? That is what this smells of to me. The sneakily-implying Frums of the world piss me off.

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It seems to me it's kind of like being devoted to North Carolina or Michigan or whereever you grew up. (Of course, it isn't as if they grew up there, but there's a similar bond.)

I would take friendly issue with this assessment. It's a pretty flawed analogy, but Sherman didn't march through the south and kill all the women and children....

Apropos this point, in my waking moments this morning, I heard a bit of oral history from a 50-something Jewish woman (in New York?) whose Dad was an Auschwitz survivor. Throughout her life, her Dad sheltered her from his concentration camp reality with "Oh, it wasn't that bad..." Finally, with Dad approaching his deathbed, the daughter forced her Dad to fess up. I'm doing a lousy job of describing this, but it was very affecting. Ah, easy, it is here.

Anyhow, all I mean to say is that, even for some (Jewish) people of my age who have never been there, I think Israel means a whole lot more than North Carolina. Now, does that make Israeli political policy correct or exempt from criticism? Hardly. Frum shouldn't have to spend his time searching out critics of Israeli policy in the US. There are plenty of them in Israel.

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Honestly, I don't have the energy to care. It's obvious what this administration's agenda is, and I don't have any notion that they'll be putting any more moderate people in power. (I honestly haven't looked at the other new "lesser" cabinet members at all.) All I can do is wait it out and try to convince people how much in opposition to this country's founding principles our current administration is, so we can get a good, solid LIBERAL in office next year.

Yeah, that's kind of where I'm at. The people have spoken! All events, nominations, etc. since November 2 completely predictable.

Some of the Democratic criticism did take the form of complaining about the color of the deck chairs, but as I think Tony mentioned, I also did take pleasure in listening to some of the more direct questioning and criticism of Rice such as Boxer's... maybe even more Mark Rice (MN) "I don't like to impugn anyone's integrity, but I really don't like being lied to repeatedly, flagrantly, intentionally," he said. "It's wrong. It's undemocratic, it's un-American, and it's dangerous."

I think it was Danial Schorr this evening who mentioned that Boxer's words could be used in foreign capitols to discourage aid to US efforts in Iraq. If so, I'm sure the Rushs will rail against anti-American senators who are undermining our shot at victory over evil. So, what are anti-American Americans to do? Not demand the truth? Confirm liars to cabinet appointments without taking exception?

...Brad, I read with interest Webroach's very recent, critical post. I think I have to agree with what he's saying. It's not enough to be the ganged-up-on minority. With statements like the "neocon" one above, I gotta ask how much research you are doing.