Personally, I do not like to reduce politicians’ support or lack of support for Israel to their personal religious beliefs or heritage, and I am only somewhat less reluctant to explain their behavior simply by looking at the constituency that they represent. Chuck Schumer, however, provides such an interesting case that there is just no getting around discussing these things in relation to his opposition to a deal with Iran.
With both the left and the right in Israel opposing the deal, it’s almost unthinkable that someone in Schumer’s position would support it, but he wants to be the leader of the Democrats in the Senate after Harry Reid steps down next year, and going against the president on this is going to jeopardize this prize that he has all but locked up at this point. In fact, the backlash was immediate:
The liberal activist group MoveOn is assailing Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) for his decision, announced late Thursday night, to oppose the nuclear deal with Iran.
“Our country doesn’t need another Joe Lieberman in the Senate, and it certainly doesn’t need him as Democratic leader,” MoveOn political action executive director Ilya Sheyman said in a statement about Schumer, who is next to line to be the Senate’s top Democrat.
“No real Democratic leader does this,” he added. “If this is what counts as ‘leadership’ among Democrats in the Senate, Senate Democrats should be prepared to find a new leader or few followers.”
“In response to Senator Schumer’s decision to side with partisan war hawks, MoveOn.org’s 8 million members are immediately launching a Democratic Party donor strike,” Sheyman declared.
As part of that strike, MoveOn is urging its members to withhold campaign contributions to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, Sheyman said. Within 72 hours after Schumer’s Thursday evening announcement, the liberal group is hoping to withhold $10 million in campaign contributions.
The action is a swift and aggressive response to Schumer’s announcement late on Thursday that he would vote to kill the nuclear deal with Iran, in a major break with the White House.
Most likely, the president doesn’t need Schumer’s vote. If he did, it’s quite possible that Schumer’s ambition to be Senate Majority Leader would trump his desire to be the leading representative of New York’s pro-Israel Jewish community. And, it should be noted, that the Jewish community that Schumer represents in the New York City area is considerably more hawkish in general (and on Iran in particular) than the Jewish American population as a whole which supports the president.
Schumer is probably wagering that he can get away with opposing the deal and still become the leader of the Senate Dems if the deal is ultimately implemented over his objections.
There really was no way for Schumer to please everyone here, but he’s come up with the solution that keeps his most ardent supporters happy and also doesn’t really have any consequence for the administration.
The next question is whether the gambit will work as intended. I think it probably will, not that I’m too happy about it. I’d rather have Dick Durbin or even Jeff Merkley lead the Democrats.
I do recognize that Schumer is the most powerful representative of Jewish community in the country and that the particular Jewish community that launched and sustained his political career expects him to oppose this deal. On the other hand, he’s a senator now, not a congressman from Brooklyn. He’s supposed to represent the whole state of New York, and I’d be willing to guess that the Jewish community of the whole state of New York is about evenly split on the issue. More than this, though, he wants to become one of the three most powerful Democrats in the country (after Nancy Pelosi and our eventual presidential nominee) and Democrats strongly approve of the administration’s focus on diplomacy.
Schumer has similar conflicts in how he treats Wall Street and the financial sector, and while I don’t fault him too much for protecting the interests of the people who put him in power, I don’t think that Schumer can adequately balance those equities with the needs and desires of the party.
Durbin has his own issues, but I think he’d do a better job. And Merkley would be my dream leader.
No, he should not be Minority Leader if he wants to undermine the President from his OWN PARTY.
His timing is what gets me. Same week that Obama made a speech on the issue. Way out in front of when he has to cast a vote. It doesn’t feel like leadership. It feels like he’s waving his hand for attention for himself rather than the issue. Even though he represents a hawkish constituency he’s not making use of the recess to meet in town halls to get input, he’s just assuming and announcing that a ‘no’ vote is as far as he has to go.
When this news flashed across my phone last night during the debate, my initial response was “Well, SHIT!”.
After a couple of minutes to settle my mind, I kind of came to the same conclusion as Booman. The President probably knows that Schumer’s vote is not needed. But like you, this coming on the heels of what I thought was a kick-ass defense by the President of this diplomatic victory seemed like an overtly in-your-face action. One can only hope to presume that this is only so much political theatre in order to cover asses. But the timing seems really out of whack to me, which makes have some doubts about what it might truly portend.
The President probably knows that Schumer’s vote is not needed.
Not the point. And it’s why Obama will be remembered as all too quick and easy to cave to irrational squeaky wheels instead of demanding loyalty on something as difficult to achieve and good enough as this deal.
These “Obama Always Caves” EmoProgs are still around? Is this 2010?
Even in 2010 I never thought it was very helpful to deal with criticism via epithet. But, yeah, Obama will be remembered for a lot of things, but being ineffective won’t be one of them.
Schumer announces he’s opposing the Iran nuclear deal, a deal painstakingly and courageously negotiated by the Obama Administration and stridently defended by the President himself.
Marie3 attacks Obama for Schumer’s statement.
Is this satirical performance art, or what?
It’s a stab in the back.
Period.
And I must say I find the fact that people seem to want to invent some complicated rationalization is really revealing.
He’s fronting for Hillary.
AG
UpChuck is one of my US Senators.
Fuck UpChuck!
He no longer speaks to or for me!
I’ve spoken to his office, and got nothing tangible back from them.
The Iran deal is a great piece of diplomacy.
He has NO reason to oppose it – he will win reelection easily, but………….
He is dead to me…
If a Democrat primaries him, I’ll be voting for him/her!
FUCK CHUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks for laying this all out, Booman. Was wondering what’s up with Schumer, though his antics often leave me frustrated. It’s probably not presumptuous to say he leaves all of us feeling frustrated when he defends the indefensible; something he does entirely too often. He did a good job leading on the ACA. He’s had moments where he shines. But that’s what one expects of a party leader. This is not.
He did a good job leading on the ACA and a good job badmouthing Obama’s strategy later on.
http://www.nationaljournal.com/congress/chuck-schumer-passing-obamacare-in-2010-was-a-mistake-201411
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For the Democratic Party ever to become functional again, elected officials should pay a price for getting it wrong on the big questions and/or openly defying the best course as viewed by the most knowledgeable and thoughtful in the Party. All of those that voted for the Iraq War Resolution should have been consigned to the back bench for some extended period of time. Instead, many of them were deemed worthy of promotion to the Presidency.
If Chuckie views the interests of Israel as more important than efforts by the US to end conflicts that concern us, he’s free to emigrate. And other Senators should tell him where he can take his opposition.
This is more like it: The Guardian White House warns Chuck Schumer: disapprove of Iran deal at your own peril.
“Senator Schumer was wrong when he voted to back the war with Iraq, and he’s wrong to work with Republicans to kill this nuclear deal with Iran, period.”
That’s a former admin member, but still a good hit back. I wouldn’t be surprised if Sen. Schumer already has a sweet lobbying gig lined up. In fact, I hope so.
If so, let’s also hope that congressional DEMs refuse to take his calls and the wads of greenbacks he shoves their way.
Remember he was against going for the Affordable Care Act as well.
“… the Jewish community that Schumer represents in the New York City area is considerably more hawkish in general (and on Iran in particular) than the Jewish American population as a whole which supports the president.”
I would say that A PORTION of the Jewish community that Schumer represents is considerably more hawkish, a very vocal and visible portion. However, although I do not have the figures, I do know that a sizable portion, probably the majority, even in New York, supports the president on Iran.
While MoveOn’s Ilya Sheyman is not a New Yorker, he is Jewish and active in the Jewish community, and there are many in New York who will feel just the same way he does.
I understand Schumer’s (probable) reasoning, he’ll be on the record and it will all blow over; but given the Democratic leadership issue and the overall situation, I think he is making a big mistake, the issue is too big and he is too prominent in the party for that kind of thing to be easily forgotten. If he has to vote his conscience, the better part of valor would be to abstain rather than oppose.
Also, from what I understand, there is A LOT of criticism of Netanyahu in Israel now. Rivlin, the president, who is no leftist, has strongly criticized him for isolating Israel and being unnecessarily provocative towards Obama.
But the criticism is his handling of the relationship. All the Israelis hate the deal.
Not all, look at the former Security leaders. They’re all saying this is the best deal and Bibi is wrong.
The entire political spectrum in Israel and a good chunk of the population.
Anyway, so what? They’ve been brainwashed for the last 65 years.
In what way is Chuck Schumer still a Democrat?
There is not logic in the interests or Israel or of nonproliferation in his position despite his pleadings. It’s not even close. He is just another instrument of Netanyahu’s collaboration with the Republican Party.
An Schumer would have (and did not) treat any other President’s major foreign policy accomplishment with such disrespect. Retirement is a good option. Send in some other corrupt New York politician.
I agree. Retirement is the best option for him. We don’t need another Joe, the Lip.
Both my Senators are supporting. I send them a message thanking them for that, and letting them know how much I disapprove of Schumer’s decision. When the time comes to choose our next leader, I will be damned sure to remind them of this moment.
Schumer can go pound sand. Someplace in the Negev, preferably.
The NEFARIOUS Charles Schumer of NY (especially the Metropolitan Area including North Jersey). You just have to giggle at his childish characterization of ‘the Iranians’ after all the shit his country of first priority has pulled off and will as long as powerful people like him give them the go ahead. What is his reason for opposing the deal actually? Probably he has only one but he’s too cowardly to say it: I am a right wing Israel firster. He should be named and shamed until he is run out of town. Boo, you do put on an irritating display of tiptoeing around the Jewish component as if in Schumer’s case there is anything else to consider. I’d guess that if he was allowed by Israel to support the deal the majority of NY Jews would support it too. Enough of them are rabid Israel supporters at any coast, their god only knows. Maybe a majority still support it only it has a lower profile.
I get the reluctance but it seems to be an accurate reduction in a number of cases.
BTW can you please explain WTF is going on with Kathleen Kane? It is happening in your backyard….
She needs to resign ASAP…Dems screwed up on this one. She ran a better campaign, had a lot of money,and had much better ads than Patrick Murphy. But she is a walking disaster as AG.
It hasn’t helped that the Inky put a huge target on her back, but her reaction to criticism from day 1 has been a nightmare. (eg she brought legendary attorney and noted corpse Dick Sprague with her to a meeting with the Inquirer a day after a very bad story ran).
What else has she done? Now I’m curious.
The biggest take-away for me is that Schumer is a total pussy. His reelection is not in doubt. No Democrat can unseat him in a primary and no Republican can beat him in the general. The guy raises money like it’s going out of style. Perhaps he’s worries that voting the wrong way cuts off some of the dollars to his campaign. But, really, the guy has more than enough no matter what.
This shows horrendously poor judgment of the national interest, though he is probably a good judge of his own interest. It’s a Joe Lieberman move.
To have this man lead the Democrats in the Senate, with Hillary Clinton as president, will take us back to the worst days of corporatism, Blue Dogs and triangulation. Then it’s more Harold Fords, another Ralph Nader, and another Dubya in the White House.
We laugh at Republicans for not learning from their mistakes; we should look in a mirror instead.
Democrats are as willfully ignorant of Clinton’s official acts while in office as Republicans are of GWB’s. All they recall is that the economy was good and Clinton was attacked continuously for his unsavory personal behaviors.
○ @SenSchumer: Please see my full statement on my opposition to the Iran Deal
○ Has Chuck Schumer EVER Criticized Israel or its Leadership in the Way He Just Unloaded on Obama? | WaPo – May 2010 |
○ Schumer: Obama’s ‘counter-productive’ Israel policy ‘has to stop’ | Politico – April 2010 |
○ Chuck Schumer to Address Pro-Settler Rally In New York | Tikun Olam – 2009 |
Cross-posted from my diary – GOP Platform 2016: Preparing for More War .
My spineless D senator is bennet and I’m sure he will vote against it. His mother was Jewish and his grandparents were in concentration camps — I think. The only thing he shows any spine on is anything having to do with Israel. He’s netanyahu’s man through and through.
○ “Principle over partisanship, Chuck deserves real credit for doing the right thing” | Jewish Journal |
○ Israel’s foreign ministry director Dore Gold gets grilled in Los Angeles | Jewish Journal |
○ Israel’s President Rivlin in wake of threats: Political assassination possible | Ynet News |
He should never become Senate Leader. His loyalty isn’t to the his state or to his country, his loyalty is to a narrow group of Jewish hawks and the state of Israel. He will ALWAYS put their interests above the interest of the U.S.
He shouldn’t be in elected office at all.
As much as this pisses me off, let’s not get too lost in attacking him. We need to win the election, get Democrats elected and we can deal with Schumer then
My FB page is clogging up with posts talking about Elizabeth Warren giving Schumer some competition. Now wouldn’t that be an interesting development?