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It will only get worse. This type of stuff is why many won't even enter the political arena. Hell it goes on in my small town too. Every time city council vote comes up here comes the ridiculous mail from anonymous folks who vilify certain people with nothing to back any of it up. Sad is what it is.
It's instructive that everyone jumps onto the sensational part of this, but missed the bigger story and even larger question: Why is a group closely aligned with AIPAC paying the expenses for members of OUR Congress to go to Israel and is it ethical for Congress members to go?
The first part of that question is easily answered: The promote the policies of Israel. The second part isn't so easily answered because the trips don't run afoul of Congressional ethics rules. However, there's "legal" gifts and there are gifts which simply should not be taken because they leave the impression of being bought and paid for.
Personally? I wouldn't go, no matter how I feel about Israel. It just wouldn't be right.
It's instructive that everyone jumps onto the sensational part of this, but missed the bigger story and even larger question: Why is a group closely aligned with AIPAC paying the expenses for members of OUR Congress to go to Israel and is it ethical for Congress members to go?
The first part of that question is easily answered: The promote the policies of Israel. The second part isn't so easily answered because the trips don't run afoul of Congressional ethics rules. However, there's "legal" gifts and there are gifts which simply should not be taken because they leave the impression of being bought and paid for.
Personally? I wouldn't go, no matter how I feel about Israel. It just wouldn't be right.
True enough, and two of the highest members of the Republican leadership were also on this trip: the Majority Whip and the Majority Leader.
"Patrick Dorton, a spokesman for AIEF, defended the group’s trip to Israel, saying they’re substantive and rigorous. “As part of the trip, and after of day of meetings including with the Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority, and briefings on Hezbollah and the border with Lebanon, trip participants traveled to the shore of the Sea of Galilee,” Dorton said in an emailed statement. “This location made it possible to visit a series of Christian holy sites the next day. After dinner that evening, some in the group went swimming in the biblically significant sea. While AIEF has not been contacted by any government agency, we would certainly be willing to answer any questions or respond to any government inquiry on this event or the overall trip.” The AIEF trips to Israel are a fixture of Washington. Both staff and lawmakers travel with the group to the Holy Land, and schedules are filled with boldfaced names.
Boehner is the first to denounce the Repubs actin' up like that.
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