Well, Heinz is a German name.

Thoughtful kid. Wonder where he gets it from?

Jooooooos! Jooooooos!

Guess I owe Cedarford an apology.

As an orthodox jewish Bush supporter, I find the stepson's comments outrageous on many levels.
We all know that theresa funds left-wing and anti-Israeli organizations, but Senator John Heinz was a MENSCH. Not all German's are antisemites and the now deceased senator proves that. His pro-Israeli credentials and his friendship with the American Jewish community were indisputable.
However, what is not well remembered was that his tragic plane crash was into a Jewish nursery school that killed a few small children. Perhaps if chris had then been raised by a decent surviving parent and stepparent, anti-semitic, he would be sensitive to avoid such devisive, offensive statements .

Avi, a minor correction. Senator Heinz' plane went down over a secular public elementary school--on Bowman Road in Lower Merion, PA--which has a sizeable Jewish student body.

What Heinz said was: One of the things I’ve noticed is the Israel lobby - the treatment of Israel as the 51st state, sort of a swing state

Now, in the closing days of a tight race, that is a politically stupid comment to make which will be quickly disavowed by the Kerry handlers.

But it comes in a period of open discussion by Jewish pundits on where the Jewish vote and future campaign dollars will go, and those pundits think many Jews will vote based on which candidate is more aligned with what is good for Israel. They discuss how important the Jewish vote may be in certain swing states. So, yes, others are discussing what Heinz said unguardedly.

In Israel, two high-ranking Orthodox rabbis have instructed their followers in America to vote for Bush because "Bush loves Israel more than Kerry does". Others worry that liberal secular Jews in America show no sign of bolting the Democrats, despite Bush offering more to Israel, and worry because liberal Israelis are resentful of Bush favoring Sharon and the Likud - and not united in urging fellow liberal Jewish-Americans to vote Bush.

So the debate on who "is better for Israel" is a big part of the 2004 campaign, and both Parties have strategies to persuade Jewish-Americans to vote or not vote on that basis.

Whether there is truth in Heinz's observation that that elevates Israel to a sort of 51st state, the importance of the Israel Lobby - is a long-time controversy, even within the Jewish-American community. As this is freely discussed within the Jewish communities, outside the fact Heinz should have not mentioned it as a simple faux pas - do gentiles have a right in America to discuss a foreign nation and their American supporters impacting the American election without running into attempts to stifle them with reflexive charges of bigotry?

I think they do.

Hey, bloggers, wake up. There is a showing of Stolen honor going on right now. Newsmax/Dish has been showing the complete program since yesterday and is continuing to air it today and I haven't heard a word from one right wing blogger yet, wake up, alert people, come on.
http://www.newsmax.com
NewsMax, DISH Network Air ‘Stolen Honor’

NewsMax.com
Sunday, Oct. 31, 2004

NewsMax.com has broken the media’s censorship of the controversial documentary “Stolen Honor: Wounds That Never Heal” and has begun airing the film on national television.

Beginning Saturday morning, NewsMax began airing the documentary directed by award-winning journalist Carlton Sherwood on national networks and in local networks across the nation.

Sherwood’s account of John Kerry’s activities as a leader of the Vietnam anti-war movement has infuriated the Kerry campaign.

“Very simply, the press has accepted everything John Kerry has said for the past 33 years,” Sherwood said, explaing the media’s reluctance to air his film or offer the public a detailed account of its charges. "They have never challenged him. They never challenged him in ’71. They are afraid to do so now because they might discover that over three decades they were wrong about him and his war allegations."

"Stolen Honor" aired on PAX-TV twice Saturday. PAX-TV, one of the nation's largest TV networks, reaches approximately 90 million homes.

The documentary will air 10 times on PAX alone during this weekend, including showings on Sunday at 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. EST/PST.

In addition to national networks like PAX, NewsMax will be airing ‘Stolen Honor’ this weekend on numerous local stations across the nation, including ABC, CBS and NBC affiliates.

NewsMax.com decision to air the censored program was based on the film’s newsworthiness. After a flurry of controversy earlier this month, Sinclair Broadcasting aired only four minutes of the 43-minute documentary.

In a statement, NewsMax explained its action by noting that it was "critically important for the American people to hear the accounts of 17 American POWs and their claim that John Kerry and his anti-war activities betrayed them and the country."

Also, EchoStar Communications, which operates the DISH satellite network, announced that on Monday, Nov. 1, it will offer Carlton Sherwood’s documentary available on a pay-per-view basis.

DISH said "Stolen Honor" will be available to more than 10 million customers for $9.95 on channel 457 at 8 p.m. Eastern time and channel 455 at 8 p.m. Pacific time.

"We are pleased to provide our customers a variety of political films and documentaries so they can make informed choices," said Susan Arnold, vice president of programming at EchoStar's DISH Network.

Oh, at $9.95 I'm *sure* Dish is pleased.