Harman and the Left

"...back home in her Southern California-based district, liberal activists who have never truly embraced Harman are just getting started. Several of them, most notably Marcy Winograd, who heads up Progressive Democrats of Los Angeles, and John Amato, who writes for the popular Crooks and Liars blog, are now making moves to challenge Harman in the Democratic primary, and the recent controversy will be at the heart of their message.

The wiretapping story “has been very, very damaging to her because it highlights what people most distrust about politicians in general: personal gain taking precedence over the voters they are supposed to be representing,” Amato told POLITICO in an e-mail.

Winograd, who ran an unsuccessful primary campaign against Harman in 2006, argued that Harman’s moderate voting record had alienated voters, especially in the district’s more liberal reaches.

“I think what’s important is that Jane Harman’s charade of being a protector of the Constitution should be challenged and exposed,” said Winograd, who received 38 percent of the vote to Harman’s 62 percent in 2006." Poliico

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Jane Harman had a talk with the Justice Department last week.  It began with a rant on her part as to the impudence of the prosecutors in questioning her petriotism and ended on a much humb;er nore after they explained to her that her reported belief that Israel's interests are the US's interests is not a shield from prosecution. 

I can only wonder of she thinks that it is "all right" to give American classified documents to Canada without permission, or perhaps Britain, or Turkey (a NATO member), or, heaven forbid, France!

She is going to be challenged in her district.  I wish I lived there.  pl

 

Comments

[johnf]

>I wish I lived there.

Hear bloody hear! In fact, I might even make the ultimate sacrifice of taking on American citizenship in order to do it.

[johnf]

Great takedown of the neo-con errand boy Con Coughlin's latest piece of lying propaganda, a book on Iran, in the NYT's book reviews:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/10/books/review/Moaveni-t.html?_r=1

(Coughlin works at the Telegraph, whose stories, like those from Murdoch's British papers, are often used to drip fabrications and propaganda by way of portals like Drudge into the American mainstream media. Monica Lewinsky is the first and most famous example, but Coughlin did sterling work by leaking forged WMD stories in the build up to the Iraq War and has dripped poison ever since).

[William R. Cumming]

I guess I am a bit confused and hoping for some facts to try and form an opinion!
First, how many members of the House and Senate are practicing Jews and how many Reformed, Conservative, Orthodox, Hasidic? Second, do any have formal dual nationality as Israeli citizens? Third, how much does Israel and its "independent" sympathizers like AIPAC contribute to US elections, both Congessional and National? Fourth, recently a "Secret" agreement to shield Israel from International Nuclear Non-proliferation activities and oversight was revealed? Will any organization or Congressional committee try to establish the depth of penetration of Congress by Israeli interests? Finally what exactly was the breakdown by religion in th 2008 Presidential Election and past say 5 Presidential elections? I would put all the above in context because I think Representative Harman in general has shown more intelligence and competence than most in the Congress. But even Members of Congress take that oath to defend the Constitution against all enemies foreign and domestic? Israel is not an enemy and based on some other facts available to me does not formally retain high priced lobbyists to create a comprehensive strategy for lobbying congress! Disagree, you should know that the Saudis have the biggest campaign. Next may be the various dictatorial regimes in the world! And Russia and the former Soviet Block are amatuers when it comes to this effort. Probably the best overall campaign currently is being run by CHINA! Why one may ask? Because nation-states are created and destroyed practically dail by the US out of its ego, hubris, ignorance and incompetence. What you say can this really be true? Just look at the real picture of those countries that may be going down the drain as democracies because of the financial manipulators that run the US financial system in and of the government. There seems to be very little separation from government and personal financial interest. In reading a recent book found an interesting quote from President Andrew Jackson specifically "it is not the job of the government to make men rich." Right on Andy and who will be the next Old Hickory? The bottom line is Jane Harman should retire at the end of this Congress. She has done enough good and bad for one Congressional career. Her career is finished even if she does not yet know it. And apologies for length of this comment!

[par4]

She's a blue dog, so good riddance if she goes.

[Maureen Lang]

She has always been that, par4, & more. Rumors about JH have abounded for quite some time. I've friends who live in the 36th. Locals Dems have been trying to root Harman out for quite a while now with no luck. Either Winograd or Amato could much better be an honest servant of the needs of the constituents of that area.

[wcw]

This is a state that has Feinstein representing it. Harman annoys, but please: it could be so much worse.

[Rider]

Jane Harman should be charged with conspiracy to obstruct justice. I certainly hope that happens. If it does, she won't be running in the next election.

[mt]

I live there/here. Aside from the above mentioned gift of being an idiot for others, she's a true-blue idiot. We have a remarkable propensity to send these people to Washington to represent us. Reap/sow/whatever. We have it coming.

[jedermann]

I think Jane Harmon probably just likes being an insider way too much. She knew of the warrantless wiretapping program the Bush administration was running. They let her in on the deepest secrets and she was maybe flattered to be in the know. It must be nearly impossible after having been trusted by the spooks with the crown jewels to betray their personal trust in favor of the more abstract and vague concept of a public trust that everyone involved was supposedly serving anyway. As one of the few minority party congresspersons to see that stuff, to do anything effective to oppose it would have been to gamble everything she had or would ever hope to have on what might turn out to be a futile gesture that would certainly earn her powerful enemies and likely very few friends. Nothing I know about her indicates that she possesses the strength of character to do such a thing even if it had occurred to her.

As for her relationship with AIPAC and Israel I would be willing to bet that for her it was a happy coincidence of what she considered to be the best interests of the U.S., Israel and Jane Harmon. It was perhaps a happy coincidence for the rest of us that that same illegal wiretapping program has brought to light Representative Harmon’s true notion of our best interests.

I would suggest that she is neither more nor less corrupt than most of our legislators. She seems to have been brought to this juncture by a hubris bred of money and power that led her to think she could play in a game that was evidently over her head. The “gods” of this little drama are her constituents; the media the chorus. We in the audience of this democracy will get to see if the gods ruin her for this ancient flaw.

[opit]

I would think perhaps her opinions on what would be correct to share with other countries might be informed by another consideration also
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UKUSA