Organizing for America | Michael Kadovitz's Blog: God Laughed

God Laughed

By Michael from Denver, CO - Oct 14th, 2008 at 4:36 pm EDT

Also listed in: Colorado Jews for Obama | Jews for Obama

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There is an old Yiddish saying: A mench trachts, und Got Lachts – which roughly translates as: A man thinks/has ideas and God laughs. Perhaps He was laughing when Focus on the Family commanded their flock to pray for rain during the DNC, and drown out Obama’s speech at Mile High Stadium. So he sent Hurricane Gustov, glooming the RNC instead.Perhaps He was laughing when John McCain answered the prayers of the religious base of his party and chose a little known politico from Alaska as his running mate; Sarah Palin. Sarah who? S-A-R-A-H P-A-L-I-N! Hallelujah! Perhaps God laughed at Sarah Palin, firm in her stance against sexual education with an abstinence only credo, and now she is a soon-to-be grandmother at 44. The RNC and McCain himself remind us of his public service. We are very well aware of John McCain’s sacrifice to our country and what he endured as a POW in Viet Nam at the so-called Hanoi Hilton. They won't let us forget it to the point it has become trivial. OK, we get it! He’s war a hero. Thank you John McCain! God Bless You, John McCain! Mazel Tov, to John McCain! That being said, the office of President of the United States is not a prize to be rewarded like an Academy Award or gold watch for public duty. It is also about his voting record, his vision and his agenda for the next four years. And it is also about sound judgment. McCain’s premature poorly vetted decision for VP is as premature as the upcoming impulsive nuptials of Palin’s daughter Bristol. And we all know how that happened. Someone did not get all the info, did not listen to the message, and poor choices were made, and they ended up getting screwed. The deserving candidate has to be a person with the best plan of improving our country from the current morass that has been created by eight years of Republican control from the Bush/Cheney/Rove era. A poor foreign policy, a failed energy plan, economic decline and a greater social chasm of Americans. Remember when, on September 12, 2001 we stood shoulder to shoulder and declared “I AM AN AMERICAN”. Look how far we have fallen. John McCain’s voting record supported George W Bush’s policies by 90%. That is more of the same than any change he expects us to believe. All that John McCain seemed to say in his acceptance speech aside from his ad-nauseous military service record was that he was going to clean up DC by kicking butt and taking names! Nothing substantial about healthcare, better jobs, and the bread and butter issues of the middle class. And he has been part of the beltway for decades.And what of Palin’s religious affiliations? On August 17, 2008, at her church, Palin sat in the pews and listened to David Brickner, of the Jews for Jesus group sermonize that God is punishing Israel with suicide bombers because the Jews refuse to accept Jesus as their lord and savior. That is just as despicable as Jeremiah Wright’s screed at Obama’s church to which he was made to account, and he wasn’t even there when Wright said it. Obama answered to his critics and we have yet to hear from Sarah Palin. I have heard that she supports Israel as does Obama, Biden and McCain. But it concerns me if she is of the same heart as Jews for Jesus, that Israelis deserve to be killed because of their particular beliefs in the almighty. Perhaps God is not laughing now.

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View from Israel | Report to Admin

By idov Oct 14th 2008 at 5:55 pm EDT (Updated Oct 14th 2008 at 5:55 pm EDT)

You are talking about Israelis. What Sarah Palin's minister says is a triviality. McCain runs ahead 2:1 among Israelis and got 75 per cent among English-speakers. We are facing an existential threat, an Iran with nukes, and we know that when we take them out John McCain will not block up the air space, hold back intelligence, delay resupply, and jerk us around at the UN. On Obama we know nothing. That's where his associations take on importance, and they do not inspire confidence.

Link

Re: View from Israel | Report to Admin

By Michael from Denver, CO Oct 16th 2008 at 2:20 am EDT (Updated Oct 16th 2008 at 2:20 am EDT)

What I find not so much remarkable but predictable, is that all you have at this point is nothing but guilt by association politics.

Your stuff about Obama's asscoiations isn't working. And the sad thing is that at this stage in the game that's all you have: character assassination. When your candidate is failing with the American people, he turns to hate, the smears, the anger, the rage, the underscored and overstated racism. That is all McCain/Palin have. And it is not working.

These attacks and fear mongering are simple paranoia. Ask yourself one question...why are McCain/Palin floundering? Why? Why did McCain have to take the mic away from that mishuginah woman last Friday who called Obama an Arab, and then McCain get booed by his base when he said Obama is a decent man?

Why didn't McCain stick to his maverick guns and pick Lieberman as his running mate.

Why don't McCain and Palin call out those in their crowds and ranks who yell "traitor". "Kill him" and "off with his head" at their rallies when referring to Obama?

That is what we expect in unstable third world countries, and your ilk help to perpetuate it.
I have news for you; The issue is the Middle Class, not just the Middle East.

Disappointed | Report to Admin

By David from Richmond, CA Oct 15th 2008 at 1:45 am EDT (Updated Oct 15th 2008 at 1:45 am EDT)

Michael, your own words were, "Someone did not get all the info." Well I'm afraid that applies to your writing.

I'm not sure who your sources were for the bit about, "...David Brickner, of the Jews for Jesus group sermonize that God is punishing Israel with suicide bombers because the Jews refuse to accept Jesus as their lord and savior." A read of Mr. Brickner's ACTUAL sermon would be worthwhile. Go to:

Link

By just printing that one little sentence--without giving it the context it was really in--you have distorted the words (really the meaning) of someone you're writing about. Yes, you summed up a 30-minute sermon with just one sentence! Unfortunately this is why many people have trouble trusting what they read these days.

I wish you had put the Brickner quote in its true context: He paints a picture of his belief that God's love and forgiveness for all people have been offered over and over for centuries. But the world does what it wants. The results we experience are not PUNISHMENT (which is the way you portrayed it) but just that we reap what we sow.

Once again, I was disappointed by how you portrayed the meaning of Mr. Brickner's beliefs.

- David Abramsky
Richmond CA

P.S. There are two other Yiddish sayings that come to mind: "What you don't see with your eyes, don't invent with your mouth," and, "A half truth is a whole lie."

Re: Disappointed | Report to Admin

By Michael from Denver, CO Oct 16th 2008 at 2:12 am EDT (Updated Oct 16th 2008 at 2:12 am EDT)

Nothing was taken out of context and if you are presumably Jewish, it begs the question, do you believe Jews/Israelis deserve punishment in the form of suicide bombers because they do not accept jesus as their lord and savior. DO you support Jews for Jesus? I could care less that Palin is chrsitian.

What I do take offense to is Jews for Jesus and her churchs' support and involvement with them. Now you may think how I can give a "pass" to Obama vis-a-vis Jeremiah Wright, how then can you over look Jews for Jesus and their relentless campoaign against Jews for decades. I deplore and depise both. I guess you will have to remain disappointed.

Palin and Jews for Jesus | Report to Admin

By Matt from South San Francisco, CA Oct 16th 2008 at 2:19 pm EDT (Updated Oct 16th 2008 at 2:19 pm EDT)

I would like to echo David Abramsky's comments. Most blogs and news services have quoted the same one paragraph of the message that David Brickner of Jews for Jesus delivered at Sarah Palin’s church, giving the false impression that he believes that terrorist attacks are God’s judgment on Israel for not believing in Jesus. As Mr. Abramsky noted, you can read or listen to the entire message at Link so that you can hear Brickner’s remarks in context. Please also take a look at Brickner’s comments concerning his message at Wasilla Bible Church, as well as interviews by Christianity Today and MSNBC with Brickner about this issue, at www.jewsforjesus.org. Among other things, Brickner says, "The comments attributed to me were taken out of context. In retrospect, I can see how my rhetoric might be misunderstood and I truly regret that. Let me be clear. I don’t believe that any one event, whether a terrorist attack or a natural disaster, is a specific fulfillment of or manifestation of a biblical prediction of judgment. I love my Jewish people and the land of Israel. I stand with and support her against all efforts to harm her or her people in any way."

Re: Palin and Jews for Jesus | Report to Admin

By Michael from Denver, CO Oct 16th 2008 at 5:44 pm EDT (Updated Oct 16th 2008 at 5:44 pm EDT)

Of course the Jews for Jesus website will say David Brickner was taken out of context. So I consider that source with a grain of salt. I would trust the newspapers a little more as there is some fiber objectivity than trusting an organizations own web site that puts out such anti-semitic garbage.

And seeing that you and Mr. Arbamsky are from the Bay Area where Jews for Jesus has it's roots, and this is only my speculation, I wouldn't be surprised if you and he are operatives of them. I've yet to find an "MOT" that doesn't identify themself as a so-called "Messianic Jew", aligning themselves, much less supporting in the least, Jews for Jesus, David Brickner and what he said. Nice try, but I and most Jews are not that stupid.

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