LOS ANGELES, December 21, 2011 ― At the Republican Jewish Coalition 2012 Presidential Candidates Forum, Minnesota Congresswoman Bachmann offered warm sentiments about Israel based on her personal experiences growing up. She also took time to touch on some other topics as well.
Her entire remarks are here (from minutes 1:27 to 2:05).
Bachmann is the epitome of a compassionate conservative; she emanates kindness without compromising her values and principles. She is an accomplished tax attorney and the mother of five children and 23 foster children. Her life story embodies the American dream, and her sense of right and wrong shone through in her remarks.
She made it clear in the beginning where she stood when she said, “I will have Israel’s back.”
Her love for Israel and the Jewish people deepened when she went to Israel at age 18 and worked on a Kibbutz. She echoed a common refrain uttered by Jewish leaders when she said, “Next year, Jerusalem.”
She vowed that as president, her maiden voyage would be to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. She also said she would speak to the Israeli Knesset if she were to be given the privilege. She made it clear that on her inauguration day she would move the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. She provided a very lighthearted moment when she mentioned that an anonymous Jewish donor would be personally paying for the ambassador’s boxes and home to be moved on inauguration day. The logistics have already been covered.
She noted that, like Pearl Harbor, we are “ignoring the danger signs” in Iran. She is deeply concerned about “what other Pearl Harbors are out there.”
She accurately and bluntly pointed out that President Obama is more concerned with Israelis building homes on their own land than with the threats to Israel. He put daylight almost immediately between America and Israel, and emboldened Palestinians to seek statehood through the United Nations instead of the proper process. Palestinians have not recognized Israel’s right to exist or renounced violence. Congresswoman Bachmann stated that Palestinian compliance with current agreements is the first step, which they have still not done. The Palestinians have also failed to pursue and confiscate illegal weapons, change their constitution calling for the destruction of Israel, and stop inciting terrorism.
Pivoting domestically, she blasted a certain vocal minority in the country. She lambasted “Occupy Wall Street, otherwise known as the Obama reelection team.” They have “one bottom line. They want other people to pay for their stuff. That doesn’t work in the United States of America.”
She and Paul Ryan are the two most authoritative experts on taxes and budgetary matters. She noted that the tax code is 3.8 million words, and that it is time to change the tax code. Between high corporate tax rates and unreasonable regulations, other nations are better places to do business. She exclaimed that, “We need to wake up and stop blaming job creators for problems caused by politicians.” She referred to the Dodd-Frank law as the “Housing and job destruction act.” Bachmann wrote the bill to repeal it. Dodd-Frank contains 400 new rules and requires firms to put in 1,100 uncompensated man hours in compliance.
In keeping with the criticism of the blatantly unethical and possibly illegal Obama episodes that put ideology above sound business decisions, Congresswoman Bachmann shredded Solyndra. Solyndra happened because Barack Obama put his political fundraiser in the Department of Energy to decide which loans should go to which donors. “This has to stop. We are not a banana republic.”
She wants to get Washington, DC, out of directing free markets. “I know the difference between free markets and Bernie Madoff style gangster government.”
Bachmann blasted Obama for alluding to Israel as a 60 year long occupation. Obama blamed settlements for the problems in the peace process.
She emphasized the importance of the 2004 letter President George W. Bush wrote to then Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. The letter was official United States government policy, and it promised that Israel gets to keep large settlement blocs. Additionally, there will be no right of return for Palestinian so-called refugees.
Congreswoman Bachmann was unequivocal in saying that she “will never call for a divided Jerusalem.”
She knows that right of return is a death knell for Israel as a Jewish state, and that the concept of refugees has been perverted to include people that have never and would never be considered refugees if they were part of any other culture except one threatening Israel. Many of these Arabs claiming to be refugees are descendants of people who have never lived in Israel.
Congresswoman Bachmann made it clear that President Obama should fire the ambassador to Belgium for his anti-Semitic and irresponsible remarks.
Iran must never be allowed to obtain nuclear weapons. Eighty years ago a madman spoke. The world chose not to listen, and millions of Jews and others lost their lives. Today a madman speaks, makes his intentions toward Israel well known, and the world is still not listening. “When a madman speaks, world, pay attention.”
She pointed out that Iran has engaged in terror for decades and never been held accountable. She cited the marine base bombing in Beirut and other attacks.
There would be “no outsourcing of United States National Security to the United Nations.” America would “support dissidents in Iran.”
She noted that in leading from behind, Barack Obama was ambiguous on Iran. This gave them time.
One solution would be to legalize American energy production to free us from Iran’s oil influence.
Congresswoman Bachmann would only have Secretaries of Defense and State who support a pro-freedom agenda. She would replace those at State who will not support this. America should also enact sanctions that would hurt the Iranian economy more severely.
Veering back to the relationship with America’s closest ally in the Middle East, Congresswoman Bachmann lamented that President Obama stands with Occupy Wall Street but won’t stand with Israel. When Israel looks at Obama, “they do not see a friend.”
More ways to protect Israel and America from Iran would be to accelerate covert and cyber operations. If necessary, the United States Navy should be deployed to set up a blockade of Iran’s ports. America must sell to Israel fighter jets and bunker buster bombs.
“Israel is the historic homeland of the Jewish people.” This includes recognizing Israel’s annexation of the Golan Heights.
While making it clear that “only a fool wishes for war,” Bachmann would not cower in the face of threats. “I will not hesitate to commit United States troops to stop Iran” if other options were exhausted.
“Ahmadinejad is planning a second Holocaust.” Bachmann will not sit idly by. “We will send a message that we will never forget.”
While some candidates have accepted a Palestinian State as inevitable, Bachmann made it crystal clear that today there is not a road to statehood. There would need to be radical changes afoot. Israel is the victim and does not need to change. The $700 million in aid to Palestinians should end.
As expected, the crowd loved her position on Israel but wanted to ask about a wide range of topics. One individual wanted her to clarify her attitudes about vaccines. She would like to see more vaccines and cures. Because of FDA and other layers of bureaucracy, we are no longer seeing miracle cures. She would change that process so the United States becomes the Mecca for new medical cures. She predicts that Obamacare, if fully implemented, would collapse the American medical industry as we know it.
With regards to education, as a Congresswoman she replaced federal standards with Minnesota standards. She wants the federal government to get our of the education business. “They are bad at it.” She would shut down the Department of Education.
The message to young people regarding the entitlement mentality that is overrunning America should be reversed. The message should be “Yes we love you, but nobody owes you a living.”
Congresswoman Bachmann was asked if we should make a motion to kick Iran out of the United Nations or have America withdraw altogether. She was totally in favor of the idea and called the United Nations “the most overrated organization.”
She exited as gracefully, regally, and fantastically as she entered.
“God bless you all, Shalom Alechem.”
From start to finish, Congresswoman Bachmann was seen as what she has always been. She is a friend to the Jews, and an honest, sincere person. Wherever one is on the political spectrum, they know where she stands.
Brooklyn born, Long Island raised, and now living in Los Angeles, Eric Golub is a politically conservative columnist, blogger, author, public speaker, satirist and comedian.
Eric is the author of the book trilogy “Ideological Bigotry, “Ideological Violence,” and “Ideological Idiocy.” Eric is 100% alcohol, tobacco, drug, and liberalism free. After years of dating liberals, he has finally seen the light and now only dates Republican Jewish women. His family is pleased over this. Republican, Jewish women, you may contact Eric above.
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