Conservative and Liberal MSNBC Hosts Call Out Republicans for Israel Smears

Jason Attermann — September 22, 2011 – 1:56 pm | Barack Obama | Election 2012 | GOP Presidential Candidates 2012 | Israel | Stop the Smears Comments (0) Add a comment

On Wednesday, MSNBC host and former Republican Representative Joe Scarborough called out Republican presidential candidates Governor Rick Perry and Mitt Romney for their “dangerous,” “reckless and irresponsible” attacks on President Barack Obama’s commitment to Israel’s security.

Scarborough’s comments referred to remarks by the two presidential contenders in the days leading up to Obama’s speech at the United Nations General Assembly:

With one of the most explosive situations on the globe, and we’ve got Rick Perry and Mitt Romney posing, for political purposes, and undermining our president. That is dangerous, and it’s not good for our country.

And:

As a lifelong supporter of Israel, I think this is reckless and irresponsible because it undermines our president, but secondly, cutting off aid undermines Israel.

Fellow MSNBC host Reverend Al Sharpton also accused Perry and Romney of using dangerous language to attack the President as he prepared to speak to the world.  

This is a matter of foreign policy, not partisan politics. But some in the Republican Party don’t see it that way….They’re trying to paint President Obama as extreme and anti-Israel for political gain.

On Sharpton’s show, Republican Representative Bill Cassidy (R-LA) praised Obama’s speech for sending a strong message of American support of Israel to the world:

I’m pleased to say that today the President was unequivocal in his support for Israel and he linked peace with Israel the Palestinians to statehood.

Representative Steve Rothman (D-NJ) also appeared on Sharpton’s show and strongly asserted that the “military and intelligence cooperation between the Obama Administration and the Jewish state of Israel is the best in the history of the state of Israel.”

Where the rubber meets the road, Reverend Sharpton, is in defense and military cooperation. And on that basis, according to the Israelis and the Americans in our military and our intelligence and all the elected officials, there’s no question, Israel has no better partner than the Obama administration concerning military and intelligence cooperation and all of Israel’s enemies know this. That the United States and Israel are undefeatable, powerful team and President Obama has tied the two of our nations at the hip and there’s no daylight. And that is why President Obama is regarded by those in the defense and intelligence communities as being the best American President for Israel, in Israel’s history.

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