Day: April 9, 2009

President Obama certainly won over whatever group of skeptical Jews still exist about his commitment to Jewish causes, when he hosted and conducted a Passover Seder at the White House this evening, the first one ever set up and attended by an American President.

Obama had attended a Seder during the presidential primary season last year, but he now has gone one step further by hosting the Seder in the White House.  It seems to me that while Obama would like to see a settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the Middle East, that American Jews can feel secure that he will take no action to harm the interests of the Israeli state.

During the campaign, many Jews had their doubts about Obama, a lot of it based on innuendo and myth, so now with what Obama has done, it should reassure the Jewish community as to the friendship of the White House toward Jewish issues.

Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich and former NYC Mayor Rudy Guiliani have been trying to make traction by recent criticisms of President Obama on foreign and defense policy.  In so doing, they are joining former Vice President Dick Cheney in accusing Obama of undermining US national security.

Do either of these men really believe that they are improving their political future by their negative attacks on a President so soon after inauguration,  less than three months in office?  Gingrich has not been in elected office since 1998 and Guiliani since 2001, and neither has evidenced in any way that they have any real political support within their own party, let alone in public opinion polls.

If they wish to draw attention to themselves, fine, but their rhetoric is not likely to win them any support and give them any hope of playing a major role in the Republican party in the future.  New ideas and less belligerence on their part would be more likely to improve their standing and that of their party, which seems bereft of unique, original ideas.  The two men and their party at this point represent the past resisting the future!

Defense Secretary Robert Gates, a carryover from the Bush Administration, has gained the ire of Republicans by suggesting a reform of the defense budget and recognizing that war in the future will be different than the typical Cold War mentality that has continued to be a dominant influence in recent years.

It is surprising to see the conservative attacks on Gates, who many liberals wondered if he would be loyal to the changes that President Obama represented on defense issues during the campaign.  As it turns out, Gates has proved to be willing to think outside the box and to take on his critics directly.

So it seems to me that Obama’s gamble in keeping Gates has worked out for the best, and it could be that maybe Gates will stay longer as Secretary of Defense than originally forecast when he agreed to help Obama.  In any case, another smart move by Obama is contributing to necessary change in defense strategy that hopefully will succeed.