Nov 07, 2010

Broadcast Date: 
Nov 7 2010

Jewish organizations go on the attack against dissent; Ari Berman on the GOP's sweep in the midterm elections; plus, is governor elect Andrew Cumo secretly wishing for a Republican majority in the New York State Senate?

Episode segments
  • From A to Z Jewish organizations fight back
    American Politics, National Politics, Israel/Palestine, Civil Rights, Occupation
    Cecilie Surasky is Deputy Director of Jewish Voice for Peace and the founder of Muzzlewatch, JVP's acclaimed blog documenting efforts to silence open debate about Israel-Palestine Policy.
    Marilyn Kleinberg Neimark

    In another of our periodic conversations with Muzzlewatch's Cecilie Surasky we discuss:

    The Zionist Organization of America's efforts to use the Civil Rights Act to muzzle activism on college campuses.

    The ADL 's list of the top-ten anti-Israel groups in America, which includes Jewish Voice for Peace. 

    The $6 million launch of the Israel Action Network by the Jewish Federations and Jewish Council for Public Affairs, to fight back against growing efforts to delegitimize the State of Israel.

    The recent midterm elections in which Israel was not a factor, despite the Emergency Committee for Israel's attack ads.

    Recent successes in the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) Campaign.

  • Did the Democratic Party's Success in 2008 set the stage for 2010?
    National Politics, Electoral
    Ari Berman is a contributing writer for The Nation magazine and an Investigative Journalism Fellow at The Nation Institute.  He is the author of Herding Donkeys: The Fight to Rebuild the Democratic Party and Reshape American Politics.
    Marilyn Kleinberg Neimark

    We talk with Ari Berman about the 2010 midterm election results.  To what extent did former Democratic National Committee Chair Howard Dean's 50-state strategy contribute to Obama's difficulties in advancing a progressive agenda and the Democratic party's loses? Does the gap between the grassroots and the corporate-dominated beltway virtually ensure a disappointed, angry electorate?  Will Obama be a one-term President?

  • Does Andrew Cuomo Secretly Want A Republican Senate?
    New York Politics, Electoral
    Tom Robbins is a Village Voice staff writer.
    Marilyn Kleinberg Neimark

    With three races still undecided, the New York State Senate may well return to the Republican camp.  Given Governor elect Cumo's agenda--freezing state payrolls, slashing state spending, supporting a property tax cap--he may well prefer to govern with Republican support.  We talk with Tom Robbins about what we can expect from the new Governor and also about the future for the Working Families Party who signed on to his agenda so he'd accept their endorsement.