Harman vs. Winograd
The Last Democratic Primary Worth Watching
By JEFFREY BLANKFORT
Counterpunch: May 10, 2010
What may be the last Democratic primary race worth paying attention to is
taking place in the 36th Congressional District along the Southern
California coastline where incumbent Jane Harman is facing a serious
challenge from Los Angeles school teacher, Marcy Winograd, with the
candidates' widely separated positions on the Israel-Palestine conflict
dominating a critical section of the political landscape.
Harman is the second richest member of the House of Representatives with
estimated assets between $112 and $377 million dollars. Whether it was her
money or her Israeli connections that kept the Southern California Democrat
from being indicted as a foreign agent five years ago or a combination of
both is something the public is never likely to know.
What is clear is that the Bush administration's Attorney General Alberto
Gonzales neither investigated nor indicted the eight-term congresswoman
after she was recorded on a National Security Agency wiretap in 2005
speaking to someone identified as an Israeli agent in which she reportedly
agreed to intervene with the Justice Dept. on behalf of two top AIPAC
officials, Steve Rosen and Keith Weissman, who were then under indictment
for passing classified information to Israel in an FBI-initiated "sting."
Whether or not that phone call will come back to haunt her and be a factor
in Harman's heated race against Winograd, a strong critic of Israel and
outspoken advocate for the Palestinians, won't be known until June 8th, the
date of the California primaries, but Harman is clearly running scared.
According to an expose of the wiretapping incident in Congressional
Quarterly, in April, 2009, she signed off the conversation with the Israeli
agent saying, "This conversation doesn't exist." The government
investigators who had been wiretapping the Israeli were so concerned about
Harman's comments, wrote CQ, that they sought a FISA (Foreign Intelligence
Surveillance Act) warrant -reserved for sensitive intelligence cases - to
tune in on her conversations, as well. In a touch of irony, Gonzales,
however, supposedly halted the investigation because it was believed that he
would need Harman's continuing support, as a Democrat, for the Bush
administration's warrantless wire-tapping program that was about to be
exposed by the New York Times.
In exchange for Harman's interceding on behalf of Rosen and Weissman, said
CQ, the Israeli agent pledged to use his influence with Haim Saban, the
Israeli-American billionaire and donor of millions to the Democratic Party
(and to AIPAC) to persuade House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to appoint Harman
chair of the House Select Intelligence Committee. Pelosi reportedly was made
aware of the wire tap and Harman did not get the appointment. Not
surprisingly, all the parties named denied that any such deal was offered.
Immediately after the story broke, Harman left a voicemail message that any
allegation of improper conduct on her part would be "irresponsible,
laughable and scurrilous." She also quickly retained top GOP lawyer, Ted
Olson, who may be remembered as representing Paula Jones in her sexual
harassment case against President Clinton and appearing for George W Bush
before the Supreme Court as it was deciding the outcome of the 2000
presidential election. It was a curious choice for a Democrat, even a Blue
Dog varietal, but it apparently represented no problems for the party
leadership. But then again, neither did her earlier bragging that she was
"the Best Republican in the Democratic Party" in her unsuccessful run for
the California governorship in 1998.
Harman continued to deny that she had contacted the White House or any other
agency about the investigation, and last spring sent a letter to Attorney
General Eric Holder requesting that he "release all transcripts and other
investigative material involving me in an unredacted form," adding that it
was her " intention to make this material available to the public."
Less than three weeks after the CQ exposure Harman spoke on a panel at
AIPAC's
annual policy conference in Washington where she "explore[d] the myriad
foreign policy challenges facing the United States, Israel and the world."
If she received the NSA transcript it has never been acknowledged. Certainly
its contents have not been made public and Holder, like Gonzales, not only
chose not to pursue a case against Harman but, shortly after his appointment
by Obama, he dropped the indictment against the two Israeli officials, much
to the disgust of the Justice Dept. officials who had been pursuing the
case.
In April 2009, the congressman who got the job as House Select Intelligence
Chair, Silvestre Reyes, from Texas, told his staff to begin investigating
the incident but a year later there has been nothing reported and calls to
the committee office have not been returned. The last word on the subject
was apparently an article in the Washington Post last October which noted
that Harman was among 30 House members and several aides being investigated
by the House Ethics Committee on issues that included defense lobbying and
corporate influence peddling. As of the first week in May, no report had
been issued on that investigation by the Ethics Committee.
Harman was not left out entirely, being appointed by Pelosi to chair the
House Subcommittee on Intelligence, Information Sharing, and Terrorism Risk
Assessment. With whom and what intelligence information she has been
sharing, however, is a question that begs to be asked.
This is of note at the moment because Winograd, Harman's challenger in
California's 36th Congressional District won 38% of the primary vote in 2006
and may be primed to pull a major upset come June 8, one that would sound
the alarm in the Israeli Knesset as much as it would on the Washington
beltway..
Like Harman, Winograd, is Jewish but apart from sharing religion and gender,
that's where the similarities end. Harman is not only a hawk when it comes
to Israel, she is also an enthusiastic backer of the military budget, the US
wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Patriot Act, and the Wall Street and
banking bailouts .
In 2007 she introduced, HR 1955, "The Violent Radicalization and Homegrown
Terrorism Prevention Act" whose stated purpose was to deal with "homegrown
terrorism and violent radicalization." Fortunately, the draconian act was
too much for even the pliant US Congress and the bill went nowhere.
Last May, Harman weighed in on Iran, suggesting that that nation, whose
history goes back thousands of years, be broken up into a confessional
state, following the formula for the region once advanced by a senior
Israeli Foreign Affairs Ministry official, Oded Yinon. "The Persian
population in Iran is not a majority," said Harman, "it is a plurality.
There are many different, diverse, and disagreeing populations inside Iran
and an obvious strategy, which I believe is a good strategy, is to separate
those populations."
When it comes to her donors Harman is clearly cherished by the Military
Industrial Complex but she is not averse to playing the field. While the top
two suitors are Northrop Grumman and Raytheon, the entire list of her
contributors reads like a Who's Who of corporate America. At the same time,
a review of the 765 companies listed in the vast investment portfolio held
by Harman and her businessman husband, Sidney, founder of audio/infotainment
equipment manufacturer, Harman International Industries, may explain her
devotion to the Bush and Obama bailouts, with a marked preference shown for
investment houses, banks, pharmaceutical industries, arms manufacturers, and
real estate interests across the globe. At the head of the Harman list is
UBS in which the couple have invested between $12 and $47 million. Not
surprisingly, Goldman Sachs is there with between $1 and $2 million with
somewhat smaller, six figure amounts invested in JP Morgan Chase, City
National Bank and Wells Fargo.
As a sign that Harman and the AIPAC crowd have been taking Winograd's
challenge seriously, her campaign put out a call for help to the poster boy
of Southern California liberals, Henry Waxman (D-30). Waxman has a history
of moonlighting as an Israel Lobby enforcer and he took after Winograd with
a vengeance, assuming that Jewish voters in the 36th District are more
concerned with the welfare of Israel than what happens in their district,
not to mention the United States:
"Recently, "wrote Waxman in an undated letter to Harman's Jewish
constituents in November, "I came across an astounding speech by Marcy
Winograd, who is running against our friend Jane Harman in her primary
re-election to Congress. Ms. Winograd's views on Israel I find repugnant in
the extreme. And that is why I wanted to write you.
"What has prompted my urgent concern is a speech Ms. Winograd gave,
entitled, "Call For One State,". last year. The complete text is attached,
but in it she says:
'I think it is too late for a two-state solution. Israel has made it all but
impossible for two states to exist. Not only do I think a two-state solution
is unrealistic, but also fundamentally wrong.'
'As a citizen of the United States, I do not want my tax dollars to support
institutionalized racism. As a Jew, I do not want my name associated with
occupation or extermination. Let us declare a one-state solution.'
To me," Waxman fulminated, "the notion that a Member of Congress could hold
these views is alarming. Ms. Winograd is far, far outside the bipartisan
mainstream of views that has long insisted that US policy be based upon
rock-solid support for our only democratic ally in the Middle East.
"In Marcy Winograd's foreign policy, Israel would cease to exist. In Marcy
Winograd's vision, Jews would be at the mercy of those who do not respect
democracy or human rights. These are not trivial issues; they cannot be
ignored or overlooked. Jane's victory will represent a clear repudiation of
these views.
"I ask you to join me in showing maximum support for Jane.
In a response to Waxman, Winograd, co-founder of LA Jews for Peace, wrote,
in part:
" Like you, I am intimately aware of our Jewish history. On my mother's
side, my great-grandparents escaped the Russian Pogroms to make a better
life for themselves in Europe. On my father's side, my great-grandparents
were killed in the Jewish Holocaust of Nazi Germany. Because of our
collective experience with persecution, it behooves us to stand in
opposition to persecution anywhere and everywhere, rather than sanctify
reductionist state policies that cast all Jews as victims who can only
thrive in a segregated society.
Furthermore, we must stand in explicit opposition to the Israeli persecution
of the Palestinians; the brutal blockade of Gaza, an act of war by
international standards, denying children clean water, food, and medicine.
"In your letter, you include what you term an "alarming' quote of mine - 'As
a Jew, I do not want my name associated with occupation or extermination.'
Frankly, I am mystified as to why you would find my words objectionable.
Surely, you are not saying the converse is true - that you want Jewish
people associated with occupation and extermination. Such a legacy would
dishonor our people."
It is unlikely, however, that either Harman or Winograd's stand on Israel
will be the determining factor in the election.
"Unlike the substantial Jewish population in Waxman's affluent 30th
Congressional District whom he relies on for financial support, the Jewish
population in Harman's 36th Congressional District is significantly smaller,
"wrote the LA Progressive's Linda Malazzo who has been covering the race to
represent what is historically a strongly Democratic district that runs from
Marina del Rey to Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach and on to San Pedro.
"Issues concerning Israel don't regularly affect the day to day lives of the
majority of its residents who care mostly about jobs, healthcare and
housing," notes Malazzo. "18.3% of the under 65 population of the 36th CD
have no health insurance. Over 7,500 home foreclosures took place in 2009
and another 25,000 foreclosures are anticipated over the next four years."
"Some Harman supporters fear that Winograd's progressive stands on social
issues and her opposition to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan may appeal to
many Jewish voters," wrote Tom Tugend, in the LA Jewish Journal, "especially
those not familiar with the challenger's views on Israel."
The competition for trade union support has been intense. While Harman
bagged the backing of ILWU Local 13th on April 15, two days earlier Winograd
scored a major coup when the ILWU Southern California District Council,
representing 14 locals, including Local 13, broke precedence and ranks with
Democratic Party officials and gave Winograd its unqualified endorsement.
ILWU District Council President, Rich Dines, praised Winograd's commitment
to organized labor. "Marcy Winograd's commitment to protecting and enhancing
workers' rights, funding federal job creation, and tackling unfair trade
agreements is why we support her candidacy for Congress. As leaders in the
labor movement, we proudly and enthusiastically endorse Marcy and look
forward to working with her to keep more Americans on the job, in their
homes, and inspired to organize."
Among Winograd's name endorsements are Daniel Ellsberg, Ed Asner, Gore
Vidal, Jim Hightower, Vietnam Veteran Ron Kovic, author of Born on the
Fourth of July, Jodie Evans, co-founder of Code Pink, former California
Assembly Member Jackie Goldberg, and Norman Solomon, of Progressive
Democrats of America.
At a hectic California state Democratic Convention, the chair, former
congressman John Burton, rammed the endorsement process through as quickly
as he could with Harman winning 599 votes to 417 for Winograd which was an
extraordinary showing for a primary challenger.
In May of last year, Harman told POLITICO that she doesn't mind a primary
challenge. "It's a democracy," said Harman, "and anyone is entitled to run.
I'm in a strong position politically in my district and working on key
issues that affect my constituents and the country, including homeland
security, climate change and health care reform."
By this March, Harman did not appear so dedicated to democracy. When
incumbent and challenger were invited by the LA Jewish Journal's Rob Eshman
to debate, "Winograd, the challenger, quickly accepted," wrote Eshman. "It's
taken a while to get a response from Harman, but yesterday her chief of
staff e-mailed me a firm but polite no.
'Hi Rob-thank you for your message and your invitation. However,
Congresswoman Harman declines the kind offer and believes her views on
Israel are very clear. John H.'
"Too bad, we even had a venue: Rabbi Dan Shevitz of Temple Mishkon Tephilo
had offered his 800-seat sanctuary gratis.
"I understand why Harman, who beat Winograd in the last race has little to
gain from exposing herself to her opponent. But my reason for holding the
debate had nothing to do with politics and everything to do with the state
of The State of Israel and the American Left. Both Harman and Winograd are
Democrats. Harman represents a broad consensus view for a two state
solution to the Israeli Palestinian issue, and strong American political and
financial support for Israel. Winograd made clear in a speech that she
supports a one-state solution and a deep reconsideration of America's stand
vis a vis Israel. This divide is a crucial one among Democrats on the Left,
Far Left and Center, and the more open and intelligent debate on it, the
better. That's my point of view. Clearly, it's not Harman's.
"Too bad," concluded Eshman.
A complete list of endorsers on Marcy Winograd and her stand on the issues
can be found on http://winogradforcongress.com/
Information on Jane Harman's assets and the names of her contributors can be
found on http://www.opensecrets.org/pfds/
Where Harman stands on some issues can be found on her website:
www.janeharmancongress.com
Curiously, there is no mention there of her support for Israel.
Jeffrey Blankfort can be contacted at jblankfort@earthlink.net
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