By , ,
Published May 19, 2015
Now some fresh pickings from the Political Grapevine:
Israel like Hitler?
Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is comparing Israel's military response to those three kidnapped soldiers to the aggression of the Third Reich, saying, "The Zionists think that they are victims of Hitler, but they act like Hitler and behave worse than Genghis Khan."
Meanwhile, a spokesman for Iran's foreign ministry denied Israel's claims that Iranian troops are helping Hezbollah guerrillas fire Iranian-made rockets at Israel — including a radar-guided missile that struck an Israeli warship.
He also warned Israel against attacking Syria, saying the move will "definitely face the Zionist regime with unimaginable damages."
Throwing Punches at Boxer
Liberal activists are blasting California Democratic Senator Barbara Boxer over her pledge to campaign for pro-war Connecticut colleague Joe Lieberman. Boxer, one of the Senate's most liberal members, admits that she and Lieberman "have no common ground" on the war, but called him a staunch ally on the environment and reproductive rights.
But California fundraisers have accused Boxer of putting loyalty before principle, and liberal blogs have called her a "foolish, selfish sellout." Progressive Democrats of America leader Mervis Reissig tells the San Jose Mercury News that she and his fellow activists are in a "state of shock" over Boxer's decision, calling it "a total invalidation of one or our main values."
Incognito Influence
A shadowy group of liberal millionaires has directed more than $50 million to left-wing groups in the last 9 months, leaving some Washington activists concerned about the group's growing influence. The Washington Post reports that Democracy Alliance —- backed by billionaire investor George Soros — has given millions to former Clinton chief of staff John Podesta's Center for American Progress, and the Center for Progressive leadership, among others — with an eye towards building up Democratic infrastructure.
But nonpartisan watchdogs at the Center for Responsive politics call the group's extreme secrecy about its donors and financial activities, "a huge problem." And some moderate Democrats complain that the organization is pushing the party distinctly to the left — claiming that funding for centrist groups has been rejected "purely because of their ideologies."
Neck and Neck
New Jersey Republican Senate candidate, Tom Kean Jr., has pulled ahead of incumbent Democratic Senator Robert Menendez for the first time, after trailing by seven points just a month ago. Kean holds a 40 to 38 advantage over Menendez in a new Quinnipiac university poll — despite the fact that 46 percent of voters consider Kean, "a George Bush Republican," in a state where 61 percent disapprove of the president.
A slight shift of Independents towards Kean gave him the edge, but the race remains volatile: 18 percent of voters say they're still undecided, and 48 percent of those who picked a candidate say they could change their minds before November.
—FOX News Channel's Aaron Bruns contributed to this report.
https://www.foxnews.com/story/what-irans-president-says-about-israels-offensive-against-hezbollah