Today, House Foreign Affairs Committee chairman Howard Berman (D-CA) released a statement responding to ThinkProgress’s report that McCain’s promise to “veto every bill with earmarks” may eliminate U.S. aid to Israel. Berman sharply criticized McCain for putting attempts to “please certain parts of the electorate” above “indispensable security programs”:

For many years, Congress has earmarked critical military aid for Israel, our closest ally in the volatile Middle East. Confronted with this fact, Senator McCain last evening hastily issued what purported to be a clarifying statement indicating that he will ‘ensure America remains committed to the security of Israel, including maintaining America’s assistance levels.’
Unfortunately, this did little to explain his intentions. It is absolutely essential that Congress continue to require full funding for Israel. In the absence of an earmark, it is easy to imagine a situation in which funds hat are vital to Israel’s self-defense are diverted to the crisis of the moment or distributed to others based on political whims. Vague commitments to ‘maintaining … assistance levels’ offer cold comfort.
Senator McCain may be trying to please certain parts of the electorate by promising to cut pork-barrel spending, but he needs to learn to distinguish pork from indispensable security programs.

1. 12 Page Pamphlet in English by Rabbi J. David Bleich on Halachos of Erev Pesach which occurs on Shabbos [Direct to pdf]
2. OU Pesach 2008 - Product Search, Pesach Guide, Special Topics and Information
3. YU Torah "Pesach To Go" 5768/2008 - Wealth of Materials - from Rabbi Soloveitchik and Beyond; Stuff for Kids, interesting Divrei Torah and Tibits and additional links
4. The infamous "Bangitout Seder Sidekick" 2008 - 48 Pages pdf of Entertainment, Humor and Enlightening information
   Child Prodigy Tickles Ivory Keys For Chai Lifeline This Pesach Will You be in Florida (or Rye, NY)? See a unique performance and help a great cause - 3 Perfomances additional info.
5. Need a Seder? List of Public Seders
6. Have something to add? Drop a note in the coments.

Somebody Call Abe Foxman April 09, 2008 8:22 PM
In Levittown, Penn., today, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, was asked about his church's magazine giving an award to Rev. Louis Farrakhan.
ABC News' Sunlen Miller has more about the town hall questioning HERE.
"This was done by a magazine that was connected to the church," Obama explained. "I would have never done it. It was primary focused on the rehabilitation work that they do for ex-offenders in Chicago. That doesn’t excuse it, that just explains it."
Obama reminded the crowd that he'd denounced his church’s praise of Farrakhan, saying, "I’ve been very clear about saying that was wrong. And nobody has spoken out more fiercely on the issue of anti- Semitism than I have."
Really? No one?
Elie Wiesel? Simon Wiesenthal? Alan Dershowitz?
No one?
Wow.
- jpt

First off, when has Obama spoken out at all against anti-Semitism outside of generic “hope and change” rhetoric about the tone and tenor of politics? He hasn’t been an activist for anti-Semitism even in his own church. He claims he didn’t agree with Jeremiah Wright’s honoring Farrakhan, but he didn’t speak out against it until people pressed him for a reaction to it. How about when his church reprinted Hamas propaganda in its bulletins? Did his fierce opposition erupt in protest? Uh, no.
And now “nobody has spoken out more fiercely on the issue of anti-Semitism” than Obama? That’s not just absurd, it insults the intelligence of everyone who heard it. Many people have spoken out eloquently on anti-Semitism on many more occasions than Barack Obama, which isn’t a difficult threshold to meet.
This is the Obama style of “hope and change”. When something controversial happens, hope that no one notices. If they do, change direction and get ahead of the event. In this case, Obama got so caught up in the moment that he transformed himself into the leading voice against anti-Semitism. Maybe no one heard him until now because of laryngitis.

The Western Wall has been deemed too controversial a place for US President George W. Bush to visit. He is opting instead for Masada – where Jewish rebels committed mass suicide.
Bush will be visiting Israel as part of Israel’s 60th Independence Day celebrations. His visit will be 60 hours long. In addition to addressing the Knesset, Bush is reportedly searching for a symbolic location to visit, with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert as his tour guide.
Haaretz reported that Bush’s aids were leaning toward the Masada fortress. The site was where Jews held out against the Roman army, but were eventually beaten and committed suicide rather than face the humiliation and torture of captivity. Haaretz
mentioned the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hevron, the Golan Heights and the Western Wall, explicitly, as places deemed too controversial for Bush to visit.
The Western Wall, also called the Kotel ("wall" in Hebrew) or Wailing Wall, is the western retaining wall of the Temple Mount, Judaism's holiest site. The mount itself is occupied by two Muslim structures and Jewish worship there is severely restricted. The Western Wall is highly symbolic as it has been the focal point of Jewish worship in the most recent return to Zion. It was approachable via a small alleyway prior to the War of Independence, was off-limits to Jews under Jordanian rule following the 1949 armistice and was liberated in the 1967 Six Day War. Among the most famous photos in Israel's history is that of IDF paratroopers looking up at the wall with awe following their participation in the battle for the Old City. Shortly after the victory, Israel bulldozed the area around the wall, creating a huge prayer plaza.
Muslims have recently been staking a claim not only to the Temple Mount, but to the Western Wall as well. They call it Al-Burak and say the religion's founder, Mohammad, tied his horse there during a midnight journey that took him to "the farthest mosque" - which they say is a reference to the Jerusalem mosque later given that name.
The Bushes also want to witness the Biblical prophecy of the ingathering of the exiles first-hand. White House staffers report that the Bushes are looking to meet with recent olim (Jewish immigrants to Israel) during the visit.
Bush will not be visiting Palestinian Authority-controlled areas or meeting with PA officials during his visit to Israel, but will hold a meeting with Fatah chief and PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas in Egypt afterward.
Media analyst Dr. Aaron Lerner of Israel Media Research and Analysis says that the phenomenon of Bush steering clear of the Western Wall does not bode well and belies statements by Israeli officials’ claiming an improved relationship with the US due to Israel’s willingness to make repeated concessions to Fatah.
“Things are so screwed up that while the Pope can visit the Western Wall in what was clearly the "Israeli" portion of his visit, President Bush can't make the same photo op as part of his historic trip marking Israel's 60th anniversary,” Lerner opined. “And now an example of the incredible lack of thinking on the part of whoever is working on this trip: instead of visiting places associated with Israel's rebirth or ancient life - the idea is a photo op at a place remembered in history for the group of Jews who committed suicide rather than fall captive to the Romans.”
Dr. Lerner concluded, with tongue-in-cheek: “Then again. How appropriate. PM Olmert, who critics warn is following a suicidal path with the Palestinians, will visit Masada with Bush.”

Organizers of Bush's planned two-and-a-half-day stay said they had been searching for a symbolic location for the president to visit, but wanted to avoid one that might stir controversy like the Western Wall, Golan Heights or Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron.

The plan, divided into separate phases, among other things calls for Israel eventually to forfeit parts of the Temple Mount, Judaism's holiest site.
According to the first stage of the U.S. plan, which was obtained by WND, Israel would give the PA some municipal and security sovereignty over key Arab neighborhoods in eastern Jerusalem.
The PA would be allowed to open some official institutions in Jerusalem, could elect a mayor for the Palestinian side of the city and would deploy police forces to maintain law and order.
The initial stage also calls for the PA to operate Jerusalem municipal institutions, such as offices to oversee trash collection and maintenance of roads.
After five years, if both sides keep their certain commitments called for in a larger principal agreement, according to the U.S. plan the PA would be given full sovereignty over the eastern Jerusalem neighborhoods and also over sections of the Temple Mount. The plan doesn't specify which parts of the Temple Mount would be forfeited to the Palestinians.
After the five year period, the PA could deploy official security forces in Jerusalem separate from a police force and could also open major governmental institutions, such as a president's office, and offices for the finance and foreign ministries.
The U.S. plan leaves Israel and the PA to negotiate which Jerusalem neighborhoods would become Palestinian. According to diplomatic sources familiar with the plan, while specific neighborhoods were not officially listed, American officials recommended sections of Jerusalem's Old City as well as certain largely Arab Jerusalem neighborhoods such as Jabal mukabar, Beit Hanina, Shoafat, Abu Dis and Abu Tur become part of the Palestinian side.

Dachs didn't return several calls about a fund-raiser Nov. 7 held in his home, which Quinn attended.
But Councilman Simcha Felder, also an Orthodox Jew, readily admitted he was behind the event.
"I am delighted to say I arranged this fund-raiser and was delighted to encourage people in my district and beyond to support the speaker, who is doing a wonderful job for the city," he said.
But Felder (D-Brooklyn) stopped short of endorsing Quinn for mayor. "Not at this time," he said.
An executive at one Jewish nonprofit defended the contributions by the orthodox.
"Why should they be any different than the cultural institutions or anyone else?" the exec said. "When it comes to the budget, she's the second most powerful official in the city."

Felder proudly calls himself "a religious American," but he has also been pragmatic in representing a district that is both religious and largely conservative. He does not believe in political parties. And he is an ardent supporter of Christine Quinn (D-Manhattan) and backed her campaign for Council speaker, despite the fact she is an open lesbian.
Felder's support for Quinn only went so far however.
"For religious reasons, I could not vote for her," Felder said. "But I did everything I could to help her."
"Maybe that seems contradictory," he added, "but I don't think it is."

The online gun dealer who sold a weapon to the Virginia Tech shooter said it was an unnerving coincidence that he also sold handgun accessories to the man who killed five students at Northern Illinois University.

Thompson said he has no way of knowing whether Kazmierczak found out about his Web site from the publicity it got after the Virginia Tech shootings, but the thought crossed his mind. Web traffic increased after that shooting, along with phone calls and threats, he said.

Republican women organize to defeat liberalism, jihad
Conejo Valley Republican Women Federated will hold their monthly meeting 11:30 a.m. Wed., Feb. 20 at the Thousand Oaks Inn Banquet Room, 75 W. Thousand Oaks Blvd.
Speaking at the meeting will be Larry Greenfield, California director of the Republican Jewish Coalition. The subject of his talk will be "The American Way: Defeating liberalism at home and jihad abroad."
Cost of the meeting is $20. Reservations are required.
For more information or to make a reservation, call (805) 495-7509.

Even the dead are political pawns to the Republicans (then again, we already knew that post-September 11). House Republicans, at the bidding of the Bush White House, are upset that House Democrats are voting on contempt citations for Harriet Miers and Josh Bolton today. So the House GOP members are disrupting proceedings in the House today, calling for "protest votes" and the like that eat up 15 minutes of the day at a time. Well, they just called one such protest vote in the middle of recently-deceased Democratic Congressman Tom Lantos' memorial service, which they certainly knew was taking place. This is akin to forcing people to leave a wake on purpose. The House Republicans and the White House couldn't wait for Lantos' service to be finished before forcing everyone back to the House floor to vote for something silly. They intentionally disrupted a dead man's memorial service for political gain. But as was already noted, the Republicans have been abusing the memory of 3,000 dead for seven years now, so why expect anything new and better from them now.