White House Draws Fire Over Hanukkah Party

CBS) ^ | Friday, 11 December 2009 11:52AM

[BenLurkin]

At the White House, as the Obama administration is learning all too well, a party is never a simple affair.

One bone of contention has been the guest list: Administration officials say they are inviting 550 people, just 50 less than President Bush invited to his White House Hanukkah parties. But reports in the Israeli press spawned fast-spreading rumors that the Obama White House was only inviting 400 – and that the Bush White House had actually invited twice that number.

It was, some suggested, a snub – and one that critics said should not come as a surprise.

The rumors appear to have been touched off by an opinion piece by Tevi Troy, who was a liaison to Jewish groups in the Bush administration. As the Times reports, Troy suggested the Obama administration was taking Jewish votes for granted, citing as evidence the administration's call for a freeze on Jewish settlements in the West Bank. The guest list issue, Troy said, created "a nagging sense that there may be a studied callousness at work here."

Soon there were a number of news stories and rumors proliferating about the Obama administration's alleged "callousness," as exemplified by the handling of the party. There were also complaints that the invitation to the event, which draws elite members of the Jewish community, called it a "holiday reception" instead of specifically mentioning Hanukkah.

Jews at home and abroad have been slow to warm to Mr. Obama – a recent poll found nearly 40 percent of Israelis believe he is Muslim – and it seems the distrust within the community is at least partly driving the anger.

[kralcmot]

so when is the Christmas party?

or will that be on a beach in Hawaii?

[Gaffer]

Bwaaahaaaahaaaahaaaa. quibbling amongst his ardent supporters. What are they doing? Sitting down there in Boca or West Palm and thinking they’ve been slighted?

[missnry]

The Jester will invite who he wants to his parties!!

[bgill]

Jews at home and abroad have been slow to warm to Mr. Obama – a recent poll found nearly 40 percent of Israelis believe he is Muslim

What makes them think that? It might be because he's sided with Hamas and against them every time, or "my Muslim faith", or that he couldn't have bowed any lower to the Saudis, or that a bunch of caterwauling is the most beautiful sound in the world or that he can say Muslim prayers by heart and with perfect diction. Yet, same as the coal miners, the Jewish community voted for him...

[rlmorel]

It is astounding to me.

We cannot accuse Barack Hussein Obama of hiding his intentions regarding energy in general and coal specifically during the campaign, he was up front in saying he wanted to bankrupt coal plants and fully intends to have our energy costs “skyrocket”.

And yet the Mine Workers Union supported Obama. I have been hearing the phrase “cognitive dissonance” lately, and I think it is because of things like this.

[jimbo123]

[edcoil]

No, just stupidly from our highest office in one branch of government. The judicial seems to be the only one quiet on the issue.