Commentary:Â The 'pro-Israel' crowd saw Obama as a potential threat. He's done
his best two-step to prove them wrong.
Obama's shuffle with the pro-Israel lobby follows in a long tradition of Democratic candidates facing a litmus test on the issue. Hillary Clinton, for her part, has enjoyed wide support among pro-Israel advocates, having made her peace with them back in 1999 after a controversy involving the lobby hurt her Senate campaign.
From the beginning, Obama has received more scrutiny on the issue of Israel than any other presidential candidate—something of a paradox given that he shares a uniformly pro-Israel
record and policy
platform with the major contenders from both parties.
Obama has aggressively moved to shore up his pro-Israel credentials, dispatching Jewish supporters to drum up support and hosting a lengthy conference call with Jewish reporters
"[Pro-Israel advocates] have him in a position where he has to keep demonstrating his pro-Israel bona fides,"
clipped from: www.motherjones.com 