This was the only worthwhile exchange (other than some of the stuff which can be viewed as comic relief) in the entire debate:
LIEBERMAN: Thank you, Reverend.
All of us here on the stage have quite correctly criticized George W. Bush for not standing by our values in our foreign policy and for breaking our most critical alliances.
That, with all respect, is exactly what Howard Dean’s comments over the last week about the Middle East have done.
LIEBERMAN: We have had a unique relationship with Israel, strong support of Israel. Why? Based on values. This is the only democracy in the Middle East, that’s the beginning.
Secondly, based on mutual military strategic interests. Israel is the one country in the region that we can rely on today, tomorrow, 10, 50 years from now to stand with America in a time of crisis.
We do not gain strength as a negotiator — and I’ve always supported a two-state solution, Israel and Palestine — we do not gain strength as a negotiator if we compromise our support of Israel.
Let me say to Governor Dean, he has said he wouldn’t take sides, but then he has said Israel ought to get out of the West Bank and an enormous number of their settlements ought to be broken down. That’s up to the parties in their negotiations, not for us to tell them.
HUME: Governor Dean, you were pretty specifically mentioned there. You have 30 seconds to respond to that.
DEAN: I am disappointed in Joe. My position on Israel is exactly the same as Bill Clinton’s. I want to be an honest…
LIEBERMAN: Not right.
DEAN: Excuse me, Joe. I didn’t interrupt you and I’d appreciate it…
LIEBERMAN: Not right.
DEAN: … if you didn’t interrupt me.
(APPLAUSE)
I think America needs to be an honest broker. We desperately need peace in the Middle East. I can tell you, the Israelis can’t go to school without wondering if their kids — send their kids to school without wondering if they’re coming back. The Palestinians now have 80 percent of the people living below the poverty line. We need peace.
It doesn’t help, Joe, to demagogue this issue. We’re all Democrats. We need to beat George Bush so we can have peace in the Middle East.
(APPLAUSE) LIEBERMAN: I will say one sentence.
HUME: OK, Senator, please.
LIEBERMAN: I will simply say that Howard Dean’s statements break a 50-year record in which presidents, Republican and Democrats, members of Congress of both parties have supported our relationship with Israel based on shared values and common strategic interests.
HUME: Senator, thank you.
Juan?
LIEBERMAN: And Bill Clinton always agreed with that and I agree with him.
That almsot makes up for Lieberman’s race pandering regarding Florida, which he did several times throughout the debate.
Andrew Lazarus
Contrary to what you might expect, Lieberman in his former life was pretty tough on issues like Israeli settlements. He’s just moved “right” here in an attempt to discredit Dean. It was absolutely the doctrine of the Clinton Administration simultaneously to acknowledge and cherish a special relationship and make a commitment to the Palestinians to serve as an honest broker in negotiations. (FWIW, I think that’s also the Bush plan.) I’ll leave open whether that was realistic or feasible, but that pretty much was the plan. It’s hard to see what influence the USA could ever have with the Palestinians if its president hinted that all of the far-flung settlements will stay.
Andrew Lazarus
Drat, that should be “a special relationship with Israel“.
Kimmitt
That was two sentences, Joe.