Democratic Palestine : 31 (ص 51)
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- Democratic Palestine : 31 (ص 51)
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Pana
the liberal domestic policies tradi-
tionally supported by the Jewish com-
munity in the US.
JESSE JACKSON
«The hour’s late, the possibilities
great» is one of the most famous quotes
of the Rev. Jesse Jackson as he cam-
paigned for Dukakis across the US.
Prior to losing the bid for the
Democratic presidential nominee, the
Rev. Jackson, a long-time civil rights
leader, ran a campaign unprecedented
in US politics. Never has an Afro-
American or a person of any other
minority been a serious contender for
the White House. However, the
Jackson campaign did not limit itself to
minority issues, but encompassed issues
of concern to all sectors of the
American public. The Rainbow Coali-
tion really was a rainbow of all colors,
women and men, young and old,
farmers, laborers and _ professionals,
with a similar agenda.
Jackson’s forces were credited with
registering over 500,000 new voters this
year alone - an important electoral
strategy after less than 50% of eligible
voters cast their ballots in 1984.
Jackson appealed to millions of
Americans about the need to find a
«new direction» and _ profoundly
transform both domestic and interna-
tional policy. Perhaps Jackson’s most
important victory in terms of influenc-
ing mainstream party politics was the
Democratic Party’s position on South
Africa. Jackson refused to compromise
on apartheid and pressured the
Democrats to officially declare South
Africa a terrorist state. This was the
exact language adopted in the final
party platform to lay groundwork for a
Democratic administration to enact
total sanctions against Pretoria.
Jackson was also the only front runner
to push for a complete moratorium on
nuclear missiles and flight testing, a no
first strike nuclear -weapons policy,
Palestinian self-determination and
statehood, and an end to Washington’s
war on Central America.
With 7 million voters behind him,
Jackson called for a pro-peace, anti-
intervention stance with a fundamental
re-orientation of US policy away from
East-West confrontation and towards
improved relations with developing
countries, away from the nuclear arms
race and the Reagan military build-up,
and towards promoting self-
determination and human rights. Con-
cerning Jackson’s Middle East posi-
tion, he stated at a major Los Angeles
address on foreign policy in May, «In
the Middle East, Israeli security/
Palestinian self-determination are two
sides of the same coin. We must break
the cycle of violence, provide
guarantees for mutual security in ex-
change for mutual recognition, land in
exchange for peace» (Middle East
Report, November-December). Addi-
tionally, the Jackson forces played a
key role in raising the subject of
Palestinian self-determination at the
Democratic National Convention held
in July, where the resolution received
over 1500 endorsements in only two
days. This was due to four main fac-
tors: the Le Arab-American ac-
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tivism, the success of the Jackson
campaign and the support of pro-
gressive Jews. Jackson was targeted by
the pro-Israeli lobby within and outside
of the Democratic Party, primarily due
to his pro-Palestinian stance.
CONGRESSIONAL
ELECTION RESULTS:
WHO CONTROLS
CONGRESS NOW?
Besides their 41st president,
Americans went to the polls on
November 8th to elect 33 Senators (two
per state and 100 in total) and 408 of
the 435-member House of Represen-
tatives (with three vacancies), as well
as, 12 Governors (out of 50) and
thousands of other state and local of-
ficials. Of the Senate seats filled, 18
were previously held by Democrats and
15 by Republicans. Prior to the elec-
tions, Democrats controlled the House
by a margin of 255 to 177 and the
Senate by a 54 to 46 majority. They also
had a 27 to 23 lead in Governors.
Democrats have formed the majority in
Congress from 1955 to 1981, and this
year is no different. As a result, the
House in the 101st Congress will look
much like the House in the 100th,
heavily Democratic. Only seven seats
changed and Democrats picked up at
least two seats and could have a 5-seat
gain by the time the absentee ballots are
counted in a few tight races.
Republicans lost net party strength in
the Senate, but managed to promote
two prime right-wingers from the
House to the Senate. 98.5% of the
House of Representatives incumbents
were re-elected to office. All the
members of the Congressional Black
Caucus were re-elected. In the Senate
the 34-member «class» up for re-
election in 1990 is disproportionately
Republican, and Democrats could easi-
ly add three or four new Senators.
President-elect George Bush is the
first president to lose members of the
House where Republican strength has
dropped to a record low for a year in
which the party won the presidency.
This marked the first time in 28 years
that a political party lost the White
House, while gaining strength in Con-
gress.
All in all, for peace and justice ac-
tivists world-wide, the retaining of
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