Locals Look Ahead

POWELL from page 19

Strong supporters of each party express views on the upcoming Bush presidency.

HARRY KIRSBAUM

To The Victors Go The Spoils

Staff Writer

Because Jews overwhelmingly voted for Gore, what
President Bush will have to do to reach out to Jews is not
the question, according to one local Jewish Republican.
Rather, it's ask not what Bush can do for the Jews, ask
what the Jews can do for Bush, said Harriet Rotter of
Bingham Farms, a longtime Republican party activist.
"I think the Jews are going to have to reach out to
Bush, too," she said. "This is a two-way street."
Although,Jewish Republicans are not strong in numbers,
they've always played a major role in Republican national
party politics, she said, citing a Jewish presence during daily
Republican convention meetings last summer.
"Frankly, those of us who still stayed very involved
[with Republicans] tried to remind our Jewish neighbors
that this is a two-party system, and there's no guarantee of
who's going to win," said Rotter, who will be
attending the inauguration on Jan. 20. "If we're in
only one party, and that party isn't in power, you
reap what you sow."
Rotter said she finds Bush to be a very inclusive
person, and the first few cabinet appointments
illustrate that.
Worries about what Bush's treatment of Israel
will be in the Mideast situation are unfounded,
she said.
"Jews who are active in Republican politics don't
understand, and never will, why the Jews were
much more inclined to be with the Democrats
when the Bush people are the ones who believe that
the destiny of Israel must be decided by the ones
who live in Israel," Rotter said. "Clinton's desire to

IV

bile Democrats are licking their wounds and
Republicans are basking in the glow of a
George W. Bush presidential victory, local
Jewish supporters of each party are looking
ahead to the next four years and beyond — asking what
effect do the results have on Jews.
Emery Klein, a longtime Democratic supporter from
Southfield, said the results were a major setback, "but we
have to live with it."
In retrospect, Vice President Al Gore distancing himself
from President Bill Clinton was a mistake, Klein said.
"Gore could have done it, but still allowed Clinton to selec-
tively campaign in Arkansas and Florida," h _ e said. "Clinton
was loved in Florida, but Gore

"We'll see what
kind of person
Bush is."

— Emery Klein

made the 'I am my own man' statement at the con-
vention, and he pursued it. There were plenty of mis-
takes made, but that's Monday morning quarterback-
ing."
The role of U.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman, the
Democratic vice-presidential candidate, was very posi-
tive, Klein said. "If the election would have been won,
they would have credited Lieberman for it, there's no
question about it," said Klein, a good friend of
Lieberman. "Now that the election is lost, I haven't
heard any comments anywhere that it was because of
Lieberman that Gore lost. [Green Party candidate
Ralph] Nader was a horrible, horrible factor."
A big lesson was that "a Jew could be accepted for
the highest positions," Klein said. "Some of the news-
casters even mentioned that Lieberman would be a
much better candidate than Gore."
Klein's major worry is whether Bush will reach out
across party lines. "We'll see what kind of person Bush is," he
said.
With Republicans owning the majority in both houses of
Congress, conservatives like Trent Lott, R-Miss., the majority
leader in the Senate, may block appointments of some com-
mittee chairmanships, Klein said. What's worse is if Bush
appoints more ultra-conservatives to the U.S. Supreme Court,
Klein said. "Then some of our rights are in jeopardy."

12/22
2000

20

"Jews are
going to have
to reach out to
Bush, too. This
is a two-way
street.

— Harriet Rotter

win the Nobel peace prize for himself may have forced
[Israeli Prime Minister Ehud] Barak into making conces-
sions that even the people at home didn't want. Bush prom-
ised that the destiny will be decided by Israelis."
Condoleezza Rice, a staunch supporter of Israel and for-
mer provost of Stanford University in Stanford, California,
is a wonderful choice as national security adviser, Rotter
said. "She could also be the first female president."

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"He's a serious adult; he's an honor-
able man," said Michael Ledeen, a resi-
dent scholar at the American Enterprise
Institute and a national security con-
sultant to the Reagan administration.
Ledeen said Powell will be more
focused on U.S. interests, less on
wispy notions of international brother-
hood.
"He's not likely to go dancing with
the dictator of North Korea; he's
unlikely to arm China," he said. "So I
think he's going to be a dramatic
improvement."
Ledeen, a critic of the current peace
process, also said that "you can expect
these people will do less meddling in
internal Israeli politics," he said. "I
doubt we'll have an assistant secretary
of state or ambassador to Israel who
runs around publicly endorsing a can-
didate. I doubt whether President
Bush will twist Israeli arms to make
even more concessions to people who
want only to destroy them."
But supporters also view Powell as a
potential ally.
"He has a clear understanding of the
strategic relationship with Israel, all
the secret things all the rest of us don't
know about," said Judith Kipper, an
analyst with the Council on Foreign
Relations. "But he also understands
the Gulf; I think he will be very con-
cerned about those countries."
She describe Powell as "a very cau-
tious man. I don't think he'll get
involved in high-risk things. If he sees
possibilities to move things forward,
he will, but he won't take chances."
She said that Bush and Powell will
have much less day-to-day involve-
ment in Mideast negotiations than
President Bill Clinton and Secretary of
State Madeleine Albright — "which is
as it should be."
She predicted that the new adminis-
tration is likely to "reevaluate our poli-
cy and start looking at the region from
broader level. That's good for
American interests — and I think it
would ultimately be good for Israel
and for the peace process." But she
admitted that kind of reassessment
may be uncomfortable for Jewish
groups.
"For those who look at the region
primarily through the focus of the
American-Israel special relationship, it
will be difficult for them to under-
stand," she said. "As the only super-
power, we need to look at the entire
region. The U.S.-Israel special rela-
tionship is a top issue — but it's part
of the larger picture."

❑

