ovos • Buich, .44 a Ck Savings Worith the SCHLEP!! C le °ni l' at ADL national director Abraham Foxman called the anti-Dean campaign "hot and heavy" and said it "deals with dis- and mis-information. We started getting phone calls from our lay leaders and the media, so we checked it out." The ADL memo referred to the group's initial concerns about Dean's call for balance in the region, but said that "since then, ADL has received assurances from Gov. Dean and his campaign about his support for a strong U.S.-Israel relationship and we believe that he has come to understand why his remarks were so troubling." The unsigned anti-Dean e-mail said that the candidate has "promised that if he is elected president, the United States will no longer support Israel the way it has in the past under both Democratic and Republican presidents." 'iv A campaign spokesman promised an "aggressive response that tells the truth about Dean's strong support for Israel." Steven Grossman, a longtime pro- Israel activist and the Dean campaign co-chair, said that the e-mail blitz first surfaced last month and that "it's com- ing back for a second visit — with a high degree of intensity." to Grossman attributed the "people with an ax to grind, who may be associated with other campaigns," but declined to name names. Almost all of the anti-Dean attacks are based on his comments in September urging more balance in U.S. Mideast policy — comments he quickly backed away from. But the anti-Dean effort appears to be producing results. This week, the Baltimore Sun reported that a prominent member of the Congressional Black Caucus, Rep. Elijah Cummings, has held back his expected endorsement of Dean because of pres- sure from Jewish constituents alarmed by the Dean candidacy. "There's a lot of paranoia out there in our community today," said a Jewish Democratic activist. "If Dean's state- ments on Israel are laid out, the one or two missteps don't take away from the fact that it's an overwhelmingly pro- Israel record. But unfortunately, many people are inclined to believe these kinds of scurrilous charges." This source blamed the e-mail cam- paign on "right-wing Jews who won't support any Democrat." Republican Party officials deny any knowledge of the strident e-mail cam- Paign- What a difference being a frontrunner makes. Howard Dean continues to get blasted for comments he made — and retracted I: SCHWARTZ — calling for a more balanced U.S. approach to the Middle East. Kerry Sticks With Baker But Sen. John Kerry D-Mass., generated little response recently when he suggest- . ed he might appoint as special Mideast envoy a longtime foe of the pro-Israel community: former Secretary of State James Baker. Despite some criticism in the Jewish press, Kerry isn't backing away from his recommendation, which he made in a major address to the Council on Foreign Relations. 'Americans would agree that national security should trump party politics given the threats we face today," the campaign said in a statement. "In an effort to make America safer, John Kerry is reaching across party lines to restore the bipartisan foreign policy that made the nation strong from Kennedy to Clinton." Kerry, the statement went on, just wants "the best, seasoned and thoughtful foreign policy minds in his administra- tion, regardless of party affiliation." A campaign official, speaking on background, said that "James Baker would be a reasonable and responsible possible choice to serve as presidential envoy to the Middle East peace process," citing his involvement in "the Madrid peace process which paved the way for Oslo." But this week, portions of the speech referring to Baker and former President Jimmy Carter were excised from reports on the campaign's Web site. Supporters of former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean had a simple explanation for Kerry's sudden fondness for Baker: the senator, hopelessly behind in New Hampshire and not doing so well in other states, is putting all his eggs in the Michigan basket— where the Feb 24 primary will be influenced by the state's big Arab-American population. Baker, in particular, may be reviled by a broad spectrum of pro-Israel Jews, but he is popular in Arab-American and Muslim circles for his willingness to pressure Israel during both the Reagan and Bush I administrations. But Democratic insiders offer a differ- ent explanation: the sloppiness that has plagued the Kerry campaign from the beginning and is a major factor in his steady decline. "This was stupidity, period," said a top Jewish Democrat this week. "He was looking for something to set himself apart from the other Democrats on for- eign policy, he was trying to look presi- dential — and he blew it." ❑ 2004 ENVOY ENVOY 4WD 4-D00 GMS $24,326 35 " LEASE $ 2 2 2 7. * Total Due $2,222.78 or less!! • Rear window defogger • 4-spd auto transmission with overdrive • Polished aluminum wheels • Power windows • Power locks • AM-FM stereo CD Stk.#G4021948764 2004 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX GTI SEDAN GMS$16,168 88" LEASE $ • .14410.`_ 1 4 4 3 . Total Due $2,144.37 or less!! • Custom rear spoiler • 4-spd auto transmission • 6-way power driver's seat Stk.#Z4066448725 • Front & rear floor mats • 16" spoke aluminum wheels • Power windows • Power locks • AM/FM stereo CD • Tinted glass •Rear window defogger ONLY 24 MOS.! *All leases are plus tax, 24 months on approved credit, lessee responsible for excess wear and tear, 12,000 miles per year, 200/mile for over mileage. Leases assume GMAC lease loyalty. **All ads are GMS pricing-rates may apply. 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