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Barack Obama at a campaign stop in Colorado on Wednesday. (AP)
Last update - 12:59 03/07/2008
Obama enlists Jewish lawmakers in outreach effort
By Nathan Guttman and Jennifer Siegel, The Forward
Tags: barack obama, u.s. elections 

About 150 Jewish voters gathered in June at a private home in Los Angeles for what marked a new phase in Senator Barack Obama's outreach effort to the Jewish community.

Some were longtime Obama supporters who came to hear what kind of help they can offer as the campaign moves to the general election from the primary. Some were backers of Senator Hillary Clinton hoping to learn more about the candidate and get some answers to questions about his views on Israel, the Middle East and domestic issues of concern for Jewish voters.

The event itself, led by Rep. Howard Berman and former congressman Mel Levine, resembled any other meeting with Jewish voters in which the candidate's foreign policy is praised and a call is voiced to bring out the Jewish vote come November elections.
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But it was nonetheless a first for the Obama outreach effort - a launch of what the Democratic presumptive nominee's campaign is calling Jewish Community Leadership Committees.

These teams are part of a larger attempt by the Obama campaign to enhance its Jewish-outreach operation and focus on introducing the Illinois senator to the Jewish community. This effort also includes a drive to bring in all available Jewish members of Congress to speak on behalf of the candidate and secure votes from their home districts.

The Los Angeles gathering was private and not open to the media, and is meant to be the first of many such events. The Obama campaign is generally selecting co-chairs of the local JCLCs from the ranks of congressional delegations and leading Jewish figures. In Los Angeles, Berman, Levine and Reps. Henry Waxman and Adam Schiff chair the committee.

"These committees will be our grass-roots base," a campaign official said. "They will serve as a local address where Jewish supporters can come and help the campaign or raise questions and concerns."

Coordinating all this outreach nationwide is Eric Lynn, the Obama campaign's Middle East policy adviser and Jewish community liaison. Lynn is part of a team helping to shape Obama's policy on Israel and the region and to market it to Jewish voters, who, according to campaign officials, are still somewhat unaware of the Illinois senator's record and of his views on these issues.

Several members of Congress are already on board; most active among them is Florida's Robert Wexler, who is working with the more conservative Jewish voters in his congressional district. Other Jewish lawmakers already working with the campaign include Illinois Rep. Jan Schakowsky, New Jersey Rep. Steve Rothman and New Jersey Senator Frank Lautenberg. Levine is also reportedly playing an important role in shaping foreign policy and making the appeal to Jewish voters.

While what campaign officials call a "robust outreach effort" to the Jewish community is being planned, the next major step is a possible visit by Obama to Israel before November. The campaign would not confirm any overseas travel plans, but according to press reports, the candidate plans to stop in Israel as part of a pre-election visit to Iraq and Afghanistan. "We can only say that the Senator enjoyed his previous trip to Israel and is looking forward to visiting again," a campaign official said.

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      1.   Barack 08:27  |  Caro 03/07/08
      2.   Obama the louse is serious 09:13  |  Steve the Pals. 03/07/08
      3.   Barack Obama is not running for Prime Minister of Israel 09:23  |  Jewlius Rosenberg 03/07/08
      4.   #1 09:24  |  Jewlius Rosenberg 03/07/08
      5.   Maybe the 150 suckers can explain! 09:33  |  Dovid 03/07/08
      6.   Obama: Time for change 09:40  |  Natallie Durson 03/07/08
      7.   Steve and Jewlius - response 09:45  |  Eldar 03/07/08
      8.   to # 7 Eldar of Haifa 10:34  |  Steve the Pals. 03/07/08
      9.   today the Jews rule this world by proxy. 10:37  |  Dav 03/07/08
      10.   HIS CHANCE IS ALMOST 100% 11:29  |  indrajaya 03/07/08
      11.   Obama Will Be A Strong Supporter of Israel! 12:08  |  US CITIZEN 03/07/08
      12.   5 Dovid - Undecided? 12:32  |  Mark of Lewiston 03/07/08
      13.   OBAMA=ALIYAH 12:46  |  Choni Davidowitz 03/07/08
      14.   Will the real Obama please stand up. 12:50  |  PETER SM 03/07/08
      15.   12 Mark - Just say NoBama (No Obama! 14:05  |  Dovid 03/07/08
      16.   #14 Peter 14:08  |  Mike 03/07/08
      17.   Just look at his supporters 14:13  |  jackie 03/07/08
      18.   #9 DAV - I am still waiting 14:40  |  * BEN JABO 03/07/08
      19.   #12 Mark of Lewiston 14:45  |  * BEN JABO 03/07/08
      20.   #3 J. Rosenberg 14:47  |  * BEN JABO 03/07/08
      21.   Obama - Has some mortgage problems 14:52  |  * BEN JABO 03/07/08
      22.   a democratic combination of jcarter and w clinton 14:53  |  victor hardman 03/07/08
      23.   a democratic combination of jcarter and w clinton 14:53  |  victor hardman 03/07/08
      24.   Spare the Jewish community the lies 15:31  |  Arie 03/07/08
      25.   four-word message 16:05  |  curious george 03/07/08
      26.   #11 US Citizen...better to concern yourself with 16:05  |  Lynn 03/07/08
      27.   #10 INDY...too many variables 16:16  |  Lynn 03/07/08
      28.   # 17, JACKIE 16:19  |  indrajaya 03/07/08
      29.   #9 Dav....just a note 16:23  |  Lynn 03/07/08
      30.   # 27, LYNN 16:55  |  indrajaya 03/07/08
      31.   Obama`s Jewish Supporters ? Self-Intersted Phonies 17:35  |  Tod Zuckerman 03/07/08
      32.   # 30 INDY...absolutely not Bush third term 17:54  |  Lynn 03/07/08
      33.   So, thats what you call change?? 17:58  |  Sameer 03/07/08
      34.   # 25 curious george...four word message 18:09  |  Lynn 03/07/08
      35.   Jewish Vote Is Going To McCain, Obama Its Too Late 18:18  |  Dish It Out 03/07/08
      36.   Obama 18:20  |  Marc 03/07/08
      37.   #12 Mark of Lewiston....smear campaigns 18:21  |  Lynn 03/07/08
      38.   #21 Ben Jabo, always a day late and a dollar short 18:21  |  ballistic 03/07/08
      39.   #6 Natallie I WISH Obama represented change 18:23  |  KenB 03/07/08
      40.   obama baraak 18:24  |  zichron 03/07/08
      41.   #21 There`s BJ`s propaganda again! 18:28  |  ballistic 03/07/08
      42.   #27 Oh Cupcake, Lynn, what attack? 18:34  |  ballistic 03/07/08
      43.   # 32, LYNN 18:59  |  indrajaya 03/07/08
      44.   Obama Jewish supporters will sale Israel to the Arabs 19:07  |  Tomas 03/07/08
      45.   #6 - Natallie Durson 19:11  |  MichaelF 03/07/08
      46.   #10 - indrajaya 19:13  |  MichaelF 03/07/08
      47.   #35 - Dish it Out 19:16  |  MichaelF 03/07/08
      48.   Why I`m Undecided -1 19:25  |  Mark of Lewiston 03/07/08
      49.   Obama not good for Blacks in the US. 19:26  |  The Equalizer 03/07/08
      50.   # 46, MICHAELF 19:29  |  indrajaya 03/07/08
      51.   Obama has no record to speak of 19:40  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 03/07/08
      52.   Arian Nation (Black Panters) Candidate 19:47  |  AK 03/07/08
      53.   Why I`m Undecided -2 19:48  |  Mark of Lewiston 03/07/08
      54.   #6, Durson, naive as always 20:10  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 03/07/08
      55.   Jews might as well support Sharpton or Jackson for Pres. 20:23  |  JM 03/07/08
      56.   @27 Lynn 20:24  |  Mark B. 03/07/08
      57.   HOW MANY TRIPS TO ISRAEL WILL THIS AMOUNT TO FOR OBAMA;TWO? 20:51  |  glenna 03/07/08
      58.   Dovid 21:07  |  Czarkazem13 03/07/08
      59.   Steve the Pals 21:11  |  Czarkazem13 03/07/08
      60.   One thing is certain. After 4 years of Obama 21:15  |  Pssd off American. 03/07/08
      61.   Obama is deceiving the jews as George bush did 21:17  |  Gerard 03/07/08
      62.   WILL THIS BE OBAMA`S SECOND TRIP TO THE WAILING WALL?WHEN WAS HIS 21:45  |  glenna 03/07/08
      63.   To JM on #55 22:43  |  Shmuelshachor 03/07/08
      64.   JM - talk about reaching 22:45  |  Czarkazem13 03/07/08
      65.   AK - perfect example of people just making stuff up... 22:51  |  Czarkazem13 03/07/08
      66.   Another day another Obama scandal 22:56  |  * BEN JABO 03/07/08
      67.   Obama is his own worst enemy 23:03  |  * BEN JABO 03/07/08
      68.   Obama - Propagana not required 23:06  |  * BEN JABO 03/07/08
      69.   Obama and Vermont Senator Pat Leahy 00:05  |  David Grayck 04/07/08
      70.   The choice of George Galloway,Hamas and Leftos