New Liberal Jewish Lobby Quickly Makes Its Mark.

[elleng]

When a group of Jewish liberals formed a lobbying and fundraising group called J Street a year ago, they had modest hopes of raising $50,000 for a handful of congressional candidates.

Instead, the group's political arm ended up funneling nearly $600,000 to several dozen Democrats and a handful of Republicans in 2008, making it Washington's leading pro-Israel PAC, according to Federal Election Commission expenditure records. Organizers say 33 of the group's 41 favored House and Senate candidates won their races.

"It certainly exceeded our expectations," said Jeremy Ben-Ami, J Street's executive director. "We didn't know what level of success we would have. But we think this is a message whose moment has come."

Riding alongside the ascent of President Obama and other liberal Democrats, J Street blends old-style politicking with a media-savvy approach aimed at altering the U.S. political debate over Israel and other Middle East issues.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/16/AR2009041603995.html?hpid=sec-politics

[Bicoastal]

1. Halle-fucking-lujah.

It's about time that those of us who aren't Liebermanesque Israel-Uber-Alles freaks had a voice.

[Larkspur]

2. Congrats J Street!

It's good for our country that AIPAC gets tough competition.

[Mr. Sparkle]

3. Great News !! At last some an organization to represent the real Jewish people

not to mention the majority of them.

I would be amazed if they managed to get $3 million in their second year given that they managed to get $600,000 in their first. That would be some leap.

[Purveyor]

4. Thank you for posting... K&R eom

[burning rain]

5. Good for them.

I think most American Jews would prefer a reasonable pro-Israel group, one that weighs Jewish / Muslim and Israeli / Arab issues and interests in an enlightened way, as opposed to the Likudniks (maybe even Kahanists) of AIPAC and FLAME.