Congressman Adam Smith, a Washington Democrat, explained his changing position on U.S. military support for Israel as part of a larger conversation on KUOW's “Soundside” that also touched on AI regulation, the war with Iran, and the midterms.

In July, U.S. Rep. Adam Smith, a Washington Democrat, voted to block $3.3 billion in military assistance to Israel.

That was a major shift for Smith, who previously had supported Israel and received an endorsement from the pro-Israel lobbying group AIPAC.

Speaking to KUOW’s “Soundside” Tuesday, Smith said, while he initially supported the military package for Israel, he had changed his mind.

“I was persuaded by a number of my constituents that, given what Israel is doing in Gaza, and the West Bank, and in Lebanon right now, anything that signals that we want to strengthen that relationship before Israel changes its behavior on that is the wrong thing to do.”

This was part of a larger conversation on “Soundside” with Smith that also addressed AI regulation, the war with Iran, and the midterms.

  • DontTreadOnBigfootEnglish
    16·
    5 days ago

    I’m convinced that normal human beings with normal levels of empathy don’t seek high public offices.

    • TheMadCodger@piefed.socialEnglish
      7·
      5 days ago

      The major problem—one of the major problems, for there are several—one of the many major problems with governing people is that of whom you get to do it; or rather of who manages to get people to let them do it to them. To summarize: it is a well-known fact that those people who must want to rule people are, ipso facto, those least suited to do it. To summarize the summary: anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job.

    • ExtremeDullard@piefed.socialEnglish
      5·
      5 days ago

      I agree 100%.

      Those who rise above the rest - be it politicians or CEOs - usually do so at the detriment of those they rise above. This means they’re people who are okay to hurt others to reach their goals, and that’s psychopathic in nature.

      My Dad used to say good people don’t become rich. He was right.

    • NoneOfUrBusiness@fedia.io
      1·
      4 days ago

      I think it’s more accurate to say that they’re less likely to succeed in getting public high office. “I want to fix things” is a very normal human being with normal levels of empathy reason to seek high public office.