Donna Brazile, the interim head of the Democratic National Committee, yesterday tweeted the following.

What's on your menu? Just ran into James O'Keefe in Florida at a conference hosted by David Horowitz. We live in interesting times. — Donna Brazile (@donnabrazile) November 11, 2016

O’Keefe, the rightwing provocateur, confirmed the meeting.

True, had a very pleasant conversation with Donna Brazil in hallway, others saw, snapped pics, nothing to say about the matter at this time. pic.twitter.com/9XievMjkNC — James O'Keefe (@JamesOKeefeIII) November 11, 2016

The two are attending a weekend conference at the Breakers in Palm Beach of the Islamophobic Freedom Center. It features rightwing intolerants, Mike Huckabee, Steve Bannon, Robert Spencer and Caroline Glick, the Israeli who denies the Nakba and the existence of Palestinian refugees.

Many on Brazile’s twitter feed, including Annie Robbins, have pointed out the Freedom Center’s Islamophobic bona fides, and linked to this report on anti-Muslim extremists by the Southern Poverty Law Center. Scott Roth tweeted, “Maybe someone hacked Brazile’s Twitter? I can’t believe she’s so obtuse and reckless.”

David Horowitz is a strong supporter of Israel who has characterized campus activism against Israel as anti-Semitism and lately smeared Students for Justice in Palestine as aimed at the “elimination of the Jewish people,” a bald lie.

Brazile is right that these are interesting times. We are seeing a solidification of liberals and the left inside the Democratic Party in opposition to Trumpism. Yesterday in a surprising tactical shift, and nod to an inspiring American Muslim, Senator Chuck Schumer indicated that he was supporting Rep. Keith Ellison of Minnesota to take the position that Brazile is holding for the time being: chair of the Democratic National Committee. The New York Times said:

The move signals the desire of Mr. Schumer to score early points with Senators Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Bernie Sanders of Vermont, leaders from the party’s left.

Ellison is one of the few outspoken critics of Israel inside the Congress. He boycotted Netanyahu’s speech undermining the Iran deal in 2015, and he visited Gaza and bore witness in ’09.

If Ellison beats out Howard Dean and others for the spot, he would be assuming a a job with major fundraising responsibilities. He could kiss goodbye some of the major donors of the party for whom Israel is the be-all-and-end-all. But Democratic liberals see the writing on the wall. They know that in order to rebuild the party they will have to rely on a leftwing anti-racist movement that is definitely not copasetic with the Israel lobby. Brazile may be trying to hold these elements together, but the center cannot hold here. What will Schumer sacrifice in foreign policy to build power for Democrats in the U.S.? What will liberals in the media sacrifice in order to consolidate a leftleaning movement in the party? Imho they will have to sacrifice blind support for Israel.

Thx to Roth and Nancy Kricorian.