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Politics : PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: jlallen who wrote (371564)	3/15/2003 3:57:24 PM
From: Lazarus_Long	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 769667

DEMS: Adolph Hitler: SEIG HEIL!; Jim Crow: NO! Standing By Their Man Why isn’t Jim Moran getting the Trent Lott treatment from Democrats? NEWSWEEK WEB EXCLUSIVE March 14 — Republicans who brought down Trent Lott for politically incorrect speech are asking why Democrats aren’t responding with equal fervor now that one of their own has said something that goes over the line. VIRGINIA DEMOCRAT JIM Moran’s comments at an antiwar meeting last week implied that Jews are to blame for the Bush administration’s drive for war against Iraq. Moran apologized, but the historical echoes that he awakened are so antithetical to what Democrats claim to stand for that he might as well bid goodbye to his political career. On Friday, Moran stepped down from his position as a regional whip under pressure from Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi. But that’s a fairly insignificant concession (there are 24 regional whips) and a far cry from the humiliation heaped on Lott. Some in the party are wondering why Moran is still around at all. One political analyst said he counseled two Democratic presidential campaigns to call for Moran’s resignation. “It would be a cheap way to reassure Jewish voters,” he said. “I don’t understand why they haven’t done it yet.” One explanation could be that nobody really believes Moran is anti-Semitic. But everyone knows he has lots of other problems. Moran is quick tempered and scandal prone with a reputation for popping off without regard for the consequences. His most recent brush with ethics violations involved accepting questionable loans from lobbyists. Too often during his seven terms in Congress, Moran’s personal and financial difficulties have overwhelmed his judgment. “I know him socially,” says a House Democratic aide. “It’s like he’s two people.” Moran says his comments were blown out of proportion. He was answering a question from a woman who identified herself as Jewish and wondered why more Jews weren’t protesting the war. “If it were not for the strong support of the Jewish community for this war with Iraq, we would not be doing this,” Moran said. “The leaders of the Jewish community are influential enough that they could change the direction of where this is going, and I think they should.” Moran’s broad generalization didn’t take into account polls showing American Jews as ambivalent about waging a preemptive war as the rest of the population. At the same time, Jewish leaders who strongly backed President Clinton’s efforts to bring peace to the Middle East are inclined to give Bush the benefit of the doubt on his war policy because Israel’s very existence could be threatened if Saddam Hussein remains in power. What Moran said was stupid and insensitive, but is it a firing offense? The answer is probably yes. With war on the horizon and the spotlight on a handful of neoconservatives who happen to be Jewish shaping Bush’s views, Moran lit the fuse on a hot debate. Moran may not have intended his comments to be anti-Semitic, but what he said feeds the flames of anti-Semitism. If the war goes badly, people will be looking for scapegoats. The controversy over Moran adds to a growing problem for Democrats who depend on Jewish votes and campaign contributions. The Republicans have a significant outreach program in the Jewish community. Bush’s solidarity with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has won him admiration from American Jews, even from those who disagree with Sharon’s hard-line policies. The Biblical identification that evangelical Christians feel with the Jewish holy lands has opened the door to a promising political alliance for the GOP. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay of all people heads up the Republican effort to woo Jewish support. DeLay embodies the GOP’s Christian right. His views on issues like abortion rights and separation of church and state are anathema to the Jewish community, but his strong identification with Israel and his prominence in the Republican leadership have made him a valued friend. Bush has vowed not to make the mistakes of his father, whose evenhandedness in the Middle East brought him the enmity of Jewish voters. The first Bush era of Republicans has no entree to this Bush. It goes beyond the father not wishing to interfere with the son to an outright exclusion of people like former secretary of State James Baker, who took the heat for the senior Bush’s attempt to pressure Israel for more concessions to the Palestinians. Jewish Americans care about a lot of issues in addition to Israel, but Democrats can’t count on their loyalty if they don’t step up to challenges like the one Moran presents. Six prominent Democrats who are Jewish have announced they will not support Moran for reelection. Moran is expendable. He represents a safe Democratic district in northern Virginia where he is vulnerable to a primary challenge. Defending Moran is not worth straining the special relationship Democrats have with the Jewish community. Moran told Roll Call, a Capitol Hill newspaper, that “it’s unhealthy for the American political process for any group within our society to be able to decide who should and shouldn’t represent a constituency.” Moran predicted that millions of dollars would be spent to defeat him. Characteristically, he says he will not go quietly. msnbc.com