🚀 go-pugleaf

On Wed, 09 Aug 2000 20:56:58 -0500, "Tracey.Levin"
<tracey12@hotbot.com> wrote:

>
>Rabbi Lappin's Thoughts on Senator Lieberman
>
>
>  Source: Rabbi Lappin News e-mail
>  Published: August 9, 2000 Author: Rabbi Lappin
>
>
>The whole nation has now heard that Vice President Al Gore selected Connecticut
>Senator Joseph Lieberman as his running mate, that Lieberman is
>the first Jew to be so honored, and that he is an Orthodox Jew.
>
>Our first reaction is, "What a country!" The Lieberman nomination confirms that
>anti-Semitism just isn't a politically significant problem in present-day
>America. In this regard, comparisons have been made to John F. Kennedy's
>nomination. We note that in 1960, even parts of the mainstream press
>raised questions about the fitness of a Roman Catholic to hold national office,
>whereas no such arguments have been made in the present case. So, at
>the very least, we can say that attitudes toward Jews in the year 2000 are
>considerably more positive than attitudes toward Catholics were in 1960.

It seems more indicative of a slavish Media to me. Questions can be
raised but not to the level of those posed to Kennedy due to a Media
which censors any criticism of democrat politics.
That some issues may be raised is not evidence for anti-semitism, but
expressions of a serious interest in the federal government that
governs this country - exactly as they were in the case of Kennedy.
Government leaders are not above interrogation in spite of a tendency
to hide behind the role of the `victim' as has been the case in the
current President. Why was there a furor when G. W. Bush professed
that Jesus Christ was an important influence on his conscience during
a candidates' debate? The Media could not wait to giggle like school
children and criticize him for an honest reply to their question.
I am prepared to listen to Lieberman's answers and treat them
seriously. I presume they will be sincere and therefore significant.

>Beyond that, we're happy to concur with the general view that Senator Lieberman
>is a man of great personal character and probity, that he brings some
>real moral weight to a presidential ticket sorely lacking it, and that he has a
>record of standing with the right people and saying the right things on a
>number of subjects. And-especially in light of our less sanguine thoughts that
>follow-we must emphasize the importance we place on saying the right
>thing. In the current sad state of American culture, very often simply calling a
>spade a spade is an act which both takes considerable courage and all by
>itself can change things for the better. For example, Senator Lieberman's
>relatively mild criticisms of Hollywood have touched off reactions that are
>positively hysterical in comparison. Why? The movie moguls he has outraged are
>completely protected from the government by the First Amendment,
>they are rich beyond the dreams of avarice, and they certainly have more power
>to shape public opinion than a mild-mannered senator from
>Connecticut. The only possible explanation is that the Hollywood elite, in their
>hearts, know that Senator Lieberman's words are true.
>
>That's the good news, but there is bad news as well.
>
>First, we suspect that most of the "moderate" or "centrist" positions Senator
>Lieberman has taken will be rendered moot by the very different ideas of
>Vice President Gore. For example, will Senator Lieberman's ostensible support
>for school vouchers really mean very much, when confronted by the
>teachers' unions-on which his election may depend? Will his criticisms of
>Hollywood cause the cancellation of next week's fundraiser at the Playboy
>mansion? The answer to both is, "We doubt it."

Actually, in a tardy move to expel Bill Clinton from his campaign,
Algore has demanded that the party be canceled and threatened
retribution against the Mexican-American women member of the House of
Representatives who is sponsoring the event if the event goes further.
We will see what happens.

>Second, in some cases we must reject not only the company he keeps, but even the
>positions Senator Lieberman has taken personally. We are deeply
>disturbed that a man who considers himself an Orthodox Jew voted against the
>proposed ban on partial-birth abortion. In so doing, he missed an
>opportunity to link arms with the majority of Americans who reject that barbaric
>practice, and instead tragically embraced the views of a radical
>minority. And he has cast many other votes disturbingly out of step with his
>professed religious beliefs-and disturbingly in line with the "orthodoxy" of
>secular liberalism. Also-as in the case of the debate on confirming Justice
>Clarence Thomas-Senator Lieberman has displayed a troubling tendency to
>talk one way and vote another. (Our friend Don Feder-who will be speaking at our
>national convention on September 10th-filed a column today giving
>more details on this topic. The link is
>www.jewishworldreview.com/cols/feder1.asp.)
>
>Third, we are concerned about the tribalism evident in some Jews' reactions to
>the nomination. Of course, we would not be human if we didn't take
>some pride and satisfaction that one of "our own" has received such a high
>honor. Nevertheless, we believe we have an obligation to restrain that sense
>of ethnic pride, and consider the ideas candidates represent, and not their
>religion, race, sex, or any other such category. If we are justly please that
>the
>nation has progressed to the point that no respectable person would oppose a
>candidate just because he is Jewish, then how can we in good
>conscience support him primarily for the same reason? The Left has already done
>a great deal of damage to American ideals by paying so much undue
>attention to our 'tribal' affiliations. We reject this. Tribalism is unworthy of
>an educated democracy.
>
>Finally, we do not look forward to the confusion-already beginning to
>emerge-caused by the gap between Senator Lieberman's private faith and his
>public positions. For example, we have already had to assure numerous Christian
>friends that the Torah does not sanction abortion-on-demand.
>Similarly, we hope our friends in the Orthodox rabbinate realize that a Vice
>President Lieberman could often put them in a position where they must
>choose between publicly criticizing the highest-ranking elected Jewish
>officeholder in American history, or standing silent, and thus conveying a
>dangerously false impression of Jewish law.

Also troubling are his current expressed views when contrasted with
his views in the recent past. He has begun to flip-flop. Not a
pleasant thing to watch.