Two Republican County Chairmen in South Carolina wrote an op-ed in a local paper defending Senator Jim DeMint (R. S.C.) from criticism by state Rep. Bakari Sellers regarding DeMint's opposition to congressional earmarks. In doing so, they endorsed a pernicious stereotype about Jews:
There is a saying that the Jews who are wealthy got that way not by watching dollars, but instead by taking care of the pennies and the dollars taking care of themselves. By not using earmarks to fund projects for South Carolina and instead using actual bills, DeMint is watching our nation’s pennies and trying to preserve our country’s wealth and our economy’s viability to give all an opportunity to succeed.
Edwin O. Merwin Jr., Chairman, Bamberg County Republican Party, Denmark
−James S. Ulmer Jr., Chairman, Orangeburg County Republican Party, North
Orangeburg, South Carolina The Times and Democrat, DeMint watches out for all of us
More, after the fold.
Yep, the "Jews" who got rich. Not people, but the "Jews."
Anti-semitism has long been characterized by steroetypes of Jews as being rich or "money hungry." That officials of a modern political party think it is acceptable to use such stereotypes reveals much about their thinking.
What kind of place is South Carolina that they think such bigotry is acceptable?
H/t to Think Progress: Republican officials: DeMint is ‘watching our nation’s pennies’ — like a Jew would.
Update: It's not fair for me to blame or question the entire state. How about I ask this question instead:
What kind of people are Republican South Carolininians?