Never forget that Eric Cantor (R-VA)was Tom Delay's loudest and proudest defender, even after all the thoughtful politicians had abandoned him.
It is mystifying how some Jews support politicians and causes that are INIMICAL to our interests.
Steve Cohen (D-TN) has been wrongfully vilified for speaking a truth, which the American media has avoided facing since 1980: that the Republican Party does indeed employ the tactics of the Nazi Party, by repeating big lies as gospel.
Eric Cantor is a nice Jewish boy from Virginia who made good in Washington. His reward for promoting the Republican agenda since Bush Jr became President, is that he is now House Majority Leader. Southern Jews are big on going along to get along, not offending anybody, and pandering to whoever happens to be in power. There is a historical social dynamic to this, which began as a survival mechanism.
In the aftermath of the Civil War, Southern Jews recognized the importance of minimizing their differences, so as not to offend the waspy overseers of a town, community or county. This dynamic began before the world knew about, "And Then They Came for Me." So, some Southern Jews looked the other way when lynchings occurred, in order to avoid the same fate.
Reform Judaism gained a foothold in the South, after being kicked out of Europe. Cincinnati, a very southern city, offered greater religious tolerance toward the Reform Jewish movement, than did Philadelphia, where the long-established orthodox communities shunned it. Southern Jews in general learned to thrive on the mercantile trades and avoid controversy. Often, this meant ignoring brutalities toward black people and other minorities, to curry favor with unrefined neighbors.
While the American Jewish community became an immediate and natural ally for the Civil Rights Movement, there remained a segment of Southern Jews who were afraid to associate themselves with anything controversial or progressive. That tradition led some Southern Jews to quit their congregations if their rabbi became involved in the Civil Rights Movement. However, many other Southern Jews became brave and prominent spokespersons for the Civil Rights Movement. One of them was Rabbi James A. Wax who literally completed King's work in Memphis after his assassination.
Juxtaposed with the heroic efforts of Rabbi Wax, we now have Eric Cantor desperately trying to reach for the middle of the road from the Far Far Right side of it. His latest position is that he believes President Obama is a natural born American citizen, but he doesn't think people who question this are crazy either. Na-uh, Eric - you can't play this both ways. Your attempt is craven.
As a representative of Richmond, Cantor is the ONLY Jewish Republican in Congress. And he's led a charmed life since college as a Republican "Jew by the Door." Why pull punches? Steve Cohen (D-TN) has been my political hero for a long time, and I have never been more proud of Steve Cohen. Steve has the balls and spine to call out the fact that Republicans are engaging in the SAME tactics that the Nazis did in Europe - taking a big lie, and repeating it over and over, louder and louder, until people believe it. Meanwhile, Eric Cantor keeps enabling the lie of the "birthers", by not calling it a lie. Cantor's career as a Republican apologist goes back to when his daddy was Reagan's State Campaign Treasurer in 1980.
Cantor was gifted an unusually powerful position at the beginning of his 2nd term in Congress, when Minority Whip Roy Blunt (R-MO)appointed Cantor as his Deputy Whip. His job was to line up and count votes, and lick Tom Delay's boots.
Cohen, meanwhile began serving in the Tennessee General Assembly in 1974 and rose to the Speaker position during his 24 year tenure there. He worked and campaigned tirelessly for all of his constituents, and earned the respect and trust of the Memphis black community for his work. Cantor is the only Jewish Republican in the House; Cohen is one of the few Jews who represents a black-majority district, representing Memphis in his third term.
Never forget that Eric Cantor (R-VA)was Tom Delay's loudest and proudest defender, even after all the thoughtful politicians had abandoned him. He is deeply wedded to every aspect of the inhumane Republican agenda. He's raised a lot money speaking against abortion, AGAINST gun control, and AGAINST affirmative action. While the NRA and Right to Life groups give Cantor an A+ for his legislative record, the NAACP gives him a 19% approval rating.
It is mystifying how some Jews support politicians and causes that are INIMICAL to our interests. Cantor supported everything DeLay did, forgetting the fact that the movement he supports wants to round up all the Jews and send them to Israel, so they can get on with their Apocalypse. And he's enabling them. By refusing to call out the birthers as a lunatic fringe, he gives them credibility and dignity that was not earned. But this is the guy who was gifted a prominent House leadership post that he never earned, other than being the "Jew by the Door"* for a brutal, dishonest in inhumane agenda.
Steve Cohen has been wrongfully vilified for speaking a truth, which the American media has avoided facing since 1980: that the Republican Party does indeed employ the tactics of the Nazi Party, by repeating big lies as gospel. I was disappointed that Jon Stewart took Cohen to task for this. After all, Cohen only summarized what Stewart has been saying 4 nights a week for the past 10 years. You go Steve. Eric - SHUT UP!
*Acknowledgement and perhaps apologies are due to Sam Greenlee, the author of the great book, "The Spook Who Sat by the Door." I recommend that book to Eric Cantor.