The repeated comments and accusations by Muslim Congresswoman Ilhan Omar against Israel, the American-Israel Public Affairs Committee and Jewish interests in general has gotten the Democrats in a game of political Twister. They are condemning and defending Omar at the same time.
The initial response of the Speaker Nancy Pelosi faction of the increasingly divided Democrat Party was to pass a resolution generically condemning anti-Semitism but without naming Omar or her anti-Semitic tropes. But even this semi-cowardly response was too much for the radical left in the Democrat caucus.
So, they came up with an even more stupid response – a resolution condemning every one of the left’s favorite anti-isms – anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, white supremacy and homophobia. One might argue that by NOT chastising Omar, the resolution could be seen as defending anti-Semitism by obfuscating the issue – burying it among all those other isms. That is exactly what it did. There was no calling out of Omar.
Perhaps one of the most interesting members of Congress in this political contretemps is south Florida Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz. She is one of the most prominent Jews in the United States House of Representatives. She served as chairperson of the National Democratic Committee during the 2016 Clinton Campaign – at least until those infamous leaked memos got her canned for using the DNC to undermine the Bernie Sanders campaign.
One might expect Wasserman-Schultz to issue a strong statement not only against anti-Semitism, but against the serial anti-Semitic statements of her colleague Omar. But nooooooo! She told reporters that it is “pretty outrageous that Democrats had to offer up a resolution to spell out for people across this country what anti-Semitism means.”
Wasserman-Schultz exonerated Omar by referring more broadly (no pun intended) to “some members” – plural – and saying she will “give THEM the benefit of the doubt and say it (the tropes) are unknowing.” That excuse falls in line with Speaker Pelosi’s contention that Omar may not have realized the meaning or seriousness of her comments. That leaves two choices. Congresswoman Omar is either anti-Semitic or unimaginably stupid.
Only days before, Wasserman-Schultz accused Republican Congressman Jim Jordan of engaging in an anti-Semitic trope. It seems Jordan used a dollar sign in a tweet complaining about billionaire anti-Trump activist Tom Steyer, who is spending tens of millions of dollars promoting Trump’s impeachment.
That dollar sign – according to Wasserman-Schultz – was a coded trope about Jews and money rather than the more obvious general reference to Steyer’s wealth. The fact that Steyer is not Jewish did not seem to matter. His father is a non-practicing Jew and his mother is Episcopalian. At 30 years old, Steyer claimed that a “revelation” led him to pursue the Episcopal Christian Church.
The contrast between her quick and harsh condemnation of Jordan on an obviously bogus accusation and her namby-pamby reaction to Omar is not her only defense of Muslims acting badly. Another case involves Pakistani Imran Awan. He was an IT advisor on the payroll of a number of Democrat members of Congress – most notably Wasserman-Schultz. He had access to the entire email network of Congress.
Awan was investigated and charged with a scheme to purloin computer equipment through the congressional procurement system. He was also convicted of bank fraud. Awan’s wife and kids escaped to Pakistan and he was arrested at the airport with a ticket to Lahore.
When the investigation commenced, every member of Congress who had employed Awan severed the relationship EXCEPT Wasserman Schultz. She remained his defender even as the legal troubles mounted. She claimed that Awan was the victim of Islamophobia.
What can be said of Wasserman-Schultz, her affiliation and support of the Democratic Party trumps most other considerations – even anti-Semitism and criminality in her own backyard.
So, there ‘tis.