Seven Unaffiliated Jewish U.S. Senators Release Letters Condeming Obama Muslim Smears

http://tpmelectioncentral.com/2008/01/seven_unaffiliated_jewish_us_senators_release_letter_condeming_obama_muslim_smears.php#more


An Open Letter to the Jewish Community:
Over the past several weeks, many in the Jewish community have received hateful emails that use falsehood and innuendo about Senator Barack Obama's religion and attack him personally. As Jewish United States Senators who have not endorsed a candidate for the Democratic nomination, we condemn these scurrilous attacks.

We find it particularly abhorrent that these attacks arc apparently being sent specifically to the Jewish Community. Jews, who have historically been the target of such attacks, should be the first to reject these tactics.

We won't dignify these falsehoods by repeating them in order to refute them. Instead, we will express our outrage at these tactics, which are being used to demonize a good and
decent man and our friend and colleague. Attempting to manipulate voters into supporting or opposing one candidate or another based on despicable and fictitious attacks is disgraceful. These false and malicious attacks should not be part of our political discourse.

All voters should support whichever candidate they believe would make the best president. We sincerely hope that Americans will make that decision based on the factual records of these candidates, not false charges circulated by anonymous mass emails.

Sincerely,

Carl Levin

Barbara Boxer

Ben Cardin

Russ Feingold

Frank Lautenberg

Bernie Sanders

Ron Wyden

Of course you do. :grr:

ON EDIT: I gather "unaffiliated" means they haven't endorsed any candidate yet, so... no, they're not off the hook.

wonder what he was thinking?

How nice of you to refer to a New York senator so politely.

Lieberman has endorsed McCain.

Schumer has endorsed Clinton.

DiFi has endorsed Clinton.

It's a strange world in which we live.

You must be religious, but the right kind of religion.

You should be Christian, but certain Christians might be the wrong kind of Christian.

What have we become?

was a "smear."

there are still people who believe the Jews run everything and are to blame for what's wrong in our country or the world. These are not just uneducated hicks or people living on the fringes of society. I mean, Mel Gibson is a prime example of some one who has espoused these views and he's hardly obscure.

Perhaps they also remember talking to people who did not observe the Jewish faith, but were labeled as such and persecuted because of a Jewish parent.

Since I'm fair skinned and blonde, many folks don't immediately peg me as a Jew, and they've said some of the most outrageous stuff right to my face. Of course, the sheer pleasure of telling them I'm Jewish after they've said those things is totally satisfying.

calling some one a Muslim is not in and of itself a smear, even if it is innaccurate in Obama's case. No, it is the fact that Muslim is in all capital letters and the e-mail says other things - that Muslim extremists are trying to take over the country and Obama would help them.

If you are a bigot, Muslim is a smear.

If you are afraid, and don't think, this e-mail attack can be very powerful indeed. It's done in a way to incite fear.

You don't have to support Obama to come out against these vile attacks.

Schumer probably did not sign out of deference to Clinton on something that might look like an endorsement.

to do; same with Shumer.

Bigotry is wrong, regardless of whether its due to gender, race, religion or ethnic background. And they have learned their lessons well about hateful attacks.

I would like to see Joe Lieberman condemn it also, but maybe he's worried it will come across too much like an endorsement. :(

Lieberman to sign it, but I think Schumer should have- even if he is supporting Hillary.

Thank you for stepping up for true democracy and against Swift Boating Tactics no matter who they are against!:yourock: