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Sep

19

On AG nominee Mukasey being an Orthodox Jew


Maybe the choice of Judge Michael Mukasey to replace Alberto Gonzales will temper and possibly even eradicate the image of Jack Abramoff as The Orthodox Jew in government (though many people may think more in terms of Joe Lieberman, and I can’t honestly say which, if either, is preferable). Maybe the choice of Judge Mukasey will re-install the possibility that President Bush can put forward competent people period. Maybe there’s some stealth idea that by choosing someone who is Jewish to head up a USDOJ that now focuses so much on civil rights as interpreted though Bush’s “war on terrorism,” no one will complain (ha).

Frankly, my dears, I don’t give a damn if he’s Jewish. It’s cool. It’s nice. I’m happy for him if he’s happy for him. But until I got this article an hour ago in my regular newsletter from the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, I had no idea that he was Jewish, and an Orthodox Jew at that, they say.

Neat.

But what else would you want me to say?

I know.

That I’m thrilled that not a single other article I’ve read or heard about the nominee mentioned his religion. And I would guess from what the JTA piece says about Mukasey, he would be equally thrilled that his religion is not the center of attention.

It shouldn’t be.

But, I will allow, it’s a very interesting footnote. Snark coming: I bet Susan Purtee thinks at least that.

P.S. Apparently he wanted to be a journalist before he decided to go to Yale Law School.

By Jill Miller Zimon at 2:50 pm September 19th, 2007 in Government, Jewish, Judaism, Media, Politics 

Comments

4 Responses to “On AG nominee Mukasey being an Orthodox Jew”

  1. 1 Jeff Hess on September 20th, 2007 6:43 am

    Shalom Jill,

    Oy. I really wish I didn’t know that.

    Before I was willing to accept that Mukasey was just another tool of the Bush administration and hope that he was a lame tool that would do no damage over the next 17 months.

    Now I have to worry that Bush will put him in a place where all the Protocol waving brain dead will try to blame everything that Bush has done on the Jews.

    Becoming a member of the Bush Administration is not a good thing for anyone. I can only see this case as a shanda fur die goy.

    Feh!

    G’mar tov,

    Jeff

  2. 2 Jill Miller Zimon on September 20th, 2007 9:22 am

    I totally agree, Jeff. It is a real double-edged sword. It’s almost like a prophylactic move, don’t you think? And yet, from what I’ve read about the man, and the fact that no one else seems to be writing about him being Jewish, maybe it doesn’t matter. But then I go back to my thoughts that Bush is thrilled to have a Jew in that spot.

    I don’t know anymore.

  3. 3 Roland Hansen on October 18th, 2007 6:49 pm

    Jewish? Interesting. Irrelevant, but interesting,

  4. 4 Jill Miller Zimon on October 19th, 2007 2:55 pm

    Yeah – it is interesting isn’t it? But yes, irrelevant.

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