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Ben Graber Says U.S. Rep. Wexler "An Embarrassment To Jews"

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  • Ben Graber Says U.S. Rep. Wexler "An Embarrassment To Jews"

    BEN GRABER SAYS U.S. REP. WEXLER "AN EMBARRASSMENT TO JEWS"

    Sun-Sentinel.com
    http://weblogs.sun-se ntinel.com/news/politics/broward/blog/2008/09/ben_ graber_says_us_rep_wexler.html
    Sept 3 2008
    FL

    Former state representative and Broward county commissioner Ben
    Graber is blasting U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler, D-Boca Raton, as an
    "embarrassment to Jews."

    Graber , son of Holocaust survivors, is challenging Wexler in
    congressional District 19, and is running as an independent candidate.

    He took issue with Wexler for dissing Sen. John McCain's vice
    presidential pick, Sarah Palin, the governor of Alaska. According
    to Graber: "Wexler immediately condemned her as a supporter of a
    Nazi sympathizer because she wore a Pat Buchanan button ... when he
    visited her town."

    Graber said Wexler's "behavior" is "not only embarrassing to the
    Jews, but also dangerous. It is apparent Wexler's decision-making
    process is flawed. His inappropriate political use of Jewish issues
    could promote anti-Semitic backlashes against American Jews. Wexler
    falsely claims to speak for the Jewish community and he has a history
    of using anti-Semitism in elections. It was used successfully when
    he ran for the Florida Senate against Don Childers. Now he wants to
    use it to frighten Jews into believing Sarah Palin is a threat."

    Here's how McCain's campaign summarized the fracas:

    Wexler, badly mangling his facts, accused Governor Palin of supporting
    Pat Buchanan in the 2000 Alaska primary. Based on this he asserted
    that Governor Palin had "aligned herself with a leading anti-Israel
    voice in American politics," while finding space to invoke the name
    of Adolph Hitler and the phrase "Nazi sympathizer." Only it wasn't
    true--Palin was an official on the Forbes campaign in 2000. Wexler
    never apologized or retracted his statement.

    Click here to read the full McCain version of the events.

    I'll post the full text of Graber's attack on "the jump." Meanwhile,
    Wexler spokesman Eric Johnson said Wexler stands by his comments
    about Palin and her button-wearing for Buchanan, a man whom Wexler
    has major issues with.

    "He's called Washington Israeli-occupied territory," Johnson said. Even
    if Palin later joined the Forbes campaign, Johnson said she hasn't
    distanced herself from Buchanan.

    "Would she wear a David Duke button if he came to town?" Johnson
    asked, referring to the former Louisiana state representative and
    white nationalist.

    Johnson called Graber's "embarrassment to Jews" comment "just dumb."

    "Robert is listed in the 50 most influential Jewish leaders in the
    country. He's a leader in the Jewish community," Johnson said.

    Graber's "editorial" is below:

    "U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler could not restrain himself when Sen. John
    McCain announced that a woman, Sarah Palin, would be his vice
    presidential nominee. Wexler immediately condemned her as a supporter
    of a Nazi sympathizer because she wore a Pat Buchanan button in 1996
    when he visited her town. This, apparently, is untrue; she supported
    Steve Forbes and has the support of Alaskan Jews, known as the
    "Frozen Chosen."

    Wexler previously embarrassed Jews when he was the only Jewish member
    of the foreign relations committee to not recognize the Armenian
    Genocide last year.

    Wexler continues to shoot from the hip by making rash decisions about
    important events and then apologizing for these decisions. He voted for
    the Iraq war, he moved to Maryland and he supported only counting half
    of Florida's votes in the Democratic primary. And according to several
    online news sources including Politico, Haaretz and Ynetnews, Wexler
    says McCain has insulted the Jewish community with his VP selection.

    This behavior is not only embarrassing to the Jews, but also
    dangerous. It is apparent Wexler's decision-making process is
    flawed. His inappropriate political use of Jewish issues could promote
    anti-Semitic backlashes against American Jews. Wexler falsely claims
    to speak for the Jewish community and he has a history of using
    anti-Semitism in elections. It was used successfully when he ran for
    the Florida Senate against Don Childers. Now he wants to use it to
    frighten Jews into believing Sarah Palin is a threat.

    Wexler already has a problem convincing people in his district that his
    support of Barack Obama over Hillary Clinton was good for the Jewish
    community; his credibility on this issue is also in question. I
    endorsed Sen. Clinton in the Democratic primary, but I will not
    endorse either candidate for president in the general election.

    We need to condemn poorly researched personal attacks by elected
    officials of either party. It is exactly this kind of behavior that is
    driving voters to look for major changes with government. Wexler's
    tactic is a good example of why people have little faith in
    Congress. Unfortunately, Wexler is again an embarrassment to Jews.
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