In rebuttal: In supporting Republicans, columnist distorts facts in attack on Democrats
Last week, in an op-ed written by conservative columnist Abby Wisse Schachter in The Jewish Chronicle, Schachter rails against Democrats for trying to help fix the mess that Republicans have gotten us into.
Her praise of Republican independence and ability to fix the economy is far from the truth. Her unfair use of loaded words and selective facts not only does a disservice to your Jewish readers, but also to all the people of Pennsylvania.
Schachter places the blame on a Democratic majority, but conveniently leaves out that the fact that Republicans held a majority for most of the past 10 years. Where was their independence then?
No greater argument can be made against her article than the Pennsylvania race for Senate between U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak, a retired Navy admiral, and former U.S. Rep. Pat Toomey.
For example, Toomey has been fighting for Wall Street and corporations for years.
As a congressman and president for the conservative Club For Growth, Toomey has depended on corporate money and influence to push his ultra-conservative agenda onto all the people of Pennsylvania. He has had third parties launching attack ads for him throughout the summer. Groups such as the Emergency Committee for Israel and the RJC have been attacking his opponent, Sestak, for his record on Israel, despite the latter’s being one of the strongest advocates for Israel in Congress.
In fact, Toomey has voted multiple times against funding for Israel, while Sestak has voted multiple times for billions of aid to Israel and voted to recognize Israel’s right to defend itself and increase anti-terrorism cooperation between Israel and America.
Instead of writing about our Jewish values of caring for the underdog, the unemployed, the hungry and those in need of health care, Schachter uses distortions and generalizations to attack an entire political party without even mentioning Israel or our Jewish values, which have existed throughout the ages.
Schachter’s anger has been misdirected and her solution is misguided. She points the finger of blame at Democrats when it should clearly be pointed at Republicans that have gotten us into this mess.
The people of Pittsburgh and certainly readers of The Jewish Chronicle deserve better than that.
This November, we must look at the candidates’ records and decide who relies on outside interests and who makes smart, independent decisions.
(Ivan C. Frank, an author and retired teacher, lives in Squirrel Hill.)
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