Former Nixon Jew-counter to assist Governor McDonnell
A former Nixon administration official who underplayed his role in a paranoid counting and then demoting of Jews in government has won the chairmanship of a panel to restructure Virginia's government. With the aid of Miller Center recordings and transcripts, a Slate columnist asserts that Governor Bob McDonnell should reconsider the appointment of Fred Malek.
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27 comments
Maybe he should have hired Helen Thomas instead?
american politics are strange...
-most conservatives are pro-israel, as its politically advantageous
yet, many, many US jews are democrats
so, most jews vote for the party in the US that is seen as least supportive to the state of israel
why is that?
A lot can change in 40 years. Look at George Wallace’s career.
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I thought that Wallace was always a venal politician who would do whatever it would take to get elected, much like Orval Faubus. It's probably the same with this guy.
Mr. Malek's association with antisemitic groups is no secret. It's probably one of the reasons that he was not able to get the Major League Baseball franchise he wanted. He's been involved in gutter politics for 40 years. In the early days of the Nixon administration, as deputy director of the Civil Service Commission (the predecessor agency to the Office of Personnel Management), one of his principal duties was to try to find legal, or at least quasi-legal ways to fire senior career civil servants who would not toe the politically correct line. He got caught, and this was probably a lucky break for him because he was forced out of the administration before Watergate took everybody else down.
What I'm comparing is the defense of the actions. Pointing out that he was just following orders doesn't cut it. Bottom line: he demoted people because they were Jewish.
"There are conservative anti-semites who support Israel just as there are liberal racists that support civil rights. Supporting a government policy does not mean you are incapable of racism or religious bigotry."
Today's use of the word racism has quite a bit more stigma than in the 70's. Also, to compare this to the Hitler's final solution is way out of line.
40 years is a long time for people to change. Has he? I have no idea but would suggest someone take a look at his record during those years.
If you read the whole Washington Post article, you will see this guy is now buddy-buddy with Abraham Foxman. A lot can change in 40 years. Look at George Wallace's career. I'm as anti Cucci-McDon as anybody, but get a grip.
See next-to-last paragraph:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/02/AR201006...
Shoulds have hired a communist like the WH has done plenty of.
Hey bus driver keep the change, bless your children, give them names, dont trust men who walk with canes, drink this and youll grow wings on your feet.
@Omie: Put down the dram glass.
If I were a rich man, ya, da, ya, da, yada, dada, dah
Nathan Detroit?
This "J.J. Malloy" is as predictably pitiful as any Fox News viewer around.
At least "Self Appointed Expert Gasbag" can read for himself.
Only America is blameless
McDonnell must be brushing up on his " conservative credentials" to pick this guy. I found this particularly chilling concerning Mr. Malek in the Slate story:
"never-before-published memo by White House personnel director Fred Malek confirming the planned transfer of three Jews to less-visible jobs and the effective demotion of a BLS deputy with a Jewish-sounding surname. Malek, today a very wealthy investor, remains active in Republican politics;"
Michael, ver is da stoooooone?
very old timer, indeed
re:"not for what he did, he served the President and it was a different time. "
Somehow, I don't think "I was just following orders" cuts it as a defense when it comes to official anti-semitism. At least it didn't in Nuremberg back in '46. Those people were just serving their leaders and it was a different time too. So how about the man take responsibility for what he did and not blame Richard Nixon or anyone else.
As for your middle eastern rant. Yes, as with most tragic situations, there is plenty of blame to go around. The Israelis are not blameless, nor are the Palestinians.
There are conservative anti-semites who support Israel just as there are liberal racists that support civil rights. Supporting a government policy does not mean you are incapable of racism or religious bigotry.
Bill Ayers association with terrorist- oh, I mean, Bill Ayers THE TERRORIST- offends me, but does not offend President Obama?
Must be it. After all, conservatives hate those Jews in Israel and don't support their right to self defense.....
oh wait
If he will help McDonnell cut taxes, I'm all for him!
It's the judgment call that matters, and choosing this guy with this history. He's now he offended jews, blacks, gays, whose next ?
the only reason conservatives support a Jewish state is to have an ally in the region of those they hate even more, Muslims... And this is fact - some Christian conservatives like Israel's existence because they believe it will begin biblical "end of the world" so that their god shall reign.
oh wait (please stop saying that)
I don't think the matter in question is what conservatives generally think about Jews, but what this particular person did.
JJ, why does Israel need such support? Oh yeah because of anti-semitism.
oh wait
The reason that "conservatives" suport a jewish state is because coservativs believe that the creation of the jewish state was a proper way to deal with the issues in the middle east. The jews protect themselves agggresivley, the palistineans feel cheated. Understandably, however, the palisitinians are the ones that have blown it for the last 50 years. Imagine if they had simply tried stopping the teroism 30 years ago where they would be today. They would have thier own state and a thriving country.
Jews are not ALLOWED in to most middle eastern countries including Saudi arabia and Iran....
If an Indiasn reservation in Oregon started firing rockets into starbucks in portmalnd do you think the US would sit idly by? Do you think we would let trucks of rockets shipped in from their "brothers" in mexico?
This guy should withdraw because of what this issue does to the governer but not for what he did, he served the President and it was a different time.
Obama is filling his offices with diversity at the expense of whites... whats the difference?
Ah the wicked witch of the east..............it could have been a first in diversity.