NJDC Leaders Address Right Wing Chanukah Party Complaints

David Streeter — December 16, 2009 – 5:20 pm | Barack Obama | GOP Hypocrisies | Republicans Comments (1) Add a comment

Marc R. Stanley, NJDC’s Chairman, and Ira N. Forman, NJDC’s CEO, both published op-eds rebutting right wing criticism of President Barack Obama’s Chanukah party. Forman, in a piece on Talking Points Memo, lambasted GOP operative Tevi Troy for his fabricated Chanukah “miracle.”

Troy is not your typical political hack; he does have some actual policy background. However, his focus for the last month has been the number of invitations sent for this year’s White House Chanukah party and how his numbers prove the right-wing myth that President Barack Obama has neglected the Jews.

It’s actually quite shocking. A man who used to pass for a credible GOP policy wonk has been reduced to speculating about what unconfirmed numbers of Jewish holiday party attendees may mean about public policy decisions.

This week, in a blog for National Review, Troy admitted that the numbers he cited for Chanukah invites during the Bush Years and for this year’s Obama event may not be accurate. But he then proceeds to crow that his original uber-partisan rantings are what gave more Jews access to a Jewish holiday party.

It seems to me that the White House has taken my message to heart and increased the number of invitees in order to alleviate the clamoring to get in and to diminish the criticism on what is a symbolic and not a substantive issue. Credit to them for changing their tune, but that does not change the accuracy of the initial analysis. As this story comes to an end with the party on Wednesday, the folks who should be happiest are the new invitees. They are beneficiaries of a modern Hanukkah miracle—150 more invitations to the White House.

 

Stanley, while alluding to GOP kvetching in his piece, added to Forman’s sentiment on The Huffington Post by praising Obama for the bi-partisan and inclusive spirit embodied in the White House party.

Regardless of the bluster, I want to take this opportunity to congratulate the Obama administration for holding the first White House Hanukkah party where the invite list includes all of the Jewish Democrats and Republicans serving in Congress. In the past when these parties were held, most—if not all—Jewish Congressional Democrats were not invited. But in the spirit of bipartisanship and inclusiveness, Obama has invited all Jewish Senators and Representatives regardless of party affiliation—as it should be.

Obama ought to be applauded, not attacked, as he and his administration continue efforts to govern in a bipartisan and inclusive manner; this Hanukkah party is just one positive reflection of this encouraging trend.

 

Stanley concluded by urging readers to sign NJDC’s Chanukah card to Obama:

And for those of you who want to share Hanukkah greetings with the President and his family—regardless of party affiliation—sign onto a Hanukkah card that we’ll deliver to the White House tomorrow.

Happy Hanukkah to all—Democrats and Republicans alike!

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