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TABOO TRUMPS TRUTH
Jews
succeed in ousting
Comments
on Jews cost lawmaker his post WASHINGTON—A Virginia congressman who upset Jewish leaders by saying that Jewish influence was tilting the nation toward war with Iraq has been removed from a key leadership post in the U.S. House of Representives. Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.) was forced out of his position Friday following a furor over his remarks about the role of American Jews in the coming war with Iraq. Moran stepped down from his position as regional whip at the insistence of Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi of California. In a statement, Pelosi said she spoke to Moran and he agreed to give up his post. Moran issued a specially prepared statement Friday saying he was stepping down from the post "as a way to demonstrate acceptance of my responsibility for insensitive remarks I recently made. I will continue to reach out to the Jewish community and others who were offended by my remarks. Most importantly, I will strive to learn from my mistakes and listen to the concerns of my [Jewish] constituents." A group of six northern Virginia rabbis had called for Moran's ouster. They were joined by the Jewish Community Council of Greater Washington. "He's made insensitive remarks before in speeches about Israel, and this just rises to an unheard of level," said JCCGW executive director Ronald Halber. The White House also sharply criticized Moran. "These remarks are shocking. They are wrong and they should not have been said," said press secretary Ari Fleischer. Speaking at a northern Virginia forum a week ago, Moran said that "if it were not for the strong support of the Jewish community for this war with Iraq, we would not be doing this . . . The leaders of the Jewish community are influential enough that they could change the direction of where this is going and I think they should." Moran's daughter, a Catholic, is converting to Judaism. She plans to marry a Jew this summer.
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