fbpx
[additional-authors]
October 24, 2015

Biblical Daniel survived Nebuchadnezzar’s lion's with divine aid. Hillary Clinton fended off House Republicans relatively well thanks to her political skills and tenacity.

Though not an uncritical admirer of Hillary, I consider her a formidable politician and public servant, despite the fact that her political skills seemingly went dormant for months until the recent Democratic presidential primary debate. I also consider her by far the best bet that friends of Israel have at least among Democratic contenders.

Having said this, my major reaction to the hearings was that they were an unseemly spectacle of a bunch of partisan, mostly men ganging up for 11 hours on a woman of what the French call “a certain age” who, whatever her mixed motives, has devoted her adult life to public service. She actually began her public career on the Senate Democratic staff during the Nixon impeachment hearings. Those hearings, chaired by Senator Sam Ervin, remain my gold standard for a Congressional investigation. They revealed what President Nixon did and who he was without having to subject him to 11 hours under the klieg lights.

I don’t see why these new Congressional hearings could not have been conducted without the public spectacle and personal ordeal. If a potential criminal investigation of Hillary’s email account and private server during her State Department tenure is needed, the FBI is already doing it.

How would you like your wife, mother, or grandma subjected to such an ordeal! Or for that matter, your husband, father, or grandpa? Yet another example of American politics debased to the level of media circus.

Quite aside from the substantive issues about the management of U.S. Middle Eastern policy raised by the Benghazi tragedy, this kind of investigation represents a trend that is “not good for the Jews” or any individual or group that depends on the maintenance of political civility in this country.

Did you enjoy this article?
You'll love our roundtable.

Editor's Picks

Latest Articles

A Bisl Sukkot ~ Don’t Be Afraid, Go Outside

The sukkah reminds us to go out into the world, especially when the comforts of insularity beckon us closer—to explore paths we have yet to take and seek journeys ready for wandering.

A Harira Hug in the Sukkah

I love making soup for this holiday because even if the days are still warm, the cooler evenings make you start craving something warm and comforting.

The Beat Goes On

While so much of the world seems obsessed with and consumed by its hatred of Israel and Jews, Israelis continue to build, create, work, celebrate, argue, raise families, and plan for the future.

Viral AI Video Targets Jewish Comedian

“The biggest concern is that people now have a pathway to shut down Jewish voices through complete falsities that people will believe. … For the future of Jewish entertainment, it’s very scary.”

Yiddish Historians: Writing in Their Own Language for Their Own People

Mark Smith has compiled an important anthology of Jewish history using 49 works by Yiddish historians to recreate or at least open the door to a world of Jewish thought that was once almost mainstream, but which no longer exists, except in the minds of too few specialists.

The Everlasting Melody

Most Jews who have sung “Eitz Chaim” over the past half-century probably never knew Portnoy. They did not know when he wrote the melody or how young he was when he composed it. They simply knew the song.

Who’s Really the Victim?

Those who would revel in Israel’s demise are claiming victimhood on every front and denying attacks on us in the same breath.

More news and opinions than at a Shabbat dinner, right in your inbox.