I first learned of Saigon Bob one day while putting off deadline at the Daily News and refreshing the home page of LAObserved. Bob Kholos had been press secretary for legendary Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley, and on his blog, which LAObserved linked me to, Kholos alleged that while running for mayor, Bradley’s campaign had discovered that then-Mayor Sam Yorty once paid for a back-alley abortion that left the young woman dead.
Instead of blasting it in the news media, we decided to use it about 10 seconds prior to a live debate in the San Fernando Valley just a couple of days before the election.
Aide, and future Bradley Press Secretary, Tom Sullivan volunteered to run past Yorty just as the debate started and whisper a name.
Sullivan whispered the name of the person, and Yorty responded, âSo, your going to play that game.â
Six months later, Bob contacted me after reading an article I’d written about an eruv dividing Oak Park and its expensive neighbors, Agoura Hills and Westlake Village. I last talked with Bob, whom I believe now lives in Oregon, shortly after I joined The Journal. But yesterday he shot me this note—“This Obama ‘guilt by association’ has the definite feel of the old Tom Bradley 1969 campaign … in which he lost as Mayor”—with a link to his thoughts on why the Jewish community should support Barack Obama.
Social justice is a four thousand year old tradition in Jewish history(some would say five thousand years..give or take a thousand years)
Of course, that does not mean that every person practices such an ideal, but this strength among the Jewish population has lead to the end of child labor, a movement of Unions, better treatment of animals, and a joining together with other minorities in bringing about the civil rights revolution in America (That’s the short list)
Certainly, Hillary Clinton and John McCain, have also enjoyed wide Jewish support, and deservedly so.
Senator Barack Obama, is a special case.
He is trying to bring about a “post racial” attitude among all Americans.
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As far as Obama’s support for Israel, one Israeli newspaper said that, “Barack Obama is pro-Israel. Period.”
Also, guilt by association, has been the unfortunate hallmark which has been used to destroy many Jewish communities throughout Jewish history.
An angry preacher, and a Black separatist, have supported Senator Obama. But, nothing could be further from the truth, as to the mind set and political practice of the junior Senator from Illinois.
To blame him for the small mindedness of others is about as “un-Jewish” as you can get.
Barack Obama is his own man, a great candidate, and someone who can bring a nation together.
That is the best reason to support him.
I sense Michael Spitzer-Rubenstein would agree with that logic.
