On August 21, the Waterbury Republican-American published a letter by Frances Rostocki. An earlier blog pointed out two areas in which Rostocki crossed the line:
Unsatisfied with leaving disgraceful enough alone, Rostocki sent in another letter, breaking further ground. It was published September 20.
- Gratuitously referring to Senator Lieberman receiving campaign donations from "Jewish-Americans"
- Implicitly accusing Lieberman of being unpatriotic with the false assertion that he puts Israel ahead of America.
Unsatisfied with leaving disgraceful enough alone, Rostocki sent in another letter, breaking further ground. It was published September 20.
Lieberman has been a failure as state's junior senator
In my Aug. 21 response to William D. Moore's Aug. 19 letter, "Speaker Pelosi, please shut up," I defended House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's criticism of Sen. Joe Lieberman's public statement that unlike Barack Obama, John McCain places his country first. I questioned Lieberman's motives and honesty, as well as his duty to represent all of the people of Connecticut.
[Senator Lieberman is a public figure and thus subject to criticism; Rostocki went well beyond the bounds of propriety in her criticism.]
For this, I was personally attacked by Jim Tierney of West Hartford and Jerry Greenberg of Goshen.
[Rostocki apparently does not understand the differnce between a personal attack, such as her attacks on Senator Lieberman, and criticism of one's actions.
Tierney and Greenberg criticized Rostocki's writing; they did not personally attack Rostocki.]
Tierney and Greenberg criticized Rostocki's writing; they did not personally attack Rostocki.]
Never in my life have I been a bigot or promoted bias and hatred. I have lived and practiced acceptance and tolerance in my professional and personal life.
Routinely, some in society believe they have a free pass to trash Hispanics and Muslims. CNN's Lou Dobbs, who has a large following, whips up an audience with vicious attacks directed mostly at Mexicans. CNN's Glenn Beck questioned whether an American Muslim was fit to serve as a congressman.
[And some in society, like Rostocki, believe they have a free pass to trash Jews and other supporters of Israel.]
Lieberman compares Evangelical pastor John Hagee to Moses. Hagee, a racist and bigot,
[Talk about personal attacks!]
has written in "Jerusalem Countdown" that the United States and Israel will wage a nuclear war against Iran and other Muslim Mideast nations that will result in the Armageddon and extinction of all except Christians and Jews. This is OK with Lieberman, even as Hagee labels the Roman Catholic Church a whore.
[Rostocki apparently doesn't realize it's possible to agree with someone about some issues and disagree with them about others.
One of the current presidential candidates has a grandmother who has said some things that candidate finds extremely distasteful, but he never distanced himself from her.]
One of the current presidential candidates has a grandmother who has said some things that candidate finds extremely distasteful, but he never distanced himself from her.]
But if one is critical of Lieberman, or the actions of Israel, that person immediately is subjected to charges of bias, hatred and anti-Semitism, and if in public office, will be committing political suicide.
[It's amazing how often Israel-bashers bring up alleged accusations of anti-Semitism.
The truth is that there's far more anti-Semitism around than one would believe based on accusations. Certainly, most criticism of Israel is based on anti-Semitism, but since it's usually almost impossible to be certain of the motivation in individual cases, critics are rarely accused of being anti-Semitic.
Neither Tierney nor Greenberg mentioned anti-Semitism.]
The truth is that there's far more anti-Semitism around than one would believe based on accusations. Certainly, most criticism of Israel is based on anti-Semitism, but since it's usually almost impossible to be certain of the motivation in individual cases, critics are rarely accused of being anti-Semitic.
Neither Tierney nor Greenberg mentioned anti-Semitism.]
Lieberman was elected to represent the people of Connecticut, and I judge him on his failure to do what he is being paid for.
Just this month, he not only continued to campaign for McCain but also took the additional job of tutoring McCain's running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, in foreign policy.
Instead of instructing her in Political Science 101, he took her to the offices of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, one of the most powerful pro-Israel lobbies in the United States.
[This is rather amusing.
Foreign policy is not the same as "Political Science 101." Certainly, bringing Palin to an office of an allegedly powerful lobbies involved in foreign affairs is a very reasonable part of an education in foreign policy.]
Foreign policy is not the same as "Political Science 101." Certainly, bringing Palin to an office of an allegedly powerful lobbies involved in foreign affairs is a very reasonable part of an education in foreign policy.]
Lieberman's association with AIPAC, shared by many members of the senator, is troubling. In 2006, two AIPAC lobbyists were accused of passing secret American intelligence to Israel. Last year, these men were indicted and are awaiting trial. AIPAC is paying their legal fees.
[In America, people are considered innocent until proven guilty.
The men referred to were accused in an unprecedented use of an obscure law nearly a century old. Their activities appear, from the available information, to be of a sort routinely performed by many people in Washington on a daily basis.
Rostocki also has her facts wrong: AIPAC is not paying their legal fees. Indeed, it is likely AIPAC will get sued for not paying their legal fees.]
The men referred to were accused in an unprecedented use of an obscure law nearly a century old. Their activities appear, from the available information, to be of a sort routinely performed by many people in Washington on a daily basis.
Rostocki also has her facts wrong: AIPAC is not paying their legal fees. Indeed, it is likely AIPAC will get sued for not paying their legal fees.]
Of all the choices for instruction, why did the senator choose AIPAC?
[Most likely because it and whatever other places Lieberman probably took or plans to take Palin are valuable places for gaining insight. It also probably has a map of the Middle East...and maybe even Alaska.]
Frances G. Rostocki
Southbury
2 comments:
>Never in my life have I been a bigot or promoted bias and hatred.<
I see no reason to believe that claim from the letter Frances Rostocki wrote.
It's probably about as accurate as the rest of her letter.
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