Then you could have politely made a comment informing Roger that he may have been in error, and that there was more ,up to date, information to be offered. In addition, it would be interesting to know how you read Roger’s mind and determined that he purposely declined (which assumes of course, that he knew)to offer the additional information/update.

Roger Simon is a writer, not a journalist. He doesn’t have paid fact-checkers. He has no duty to make last-minute fact checks.

How is your statement here not evidence that you are acting out the political bias you so readily assume in others?

Check out Shrink Wrapped’s post about narcissism above.

That’s half of what I meant. Flenser got the other half.

It’s not merely that American Jews are in denial about the reality of anti-Semitism, but that most of them no longer consider themselves to be Jewish. That’s why I said, “Assimilation has kicked in big-time.”

Since they are no Jewish (in their own minds), how could anti-Semitism be about them?

That said, your use of the word “update” is also misplaced. I’m not providing any new information. I’m providing information that was prominently displayed on Barney Frank’s home page 23 hours before Roger’s comment that Frank should “be ashamed of himself”. Roger could have easily accessed this information, but declined to do so, most likely because it would have further watered down the outrage factor of this post — not only does the chair of the DNC quickly speak out against antisemitic slurs, but an actual member of Congress participating in the event in question does so as well.

It’s good to know Barney Frank is not part of this nonsense.

I think your use of the word “diatribe” is misplaced. The Democrats as a whole deserve every bit of this criticism.

from http://www.house.gov/frank/

posted 06/17/05 11:24 AM EST

FRANK REPUDIATES ANTI-ISRAEL BIAS

Congressman Barney Frank today expressed strong disagreement and disappointment with remarks made at an informal Congressional hearing on Thursday which sought to blame the State of Israel for the Bush policy on Iraq. Congressman Frank attended part of the hearing, which was frequently interrupted by a long series of votes that were being conducted on the floor of the House. He was not present when any references to Israel were made.

ìThe notion that United States foreign policy is somehow being manipulated by Israel is not only gravely mistaken, it is redolent of the sort of conspiracy theories imputing hidden powers to the Jews that have plagued the world for far too long. Congressman Moranís question which gave prominence to the role of Israel as one of the possible major factors behind the invasion, and the answer by witness Raymond McGovern which not only blamed Israel for the war in substantial part, but objected even to Congressman Moranís citing Israel as an American ally, are both refuted by the evidence discussed at the hearing itself. It should be emphasized that the hearing was called in major part to discuss the Downing Street minutes that were released, and nothing in those minutes in any way supports the allegation that this was all an Israeli plot.

ìI believe now and believed at the time that the Bush Administration came to power wanting to invade Iraq, and used the September 11th tragedy as a political justification for doing so, not because of some secret deal with Israel, but because of the foreign policy world view of those in charge of Bush Administration national security ñ who of course did not include the nominal Secretary of State, Colin Powell. In fact, part of the political bargaining between the Bush and Blair administrations that resulted in total British support for this unwise war was the endorsement by President Bush for the first time in his administration of a serious effort to bring about a peace process between Israel and the Palestinians, which was not entirely to Israelís liking. The latest step in the evolution of that policy was a decision by President Bush ñ over the objections of many in Congress, which I did not share ñ to provide direct aid to the Palestinian Authority. I believe that this was a constructive measure by President Bush in pursuit of an overall peace, and it hardly fits the notion that Israel is the master string-puller of the United States government.

ìFinally, the handouts distributed by some who attended a television version of the hearing making scurrilous, wholly inaccurate accusations of Israeli complicity in the September 11th attack are obviously contemptible, and would ordinarily be beneath notice, except for the fact that some newspaper accounts have cited them, and that calls for those of us who oppose this war and continue to oppose it to be clear in our repudiation of such vicious defamation.”