January 4, 2021 10:50 AM
Morning Reads for Monday, January 4th, 2021
Welcome to the first Monday of 2021. Frankly, it doesn’t feel much different than the last Monday of 2020, but it can only go up from here, right?
- Georgia election: Donald Trump’s phone call fact-checked
- Here is the transcript of the call.
- Raffensperger faces heat as Trump contests defeat
- Georgia counties receive email threat ahead of runoff elections
- Pandemic, election dispute color swearing-in for Georgia’s incoming U.S. House members.
- Some new laws went into effect in Georgia on New Year’s Day
- Georgia Rabbis Disagree About Warnock and Israel
- NWS confirms 3 tornadoes touched down in Georgia on New Year’s Day
- Trio of Georgia senators will make history this session
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This is the first monday morning reader of the new year.
The man doth protest too much, methinks:
“Perdue ‘Shocked,’ Disgusted That Secretary Of State Recorded Trump Call
Sen. David Perdue said he was shocked and disgusted the office of Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger recorded the phone call with President Donald Trump in which the president pressured Georgia’s top election official to overturn the November election.
“I don’t think it’s really going to affect our election,” Perdue told Fox News of the phone call, which was leaked to the news media on Sundays.
He added: “I’m still shocked that a member of the Republican Party would tape a sitting president and then leak that. That’s disgusting in my view.”
What wouldst thou do, old man?
Think’st thou that duty shall have dread to speak
When power to flattery bows?
https://www.gpb.org/news/2021/01/03/battleground-blog-perdue-shocked-disgusted-secretary-of-state-recorded-trump-call
Translation: Pay no attention to what his majesty actually uttered… SQUIRREL!
Re: the opinion of the rabbis, I wasn’t able to read past the paywall, but even within the handful of sentences, I found much to discuss and some to dispute.
Of course, it’s an open stereotype that Jews do no have monolithic opinions, and can even hold multiple seemingly conflicting opinions simultaneously. Regardless, it’s a fair starting point to say that there is a fair range of opinions out there on this issue. I received support for Warnock from Jewish groups other than the one mentioned in the WSJ article, which was labeled as “partisan”. Which of course, if you support a candidate, you are partisan. But that doesn’t mean partisan first, Jewish second. Similarly, I would not call the rabbis who wrote the opinion partisans first, and Jewish second, even though they also clearly have partisan leanings and preferences. Their foray into the race is itself proof of their preferences.
Most notably, they call Warnock a liar about what he saw in Israel. However:
1) There was no way for them to know what Warnock saw on his visit to Israel. What they really have issue with is Warnock’s characterization of what he saw. They are in no position to dispute what he actually saw without making assumptions themselves. Sorry, rabbis.
2) There are others who acknowledge what he saw, and show more responsibility for addressing Warnock’s characterization of what he saw. For instance, noted and respected Emory scholar Debroah Lipstadt wrote this piece in the Forward, a longstanding Jewish journalistic institution:
https://forward.com/opinion/460491/for-those-who-want-to-fight-antisemitism-the-choice-in-georgia-is-clear/?utm_source=PostUp&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Daily%20Newsletter%20USE%20THIS%20ONE&utm_maildate=12/22/2020 more responsible ways to address
In a nutshell, Dr. Lipstadt states that she doesn’t like where Rev. Warnock was on Israel, but has since seen his genuine evolution. He has also had enduring partnerships within Atlanta Jewish community. One suspects he may have grown from those relationships. Dr. Lipstatdt also juxtaposes those relationships with Loeffler’s cozying up with Marjorie Taylor-Greene, who herself is proven supporter of causes that espouse the worst of anti-Semitism. Loeffler may have condemned the white supremacist she took a pic with, but has she condemned Congresswomen who support anti-Semitic QAnon?
Those same relationships, the good ones bw Warnock and Jewish communities, and the bad ones bw Loeffler and Greene come up here and again in other places where one can see the range of diverse Jewish opinion on the mattters. Just one sample here:
Oops. The referred sample of diverse opinions here:
https://forward.com/news/national/460758/georgias-jews-weigh-in-on-hotly-contested-senate-races/?utm_source=PostUp&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Daily%20Newsletter%20USE%20THIS%20ONE&utm_maildate=12/23/2020
There are other samples. The bottom line: the Jewish community should not be presented, perceived, or addressed as a monolith, with regard to political preferences, positions on Israel, or really anything. And Jews, including those rabbis, hopefully consider all facts and circumstances before passing judgment. No matter the end preference, considering everything leads you to the most balanced position, and it will always be best to have more reasoned and moderated positions.
Israeli politics will bear that out. According to Wikipedia they have 18 political parties.
If the US had a parliamentary system we’d have 18 as well.
More abt Jewish groups if interested:
https://forward.com/news/460604/kelly-loeffler-raphael-warnock-antisemitism-far-right-white-supremacy/?utm_source=PostUp&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Daily%20Newsletter%20USE%20THIS%20ONE&utm_maildate=12/21/2020
and responses from a questionnaire:
https://atlantajewishtimes.timesofisrael.com/ajt-exclusives-ossoff-perdue-and-warnock-address-jewish-communities-directly/