Democratic Group Urges Bush To Cut Off Ties to Evangelist’s Charity
Citing what it called Pat Robertson’s “hateful and divisive rhetoric,” a Jewish Democratic group is demanding that the Bush administration cut off government grants to the evangelist’s charity, Operation Blessing.
The National Jewish Democratic Council made the plea in an online advocacy campaign launched this week, which includes a petition and links to send electronic messages to President Bush and to Republican National Committee chairman Ken Mehlman. The NJDC cited press reports that identified Operation Blessing as receiving $14.4 million in federal funds last year.
Among the Robertson comments that the group described as objectionable were his remark that Israeli Prime Minister Sharon’s recent stroke was a punishment from God, his 2005 claim that the federal judiciary is a greater threat to the country than “a few bearded terrorists who fly into buildings” and his call for the assassination of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.
Robertson was a 1988 candidate for the GOP presidential nomination.
This is a moment of great uncertainty. Here’s what you can do about it.
We hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, we’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s independent Jewish news this Passover.
This is a moment of great uncertainty for the news media, for the Jewish people, and for our sacred democracy. It is a time of confusion and declining trust in public institutions. An era in which we need humans to report facts, conduct investigations that hold power to account, tell stories that matter and share honest discourse on all that divides us.
With no paywall or subscriptions, the Forward is entirely supported by readers like you. Every dollar you give this Passover is invested in the future of the Forward — and telling the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
The Forward doesn’t rely on funding from institutions like governments or your local Jewish federation. There are thousands of readers like you who give us $18 or $36 or $100 each month or year.
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
