Both the Washington Post and the Seattle P-I report today on the continuing saga of two of Tom DeLay’s croniest cronies with Northwest connections: former Preston Gates & Ellis uber-lobbyist Jack Abramoff, and his good buddy, Mercer Island rabbi and vanity talk-radio host, Daniel Lapin. At a Senate hearing yesterday on allegations that Abramoff defrauded Indian Tribes of tens of millions of dollars — some of it funneled through groups connected to DeLay, Ralph Reed and other prominent right-wingers — an e-mail exchange was introduced in which Abramoff asked the good rabbi to phony up some fake awards to help him gain membership at a ritzy D.C. club.
“I hate to ask you for your help with something so silly but I’ve been nominated for membership in the Cosmos Club, which is a very distinguished club in Washington, DC, comprised of Nobel Prize winners, etc.,” Abramoff wrote. “Problem for me is that most prospective members have received awards and I have received none. I was wondering if you thought it possible that I could put that I have received an award from Toward Tradition with a sufficiently academic title, perhaps something like Scholar of Talmudic Studies?”
There were titters in the audience as Sen. Byron L. Dorgan (D-N.D.) read aloud the e-mail, then outright laughter as he continued reading: “Indeed, it would be even better if it were possible that I received these in years past, if you know what I mean.”
The rabbi, conservative radio host Daniel Lapin, gave his blessing. “I just need to know what needs to be produced,” he wrote. “Letters? Plaques?”
“The point of all of this,” Dorgan said, “is there’s a lot of deception going on.”
No shit, Sherlock.
Rabbi Lapin’s history of deceit, self-aggrandizement and profiteering is so extensive, he’s even earned his own category over on blatherWatch. It was Lapin who first introduced Abramoff to DeLay, and it was Abramoff who helped Lapin establish his very profitable, theo-con not-for-profit organization, Toward Tradition. Their mutual back-scratching has helped make both men wealthy and politically connected, so really… what’s a fake award or two between friends?
Don’t be confused by the title “Rabbi” before Lapin’s name; it doesn’t automatically make a man moral or wise. Lapin is above all, a self-serving, well-connected, right-wing operative with his fingers in local politics as well as national. He even played a role in drumming up false outrage over last November’s gubernatorial election, using his radio show as a forum for promoting the NW blogosphere’s most famous conspiracy theorist, and even joining Stefan as a featured speaker at January’s ridiculous, Ukrainian-themed “Re-Vote” rally, where he inflamed a crowd already fired up on lies about disenfranchised military voters, by paraphrasing John Merrick: “We are not animals! We are humans touched by the finger of GOD!!”
Oh puh-lease.
Rabbi Lapin shows off “the finger of God.” [photo courtesy (un)Sound Politics]
Our good friend Stefan’s man-crush on Lapin borders on sycophancy (a quick search of (u)SP finds a dozen posts since the beginning of the year mentioning the good Rabbi.) Indeed, not only does Lapin’s angry mix of angry zionism and angry free market determinism appear to drive Stefan’s angry worldview, Lapin has literally driven Stefan himself… chauffeuring “Aluminum Hat Boy” to the Re-Vote rally. (The Rabbi is not only a shrewd political operative who has made himself rich playing the role of the Jewish shill for the Christian far-right, but according to Stefan, he’s also an “excellent driver.”)
That Rabbi Lapin should be assumed to have any moral authority is a joke, given his record of lies, deceit and political machinations. If his career is not actually destroyed by the Abramoff scandal, whatever is left of his credibility should be.
God for once we agree, listening to Lapin is like watching snails fuck!
Good one, Chuck! LOL! I will use that simile at the next “Team-building” meeting at work…certainly apropos…
So what does that make Catholics? Touched by the…forget it…ya know where i’m going here!
“He even played a role in drumming up false outrage over last November’s gubernatorial election, using his radio show as a forum for promoting the NW blogosphere’s most famous conspiracy theorist, and even joining Stefan as a featured speaker at January’s ridiculous, Ukrainian-themed “Re-Vote” rally, where he inflamed a crowd already fired up on lies about disenfranchised military voters, by paraphrasing John Merrick: “We are not animals! We are humans touched by the finger of GOD!!””>>>
Sorry though Goldy, none of the outrage was either false nor uncalled for. We now have a governor that probably wasnt voted in by the people and garnishes support from less than 32% of the people, so get off of that pure bullshit soapbox!
Have to agree with all of the above. Lapin is a certified spook and way far right wing wacko. According to the talk-show blather, he was Medved’s rab and mentor. Makes sense to me. His blend of zenophobia and psuedo-christian politics makes my skin crawl.
He’s well worth keeping an eye on.
uh, Chuck?
none of the outrage was either false nor uncalled for. We now have a governor that probably wasnt voted in by the people and garnishes support from less than 32% of the people, so get off of that pure bullshit soapbox!
the same thing goes for the current fool in the Oral Office too…
Thank you chuck!!!
I totally expected to see a story here on Jerusalem banning the Gay Pride Parade. Or PETA killing animals. Or Hillary demanding an apology from Karl Rove and NOT Turbin Durbin. Or CNN breaking up the Capital Gang show. Oh how I love the headlines today. Nothing good here today.
did you cover the Mock Trial at the meeting room in congress that the Dems had either? NO!
What’s great about this is that John McCain is calling for the investigation. Guess that shreds the old vast left wing media conspiracy shit that will no doubt be spread on the Faux News Network. I note that the dicksucker Steffy isn’t issuing any prose on this subject. Hm?
DamnageD@6
Uh yes! The current president not only won both his elections BUT he won by a higher margin than his predicessor!
Religious zealots are often the most delusional.
Chuck @ 10 “Uh yes! The current president not only won both his elections BUT he won by a higher margin than his predicessor!”
We have been thru this before. Put the crack pipe down and head to recovery! You are not living with us in the “reality based” world.
he’s also an “excellent driver.”
Definitely. Yeah.
Chuck @ 10
Let me put it to ya this way. Our outrage is either false nor uncalled for. We have a President that probably wasnt voted in by the people and garnishes support from less than 42% of the people,
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories.....2487.shtml so get off of that pure bullshit soapbox!
Sound familiar? I thought so!
DamnageD@14
The bullshit soapbox here is the one you are standing on…look at his predisessors election results.
DamnaqeD@14
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,88691,00.html
link dosent work
and thats not the point…
A link from Fox News not working!!! Get Rove on the phone!!! By God heads will roll!!!
Roll I say!!!!
I thought the only reason you disliked him cuz he was a Jew still practicing his faith..
Wrongo, Religion is a serious thing. One should not practice it in public.
I mean it is all fun and games until someone gets their eye poked out.
oh for fucks sake…that article is from Thursday, June 05, 2003…whats todays date Chuck? Maybe YOUR the only one who thinks this crap in relavant, anybody care to prove me wrong? What IS important is that your current Pres is up to his eyeballs in bullshit…
http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITI.....index.html
Allies prefer CHINA to US; http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/06/.....index.html
VP is full of shit;
http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/06/.....index.html
(B)…in their “last throes.” Do you want to revise or amend those comments?
(DC)…If you look at what the dictionary says about throes, it can still be a violent period
(lets not forget the KEY word L A S T!!…idiot)
‘Ole Rummy and his world of Denial
http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITI.....index.html
…when HIS PARTY wants answers
http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITI.....index.html
Should I go on? I can find TONS more! This entire second term is floating in the crapper, and you can’t SEE this?
AAARRRGGGG
Son of a bitch!!
I just spent 20 minutes getting links together on how badly Bushies term is and the DAMN thing didnt post…
How can I argue on a blog if the friggen comments wont post?!?
Where the fuck is Karl? I’m gonna kick his ass!!
(storms away, slams door)
Poked out by the “FINGER OF GOOOOOOOOOD”!
DamnageD @ 24 “Poked out by the “FINGER OF GOOOOOOOOOD”!”
RFLMAO!
And sorry about the filter grab on your previous post. All a part of living in a post 9/11 world I guess.
i’m gonna try this again, this time, no links (damn you Goldy) !
Chuck…your link is to a story OVER TWO YEARS OLD…and irrelavant to today current situation. The simple fact is your Pres is in DEEP KIMCHEE buddy! His VP is clueless, as is Rummy (they wont listen to their commanders from the field), Botox Bolton is probably going to get pushed thru WITHOUT congresses (or senates, i dont remember which) approval, Afganistan is ready to fire up again, social security is a stain in his shorts, China (FRIGGEN CHINA!) is viewed better bu the world than the US is…I can go on? Look in the crapper, see that thing circling the bowl? It’s Bushies final term.
DamnageD @ 26 Applause!!! Special awards for imagery! Anyone who cannot see the sinking ship USS Bush being flushed like so much bad Karl Rove cirrousis liver tissue is blind.
Bye Bye Neo-cons, don’t let the constitution hit your ass on the way out!
Donna…
For the record (for what its worth) wer ARE NOT THE SAME PERSON, right? There seems to be some discussion in other posts that we could be one-and-the-same, because we agree on a few points.
Lets set the record straight!
DamnageD, I am sad that you would deny we are one in the same.
You are gonna get short sheeted tonight!
Oh, damn, If I short sheet you then I short sheet me…
a bit of a conundrum here.
crap!
And all this posting was getting me all worked up. Must be the “FINNNGERRRR OF GOOOOOOD” references that was doing it.
If anyone is interested you can get a good glimpse of what PacMan and Pudster are all about here
http://www.horsesass.org/my-co.....ment-41881
sheese I thought this stuff went away in the 80’s
Donnageddon@21
Dammit thats my saying!
Goldy’s a self-hater!!
:) :)
Protestants can have crazy Preachers, Catholics can have crazy Priests, even Anakin Skywalker turned out to be nuts, so how can you deny Jews the right to have a crazy Rabbi? It is a fnudamental right!
Shortly after Lapin moved to my home town of Mercer Island, he took an unusual position on our local “racial profiling” scandal.
Allegations had been published that our small-town police practiced racial profiling. About half the letters to our local paper (the Mercer Island Reporter) said that it was impossible for our cops to have racially profiled. About half said that is was possible, and should be investigated because it would be bad if they had.
Lapin, alone, said that it would be a good thing if police used racial profiling. He expressed concern that this place would become like cities in Southern California.
Now, I’m not gonna pretend that there aren’t a few people in our town who might not actually feel that way. Mercer Island is a nice small town, completely surrounded by water, and there are all sorts of people here.
But no-one else was stupid enough actually to come out and SAY it!