Other items in today’s column include:
*Political bytes
*Recommended reading
Jewish senators, organizations join in call
SAN DIEGO — Three San Diego County representatives – Democrats Susan Davis, Mike Levin, and Scott Peters – are among 108 members of the House and 24 Democratic Senators who thus far have called for the dismissal or resignation of Stephen Miller as a White House senior adviser, according to national news reports.
Their call, reinforced by commentary from Jewish organizations disavowing the white nationalist sentiments of Miller, who is Jewish, came in the wake of leaked emails indicating that Miller has been pushing a xenophobic agenda. The emails were leaked to the Southern Poverty Law Center by a former Breitbard News reporter last November.
Stephanie Grisham, a White House spokesperson, called the Southern Poverty Law Center “an utterly-discredited, long-debunked far-left smear organization. They libel, slander, and defame conservatives for a living.” Axios reported that another White House official suggested that “this is clearly a form of anti-Semitism to levy these attacks against a Jewish staffer.”
The emails were sent in 2015 by Miller, in his previous job as an aide to then Senator Jeff Session, R-Alabama, to the Breitbard news organization. In one email he criticized Jeb Bush, then a candidate for president, for supposedly desiring to replace “existing demographics” with immigrants.
This echoes white supremacist claims that Americans are being replaced by nonwhite immigrants. One of the rallying cries of the neo-Nazis, Ku Klux Klan, and other such groups has been “Jews shall not replace us,” alluding to their belief that non-white immigration is part of an alleged Jewish plot. The fact that Miller is himself Jewish makes his echoing of such views all the more surprising.
Rep. Davis is Jewish, and the Jewish senators on record calling for Miller’s dismissal or resignation are Democrats Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Ben Cardin of Maryland, Jacky Rosen of Nevada, Chuck Schumer of New York, and Ron Wyden of Oregon. The two presidential candidates who have joined the call so far are Senators Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts.
Thus far, no Republicans have joined in the call.
Not yet heard from are California’s two Democratic U.S. Senators, Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris, nor San Diego County’s other Democratic congressman, Juan Vargas. Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders as of this date also has not joined in the call.
One of the Jewish groups demanding Miller’s resignation was Bend the Arc, whose CEO Stosh Cotler commented:
“Stephen Miller’s emails paint a picture of someone who is obsessed with scapegoating people of color and immigrants to further his dangerous white supremacist agenda at all costs. He has promoted white nationalist literature, pushed racist narratives about immigrants, and lamented the removal of Confederate symbols following the Charleston Massacre,” she said.
“During his time in the White House, Miller has turned his white nationalist views into official policy as the chief author of Trump’s Muslim ban and immigration policies which have resulted in the brutal separation of thousands of families, as well as abuse and death in crowded detention camps which continues to this day.
“As Jewish Americans, we are called to speak out when we see history repeating itself. We reject the white nationalist ideals of racial purity held by Miller and his allies, and join together in solidarity with all communities who have been targeted by the Trump Administration’s bigoted rhetoric and policies. Stephen Miller does not represent or speak for our community, and has no business serving in a taxpayer-funded position of power. I am grateful that Senators and Representatives are joining with thousands of Americans in calling for Stephen Miller to resign. ”
So far, Miller has made no public response.
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Political bytes
*The California Women’s Leadership Association has endorsed attorney Joe Leventhal in San Diego’s 5th City Council District. Dena Cruden, the organization’s executive director, said of Leventhal: “As a leader in business and civic engagement, he had a long record of advocating for women in leadership positions.”
*After a four year trial period in which municipalities that operate skate parks were held to be immune from law suits, State Sen. Brian Jones, R-Santee, is authoring legislation (SB 1003) to make that immunity permanent. One of his coauthors is Sen. Ben Hueso, D-San Diego. Jones is a candidate in the 53rd Congressional District
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Recommended reading
*The United Nations Human Rights Council releases what is described as a “blacklist” of more than 100 companies that do business in territories disputed by Israel and the Palestinians, the Associated Press reported.
*Palestinian Media Watch reports that Palestinian workers may be the ultimate victims of the UN blacklist.
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Harrison is editor of San Diego Jewish World. He may be contacted via donald.harrison@sdjewishworld.com