By Donald H. Harrison in San Diego
NATIONAL
Far-Right Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene’s surprise announcement that she will resign from Congress on Jan. 5 of next year will require Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp to schedule a special election. Getting an early jump on that contest, African-American Democrat Shawn Harris, a retired brigadier general, has sent a fundraising appeal in cooperation with San Diego’s Democratic Congresswoman Sara Jacobs requesting contributions with half going to him and half going to her.
Greene’s decision to quit Congress came after her one-time ally, President Donald Trump, announced he would find a Republican opponent to oppose her in the 2016 primary elections, labeling her on social media a “traitor” and ‘Wacky Marjorie.’ The rift was exacerbated by her early support for the release of the Justice Department’s files concerning Jeffrey Epstein, the late sexual predator accused of supplying underage females to powerful and politically-well-connected men. When it became apparent that there were enough votes in Congress for veto-proof passage of the bill, Trump dropped his opposition and the bill sailed through both houses of Congress.
What Greene will do after her resignation takes effect is a matter of speculation. Earlier this year, she ruled out running in statewide contests for Georgia governor and for the U.S. Senate seat occupied by Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff. Some believe she plans to seek MAGA support to run for the presidency.
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U.S. Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Michigan, announced that her home had been subjected to a bomb threat on Friday that state police investigated and found no danger. She was among six Democrats who posted a video calling on the nation’s military and intelligence officers to decline to carry out illegal orders from their superiors, restating current law. President Trump denounced the video as “seditious” and said it was so serious that it was punishable by the death penalty. Later, Trump said that he didn’t want the lawmakers executed, but did want them to be investigated by the Defense Department. The other five lawmakers who made the video were Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona and four members of the House of Representatives: Chris DeLuzio and Chrissy Houlahan, both of Pennsylvania, Jason Crow of Colorado and Maggie Goodlander of New Hampshire. All six are veterans of the American military or intelligence services.
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Hawaii’s Governor Josh Green, M.D., told the Associated Press that voters will be tired of confrontational politics by the time Donald Trump leaves the presidency and suggested that his fellow Democrat, Governor Gavin Newsom, seen as a leading contender for the Democratic presidential nomination, will have to “adopt some of the conciliatory, collegial rhetoric, or even policy ideas, that others are going for.”
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Tatiana Schlossberg, daughter of Carolyn Kennedy and Edwin Schlossberg, revealed she has terminal cancer in an essay published Nov. 22 by The New Yorker on the 62nd anniversary of the assassination of her grandfather, President John F. Kennedy. She has been diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia. The announcement came only days after her brother, Jack Schlossberg, announced he would run for the congressional seat being vacated by Democratic Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-New York)
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INTERNATIONAL
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, is facing a Nov. 27 deadline to respond to U.S. President Donald Trump’s ultimatum demanding acceptance of his 28-point pro-Russian peace proposal or risk the loss of U.S. aid. Zelenskyy is busy conferring with European leaders, among them, Emmanuel Macron of France, Friedrich Merz of Germany, and Keir Starmer of Great Britain. They assured Zelenskyy of their continued support even if the U.S. stopped supporting Ukraine.
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Miss Mexico, Fatima Bosch Fernández, 25, was crowned Friday in Bangkok as Miss Universe in a reversal of fortune from earlier in the pageant when she was publicly scolded by Newat Itsaragrisil, the Thai director of the pageant, for allegedly failing to take part in local promotional activities. When Bosch started to speak in her defense, Newat called security officers. In protest, Bosch walked off stage, followed by several competitors and last year’s winner of the Miss Universe Contest, Victoria Kjaer Theilvig of Denmark. The incident prompted Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum to comment: “It seems to me that is an example of how women should raise our voices.” The President said contrary to the adage that “women look more beautiful when they keep quiet… we women look more beautiful when we raise our voice and participate because that has to do with the recognition of our rights.”
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The Jewish Telegraphic Agency carries a story by Menachem Z. Rosensaft decrying the statement by U.S. Ambassador to Poland Thomas Rose absolving Poland and its citizens of any responsibility for the Holocaust. To say otherwise, Rose declared, is “a grotesque falsehood and the equivalent of a blood libel against the Polish people and Polish nation.” Rose is a former publisher of the Jerusalem Post.
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Jewish News Syndicate reports that Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz presided over a signing ceremony Thursday whereby Israel will purchase $5.2 billion worth of Iron Dome interceptors from Rafael Advanced Defense Systems.
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Donald H. Harrison is publisher and editor of San Diego Jewish World.
I really appreciate these frequent political briefings.