Rep. Wexler Retires from Congress

David Streeter — October 14, 2009 – 12:25 pm | Israel | Congress | Democrats | Obama Comments (0) Add a comment

Representative Robert Wexler (D-FL) announced that he is retiring from Congress so that he can serve as the head of the Center for Middle East Peace and Economic Cooperation. Wexler carved out a reputation for himself as a staunch advocate for Israel and as a strong defender of President Barack Obama. Wexler’s voice in Congress will surely be missed, however it is unlikely to be the last time that Wexler appears in the national spotlight. Politico’s Josh Kraushaar has already written a piece analyzing the future of Wexler’s seat which will most likely remain Democratic and Jewish. 

But before he was even given a chance to settle into his new job, the right wing attacks began. Notably, the American Thinker’s Ed Lasky wrote a scathing piece about Wexler that criticized both his reason for resigning and his record as a pro-Israel advocate.  Lasky tiptoes around the idea that there is somehow a quid pro quo arrangement between Wexler and a prominent Obama donor in exchange for Wexler vouching for Obama’s Israel credentials. This is total nonsense. Obama is pro-Israel and Wexler was not part of some conspiracy to trick Jews into electing Obama. Lasky must feel that he needs to continue ranting where Norman Podhoretz left off about Jews voting Democratic.

Lasky’s rant aside, Wexler stands as a strong defender of Israel and his record speaks for itself. South Florida’s Sun Sentinel even referred to him as an “Israel Champion” in their headline about his resignation. As with Obama’s receipt of the Nobel Prize, Lasky and his right wing ilk will do anything they can to bash the achievements and aspirations of Democrats.

Comments

There are no comments for this entry