washington | When is it kosher for Jewish leaders to consort with lawmakers, and when does it become payback for political pork?
The propriety of appearances with politicians is once again an issue in an election year, with a focus on the re-election campaign of Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) in November.
At issue are what the rules should be when dealing with incumbents up for re-election. Some argue that as long as Jewish groups avoid events that expressly endorse a candidate, the timing of their appearances is of little import.
Others argue for stricter rules.
“I am trying to get the message out to every Jewish nonprofit: Do not be used,” said Ira Forman, executive director for the National Jewish Democratic Council, which has led the campaign.
In a recent action alert to members, the National Jewish Democratic Council targeted Jewish groups that have hosted Santorum or that have agreed to appear at a Jewish Leadership Summit he’s holding Tuesday, July 18.
“In a true sign of political deviousness, Santorum has roped the Orthodox Union and the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs (JINSA) into this recent political charade,” the email said. “And in doing so, he and Republicans are playing games with the tax-deductible status of Jewish not-for-profit organizations.”
Nonsense, said Santorum, who notes that he has hosted many such forums for constituents.
In a letter of reassurance to Nathan Diament, who heads the OU’s Washington office and who will appear at the event, Santorum expressed his “dismay” at charges that the event is political.
“This is an official Senate function, and speakers will discuss the policy-related issues of the day,” Santorum wrote. “Since 1997, my office has hosted various coalition days in Washington, D.C., to introduce my constituents to lawmakers and experts in the nation’s capital.”
In his letter, Santorum outlined a number of events he has hosted in election and non-election years for a variety of constituencies.
Diament said he was comfortable with his appearance.
“The OU does not engage in political campaign activities, it does not endorse political candidates and we’ll be talking about the issues,” he said.
He noted a May event hosted by Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.), who is also up for re-election this year.
Forman argues that the Clinton event was different because it was private, and although Clinton led the event, the Senate Democratic leadership organized it. Additionally, Clinton is virtually assured victory, while Santorum is trailing his Democratic rival, Bob Casey, and needs every vote he can get.
Republicans say such vagaries make the question of what’s proper and what’s not difficult to determine, and set a burdensome standard.
Matt Brooks, Forman’s counterpart at the Republican Jewish Coalition, said Forman’s proposals threaten to choke off dialogue.
“It stifles the ability of elected leaders and organizations in the community to engage the wider community in discussion on important policy matters,” Brooks said.
Democrats scored a success recently with the Washington office of the United Jewish Communities, the umbrella body for Jewish federations, after its monthly email newsletter featured an interview with with Maryland Gov. Robert Ehrlich, a Republican who faces a tight re-election race in November.
The interview lauded Ehrlich for his role in distributing state homeland security funds to Jewish groups.
The newsletter had run similarly friendly interviews with Democrats in the past, but after Jewish Democrats complained about the Ehrlich interview, UJC made it a policy not to write about politicians in an election year.
That standard is overly burdensome, said Hadar Susskind, Daroff’s counterpart at the Washington office of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, the umbrella body for community relations councils. For example, it cuts off members of the U.S. House of Representatives, who serve two-year terms, for half of their time in Congress.
Still, there is room for precautions, Susskind said. In such situations, JCPA advises constituents to make sure to invite not just incumbents but their opponents, he said.