Posted on 07/14/2010 5:30:32 PM PDT by FromLori
U.S. President Barack Obama has nominated Deputy Secretary of State Jacob (Jack) Lew, a religious Jew, as his new director of a budget that suffers from a budget deficit approaching $1.3 trillion. The appointment must be confirmed by the Senate, which may question Lew whether he can function while observing the Sabbath.
One story making the rounds in the United States is that Lew, when he was director for the Office of Management and Budget for former U.S. President Bill Clinton, refused to answer an urgent phone call from the president on the Sabbath, when using the phone is prohibited except in life-saving situations.
The speakerphone was turned on, and Clinton reportedly said, “I know it is the Sabbath, but this is urgent. G-d would understand.”
Lew later consulted with his rabbi, who told him that the Jewish concept of “pikuach Nefesh,” or saving lives, is applicable when the president calls urgently and that he can pick up the phone on the Sabbath without violating the Jewish law.
As Clinton's budget director, Lew performed the rare feat of operating three budgets without increasing the national deficit.
"If there was a Hall of Fame for budget directors, then Jack Lew surely would have earned a place for his service in that role under President Clinton, when he helped balance the federal budget after years of deficits," President Obama said.
“refused to answer an urgent phone call from the president on the Sabbath, when using the phone is prohibited except in life-saving situations.”
Brings to mind the Hillary Clinton question, “What if the 3:00 in the morning call is about the economy?”
I guess you fire your economists, then. If the economists have screwed up so bad that they gotta call you at 3:00 in the morning, then you really need to think about another profession.
If you’d like to be on or off, please FR mail me.
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Should I be surprised that the nomination of an observant Jew who served successfully under President Clinton would be a problem to the left today, because of his faith, not performance, when nominated by BH Obama?
Oh but that’s not true that was an internet rumor about the guy most likely because he is Jewish (even though he’s a liberal obviously a lot of the left hate them) but I know what you mean.
Revisionist history.
The Republican controlled Congress dragged Clinton kicking and screaming towards a balanced budget.
Unfortunately, it was done by decimating our military, not by cutting spending.
Color me a little skeptical about the “story”. He’s not stupid, he knew and knows what the job requires, the question of the Sabbath is one he’d be fully aware of, and certainly wouldn’t wait until receiving and refusing phone calls to consult with a Rabbi if he had any questions. They cited this nonsense when Lieberman ran for VP too.
I agree but I think it’s Ironic that he asked him seeing as how the left treats Israel and Jewish people.
Considering how 0bama has treated Israel, I'm immediately suspicious of a move like this.
Is it possible that 0bama is setting him up as a patsy or something?
Given the fact that BHO was leaning on Bubba today, it’s entirely possible he simply chose him because he’s competent, which he is. A liberal of longstanding, but competent which this administration doesn’t look for outside of defense. Not to mention the fact that during the Bush years he ran alternative investments at Citicorp. All administration officials need to spend some time at a financial institiution, like future Justice Kagan and Goldman.
That’s an outstanding observation I hadn’t thought of that I was just so shocked that makes sense to me because I doubt the guy will be able to do it with the socialist spending and then they will all blame the Jewish people again. The guy should turn him down.
That choice is w-a-a-a-y down on my list of reasons.
That's not how 0bama typically chooses people to work for him.
Obama’s is using this guy’s Judaism as a prop.
The dancing thug from Chicago doesn’t cut it, so he looked through the files for someone Orthodox to be the new Court Jew.
(And I do not mean this derisively of Jewish people. I mean this is obvious tokenism.)
He’s got Axelrod and Emanuel, I don’t see how a token helps him.
No, competence rarely enters into the equation, even liberal competence. But it’s not impossible that he chose someone competant in a position like this, heading OMB isn’t really a policy making position. An intelligent ideologue would have put competent people in non-policy making administrative positions starting day one. You need a competent bus driver to stay on the road while you throw people under it. Don’t rule out the possibility that he’s learning on the job, or be fooled by it.
I doubt that’s the reason he chose him. His faith is the only reason for the article and it’s headline. Which may have come from the administration.
Another Jewish socialist no doubt.
“He’s got Axelrod and Emanuel, I don’t see how a token helps him.”
Ah, but’s this guy is “religious.” Different kind of token.
That said, I don’t think tokenism was the reason for the pick, but it was the reason for the article.
So true. Glad someone remembers; especially the outcome of 9/11 when jets weren't up there already. Something to do with Bubba's Strategic Air Command dismantlement folks have "revised" in history blaming the response on Bush.
Ha if something goes wrong he can now kick the token Jew whom we all klnow run the money of the whole wide world.
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