Posted on 11/21/2013 2:13:39 PM PST by Tailgunner Joe
Tears were shed and Hitler was quoted on Wednesday, as ethnic tensions erupted at the State House and threatened to derail Governor Deval Patrick’s nominee for a seat on the Superior Court.
The charged struggle centers around the leadership role that the nominee, Joseph S. Berman, has played in the Anti-Defamation League, a national organization dedicated to combating anti-Semitism and other forms of discrimination.
Berman’s nomination stirred opposition because, for years, the organization refused to label as genocide the slaughter of Armenians by Ottoman Turks between 1915 and 1923, a stance that angered the Armenian community. But in 2007, the organization reversed course and called the slaughter “tantamount to genocide,” quieting the controversy until it flared again around Berman’s nomination.
A commercial litigation lawyer from Weston, Berman has been a national commissioner of the organization since 2006, and a member of its regional board and executive committee.
At Wednesday’s meeting of the Governor’s Council, the elected eight-member panel that approves judicial nominations, Councilor Marilyn M. Pettito Devaney led the opposition to Berman, saying she had the five votes needed to reject his nomination.
Devaney, a Democrat from Watertown, home to a large Armenian community, stood and denounced Berman’s affiliation with the Anti-Defamation League, as the governor looked on, chagrined.
“In 1939, Hitler, carrying out his horrific mission to exterminate the Jews, said, ‘Who remembers the Armenians?’” Devaney said, her voice trembling and eyes filling with tears. “I do. And many others do, too.”
Devaney said if she belonged to “a group who denied the Holocaust,” she would resign. Several other councilors agreed that Berman’s ties to the Anti-Defamation League are a concern, while raising their own separate objections.
Patrick, who chairs the Governor’s Council, postponed the vote on Berman’s nomination until Dec. 4, forestalling an embarrassing political defeat. The governor called Berman “more than ready to serve” on the Superior Court.
“I’m going to work hard to get the votes,” Patrick told the councilors. “I haven’t had an opportunity to do that. I’m not ready today.”
Several councilors strongly objected to the delay and urged Patrick to allow them to vote immediately on Berman’s nomination.
“We’re not going to change our minds,” Devaney said. “To prolong this serves no purpose.”
Councilor Terrence W. Kennedy agreed, saying that even though he supports Berman, a delay will not save the nomination.
“It’s a democracy, and I don’t think the vote is going to change,” he told Patrick.
Typically, the lieutenant governor would chair meetings of the council, a fractious and often rebellious panel that dates to the Colonial era. But because Timothy P. Murray resigned as lieutenant governor in May, Patrick has had to fill that role.
The fight over Berman’s nomination harkens back to the bitter controversy over the Armenian genocide that engulfed the Anti-Defamation League six years ago.
In 2007, the organization fired its New England regional director, Andrew H. Tarsy, after he broke rank with national leadership and said it should acknowledge the genocide.
The organization had expressed concern that doing so could harm Israel’s relations with Turkey, a rare Muslim ally.
Many Jewish and Armenian leaders in New England criticized Tarsy’s firing and urged the organization to recognize the genocide. After several days of outcry, the national director, Abraham H. Foxman, issued a statement in 2007 calling the massacre of Armenians “tantamount to genocide” but stopping short of labeling it an actual genocide.
Anti-Defamation League leaders said Wednesday that that phrase is not meant to obscure the historical suffering of Armenians.
“ADL policy right now is crystal clear: that we recognize the Armenian genocide,” said Robert O. Trestan, director of the New England Anti-Defamation League. “We’re on the record making that recognition more than five years ago, and we’ve moved on from the issue, and it doesn’t seem appropriate, more than five years later, to bring this up in light of a judicial nomination.”
Reached by phone on Wednesday, Berman declined to discuss the issue.
Councilors have also objected to Berman because he donated about $110,000 to Democratic candidates over the last decade, contributions that they say make it appear as though his nomination was a reward for his financial support. In addition, at least one criticized his nomination because he once represented a prisoner at Guantanamo Bay.
Jeffrey S. Robbins, the chair of the board of the New England Anti-Defamation League, was among those who testified in support of Berman at his nomination hearing last week.
“The assault on Joe Berman is particularly egregious” because Berman was one of the most vocal and effective voices within the organization urging it to acknowledge the massacre as a genocide, Robbins said.
“That’s the kind of courage and principle that should be rewarded, and not penalized,” he said.
“In one of our towns along the Hudson River they had to pass a law requiring 1/2 of each sign be in English; they were all Asian alphabets, and firemen couldn’t respond to calls in a timely manner because they couldn’t read business names. Their chamber of commerce meetings are held in Korean...”
Holy sh*t!!! WOW!!! I’m speechless.
That county (Bergen County, less than a mile north of me)just added Korean to its ballots as well. Many Asians living along the Hudson River work in Manhattan; the area in question is on the NJ side of the George Washington Bridge. They are a wealthy group, and certainly have a positive financial impact.
Other areas rife with signs in Spanish haven’t had the same problem come up, probably because they at least use the same alphabet.
“That county (Bergen County, less than a mile north of me)just added Korean to its ballots as well.”
Damn, that’s still a big thing to swallow - the official catering in foreign languages
I can see Spanish being less problematic due to the alphabet, as you pointed out.
As long as this country doesn’t have an official language, I expect that they can do as they please. It became a public safety issue, but people like my in-laws never supported bilingualism. They knew Spain and South America wouldn’t kowtow to foreigners like that, and the US shouldn’t either.
In the end, bilingualism simply holds back the people it is purported to benefit.
“As long as this country doesn’t have an official language, I expect that they can do as they please.”
You got that right; a big oversight on the Founding Fathers’ part not to make English the official language of the USA.
“In the end, bilingualism simply holds back the people it is purported to benefit.”
Yes, but it provides (teachers, teacher aides, translators, etc., etc.,) jobs and guaranteed Democrat votes to keep the programs (a.k.a. their jobs) in place.
I believe there was no official language because of the number of Germans in the colonial army; they were the largest minority at the time. Not that they would fight for the crown, but they might just not fight.
I usually learn something new from your posts, Kearney. Thanks!
Thanks; I learn a bunch from you & other FReepers as well. Makes it a great site!
10-4!
This trash, Berman, was voted down 5-3 for a judgeship.
http://bostonherald.com/news_opinion/columnists/howie_carr/2013/11/what_s_left_to_do_for_judgeship
Ping to 30.
Good riddance to him!
Yep. I wonder if he’ll still continue to contribute ma$$ive dollar$ to RATS...
“I wonder if he’ll still continue to contribute ma$$ive dollar$ to RATS...”
Good question; when Bloomberg couldn’t win the Dem nomination to run for mayor of NYC (he was a Dem), he simply switched parties and ran (and won) as a Republican. When he no longer needed that, he switched to independent.
Our “political class” is a disgrace; almost as bad as having a “political class”.
“Our “political class” is a disgrace; almost as bad as having a ‘political class’.”
Think about this: Minus the ~2 years there was a family placeholder (before Teddy was old enough to run) the “Kennedy” Senate seat was occupied by that family for longer than Fidel Castro ruled Cuba.
We certainly have a ‘political class’ here.
As bad as Bloomberg is, the putz that was just elected will make him look good by comparison. YIKES!!!
DeBlasio is for the poor what Bloomberg was for the rich; they were both determined to make NYC into a leftist playground, and the only difference is which leftists are using the facilities. Again, this might mean good things for NJ.
I just read an article where the RI druggie Kennedy had moved to the Jersey shore, where he’ll advocate for mental health issues. Maybe he’ll feature in a real “Jersey Shore” episode, whacked out of his mind in a club the Mediterranean folk visit.
I’m Irish, and these people mean less than nothing to me; a blight on our good name.
“...and the only difference is which leftists are using the facilities.”
Great point, as usual.
Yes, “Patches” Kennedy’s wife just had a kid. Patches is the runt’s runt. ‘Nough said.
“I’m Irish, and these people mean less than nothing to me; a blight on our good name.”
I’m not Irish, but I couldn’t agree more with you.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.