Free Republic

A Democratic congressman is under fire for remarks in which he suggested American Jews were behind the push to war with Iraq and Jewish leaders could prevent war if they wanted to. Jewish organizations condemned as "reprehensible" and "anti-Semitic" the comments of Rep. James P. Moran Jr., D-Va., delivered to 120 people attending a forum at St. Anne's Episcopal Church on March 3. "If it were not for the strong support of the Jewish community for this war with Iraq, we would not be doing this," Moran was quoted by the Reston Connection as saying. "The leaders of the Jewish...

Now that Roy Jones has defeated heavyweight champ John (The Quiet Man) Ruiz, another bruising middleweight - Jim (Nosebreaker) Moran - is looking for a big fight that will take him up a division or two. Moran is a former boxer-turned-congressman. This week, in Reston, Va., he served notice he wants to square off against the Jews of America. "If it were not for the strong support of the Jewish community for this war with Iraq, we would not be doing this," he told a gathering of constituents, according to a report in the Reston Connection. Huh? A January poll...

OUR VIEW THAT Rep. James P. Moran Jr. is unfit to serve in Congress is not new. Last July, citing Mr. Moran's ethical obtuseness, we urged Democrats in Alexandria and surrounding neighborhoods to find another candidate for the fall election. Now, by blaming American Jews for an Iraq policy he opposes, the seven-term congressman has confirmed our opinion about him. House Democratic leaders quickly dissociated themselves from his remark; it will be interesting to see whether they, and Northern Virginia Democrats, will make an effort to find a better candidate to run in 2004.