DEBATE TONIGHT: John Delaney vs Roscoe Bartlett at Rockville Synagogue // PLUS: Jews for Justice Advance Questions 4 & 6

UPDATE: Today, Capital News Service has coverage of the latest Bartlett-Delaney debate. See a brief excerpt below:

CNS: Bartlett stood by the more than 30 votes he cast to repeal President Barack Obama’s health care reform law, but acknowledged that Republicans “do not have a well-developed alternative.” He defended his membership in the House Tea Party Caucus as “supporting a dialogue on the importance of the Constitution,” but added that he reaches across the aisle “more than probably any other Republican....”

CD6 CANDIDATES DEBATE: Throughout Maryland, much attention has been paid to what conservative and evangelical branches of Christianity have been doing with respect to Maryland politics. But today, we have two tidbits from the Jewish community in Montgomery County. The Jewish Community Relations Council invited Democrat John Delaney and GOP Rep. Roscoe Bartlett to a candidates debate tonight. The event begins at 6:30 pm tonight in Rockville, MD:

Temple Beth Ami
14330 Travilah Road
Rockville, MD 20850

This could be one of the more interesting debates in the 6th Congressional District race. First, Bartlett will have to face Delaney among a crowd of Montgomery County voters. But more importantly, it seems hard to imagine that Bartlett's recent Holocaust gaffes won't be discussed. You may recall that Bartlett recently compared federal student loans to the Holocaust.


JEWS FOR JUSTICE GEAR UP TO SUPPORT QUESTIONS 4 & 6: Meanwhile, elsewhere in Montgomery County, Jews for Justice is gearing up to help defend the Dream Act and marriage equality. See the press statement below:

PRESS RELEASE

Jewish Community in Montgomery County Mobilizes to 
Support Civil Marriage Equality and DREAM Act in Maryland

Jews United for Justice Organizes Montgomery County Jews in Support of Two Vital Maryland Ballot Issues; Momentum Builds as Area Congregations Plan Events to Educate Voters

Several area rabbis spoke to their congregations from the pulpit during the Jewish high holidays to remind congregants that Judaism requires equality under civil law for all people. Over 20 area Jewish congregations and youth and college groups are holding educational events, house meetings, canvasses, and phone banks to educate members and get out the vote in November. Jews United for Justice (JUFJ) is organizing synagogues and Jewish communities across Montgomery County to educate and mobilize voters on two critical social justice issues which will be put to a statewide vote in November: the Maryland DREAM Act and the Civil Marriage Protection Act.

Rabbi Michael Feshbach of Temple Shalom delivered the following message to his congregation in his Kol Nidre speech on the eve of Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish year:

“This fall we face two opportunities to step up, and stand out, to pray with our hands… to act, and by so doing, to make this world more whole.  The initiatives I refer to will appear as Questions Four and Six on the Maryland ballot.  They are the Maryland version of the Dream Act, and the issue of Marriage Equality for Same-Sex couples.  In my view, and, indeed, in the view of our Reform movement, these are measures which call for our involvement, and support….We can… remember that the work we do to better the world is something we do… as Jews, as a congregation, as a Jewish community, as an expression of our Jewish values… as well as flowing from our sense of general human decency.  We can step forward, with head and heart and hand… With education, passion, and advocacy.”

Maryland citizens will be able to vote on November 6th in support of these civil rights issues listed as Questions 4 and 6 on the ballot.  The Jewish community in Montgomery County is organizing and educating potential voters to vote based on the shared Jewish values of social justice and equality, themes common to both of these important issues.

Jewish Americans overwhelming support both issues. Chosen for What? Jewish Values in 2012, a new study completed by the Public Religion Research Institute, finds that 70% of American Jews support the federal DREAM Act.  And more than 8-in-10 (81%) American Jews support allowing same-sex couples to marry legally.

JUFJ is a non-profit organization whose mission is to lead Washington-area Jews to act on our shared Jewish values by pursuing justice and equality in our local community.  We fervently support these two important measures and know that an overwhelming majority of area Jews do so as well.

###

CD6: John Delaney's New Radio Ad Criticizes Rep. Roscoe Bartlett's Comments Comparing Student Loans to the Holocaust

Democrat John Delaney is running a new radio ad that criticizes Rep. Roscoe Bartlett's record on education. The piece below also highlights Bartlett's recent comments comparing student loans to the Holocaust:



More on the CD6 race soon!

CD6 VIDEO: Oy Vey! Another Holocaust Gaffe from Roscoe Bartlett // GOP Incumbent Lacking Campaign Discipline?

Rep. Roscoe Bartlett took heat last week when video surfaced of the 6th Congressional District incumbent comparing student loans to the Holocaust. But the gaffe-fest continues, as Politico today released another video, but this time Bartlett compares the Patriot Act to Nazi Germany and again invokes the Holocaust. Oy vey! You can watch the video below, but here is Politico's take (excerpt below):

POLITICO: Rep. Roscoe Bartlett had to apologize recently after his remark last week suggesting that federal student loans were unconstitutional and citing the Holocaust as an example of what happens when government heads down the wrong path.

Turns out, that was Bartlett's second Holocaust reference in two days.

A day before his student loan comment, Bartlett called the PATRIOT Act a violation of civil liberties and the “least patriotic thing” he had voted for in Congress. Ignoring the Constitution is a “slippery slope,” Bartlett said, before suggesting a parallel with Nazi Germany....

Bartlett, who has been in office since 1993, faces a tough re-election battle against Democrat John Delaney.

It seems to me that Rep. Roscoe Bartlett may lack the discipline required to hold onto his seat this November. These videos just defy common sense for a candidate, even before considering the tough race Bartlett faces.

OMG in CD6: Rep. Roscoe Bartlett Says Federal Student Loans Are Unconstitutional & Compares Them to Holocaust

UPDATE: The Washington Post's Ben Pershing now has a follow-up to his mind-blowing article about Rep. Roscoe Bartlett's Holocaust comments. Bartlett is now apologizing for his statements after his campaign spokesperson first said his remarks were in line with his philosophy. See their attempts to walk it back below (excerpt below):

WASHINGTON POST: After initially defending Bartlett’s statement, his campaign issued an apology Thursday afternoon. “While explaining my position on an important constitutional issue, I regrettably used an extreme example as a comparison that was ill-advised and inappropriate,” Bartlett said. “I should never use something as horrific as the Holocaust to make a political point, and I deeply apologize to anyone I may have offended.”

The Washington Post's Ben Pershing is reporting on an insane development in Maryland's 6th Congressional District. Rep. Roscoe Bartlett, who is already in the fight of his life against Democratic businessman John Delaney, has now compared federal student loans to the Holocaust (excerpt below):

WASHINGTON POST: [Roscoe Bartlett] explained that he had read through the Constitution carefully and could find no evidence “that the federal government should be involved in education....”

“Not that it’s not a good idea to give students loans, it certainly is a good idea to give them loans,” Bartlett said. “But if you can ignore the Constitution to do something good today, tomorrow you will be ignoring the Constitution to do something bad. You could. There are more people in our, in America today of German ancestry than any other [inaudible]. The Holocaust that occurred in Germany — how in the heck could that happen? And when you start down the wrong road, it can be a very slippery slope....”

VIDEO SYNOPSIS: Bartlett was asked at a town hall meeting about whether he believes in federal student loans. He pulls out a pocket copy of the Constitution and says he thinks they are unconstitutional. Then he proceeds to compare the federal student loans to the Holocaust, invoking the slippery slope argument. See the video below. Oy vey!