Virginia Republicans can't help themselves

Wed Sep 18, 2013 8:35 AM EDT

Jon Chait joked yesterday, "The Virginia gubernatorial ticket has
managed to offend blacks, gays, women, immigrants.... Somehow they have
neglected the Jews."

That neglect promptly ended an event yesterday for Virginia
gubernatorial hopeful Ken Cuccinelli (R).

As the Washington Post reported, the far-right state attorney general
was "forced to distance himself from a local Republican official who
spoke ahead of the candidate and told an anti-Semitic joke."

People brought yellow lawn chairs with the motto "Don't tread on
me," and at least one tricorner hat was visible in the crowd. John
Whitbeck, 10th Congressional District Republican Committee chairman,
raised eyebrows when he kicked off the festivities by telling a joke in
which the head of the Jewish religion presented the pope with a long,
elaborate document that the Jewish leader said was a bill for the last
supper.

The crowd laughed uproariously. But American Bridge 21st Century, a
liberal political action committee, tweeted about Whitbeck's
"anti-Semitic" opener and the state Democratic Party later circulated a
video of the joke.

Chait added, "It's a great piece of humor because it combines the
Jews-are-cheap angle with the Jews-killed-Jesus angle in one joke."


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