Xmas trees, Rabbi Lapin. sock puppetry, flackery, feigned rage, airport intrique, blazing sound bites, and no trivialities like Iraq, North Korea, Darfur, Africa, and Iran

The Xmas trees are going back up in the airport, but not without a blaze of self-promotional breast-beating from our old friend Rabbi Daniel Lapin!

He's been laying low, at least locally, since the Senate Finance Committee allegations named him a bagman and a sock puppet for Jack Abramoff in June.

But always a soldier in the culture wars- the rabbi jumped up like Frankenstein with blazing sound bites and stern press releases and did his best to become the point-rabbi on the airport Xmas tree holocaust.

True to form, Lapin leaped into the spotlights, annointing himself spokes-rabbi for the Seattle Jewish community in the kerfuffle- a presumptive annointment not met with enthusiasm in many local Jewish circles, we're told. Lapin is a gadfly- an ultra-right winger and cohorter of evangelicals among communities of mostly liberal Reformed Jews. And that was before he disgraced himself as a sock puppet of Jack Abramoff.

Ingratiating himself with the goyim at large on KIRO's Ron & Don (m-f, 4-7p), Lapin called for Seattle Jews to help him and Michael Medved volunteer at SeaTac to put back up those sacred plastic trees.

His ultimate demand wasn't on the press release or on his website- he tried to pressure the erring young rabbi- Elazar Bogomilsky- to make a public apology to the airport.

"He did something rotten," he told R & D. "He needs to apologize... promise there will be no lawsuit and [say] here is a piece of paper guaranteeing it."

(Lapin writes,"Threatening a lawsuit, I feel, violates the Jewish principle known in Hebrew as Kiddush HaShem, interpreted in the Talmud, part of ancient Jewish wisdom, as an action that encourages people to admire Jews." Gosh, he never to our knowledge said that about Jack Abramoff who surely must have caused a few discouraging words about Jews. When people found out about Rabbi Lapin, the Jewish man of God who let use his name be used by Abramoff in Knight Ridder columns attacking the critics of one of his business clients; what did conclusion did ignorant people jump to about Jews?)

The "rigorously observant" Bogomilsky, (who might be a bit of a nebbish) tromped around the media outlets with attorney Harvey Grad (who might be a bit of a weasel) today crying, "O dear, mea culpa, please bring back the trees." Michael Medved says in a letter he wrote Sunday that he's a nice young guy with five kids; and the son-in-law of the rabbi at the synagogue he attends.

But Bogomilsky, we're told, handled it himself with the Port Commission; blew off Lapin's stern demand that he apologize in Lapin's proscribed manner, and ignored the attempt to co-opt the Xmas tree/airport incident.  

Lapin's performance stunk of flackery and had the appearance of an attempt to rehab his tarnished reputation. It wasn't terribly successful- the msm- the papers, CNN, and the newswires- haven't quoted Lapin or acknowledged his presence in the crazy, media admix of the day.

It was only for talk radio.

Ron & Don, loved this warm and witty rebbe with the haughty South African accent and apparently had no idea who he is. They didn't realize that Lapin's moral authority, despite all his high-toned, moralistic rhetoric is about the same as Newt Gingrich's, who once claimed Lapin is his "spiritual mentor;" which judging both men's behavior, is no doubt true.

And Newt's running for president- go figure.

The Xmas tree deal was made for talk radio. The crank of the fog machine was turned by Fox News who headlined "Rabbi Forces Christmas Trees Out of Airport" all weekend. Then Monday, the rabbi, his lawyer, and separately, of course, Port Commish Pat "WTO" Davis made the local rounds starting with Kirby Wilbur (KVI m-f, 5-9a) and Sytman & Boze (KTTH m-f, 5-9) this ayem, and continued with at least two hours each on Dave Ross, and The Tators (KVI m-f, 9a-12p). Everybody locally talked about it- Ron Reagan, Michael Medved, Dori Monson, Ron & Don, and Rabbi Lapin. The story made it onto the wires, Fox News, and CNN.

Callers replied with rage (real or feigned, rage is the mother's milk of AM talk), the anti-Semitism of some only thinly masked for the radio. The Anti-Defamation League reported about 14 Jewish organizations or rabbis had reported receiving negative mail.

This "issue" was a trip back into the comfort zone of the Judeo-Christian fundamentalists and talk conservatives. Faux news slides them back into one of their favorite easy chairs of soft, lazy, tried & true memes. A welcome retreat from the reality of the huge conundramatic choices that face the American government and the American people after the Katrina of the policies conservatives have been clinging to.

In the end, ike an Xmas tree falling in the forest,Lapin had no apparent effect in the unfortunate affair. There was his blatant self-aggrandizement, which was good for him in some tiny way (tell it to the IRS) and he was right about one thing:

"At last we no longer have to waste time on trivialities like Iraq, North Korea, Darfur, Africa, and Iran; and we can get down to the really important things like law suits about Xmas trees," he said.

Comments

[mercifurious]

Hold up:

Michael Medved assures us in a letter he wrote Sunday that he's a nice young guy with five kids; and the son-in-law of the rabbi at the synagogue he attends.

Synagogue? Thats weird. I always assumed Medved was a member of Antioch or Mars Hill. Does his synagogue know about Medved's Mel Gibson brown-nosing?

[Dale]

well here we go on the Vinnie talk from last nights show
Vinnie wanted to Wiff us 14 times
Also new words, Dait, diss, and there was way to many DOA, DOA, and UgH , UgH to count .
Good Work Vinnie glady pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today!

[joanie]

Xmas trees earned all that air space? When really important changes are happening like Franken leaving AA?

Unbelievable.

[Tommy008]

New York Vinnie, have important mission for you. Need to leave radio station so can open up slot for man can speak correct. New York, find moose and squirrel!

[Fremont]

I agree, Joans, but those trees are national news (even my faves, Olbermann and NPR are commenting) Wanna go to the airport with me and hang Bill Orally's balls on them?

[mercifurious]

The "rigorously observant" Bogomilsky, (who might be a bit of a nebbish)

I read somewhere that he's Hasidic (I'll have to double-check). Not sure, but if true he may not have a TV - thus may not know that Herr Falafeloofa is sniffing around every stinky ass for ratings

... uh I mean, because he's a Culture Warrior who's looking out for us

[lukobe]

what a ridiculous situation.

[sparky]

agreed

[Dana]

"what a ridiculous situation"

Pardon the expression, but...ditto.

[lukobe]

What's with the Port, anyway--and what ever happened to that huge land swap?

[joanie]

Fremont: YES!

[sparky]

Bill Orally has no balls...

[joanie]

Hey, JM, bet it took you a lot longer to get to Montlake huh?

[Tommy008]

My, Frank aren't we pleased with ourself tonight- letting everyone know once again that you're affluent enought to afford dance classes for Saray May, and then putting on your best "nasal provincial" voice as you brag about the school district letting you teach math even though it wasn't your field, but you did so well at it in school.

[Tommy008]

Sorry, Sarah May. Saray May sounds like you married and had a child with a Malaysian or Thai woman or such, and we all know that would never happen. bwahahahaahahahah

[joanie]

What? He teaches math, too? A third job no less? When does he find time to sleep?

So much for family values: you know, seeing the wife and kids from time to time. Course, you gotta pay for the dance lessons. . .

[Tommy008]

no, this was in his fromer life as a teacher.

[joanie]

Considering math scores in the this state, I don't think Frankie should be bragging. Stick to oldies R&R Frank, it suits you.

[Dale]

Vinnie English, I think I got it down now!
Wiff you ( with you )
Dat ( that )
Dis ( this )
DoA ( ? )
Boof ( Both )
_________________________________
A few more Vinne words Friday 15/06
Vinnie will glady pay you tuesday for a hamburger today!!

[sparky]

My guess it was a private school...State Standards and Practices require some sort of certification or licensing to teach.

[joanie]

I think he was certified . . . at least, I assumed he was! You might be right, and I may have taken him on face value (which isn't much!).

He has done several shows wearing his expert "teacher's hat."

I know that it is common for teachers to teach outside their areas of specialization. Isn't there some sort of Bush law/legislation being pushed about that - perhaps as part of NCLB?

[lukobe]

don't private schools require certification as well? the schools themselves are accredited, I know that....

Sparky, "Bill Orally"--know what Fawlty Towers episode that reminds me of?

[lukobe]

oh, speaking of local education, what's up with the supreme court case? still arguing? or are arguments over and they're deliberating?

[lukobe]

Dale: E. C. Segar rules!

[sparky]

From what I know about it, lukobe, teachers in a private school do not necessarily have to be a certificated teacher. I was a junior in college before I found out that few college professors have an education degree--they are just experts in their field of study--which explains why some are so hard to understand.

With NCLB, there was a huge crackdown on teachers teaching something not in their area of expertise in the public schools, let alone hiring someone who is not trained and licensed to teach. This has been a huge problem for states with small populations and low pay for teachers. The one exception might be math and science, since Christine wants to hire people from the field. Knowledge-wise, that's good, but just because someone is an expert mathemetician does not automatically mean he or she can teach others what he or she knows. There needs to be a balance of both expertise and a knack for communicating effectively.

[joanie]

Lukobe, to which Fawlty Towers are you referring? Was it one of the remodel episodes? Thinking the name of the contractor that Cleese hired was something like that. . .

Case has been argued and the decision will come down in January.