Harvard GOP-er who stood up to Barney Frank scraps — and sings — at Chicago’s Tax Day Tea Party

llinois Republican Congressional candidate Joel Pollak showed up at Chicago’s tax day tea party in Daley Plaza and attacked the idea that the tea party movement is motivated by prejudice.

In his speech, Pollak said, “I’ve been to a couple of Tea Party rallies now. And I have learned more about what you stand for: More freedom, and less government. Higher jobs, and lower taxes. Stronger allies, and weaker enemies. And most of all, you stand for the U.S. Constitution. And I respect that!

“Let me tell you — I would have nothing to do with this group or any other group if it were racist or homophobic or antisemitic or anything like that in any way. And neither would you! So be proud of being here today. And keep holding politicians — like me — accountable.”

Not long ago, the thirty-something Pollak set the Internet abuzz by doggedly questioning Congressman Barney Frank on his role in the bailouts of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The YOU-Tube video (which also featured Pollak’s beautiful and supportive wife literally standing behind him as he took on Frank) — went viral, helping to launch Pollak, of Skokie, Illinois, on a run for Congress in Chicago’s District 9 against Democratic incumbent Jan Schakowsky.

I recently met this wunderkind at a gathering of Jewish Republican leaders, and was blown away by his intelligence, integrity, and maturity. He seems absolutely raring to take on the sloppy governance and moral relativism that have bogged down everything from the U.S. financial system to the intractable middle-east conflict.

(Skokie, of course, was the scene of a Nazi march some years ago in a neighborhood of Holocaust survivors. Pollak alludes to that famed case, which is usually cited as a stunning example of free speech rights, but which has always struck me as legalized harassment, saying, “I am from Skokie, where we resisted the Nazis when they tried to march in our town.” Not sure if he means the ‘we’ literally as he looks like he could not have been more than a toddler when those events took place).

As for the tax day’s events, apparently Pollak also composed a folk song to capture the anti-incumbent mood, and performed it for the crowd (as a Jewish woman I know that for a Jewish man to do such a thing takes real courage). Here is the last stanza:

Now today we have gathered — young, old, black, and white
And we’ve all got the vote, so we don’t need to fight
But if Washington taxes our future away
Then we’ll throw them all out on Election Day!

Sounds like a clever homage to the political process, an appeal for civility, and a rousing call to ditch the incumbents for more fiscally responsible candidates like himself – all in one.

I would expect nothing less from Pollak. I interviewed him several weeks ago, around the time of the flap between President Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. His insights and knowledge were impressive.

For starters, it was he who reminded me that, in fact, the Netanyahu and Obama administrations had already agreed that the area in Jerusalem where construction is to take place was to be exempt from the moratorium on settlement construction. So in reality, it was the Obama Administration that pulled the rug out from under Israel, and tried to characterize it as the reverse. Pollak also explained that the area in East Jerusalem where these housing units are to be built is “further West than the old city – it is not a settlement” and said he thought the Obama Administration’s use of the term “settlement” was a misnomer.

He explained that “housing and construction in Israel is controlled by Shas” – an ultra-Orthodox, Sephardic party – and that it is theoretically possible that that party might have intended the announcement to upstage Netanyahu’s meeting with Biden.

“Occasionally Shas steps out of line,” Pollak said. “But clearly it wasn’t part of a plan by Netanyahu to embarrass Biden.”

Moreover, Pollak explained that the week of the flap, renovation was being completed on an ancient synagogue, the Hurva Synagogue, in Jerusalem’s old city. Centuries old, this synagogue had been destroyed after the Jordanian government attacked the old city in 1948, killing Jews and demolishing synagogues after Israel declared its independence. Pollak pointed out that, ominously, after the Obama Administration picked a fight with Netanyahu over this announcement, Islamic news outlets and religious leaders began linking the residential construction being planned with the refurbishing of the ancient synagogue that has already taken place.

Apparently, the Hurva Synagogue is 300 meters from Al Aqsa, a prominent mosque in Jerusalem. News outlets and religious leaders began “repeating throughout the Islamic world” that the synagogue repair was a threat to the mosque, Pollak said. In actuality, this claim is absolutely untrue, according to Pollak – but the Obama Administration’s characterization of the already-approved apartment construction in Jerusalem as illegal “settlement” building made it easier for Hamas to “fan the flames of outrage at the basic right of Jews to build houses of worship in the old quarter.”

He characterized the flap as “manufactured” and said he believes it was especially irresponsible of the Obama Administration in light of the true sensitiveness.

Pollak says he was a supporter of Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza because he believed it was worth a try. He believes now, however, that such unilateral retreats without concessions or guarantees of security are folly.

“The lesson of Gaza is it doesn’t matter what Israel gives up,” he said. “Instead of getting peace and stability, Israel got kidnapped soldiers, rockets, and a terror state getting support from Iran.”

Regarding Iran, Pollak believes the U.S. must support its ally Israel 100 percent, and that failing to do so is not only wrong but strategically foolish.

“Once Israel attacks Iran everyone will assume the U.S. gave Israel the green light anyway,” he said. “We should be aware … and publicly give Israel support. If we make it clear we will back Israel up, maybe Iran will have second thoughts [about continuing on its current course towards nuclear weapons].”

This entry was written by Heather Robinson and posted on April 17, 2010 at 6:30 pm and filed under Blog. permalink. Follow any comments here with the RSS feed for this post. Keywords: Israel, media, tea-parties. Post a comment or leave a trackback: Trackback URL. */?>