Dems dump Arab-American candidate over terror comments

Associated Press ^ | March 25, 2006

[presidio9]

-- Passaic County Democrats removed an Arab-American freeholder candidate from their ticket Saturday amid a furor over comments he made four years ago that some interpreted as sympathetic to suicide bombers.

"I'm in shock, feeling betrayed," said Sami Merhi, a Lebanese-born businessman from Totowa. "They should be ashamed of themselves."

At issue are comments Merhi made at a September 2002 fundraiser for U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, D-Paterson. In his remarks, Merhi condemned the Sept. 11 terrorists as "cold-blooded murderers" and "crazy fanatics." When asked if he would apply the same label to Palestinian suicide bombers who target Israelis, Merhi said, "I can't see the comparison."

In an interview with The Associated Press earlier this week, Merhi said the point he was trying to make was that while all murder is wrong, the World Trade Center attack was mass murder on an unprecedented scale. It also was an attack in which his godson was killed.

After narrowly losing out on the party's nod in 2004 because of the comments, Merhi was endorsed by the party last week.

But after top Democrats, including Gov. Jon S. Corzine and U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) weighed in, saying they opposed his candidacy, Passaic County party leaders scheduled a meeting to reconsider their endorsement.

Merhi said he appealed to party leaders during Saturday's meeting to support him and accept his explanation that his comments had been wrongly interpreted. He said he opposes terrorism in all its forms, and that killing innocent people is always wrong.

But he said party chairman John Currie told him, "We love you. We all like you. But this is about politics."

Currie did not immediately return messages left at his office and home Saturday.

Aref Assaf, a Palestinian activist and friend of Merhi, said he appealed to Currie

[Windsong]

"But after top Democrats, including Gov. Jon S. Corzine and U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) weighed in, saying they opposed his candidacy

The Dems do something right for once. Kudos.

[rsanjari]

"When asked if he would apply the same label to Palestinian suicide bombers who target Israelis, Merhi said, "I can't see the comparison."

That's the real problem. Vision.

He just can't see how terrorism when it's practised against innocent people going about their work in an American city is the same as terrorism against ordinary people in London and Bali and Beslan and Jerusalem and Madrid and Belfast. Vision.

Perhaps "blinded by prejudice" ought to be covered by his health plan?

Ravi

[California Patriot]

No they didn't. They simply recognized that this dirtbag might be too much even for the voters of New Jersey to swallow.

They told him they still like him.

[Windsong]

Thanks for the clarification.

[Windsong]

You sure your name at birth wasn't "Stillborn"?

[Ghost of Philip Marlowe]

Welcome to FreeRepublic.

His perspective is definitely of grave concern. But what I find more troubling is his rationale. To him, the WTC attack was an atrocity because it was a mass killing at one time. 3,000+ people were killed. In his mind, if you stretch that out over a ten-year period, as the Palestinians do, then it is no longer an atrocity, but a 'protest' or 'civil disobedience.' If it is of the demented sort, so be it, they have a just cause, he would claim. That is why he can see no comparison between the two.

[Killborn]

Yeah, I'm a FReeper zombie.

"At issue are comments Merhi made at a September 2002 fundraiser for U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, D-Paterson. In his remarks, Merhi condemned the Sept. 11 terrorists as "cold-blooded murderers" and "crazy fanatics." When asked if he would apply the same label to Palestinian suicide bombers who target Israelis, Merhi said, "I can't see the comparison."

I fail to see how you can applaud this travesty. He's one of the good guys.

[Killborn]

Mea Culpa. I misunderstood.

I thought the DEMs threw him over for condemning the Palifascists, which is what made your reaction so shocking.

[JohnnyZ]

I can see how an honest person could make a poorly constructed remark, thinking of the enormity of the 9/11 attacks that killed his son and not want it to be downplayed as just another one of many attacks. I prefer to hear a word-by-word rundown of exactly what was said before I condemn "controversial remarks". I've seen too many people get burned by odd or out of context or poorly framed comments to join the attack squad.

Certainly not confident that some Dem politico is such an honest man, but it wouldn't surprise me if Corzine et al knew he was honest and shafted him anyway.

[California Patriot]

Who cares. He's a Rat.

[singfreedom]

I think, more appropriately, it's LACK of vision. They are blinded by their agenda---and I don't necessarily mean religion. Just a lack of civility in general.

[wolfcreek]

For most people, all We know about politicians is what We hear them say or what We read about them. If one say's the wrong thing that offends the majority of people, they can't expect to be elected.