Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2009

Republican chairmen apologize for Jewish stereotype

Party says Orangeburg, Bamberg chairman won’t be punished

Two county Republican Party chairmen have apologized for using a Jewish stereotype in a newspaper column, and S.C. GOP Party Chairwoman Karen Floyd said that’s enough for the two leaders to keep their positions.

In a Sunday opinion piece published in The (Orangeburg) Times and Democrat, Edwin O. Merwin Jr., chairman of the Bamberg County Republican Party, and James S. Ulmer Jr., chairman of the Orangeburg County Republican Party, were writing to defend U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint’s opposition to congressional earmarks.

The men wrote: "There is a saying that the Jews who are wealthy got that way not by watching dollars, but instead by taking care of the pennies and the dollars taking care of themselves … By not using earmarks to fund projects for South Carolina and instead using actual bills, DeMint is watching our nation's pennies and trying to preserve our country's wealth and our economy's viability to give all an opportunity to succeed."

A Jewish state senator Monday said he is incensed by the reference.

"The words of these key Republican leaders are disgusting, unconscionable and represent prejudice in its purest form," wrote State Sen. Joel Lourie in a prepared statement late Monday.

Lourie, a Richland County Democrat and one of two Jewish members of the S.C. Legislature, called on both U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint and S.C. GOP chairwoman Karen Floyd to denounce the comments and remove the two men from their posts.

Floyd denounced the comments but refused to remove Ulmer and Merwin. DeMint has yet to comment on the matter.

"It was an offensive and inappropriate comment that Jim and Edwin have rightly apologized for. These kinds of stereotypes are absolutely unacceptable” Floyd said in a statement Tuesday morning. “It goes without saying that some people will continue trying to exploit this mistake for political gain, but as far as we're concerned, their apology ends the matter."

In an e-mail late Monday, Ulmer apologized for the language used in the co-authored letter. He said one paragraph contained a statement "... heard many times in my life, truly in admiration for a method of bettering one's lot in life. I admit that perception is indeed reality to many and that I could have certainly worded that sentence much better. I sincerely apologize for this great error.

"I meant absolutely nothing derogatory by the reference to a great and honorable people. I hope that anyone and all who were offended by my comment will accept my humble apology," Ulmer's e-mail said.

Monday morning Merwin issued a statement.

“At this time I wish to deeply apologize for any material included in that letter that would be considered anti-Semitic in any way,” Merwin wrote. “ I have always abhorred in the past, and shall continue to do so in the future, anti-Semitism in any form what so ever. I concur fully with the apology offered by my co-author, Jim Ulmer, and likewise beg that any and all who were offended will accept my deep felt apology.

Lourie said the episode reflects poorly on S.C.

"At a time when we can least afford more negative attention for South Carolina, we have two individuals who unapologetically espouse racist and stereotypical attitudes," Lourie said.

This marks the second time this year accusations of racism have collided with S.C. politics.

In June, Richland County GOP activist Rusty DePass posted on a social networking site that an escaped zoo gorilla was a likely an ancestor of first lady Michelle Obama.

DePass later apologized for the comment.

Get The State newspaper delivered to your home. Click here to subscribe.