Yesterday, two South Carolina Republican Party county chairmen came under fire for using an ethnic stereotype about Jews in their op-ed defending Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC). They noted a “saying” that “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” — which is what DeMint is doing by “watching our nation’s pennies.” The Republican Jewish Coalition has demanded an apology:
“Unbelievably, [Merwin and Ulmer] drew on an old and malignant stereotype of Jews as penny-pinchers in their attempt to praise DeMint’s efforts to look out for his constituents,” said RJC director Matthew Brooks in a prepared statement. “It is difficult to comprehend how men in positions of leadership in a state Republican Party could demonstrate such ignorance and insensitivity in the year 2009.”
Both the chairmen have now apologized. Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) also denounced the remarks — which were meant to praise him — saying the comments were “thoughtless and hurtful.”
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