Rep. Moran Caught in Another Anti-Semitic Uproar

Democrat faces are blazing red thanks to Rep. Jim Moran's latest bout with charges of anti-Semitism.

Moran's former pollster Alan Secrest today alleged that the northern Virginia Democrat made an anti-Semitic comment at a campaign staff meeting in March. Secrest said he quit because of the slur.

Secrest would not quote Moran but described the remark as a "dismissive characterization of a group of Democrats ... belittling them and characterizing them by their religion as a basis for their approach."

The seven-term congressman, who faces a tough battle in Tuesday's primary because of the party's anger at his previous controveries, called Secrest's allegation a "fabrication."

Moran said he fired Secrest after they clashed over Secrest's desire to conduct expensive polling. "He told me, 'If I leave you, I will teach you a lesson you will never forget.'"

Joe Trippi, a Moran ally and former spokesman for Howard Dean, backed the congressman's story.

"It's not true. I was there," Trippi said today at a fund-raiser for Moran that featured Dean. "They had an argument about payment and a poll."

Dean said, "If I thought for a minute that Jim said what he was alleged to have said, I wouldn't be here."

The Democrats' Jewish Problem

Last year House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi slapped down the appeasement activist Moran for blaming the war in Iraq on Jews, an accusation recently revived by lame-duck Sen. Ernest "Fritz" Hollings, D-S.C. Moran's comments "were offensive and have no place in the Democratic Party," Pelosi fumed.

Sen. John Kerry continues to refuse to denounce Hollings' "libelous" rant despite being urged to do so by Mark Green, co-chairman of Kerry's campaign in New York.

Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle continues to refuse to denounce Sen. Hillary Clinton's anti-Jewish venom.

But the party establishment considers Moran expendable. Rick Ally, campaign manager for Moran's challenger in the primary, Andrew Rosenberg, said: "If this were one statement, one action, it could be dismissed. But it's been 25 years of this."

Editor's note: