Washington – It was a very serious subject — law of war issues — but Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina turned it into a lighter moment during questioning of Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan.
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During today’s Senate confirmation hearing, Graham asked Kagan where she was when the an attempted terrorist bombing of an airliner took place near Detroit on Dec. 25, 2009.
“I’m assuming the question you mean is whether a person was apprehended in the United States is ..,” Kagan began.
“No I just asked you where you were at on Christmas,” Graham interjected.
Kagan chuckled and said, “You know, like all Jews, I was probably at a Chinese restaurant.”
“Great answer,” Graham said over the laughter in the hearing room.
Puh-leeze. This is a misleading headline. She was not saying how Jews celebrate X-mas. She was making a point that Jews DON’T celebrate the holiday- which is why we’re all out at Chinese restaurants rather than unwrapping presents under a tree.
She should have been nominated as a court-jester .
That’s a great answer to an chutzpadiker questions
I agree with no. 1. she was makin a joke out of it….like all jews since we don’t celebrate chrismas-we were probably out in some restaurant or doing something else…..
It was an attempt to defuse a wildly innapropriate question. He was trying to bring religion into this. There is no question that religion did not hamper or would not have hampered her ability to act that evening so it was just a vitriolic appeal to anti semites all over to note that she is a Jew. Her response was well taken and he now has made public what he is, an anti jew!
The only reason why he asked that question was to belabor the point that she is Jewish. Graham is no friend of ours.
Actually, this might have been an illegal question. It certainly had nothing to do with her legal background. The senator is from South Carolina, not the far side of the moon, so he is almost certainly aware that Jews don’t celebrate Dec. 25th. He was pointing out that she is Jewish and doesn’t believe in Jesus – and in his home district being a Xtian is a big thing. This definitely hints at anti-Semitism. Mr. Graham should reread the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, particularly the First Amendment which guarantees freedom of religion. She did the right thing by answering with a joke and not giving him an excuse to stretch the issue out.
What’s the point of the question?
She should have told him she prepares the blood for the matzohs. Then she would have exposed him properly.
It’s called light humor. The Senator just made a joke because of Christmas Bomber legal question which she understood and replied with the same funny wit. As the saying goes “Arabs never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity.” But “Jews never miss an opportunity to pull out the Antisemitism card.”
Standing up for Israel doesn’t make you a friend to the jews
I learn more Torah on Dec. 25!
Lindsey Graham is a tremendous backer of Israel and very pro-Jewih. Probably his best friend in the Senate is Joe Lieberman. Stop making ignorant coments all the time — people reading these comments must think Yidden are all idiots.
What oh what was Lindsay Grahamnesty trying to get at?
Mr graham, the following is said about a Jewish daughter : pihu puschuh b’chuchmah . ( she opens her mouth with wisdom ).
The only interview question that tops this one during an important discussion is when Rabbi Yaakov Yosef is asked
It happened in the past that you were once accused of being a Meshichist.
“That happened before the rebbe passed away. At the time, many Jewish sages believed that he could be the Moshiach.”
Ms. Kagan’s clever answer to the Senator’s question reflects her famous peacemaking ability as dean of Harvard Law School.
I agree with Commenter #23 –Uninformed people should not be making negative comments about Senator Graham. Keep in mind that both Houses of Congress are expressing very strong support for Israel now, including this senator. He deserves credit for this–and our hakoras hatov.
Wow! how quick some people are to misinterpret almost anything. read the following link about Jews(of course not orthodox) and Chinese food.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=17599785&from=mobile
I remember learning that we davka DON’T learn Torah on Dec.25 so as not to given the impression that we are deriving benefit from that pagan holiday. The Lubavicher Rebbe ZT”L would play chess, for example…so going for Chinese food is actually a very heimishe thing to do (if you hold by restaurants).
Could someone please report the five of so questions asked before this one, so we could have the entire exchange between Elena Kagan and Senator Graham placed in context?