A Curt Reply

I got a phone call yesterday from my pal Jack Moline.  Jack, as some readers here may recall, is proudly a member of the board of directors of Elisberg Industries (where you can read about his responsibilities here under the "About Elisberg Industries" link above).  He is also a huge Chicago Cubs fan, and my former broadcast partner at New Trier High School for a comedy show on the school's WNTH radio station.  And he hit me with a pie as part of our in-class research presentation at Northwestern University for our study of "What Makes People Laugh."  Among his other accomplishments, Rabbi Moline is also president of the nationally-acclaimed Interfaith Alliance.

Why Jack was calling was to let me know that I wasn't alone in getting a tweet from Curt Schiling, which I wrote about here.  (My Twitter reply from the former major league baseball pitcher and possible Senate candidate against Elizabeth Warren came after I noted how he had lost the support even of "Fox News" following yet another of his grossly offensive public comments,  He wanted it known that the far-right wasn't far-right enough for him and had left the far-right long ago. Apparently, he is now so far-off-the-charts right that it's not measured.)

It turns out that the Interfaith Alliance sent out press release yesterday, taking Breitbart media and Schilling to task for the company hiring Schilling on the heels of his egregiously problematic comments on CNN the other day.  That was when he just couldn't understand how those "practicing the Jewish faith." were Democrats, since Democrats hate Israel, and kept asking host Jake Tapper for help explaining to him on behalf of Tapper's religion, because Schilling was so bewildered by it and just didn't understand.  And went on into a deeper hole from there, showing almost more than anything wrongheaded a willful ignorance and lack of even surface insight.  In the Interfaith Alliance's press release, Jack called Schilling's comments, "Tone deaf" -- and described a detailed "long line of offensive statements." 

Rabbi Moline's full statement read -- 

“Curt Schilling may have been a major league pitcher, but he’s a bush league commentator. His tone-deaf remarks about Jewish Americans are just the latest in a long line of offensive statements that call into question his judgment and values. His Facebook page alone, where he has compared Muslims to Nazis and praised the Confederacy, renders him unfit for public office. Sadly we should expect no better from Schilling after he joins on with Breitbart – an outlet that wears its bigotry as a badge of honor.”

The reaction from Interfaith Alliance, as well as responses to Curt Schilling by other Jewish leaders, was covered in an excellent article on Media Matters, which you can read about here .

It was great to read Jack's words on behalf of the Interfaith Alliance and bring more attention to the matter.  In fact, as I told him, almost more than Schilling's fatuous comments on CNN, I was bothered by his response later on MSNBC.  That's where Curt Schilling did what he always does, play the woe-is-me poor, innocent victim.  How all the mean, disgusting liberals attacked him for doing nothing more than just asking some questions.

As it happens, it was a result of Jack's public comments that he got a response on Twitter by Mr. Schilling.  (Welcome to the club!!)  I laughed when Jack told me that he heard from the dear fellow -- but even more when he explained what Curt Schilling had tweeted to him, and I could only laughed again -- albeit with clenched teeth, because once again, as he so often seems to, the former pitcher played the put-upon victim. 

@intrfthalliance @JackMoline https://t.co/QZRQcxtAiy Right, I'm the one that doesn't know history. #clowns1andall

— Curt Schilling (@gehrig38) October 26, 2016

One is so tempted to write back, "Well...yeah, you are the one who doesn't know history.  I mean, seriously, guy, you do know that you're the one who asked what people 'who practice the Jewish faith' think -- because you said you didn't know.  And now, here's an actual Rabbi who actually has spent years actually studying the Talmud and actually ministering to congregations for decades answering you because, yes, he actually does know history and, no, you don't.  So, really, why are you playing the put-upon victim again??"  But that would have exceeded the 140-character Twitter limit.

In fairness, I completely understand why their communication was brief, and why Jack didn't bother to reply.  (Others did, so it was covered.)  But still, I was a little bothered.  After all, as long as Jack had Curt Schilling's ear, the very least he could have done is get some insight about how the Cubs would do in the World Series.

But then, for all I know, he'd have been told by the too far-right for the far-right hopeful politician that the results of all the games were rigged.  And it was the damn liberals who hate America did it.  Or the Muslims.

Still, I'm pleased to welcome Rabbi Jack Moline to the "I Got a Whiny Put-Upon Woe-is-Me Tweet By Curt Schilling" Society.  Our board of directors will be planning a little luncheon for him, and the Society will have a  representative there for the presentation of a lovely lapel pin.