Matt Yglesias

Peretz Claims Someone in White House “Has It In” for American Jews; Robinson and Tutu are Anti-Semites

Another day, a bit more smears and character assassination from New Republic editor in chief Martin Peretz:

[Obama] may not himself have made the decision to honor the contemptible Mary Robinson, arguably a real bigot, with the Medal of Freedom. But, then, there is someone in his entourage who is leading him astray, gravely astray. And that someone has it in for Israel and for American Jews, too. [...] And the fact is that Tutu will also receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom at the White House in mid-August. He is one of those many people who seems to have a tic about or a tic against the Jews. [...] So how about this rule for the White House? When conferring honors, only one anti-semite to the batch.

These are some pretty serious accusations, particularly the idea that Obama has fallen under the influence of someone in his entourage who “has it in . . . for American Jews, too.”