Tisha B'Av is a day of mourning for tragic events in Jewish history.Primarily the destruction of both Temples in Jerusalem,the fall of Betar in 135 which was the last fortress of the Jews who battled the Romans in the Bar Kochba revolution,and the plowing of the Temple area .The original sad event was the day that G-d toldmthe Jerws that they would not enter the promised land after the sin of the spies.
These are among various tragedies in Jewish history.Thus it is sad that in the London riots the Jewish areas have been threatened.In a side-bar,a large group was observing the police acrion,and some booed the police.A London paper in describing the event picked out only one group as booing,from a large multi-ethnic group-Hasidic Jews.
Nothing ever changes. The Jew is always the first scapegoat.
The President appears impotent.As Judith Miller wrote yesterday his address to the nation, sounded as coming from a professor and not a leader.
I love vacations too.However now is not the time for the President or the Congressional leadership to be away on vacation.Calling all of Congress back would not serve any purpose.However,the leadership should sit down and work on a program they can agree on,and start the super-committee as soon as possible.Tax reform should be on the table.Control of the EPA and NLRB are issues that the Pres. probably won't agree with. The approval of the Canadian oil pipeline would add thousands of jobs and save on our dependence on OPEC oil.The Republicans should start the ball rolling to end Obamacare.The free trade agreements should be ratified.
As far as new money for "shovel-ready" projects-we have been there already.
Right now, the Pres. is in campaign mode and he knows that as rush Limbaugh calls him,he is "debt man walking".
