Abzug Blasts Brown

Rep. Bella Abzug (D.NY) stated yesterday “We should not reward bigotry a second time” and called on President, Ford to withdraw the nomination of Gen. George S. Brown for a second term as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. She cited “inappropriate and unacceptable anti-Jewish remarks” made by Brown during the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on his nomination June 28. The committee yesterday approved Brown’s nomination by a vote of 13-2. The negative votes were cast by Sen. Robert Taft Jr. (R. Ohio) and Sen. Thomas J. McIntyre (D.NH).

At the Senate hearing, Brown was questioned about a widely publicized statement he had made in 1974 claiming that Jews exerted too much influence on Congress and owned the banks in this country, and the newspapers. Asked whether he still felt Jews exerted undue influence, Brown said “in all candor, I do.” He later sought to qualify his comments.

In a letter to Ford, Abzug said “We may forgive erroneous remarks made once, but we should not reward bigotry a second time.” She said a careful reading of Brown’s testimony “shows that he did not actually change his position but only found it politically expedient to express himself more carefully.”

Noting that the President had recently condemned similar remarks about Jewish influence made by Spiro Agnew, the Congresswoman said the remarks of Brown “were as wrong, both substantively and morally, as those made by Mr. Agnew. Yet General Brown’s comments cannot be dismissed as an unsavory footnote. He is a public official whose views as stated under oath clearly conflict with his official responsibilities.”

She added: “Therefore, I respectfully request that you withdraw the renomination of General Brown and thereby close the book on this unfortunate and reoccurring insult.” Abzug said that if Ford failed to respond, she hoped the Senate would vote to reject the nomination.