Robert Scheer is the editor of Truthdig.com. He’s supposed to be a liberal. He’s supposed to be smart. What shocked me about his column today was that he too just doesn’t get it.

Read what he wrote about Norman Podhoretz, and then I’ll explain why he’s wrong.

In a WSJ article from last September headlined “Why Are Jews Liberals?” which is also the title of his latest book, Podhoretz complained bitterly, “One of the most extraordinary features of Barack Obama’s victory over John McCain was his capture of 78% of the Jewish vote.” What followed was a self-hating tirade against his own: “Jews are by far the most liberal of any group in America.” In support of that view he quotes the sociologist Nathan Glazer, who argued that Jews, as opposed to any other immigrant group in America, have ignored their improving economic status and instead consistently supported “increased government spending, expanded benefits to the poor and lower classes, greater regulations on business, and the power of organized labor.”

What a great testament to the enduring decency of Jewish values that they have proved so capable of embracing social goals that transcend narrow class interest. What a wonderful refutation of historical anti-Semitism that Jews so consistently ignore personal economic gain to serve the larger good. Not so in the eyes of Podhoretz, who was immensely disappointed that the commitment of Jews to those enlightened views did not dissipate with the nomination of Obama but rather increased somewhat.

I’m not Jewish so I can’t speak for what motivates Jews to vote for Democrats, but what struck me about Scheer’s column was how clearly brainwashed this liberal is. Like most Americans he foolishly believes helping the poor is going against one’s personal economic gain.

Maybe, just maybe, Jews can see the trees, the forest and beyond, and that they understand that when we help the poor we really are helping ourselves. Perhaps Jews understand that leaving huge swaths of our population mired in poverty is bad for all of us. If Mr. Scheer can see beyond the political rhetoric, slogans, spin and subterfuge, he’d realize that helping the poor is actually a selfish endeavor.

Huffington Post’s Paul Abrams is a “professional iconoclast” and co-founder breakupthebigbanks.com and had this to say about this historic week of Democracy in America.

While President Obama and Congress wrestled health care reform to a successful conclusion and tacked on Student Loan Reform, Secretary of State Clinton concluded a deal with Russia to reduce nuclear arsenals, and Russia and China signaled frustration with Iran that may result in their joining sanctions. The President, the Vice-President and the Secretary of State practiced ‘tough love’ to Israel, and stood firm when vehemently attacked, a requirement if the US is going to bring this 60-year conflict to the resolution about which everyone knows not only the general contours, but most of the details.

Read Abrams’ complete column on Huffington Post.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) increased Democratic pressure on the health insurance industry Thursday, telling reporters that there is “tremendous interest” in the House in revoking the industry’s anti-trust exemption.

Pelosi Joins Attack On Insurance Industry’s Anti-Trust Exemption