Rothman the Mohel, or, Ferriero's Bris

Again, this is old news and simply a drawing of something Wally said (which was obviously pro Andrews in its sentiment) Rob's been pretty good lately, this is just ok. Political cartoons work best when they use a little subtlety. Conversly, this has the subtlety of a wrecking ball.

This is stupid and vulgar

anti-Semitism.

This is an accurate and fair depiction of how Steve Rothman treated Joe Ferriero, and if Ferriero has his people out there attacking the cartoon in a feeble attempt to reclaim his political manhood, so be it.  Great job, Tornoe!  Just wish you had Bob Menendez holding Rothman's hand, then it would have been historically accurate as well as very funny

Anyone who's read my stuff over the years knows that I am no Ferriero fan; but this imagery almost makes me feel sympathy for the guy.

However, at the end of the day; he's become a very wealty and very powerful man based on the ruthless applications of fear/intimidation and sheer greed.

He'll resent this cartoon a little bit; but in the end, Joe Ferriero is laughing at all of us "all the way to the bank".

I dare say, he sees the folks who critique him as polyannish losers...and to the extent that his methods continue to be legal; he is actually right.

Having said that, I must protest the implicit violence of this cartoon. Such an outcome would indeed be "cruel and unusual". And the Jewish angle is just a translucent cover for what the author is really trying to imply, eh?

In a just world with decent laws people who do what Joe Ferriero does would be jailed for very long terms and every penny and asset that they "own" would be stripped away......now THAT kind of justice would be a genuine deturrent.

What we need are laws that make the way Joe Ferriero, and ALL political "bosses" operate, ILLEGAL!!!

The fact is that no one is indicting him for any crimes; and that's because his modus operandi is 100% LEGAL!!!

If Ferriero retires tomorrow with his millions...there will be someone else to take his place.

It's the system stupid.

From Frederick Douglass

If there is no struggle there is no progress......Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will.

i love how Rothman's eyeballs are crazy.   yes this is a low blow, cheap shot, etc., but we all know there's no rules in jersey politics.

With a week to go before Passover, a time when the ancient blood libel charges have been raised in the past, this cartoon is offensive and inappropriate. PolitickerNJ should be smarter than to put this out there.

I get the point of the cartoon, and the joke. Surely there is another way to make people laugh about the situation in Bergen County without resorting to this kind of religious imagery, which evokes so many slanders of the past.

I respectfully ask that you reconsider your decision to post this.

Disturbing.  Disgusting. No place in proper political debate.  The cartoon raises the issue of a person;s religious faith. Totally un-American.

"The carton is sad, not funny. The illustration calls into question a people's covenant with its core religious beliefs. The "Jewish Conspiracy" theorists are delighting in their new champions, cartoonist Rob Tornoe and the Administrator of Politiker NJ. The flames of hate and intolerance are fanned as Jewish community participation in politics is taken violently to task. The challenge of Congressman Rothman and Senator Lautenberg to Bergen County Democratic Chairman Ferriero is legitimate subject for political debate and expression. The fact that they are both Jewish is not. However, the cartoon wanders dangerously from the legitimate when political debate includes overtly negative references to one's religious affiliation, as it would if the focus was on one's ethnicity, race, gender, sexual orientation. Had Mr. Tornoe pictured the two elected officials forcefully holding Mr. Ferriero to the fire of the organization's earlier selection of Senator Lautenberg, the only ones disturbed would have been the officials' supporters. Include "yarmulkes" and the targeted protagonists are identified as Jews. Include the scene of circumcision and the butcher's hack and the sacred "bris" not only becomes a negative metaphor for exercising Jewish political power, but also challenges the Jewish community’s right, and the right of all citizens, to be engaged in the political and electoral process.