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Friday November 6, 1998

Make them keep their promises

The election is over. Now is the time to make sure that the people we chose fulfill the promises they made during their campaigns.

Many of those who won in the balloting in California and elsewhere espoused the values of the mainstream Jewish community.

Their election represents a victory for forces of moderation and a defeat for the Christian right and the voices of division.

But we need to monitor the victors to ensure that campaign rhetoric is not just that. We heard those newly elected officials voice their support of Israel, abortion rights, public schools, environmental concerns and gun control. Those are all issues that mainstream Jews embrace, according to numerous polls of Jews in America.

It is heartening to see that many other Americans support the same values.

Throughout the country, voters defeated several candidates with more divisive views, including those championed by the Christian right. Among them is Gov. Fob James (R-Alabama), who defended the use of Christian prayers before court sessions. Also defeated was Sen. Lauch Faircloth (R-N.C.), the only incumbent up for re-election who was not a strong Israel supporter.

Clearly, the tactics of division do not work. And the agenda of the Christian right is neither Christian nor right.

The election is a vote of no-confidence for those who are trying to divide this country, those who do not embrace the values of most Americans, Jew and non-Jew.

At the same time, it is our hope that congressional and state officials throughout the country will recognize that we all are tired of negativity. We want our elected officials to take actions that will make for a better America, that will make our country safer, that will do a better job of educating our kids, that will make our air and our food safer.

We congratulate the victors in Tuesday's election and we urge them to keep their campaign promises and do something that will make us proud we elected them.

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