Oh, what a tangled web we weave
George Santos tells whoppers.
That would be funny if it wasn鈥檛 so sad.
The 34-year-old Republican is about to become a brand-new U.S. congressman from New York鈥檚 Third Congressional District.
Unfortunately, he鈥檚 already carrying a lot of baggage.
Santos has difficulty proving that anything in his biography is true.
That means when the folks of Queens and northern Long Island voted him into office in November, they were voting for a now-confessed, hard-core liar.
Politics has its share of liars. Hardly any as brazen as Mr. Santos.
According to the biography he used to run for Congress, since his grandparents survived the Holocaust he鈥檚 鈥渁 proud American Jew.鈥�
No, he鈥檚 not.
He鈥檚 now admitting that he鈥檚 not Jewish. He now claims he鈥檚 (are you sitting down?) 鈥淛ew-ish.鈥�
I suppose 鈥渋sh,鈥� can be attached to lots of stuff. Hamburger Helper can become 鈥渉amburger-ish.鈥�
I鈥檓 left-handed. I can consider myself to be 鈥渞ight-handed-ish.鈥�
Congressman-elect Santos seemed to think he could dodge getting called out for falsely claiming he鈥檚 Jewish, by saying he only meant he鈥檚 sort of 鈥淛ew-ish.鈥�
That doesn鈥檛 fly with some members of the Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC).
Back in November, Santos spoke at a conference where he brandished his (fake) Jewish heritage.
Now that it鈥檚 been revealed that Santos is only 鈥淛ew-ish,鈥� the head of the RJC is furious.
鈥淗e deceived us and misrepresented his heritage. He will not be welcome at any future RJC events,鈥� says CEO Matt Brooks.
He may, however, get an invite from the 鈥淛ew-ish鈥� Coalition.
This is about a lot more than one fellow who can鈥檛 tell the truth.
It鈥檚 about a political party that鈥檚 being crippled by lies big and small.
That leaves the heads of the Republican Party in a pickle.
So far, none of the leaders of the Republicans in Congress have had anything to say about their new member who鈥檚 about to join them after employing a pack of lies to get there.
Kevin McCarthy is so busy trying to secure his position as speaker of the House he can鈥檛 afford to tell Santos to stay home, or to even to chide him.
McCarthy probably needs Santos鈥� vote to help him in what appears to be a contentious speakership vote.
And since Republicans only have a slim majority in the U.S. House, no matter how flawed Santos might be, he鈥檒l be welcomed by his caucus 鈥� and with open arms.
Smells like desperation to me.
鈥淚 want to make sure, that if I disappointed anyone by my resume embellishment, I am sorry,鈥� Santos said on ABC Radio.
鈥淩esume embellishment?鈥�
What Santos did was the Mt. Everest of 鈥渞esume embellishments.鈥�
He claimed he鈥檇 worked for the Wall Street behemoths Goldman Sachs and Citigroup so he could galvanize support from people who鈥檇 be impressed by his business acumen.
He never worked for either of them.
With those prestigious jobs (he said he had, but he didn鈥檛) he also lied about having a big enough income to have owned 13 properties.
According to the New York Times, there are no documents or deeds in New York City or Nassau County with his name on them.
He boasted that he graduated from Baruch College and NYU.
He鈥檚 now admitting he鈥檚 never graduated from any college or university.
Santos has a past that鈥檚 an investigative reporter鈥檚 dream.
Surprisingly, he鈥檚 now appearing all over radio and television trying to rationalize his dishonesty by saying other people are just as dishonest.
鈥淚鈥檓 not going to make excuses for this, but a lot of people overstate in their resumes or twist a little bit,鈥� Santos says.
Yeah! But they call those folks magicians. I鈥檝e never blamed The Amazing Kreskin for trying to pull the wool over my eyes. He never did a card trick, and then said, 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what I鈥檒l do if I鈥檓 elected.鈥�
One final word: George Santos is supposed to be a Republican. But one of his Tweets ends with 鈥淗appy Holidays.鈥�
Hum.
Republicans always claim they say MERRY CHRISTMAS.
Do you suppose 鈥�.?
Edward A. Owens is a multi-Emmy Award winner, former reporter, and anchor for Entertainment Tonight, and 50-year TV news and newspaper veteran. E-mail him at freedoms@bellatlantic.net.