Temple Cancels Wasserman Schultz Talk

Temple Israel in Miami has canceled a planned talk by Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz because a big Republican donor, who also co-chairs the Miami-Dade Mitt Romney campaign, quit the congregation in protest.

According to the Miami Herald, Wasserman Schultz, chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee, had been slated to talk after services on Friday night. But her appearance was canceled after Stanley Tate, a prominent philanthropist and Romney supporter resigned from the temple because he wouldn’t be allowed to speak in rebuttal.

Temple president Ben Kuehne told the Herald the event was canceled for security reasons, adding temple officials decided it was “unwise to proceed.”
For her part, Wasserman Schultz said it was “unfortunate that some would allow politics to stand in the way of citizens’ ability to interact with their representative."

In response, the 85-year-old Tate, who also plays a role in Romney’s national campaign, told the Herald: “She’s the chairperson of the Democratic National Committee. The topic is the U.S.-Israel relationship. There cannot be any conversation on that topic, none, unless it has to do with the politics.”