‘Don’t Help Me!’

In the courtroom scene of Mel Brooks’s classic comedy “The Producers,” Gene Wilder’s character, Leo Bloom, attempts to defend Zero Mostel’s, telling the jury, “Max Bialystock is the most selfish man I ever met in my life.”

“Don’t help me!” Bialystock replies, before Bloom continues, “Not only is he a liar and a scoundrel and a crook …”

This scenario plays out in politics more than one would think. No, I’m not talking about Joe Biden. We all know about that.

This time, enter New York Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D).

Campaigning for Obama at a Florida synagogue, Nadler was asked why he thought, given the divisive and hateful rhetorical coming from the Rev. Jeremiah Wright’s pulpit, Obama remained a member of the church for some 20 years.

As ABC’s Jake Tapper reported, that is when Nadler began to “help.“

“I have no personal knowledge of what I’m about to say. What I’m about to say is my guess,” Nadler began.

Uh-oh. Mistake No. 1. Nadler then twice questioned Obama’s “political courage.”

This is not what the Obama campaign needs, especially two days out, at a synagogue, in an area with a heavy Jewish population. It does not help.

Most people would think this is a mistake made by a rookie, not someone who has been a member of Congress for 15 years (in fairness, many a Republican has made the same mistake). Nadler’s off-the-cuff comments should serve as a reminder to all candidates. Think before you speak — with video cameras that now fit in pockets, you should assume that any public conversation is being recorded.

Otherwise, don’t help.