Dem rep hopes Omar can be ‘mentored,’ remain on Foreign Affairs panel

A fellow Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee says Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) should not be removed from the panel over her remarks concerning the American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s (AIPAC) influence over lawmakers.

Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) told CNN on Thursday that he hopes his colleague, who faced criticism for a tweets perceived as anti-Semitic, can be “mentored.”

{mosads}”I don’t know that this one outburst and that history you cite is enough to disqualify her from being on the Foreign Affairs Committee,” he said. “It’s certainly something to be watched, and hopefully she can be mentored.”

“I’m not Jewish but I’ll tell you those remarks are offensive to me too,” he continued.

The Virginia lawmaker went on to question why the media and Republicans were continuing to focus on the comments following Omar’s apology.

“I will say this, Poppy,” he added, addressing CNN’s Poppy Harlow. “I don’t understand why this is a three- or four-day story … given all the other things we’re dealing with.”

“She’s apologized. She was condemned by Democratic leadership. And she apologized unequivocally. Meanwhile, we have the contrast on the Republican side, where does one even begin to talk about hateful speech with him?” Connolly asked.

“So why the double standard between this young, Muslim woman, and all the other history that’s out there?” he added.

“I don’t know that this one outburst and that history you cite is enough to disqualify her from being on the Foreign Affairs Committee,” Rep. @GerryConnolly says of Rep. Omar.

“It’s certainly something to be watched and hopefully she can be mentored.” https://t.co/li5ObXvjBS pic.twitter.com/pcrn6PENVi

— CNN Newsroom (@CNNnewsroom) February 14, 2019

Omar apologized this week after she tweeted that Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s (R-Calif.) threats to act against her and fellow Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) over other purported examples of anti-Semitism was “all about the Benjamins,” a reference to the 1997 song by Sean Combs, known at the time as Puff Daddy.

When questioned on social media about who she “thinks is paying American politicians to be pro-Israel,” the congresswoman replied “AIPAC!”

Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) were among the Democrats and Republicans who condemned Omar’s tweets.

President Trump, meanwhile, demanded her resignation from Congress or ouster from the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

Omar responded to the president Wednesday, saying Trump “trafficked in hate.”

“Hi @realDonaldTrump- You have trafficked in hate your whole life—against Jews, Muslims, Indigenous, immigrants, black people and more. I learned from people impacted by my words. When will you?” she tweeted Wednesday morning.

This article was updated at 12:05 p.m.