Jewish World Review August 19, 2004 / 2 Elul, 5764

The rude, the bad, the ugly

By Lloyd Grove

	Not Sheinkopf, but very well could have been

A one-time Clinton advisor — who recently took to NY radio to call NJ governor Jim McGreevey's announcement "courageous" — loses it at a public gathering of young Orthodox professionals

http://www.jewishworldreview.com | Democratic political guru Hank Sheinkopf is giving sage advice to embattled New Jersey Gov. Jim McGreevey, but Sheinkopf certainly wouldn't have been confused with a wise man Tuesday night when he spoke to an "Election Schmooze for Observant Jewish Professionals and Young Couples" on the Upper West Side co-sponsored by the Orthodox online dating site FRUMSTER.

Debating the topic "Democrat or Republican — What's Best for the Jews?," Sheinkopf ended up shaking his fist and trading insults with members of the paying audience — one of whom claimed that Sheinkopf became "angry and obnoxious" whenever his opinion was challenged, and yakked on his cell phone while his Republican counterpart, author Dave Crystal, was trying to make his presentation.

Yesterday, Sheinkopf told me that the cell phone call was about a family medical emergency [though he still stayed after the debate ended-- editor] and that the largely Republican audience was hostile from the get-go.

"One guy stood up and called me a traitor to the Jews. I was abused for an hour and half. Fifteen years ago, I would have hit somebody."