House Democrats have taken a resolution meant to condemn anti-semitism and watered it down to the point that it is drowning itself, and the Democrats don’t want to get caught holding its head underwater just to make sure.

The resolution, which itself was a way to condemn certain statements made by Rep. Ilhan Omar without outwardly doing so, started out as a resolution that would just affirm the House’s stance on anti-semitism – that it’s bad and no one should take part in it. It stems from statements and tweets made by Omar that sound an awful lot like anti-semitic tropes pushed by anti-Israeli and anti-Jew activists in the past.

Omar and her defenders likened her critics, and the resolution itself, as an act of anti-Muslim bigotry, and the Democrats have been at odds with each other on how to proceed.

After several party caucus meetings, it seems like they are finally pushing forward on it… except that it isn’t a condemnation of anti-Semitism at all. It’s just a list of bad things.

The House is getting ready to start debate on a resolution condemning anti-Semitism and more; revised version at https://t.co/tRm9MNfJsv pic.twitter.com/toWvXy6jnp

— Jamie Dupree (@jamiedupree) March 7, 2019

The latest changes added a few more groups to the text; 40 minutes of debate ahead pic.twitter.com/0RZQs3RLoY

— Jamie Dupree (@jamiedupree) March 7, 2019

Now, no one is saying that racism, anti-Muslim, anti-LGBTQ, etc. issues should be ignored. In fact, they are also bad things. However, the resolution as it stands is just a laundry list of bad things and it does nothing to actually address the original problem: Ilhan Omar said reprehensible, anti-semitic things.

These are the same Democrats, however, who take great offense to the “All Lives Matter” response to “Black Lives Matter” chants. Yes, all lives matter, but it is the black lives who are threatened by law enforcement, they argue. Much in the same vein, it’s true that all hate and bigotry is bad, but it is anti-semitism that is on the rise (on both sides of the aisle!) and lumping the others into the resolution doesn’t actually do anything to help.

So, why would the Democrats not even want to address anti-semitism in this context? The answer is one I addressed this morning.

However, a resolution condemning anti-semitism, even if it is at the expense of one of your own members, shouldn’t be controversial, but it is. It faces opposition from Democrats for a variety of reasons. For one thing, it targets Omar, which many have claimed is itself a racist or anti-Muslim targeting. For another, it gives the Republicans a win – after all, they are the loudest voices against Omar’s statements.

But, it is also controversial within the Democratic Party because a not-insignificant number of Democratic politicians have openly criticized Israel, voiced support for Palestine, and been vocal about the United States’ support of Israel and Benjamin Netanyahu (though the latter appears to be waning thanks to Netanyahu’s growing legal troubles).

Israel itself is a controversial subject within the Democratic Party, and whereas older, more experienced Democrats used to be able to walk a fine line between criticizing Israeli policies (and America’s support of them) and supporting their existence, this newer wave of Democrats has no qualms about taking to Twitter themselves and openly using some of the blatantly anti-Israel and anti-semitic tropes.

There’s the real problem that Democrats in Congress don’t want to say out loud: The resolution as it was supposed to be was a victory for Republicans who were criticizing Omar. It was a victory for the other side. Can’t have that, even if you have to alienate a whole religion to do it.

That’s why you see things like Democrats telling Jews to check their Holocaust Privilege, (the shame of my home state) David Duke praising Omar and Democrats for not giving in to the Jewish lobby, and other odd/troubling signs.

The Democrats have lost their minds in trying to defend obvious anti-semitism of Omar and others in their ranks. It would be kind of funny seeing the knots they are tying themselves into if the implications weren’t so horrifying.