Politico to go: Time to end Mike and The Mad Dog’s decade of 9/11 antisemitism denial

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On 9/11/01 I was in my office and received an IM from my brother telling me of the first plane crash. Taking advantage that my employer was Nickelodeon and there was a TV in my office, I tuned into the news and saw what I thought was a replay of the crash…it wasn’t a replay, it was the second plane.
Soon my entire team crammed into my office. They stared in disbelief as the news grew worse, an attack on the Pentagon, and the horror of each of Twin Towers crashing to the ground. Just thinking about it brings back memories of fear and horror.
The city felt like a prison. All bridges and tunnels leading out of Manhattan were closed. The second the news announced east side river crossings were reopened; I rushed out of my office and began to drive home.
Manhattan streets were almost devoid of cars, but traffic moved slowly because they were packed with dazed people trying to make their way out of the city. It was a surreal picture reminiscent of those movies where Godzilla’s attacking Tokyo. The 59th Street Bridge was no different, dazed people, struggling to get off the island prison, desperate for the “safety” of Queens.
From my high perch on the bridge, I looked out to what would soon be known as ground zero and saw an impenetrable curtain of black over the East River. The air seeping into my car had a “smoky” taste and a texture like sand paper.
The next day I also drove to work, almost as an act of defiance toward the terrorists. Memory of the drive home on 9/12 is just as vivid, not because of another terrorist incident, but because of something I heard on the radio.
On the way home I tuned into to Sports radio station WFAN and their afternoon stars, Mike Francesa and Chris Mad Dog Russo. Instead of talking sports that afternoon, the two launched a fact deprived commentary blaming Israel and American Jews for the horrible attacks the day before. Russo said (Francesca agreed) that American Jews needed to prove their loyalty as Americans; choose between Israel, which Mike called “a failed experiment,” and the U.S.”

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