Jews and Arabs rule the rules

Capital J

By Ron Kampeas · August 26, 2008

Jews and Arabs can work out a few rules for getting along, at least when it comes to the Democratic convention.

Sunita Leeds, a member of the National Jewish Democratic Council's executive committee, co-chaired the party's Rules Committee with Mary Rose Oakar, the former Ohio congresswoman who is now president of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee.

At the launch of the business part of the Denver convention on Monday, Leeds' job was to note efforts by the committee to address difficulties surrounding the role of unpledged delegates – the thousand or so folks that under current rules can throw the popular vote out the window.

Then she introduced Oakar as the leader of the "largest Arab American grassroots civil rights organization in the country." Oakar named the nominees for convention chair and co-chairs; all five are women.