Mike Feuer angry at ‘Der Feuer’ jab

Steven Greenhut: Assemblyman Mike Feuer, D-Los Angeles, left an angry voicemail for me today for my “utterly outrageous” reference to him as Der Feuer for his legislation that would have allowed police officers, judges and prosecutors to exempt themselves from open property records laws. Feuer argues that I misunderstood the bill, but the language is clear and, despite his assertion, I read it in its entirety and much analysis of it. Read it here. Here is a good discussion of it on the LA Times. Here is my column on it. He didn’t detail anything that I got wrong — but I’m all ears and will always gladly correct any mistakes.

Feuer also said my jab was an “insult to the memory of 6 million people.”

I must object to  the suggestion that my tweak of him was meant as an insult to Holocaust victims. For starters, my Dad was a Nazi concentration camp survivor. Many of my relatives perished in that horror. I obviously would never write something that dishonored their memory.

My reference to Der Feuer was an admittedly childish play on the sound of his last name, married with the police-state nature of the bill he authored. The biggest problem is when politicians abuse their authority to reduce our rights and liberties and to enhance the special privileges of powerful government officials. I think Feuer is a smart enough and tough enough character to endure such a taunt.

But my apologies for the insult.

JUNE 25, 2012