Tommy Thompson Again Uses Jewish Terminology To Talk About Money

What is with Tommy Thompson, money and things Jewish?

He blew up his silly vanity run for the Presidency in 2007 by saying that making money was part of Jewish culture.

Today, the AP quotes Tommy, describing his financial success in the private sector this way:

Everybody knows I was broke when I left government five years ago," Thompson said in 2010. " `I've made a few shekels, not as many as you guys think I've made, but it's tough to go back, there's no question about that." 

The shekel is the official currency denomination of Israel, the Jewish state.

Why didn't Tommy say he'd made a few bucks, dollars, greenbacks?

Somehow, someway, money and Jewish images are tied together in Tommy's head.

He's learned nothing from his 2007 experience, when this was the news, and I hadn't seem the AP account above when I linked to a different article earlier in the day for a post in which I thought I could make a brief satirical reference to Tommy's past stumbles:

MONDAY, April 16, 2007, 5:24 p.m By Associated Press

Thompson apologizes for Jewish remarks

Republican presidential candidate Tommy Thompson told a Jewish group today that earning money is "part of the Jewish tradition," a remark for which he later apologized.

"I'm in the private sector and for the first time in my life I'm earning money," the former Wisconsin governor told the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism. "You know that's sort of part of the Jewish tradition and I do not find anything wrong with that."

Later, he added: "I just want to clarify something because I didn't (by) any means want to infer or imply anything about Jews and finances and things. What I was referring to, ladies and gentlemen, is the accomplishments of the Jewish religion. You've been outstanding business people and I compliment you for that."

The Israeli newspaper Haaretz first reported the comments.