Shmuely Boteach is best known as the hasidic rabbi who served as Michael Jackson’s spiritual adviser. He has said things like this:

We could scarcely believe what we had heard. The children all remembered Michael fondly. He had given them their dog Marshmallow who’s is a member of our family till today. My daughter teared up. And while I was heartsick at the news, especially for his three young children, I was not shocked. I dreaded this day and knew it had to come sooner rather than later.

He likes attention and buzzwords like “kosher sex,” all while getting occasionally investigated for financial improprieties.

And, somehow, the GOP is trying to sell him as the next great hope — he’s running for Congress in New Jersey’s ninth district, where two Democratic veterans were mashed together in a redistricting battle. He’s socially conservative but doesn’t think Republicans should talk about gays; instead, this child of divorce warns that “the divorce rate is an emergency.”

Here’s a quote from a press release we received today, touting the decision by the National Republican Congressional Committee to put Boteach on “the radar” as a “Young Gun”:

Rabbi Shmuley intends to be a “values voice” in Congress, returning authentic American values to the forefront and de-emphasizing the cultural distractions that are deeply dividing the nation. He believes that America’s economic crisis results from an erosion of the core American values of personal responsibility and entrepreneurism, public service and private accountability, strong families, and inspired youth. He believes in saving the institution of marriage by once again making family a priority.

Check out this video of Boteach talking to the “Today” show about important issues — like how much Michael Jackson hated Hitler:

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