Salon Article

[John in Covina]

http://www.salon.com/mwt/feature/2006/01/06/hats/index.html

 

[ii-5-i]

Thanks for sharing not only the article, but the interesting letters in response. As a Jew, I find all the interest raised by Abramoff's wearing the black Borsalino curious, amusing and disturbing.

In my opinion I think the press spin given this story overstates the religious significance of Abramoff's hat. It would have been a boring fact to read, for example, that Abramoff wore an "old fashioned" hat because it was cold the day he testified. I can easily imagine a news editor coming up with the idea of; Abramoff=Orthodox Jew=Black fedrora ( must be a Borsalino since he's filthy rich ).

Did anyone notice Abramoff was not wearing a yarmulke once he got inside the building? If he was truly wearing his Borsalino for religious reasons, he would have had to have been wearing it inside as well as outside if he didn't wear a yarmulke under it.

My take on this; He was simply trying to be stylish. We as news consumers are over-analytical.

 

[Billingsgate]

Actually, it's not the hat he was wearing but rather the coat - or more aptly, the combo.

Abramoff in Borsalino and dark double-breasted coat did look like Al Pacino / Michael Coreone in the scene where he's just back from Sicily and goes to meet Diane Keaton / Kate.

If Abramoff had worn a camel polo coat or a Burberry trench coat, I doubt anyone would have noticed.

I can't comment on the baseball cap. I saw no pictures, and obviously the guy's stressed out.