The Gaza Five
A resolution supporting Israel in the recent battle with Hamas, entitled HR 34, was passed by the US House of Representatives by a vote of 390 to 5, with 22 abstentions. I believe that this resolution would also have passed the Israeli Knesset, but with a narrower margin, which would imply that the US is more pro-Israel than Israel.
But who are the five members of Congress who dared to defy the Israel Lobby? They are a diverse group, but not typical of the Congress as a whole: four are Democrats, two are black women, two are failed presidential candidates, and the remaining one is Arab-American. These are their stories:
Ron Paul represents the Fourteenth District of Texas, which stretches along the Gulf Coast from Houston to Corpus Christi. (1) He is best known as only candidate for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008 to repudiate President George W Bush, both on the Iraq War and the intrusive USA Patriot Act. Whereas Bush claimed that the terrorists who attacked this country on September 11, 2001, hated our freedom, Paul correctly noted that the real motive was that Arabs hated seeing American military power used in the Middle East.
Ron Paul is the lone remnant of the isolationist wing of the Republican Party, which lost the 1952 nomination to Dwight Eisenhower and never recovered. Paul is against all foreign aid, including aid to Israel, but also opposes American meddling in the Israel-Palestinian dispute. In his view, he is not anti-Israel, but just wants Israel to fend for itself without either aid or advice from the United States. He also opposes US membership in the UN and NATO, the personal income tax, the Federal Reserve System, abortion and federal gun control. He (along with Dennis Kucinich) voted against a 2007 resolution to accuse Iranian President Ahmadinejad of violating the Genocide Convention by calling for the destruction of Israel.
Political Prognosis: Ron Paul is a great fund-raiser and has shown remarkable political resilience. He ran for President as a Libertarian in 1988 and garnered over 400,000 votes, but not one electoral vote. In 2008, he lost every primary and caucus, and finished a poor fourth. He was the only Republican presidential candidate to refuse to support the McCain-Palin ticket, even though the nominees were also "mavericks." He can probably linger in the House for a few more terms, but he isn't going anywhere else.
Dennis Kucinich represents the 10th District in Ohio, which includes part of Cleveland and its suburbs. His life reads like a Hollywood screenplay that cannot be produced because no audience would believe the story. (1)
Elected Mayor of Cleveland at the age of 31 in 1977, he led the city into default on its municipal bonds. When he refused to sell a municipal electric utility, the Mafia hired a hitman to kill him. That effort failed, but he was defeated for re-election in 1979 and moved to Los Angeles, where he stayed at the home of actress Shirley McClain, who supported him financially for a few years. Then he moved back to Cleveland, got back into politics, and defeated a Republican Congressman in 1996! He has been re-elected ever since, despite some hotly contested Democratic primaries along the way.
As a member of Congress Kucinich is known for his hard-left positions, including his bill to impeach Vice President Dick Cheney. He sought the Democratic nomination for President of the United States in 2004 and again in 2008, but never even broke into the top tier of candidates. Although he "supports the survival of Israel" ( according to a speech given in New Hampshire in November, 2007) Kucinich also said that " Israel is not exempt from international law and must be held accountable" in late December, 2008. As noted above, he cast one of only two votes in the entire House against charging Ahmadinejad of fomenting genocide.
Political Prognosis: Although he appears to have his congressional district sewn-up for now, he will face continual challenges due to his general "kookiness." He may have several campaigns for higher office in his future, but he will lose them all.
Nick Rahall represents southern West Virginia. The son of wealthy Lebanese Christian immigrants, Rahall was elected to the House in 1976 at the tender age of 27, and has been re-elected since. Perhaps motivated by his Arab ancestry, Rahall has been a determined critic of Israel since he entered the House, and Jewish money has flowed to his opponents in several elections.
Yet Lebanese Christians are often more sympathetic to Israel than Muslim Arabs. For example, during the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah War Rahall said "As a Christian, I believe we must fully support the State of Israel and defend it...." .
Political Prognosis: Unlike Ron Paul and Dennis Kucinich, Nick Rahall is not a political gadfly or maverick. He is a moderate Democrat with substantial seniority, in the party mainstream on non-Middle East issues. When West Virginia Senator Robert Byrd, 90, leaves office, Rahall is an even bet to succeed him, even if the Israel Lobby backs another candidate.
Maxine Waters has represented the Watts area of Los Angeles in Congress since 1990. She is the consummate racial politician: a female Al Sharpton that actually wins elections. When many of her constituents rioted in 1992 after white policemen were acquitted of beating Rodney King, Rep. Waters commented, " I am as angry as they are....it was somewhat understandable, if not acceptable....everybody in the street was not a thug or a hood. " (1)
In Congress, she once advocated nationalizing America's petroleum industry if gasoline prices were not reduced. LikeKucinich, her other positions are also hard-left.
Political Prognosis: Maxine Waters does not merely represent Watts, she is Watts! She has been re-elected with at least 70% of the vote ever since she entered the House of Representatives. Now 70 years old, she may keep her seat for life. On the other hand, she has so antagonized white voters that I see no chance of her moving up to the Senate or statewide office.
Gwen Moore represents Wisconsin's Fourth District, which includes the City of Milwaukee and three southern suburbs. The District is about 38% black, with substantial Jewish and Muslim populations. She was elected to represent this District in Congress in 2004, after serving in the state legislature since 1989.
Moore is a black woman, but she is no Maxine Waters. She successfully appeals to white voters, and never plays the "race card."
Gwen Moore has Jewish relatives (2), and received considerable Jewish support in her campaign for Congress. She maintains a close relationship with the Milwaukee Jewish community, and has supported foreign aid to Israel in Congress.
Rep. Moore noted in a letter to her constituents that she wants the US be an "honest broker" between Israel and the Palestinians, and therefore Congress should not adopt a resolution like HR-34 which supports only Israel, especially in light of the suffering of Gaza Palestinians. Given the demographics of her district, she could not have pleased all her constituents no matter how she voted on HR-34.
Poitical Prognosis: Gwen Moore can keep her seat the rest of her life, if she so chooses. Since both Wisconsin senators are Democrats, she will not have a shot at moving up to that august body any time soon. Even if one of the senate seats were to open up in her lifetime, she would be a long-shot for the Democratic nomination. (3)
Of the Gaza Five, only Kucinich and Moore have a substantial Jewish constituency. Neither the Cleveland nor Milwaukee Jewish community seems to have much clout with their representative in Congress.
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(1) Wikipedia biographies.
(2) Gwen Moore's brother, Atty. Gerald McKinney, was married to a Jewish woman (Harriet Schachter McKinney), so she has Jewish nieces and nephews.
(3) Reps. Steve Kagen and David Obey would be favored over Moore for the nomination, as would statewide elected officials Jim Doyle, Barbara Lawton and Douglas LaFollette.
But who are the five members of Congress who dared to defy the Israel Lobby? They are a diverse group, but not typical of the Congress as a whole: four are Democrats, two are black women, two are failed presidential candidates, and the remaining one is Arab-American. These are their stories:
Ron Paul represents the Fourteenth District of Texas, which stretches along the Gulf Coast from Houston to Corpus Christi. (1) He is best known as only candidate for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008 to repudiate President George W Bush, both on the Iraq War and the intrusive USA Patriot Act. Whereas Bush claimed that the terrorists who attacked this country on September 11, 2001, hated our freedom, Paul correctly noted that the real motive was that Arabs hated seeing American military power used in the Middle East.
Ron Paul is the lone remnant of the isolationist wing of the Republican Party, which lost the 1952 nomination to Dwight Eisenhower and never recovered. Paul is against all foreign aid, including aid to Israel, but also opposes American meddling in the Israel-Palestinian dispute. In his view, he is not anti-Israel, but just wants Israel to fend for itself without either aid or advice from the United States. He also opposes US membership in the UN and NATO, the personal income tax, the Federal Reserve System, abortion and federal gun control. He (along with Dennis Kucinich) voted against a 2007 resolution to accuse Iranian President Ahmadinejad of violating the Genocide Convention by calling for the destruction of Israel.
Political Prognosis: Ron Paul is a great fund-raiser and has shown remarkable political resilience. He ran for President as a Libertarian in 1988 and garnered over 400,000 votes, but not one electoral vote. In 2008, he lost every primary and caucus, and finished a poor fourth. He was the only Republican presidential candidate to refuse to support the McCain-Palin ticket, even though the nominees were also "mavericks." He can probably linger in the House for a few more terms, but he isn't going anywhere else.
Dennis Kucinich represents the 10th District in Ohio, which includes part of Cleveland and its suburbs. His life reads like a Hollywood screenplay that cannot be produced because no audience would believe the story. (1)
Elected Mayor of Cleveland at the age of 31 in 1977, he led the city into default on its municipal bonds. When he refused to sell a municipal electric utility, the Mafia hired a hitman to kill him. That effort failed, but he was defeated for re-election in 1979 and moved to Los Angeles, where he stayed at the home of actress Shirley McClain, who supported him financially for a few years. Then he moved back to Cleveland, got back into politics, and defeated a Republican Congressman in 1996! He has been re-elected ever since, despite some hotly contested Democratic primaries along the way.
As a member of Congress Kucinich is known for his hard-left positions, including his bill to impeach Vice President Dick Cheney. He sought the Democratic nomination for President of the United States in 2004 and again in 2008, but never even broke into the top tier of candidates. Although he "supports the survival of Israel" ( according to a speech given in New Hampshire in November, 2007) Kucinich also said that " Israel is not exempt from international law and must be held accountable" in late December, 2008. As noted above, he cast one of only two votes in the entire House against charging Ahmadinejad of fomenting genocide.
Political Prognosis: Although he appears to have his congressional district sewn-up for now, he will face continual challenges due to his general "kookiness." He may have several campaigns for higher office in his future, but he will lose them all.
Nick Rahall represents southern West Virginia. The son of wealthy Lebanese Christian immigrants, Rahall was elected to the House in 1976 at the tender age of 27, and has been re-elected since. Perhaps motivated by his Arab ancestry, Rahall has been a determined critic of Israel since he entered the House, and Jewish money has flowed to his opponents in several elections.
Yet Lebanese Christians are often more sympathetic to Israel than Muslim Arabs. For example, during the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah War Rahall said "As a Christian, I believe we must fully support the State of Israel and defend it...." .
Political Prognosis: Unlike Ron Paul and Dennis Kucinich, Nick Rahall is not a political gadfly or maverick. He is a moderate Democrat with substantial seniority, in the party mainstream on non-Middle East issues. When West Virginia Senator Robert Byrd, 90, leaves office, Rahall is an even bet to succeed him, even if the Israel Lobby backs another candidate.
Maxine Waters has represented the Watts area of Los Angeles in Congress since 1990. She is the consummate racial politician: a female Al Sharpton that actually wins elections. When many of her constituents rioted in 1992 after white policemen were acquitted of beating Rodney King, Rep. Waters commented, " I am as angry as they are....it was somewhat understandable, if not acceptable....everybody in the street was not a thug or a hood. " (1)
In Congress, she once advocated nationalizing America's petroleum industry if gasoline prices were not reduced. LikeKucinich, her other positions are also hard-left.
Political Prognosis: Maxine Waters does not merely represent Watts, she is Watts! She has been re-elected with at least 70% of the vote ever since she entered the House of Representatives. Now 70 years old, she may keep her seat for life. On the other hand, she has so antagonized white voters that I see no chance of her moving up to the Senate or statewide office.
Gwen Moore represents Wisconsin's Fourth District, which includes the City of Milwaukee and three southern suburbs. The District is about 38% black, with substantial Jewish and Muslim populations. She was elected to represent this District in Congress in 2004, after serving in the state legislature since 1989.
Moore is a black woman, but she is no Maxine Waters. She successfully appeals to white voters, and never plays the "race card."
Gwen Moore has Jewish relatives (2), and received considerable Jewish support in her campaign for Congress. She maintains a close relationship with the Milwaukee Jewish community, and has supported foreign aid to Israel in Congress.
Rep. Moore noted in a letter to her constituents that she wants the US be an "honest broker" between Israel and the Palestinians, and therefore Congress should not adopt a resolution like HR-34 which supports only Israel, especially in light of the suffering of Gaza Palestinians. Given the demographics of her district, she could not have pleased all her constituents no matter how she voted on HR-34.
Poitical Prognosis: Gwen Moore can keep her seat the rest of her life, if she so chooses. Since both Wisconsin senators are Democrats, she will not have a shot at moving up to that august body any time soon. Even if one of the senate seats were to open up in her lifetime, she would be a long-shot for the Democratic nomination. (3)
Of the Gaza Five, only Kucinich and Moore have a substantial Jewish constituency. Neither the Cleveland nor Milwaukee Jewish community seems to have much clout with their representative in Congress.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(1) Wikipedia biographies.
(2) Gwen Moore's brother, Atty. Gerald McKinney, was married to a Jewish woman (Harriet Schachter McKinney), so she has Jewish nieces and nephews.
(3) Reps. Steve Kagen and David Obey would be favored over Moore for the nomination, as would statewide elected officials Jim Doyle, Barbara Lawton and Douglas LaFollette.
posted by Gerald S Glazer at 3:16 PM
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