Posted By James Besser
The Strangest Bedfellows: Kucinich and Paul? / Jame Besser in Washington
The National Jewish Democratic Council (NJDC) doesn't mind criticizing some fellow Democrats - especially when they can do that and take a hit at an increasingly popular Republican candidate with the same swipe.
This week the partisan group lashed out at Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio), whose fierce anti-war campaign for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination might sell well with Jewish voters - if not for his views on Israel.
Kucinich's latest sin: his suggestion that if he is nominated, he would consider selecting as his running mate Rep. Ron Paul - the libertarian/isolationist/antiwar Republican who remains low in the polls but is doing extraordinarily well on the Internet and in fundraising.
At a New Hampshire meeting, he suggested a Kucinich-Paul ticket could "balance the energies" of the country.
"Despite his views on the Iraq war, Rep. Paul no more belongs on a Democratic ticket than Dennis Kucinich on a Republican one," said NJDC executive director Ira Forman. "Any Jewish Democrats or independents that are tempted toward Rep. Paul because of his stance on the war should be reminded that this Republican Representative has a terrible record on Middle East politics, is anti-choice, and opposes stem cell research. Rep. Paul has even gone so far as to call the Israel government evil."
What Forman neglected to mention is that Kucinich, too, has a long record of statements and actions that infuriate pro-Israel leaders, including his speech at a conference sponsored by the anti-Israel Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center.
Paul has attracted some far-left wingers who admire his anti-war stance, but a Kucinich-Paul ticket would be the strangest of marriages. Kucinich is the most vocal advocate of a government-sponsored single-payer health care system; Paul wants to virtually dismantle the federal government.
Jewish Democrats can afford to do some bipartisan criticism in his case. Kucinich is going nowhere in the polls or in the fundraising sweepstakes; Paul, on the other hand, is gaining more national attention by the day.
This week the partisan group lashed out at Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio), whose fierce anti-war campaign for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination might sell well with Jewish voters - if not for his views on Israel.
Kucinich's latest sin: his suggestion that if he is nominated, he would consider selecting as his running mate Rep. Ron Paul - the libertarian/isolationist/antiwar Republican who remains low in the polls but is doing extraordinarily well on the Internet and in fundraising.
At a New Hampshire meeting, he suggested a Kucinich-Paul ticket could "balance the energies" of the country.
"Despite his views on the Iraq war, Rep. Paul no more belongs on a Democratic ticket than Dennis Kucinich on a Republican one," said NJDC executive director Ira Forman. "Any Jewish Democrats or independents that are tempted toward Rep. Paul because of his stance on the war should be reminded that this Republican Representative has a terrible record on Middle East politics, is anti-choice, and opposes stem cell research. Rep. Paul has even gone so far as to call the Israel government evil."
What Forman neglected to mention is that Kucinich, too, has a long record of statements and actions that infuriate pro-Israel leaders, including his speech at a conference sponsored by the anti-Israel Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center.
Paul has attracted some far-left wingers who admire his anti-war stance, but a Kucinich-Paul ticket would be the strangest of marriages. Kucinich is the most vocal advocate of a government-sponsored single-payer health care system; Paul wants to virtually dismantle the federal government.
Jewish Democrats can afford to do some bipartisan criticism in his case. Kucinich is going nowhere in the polls or in the fundraising sweepstakes; Paul, on the other hand, is gaining more national attention by the day.