NJDC Criticizes Kucinich For saying He’d Consider Ron Paul as VP
Listed in: Israel, NJDC News, Press Releases
Washington, D.C. -- Today, the National Jewish Democratic Council (NJDC) criticized Rep. Dennis Kucinich for saying that he would consider Republican Rep. Ron Paul for the Vice Presidency should Kucinich win the Democratic nomination.
"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 N. 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,'" continued Forman.
Rep. Paul has a long history of voting of anti-Israeli votes and rhetoric. Among his most objectionable quotes:
- "Stating that lobbying groups who seek special favors and handouts are evil, Paul wrote, ‘By far the most powerful lobby in Washington of the bad sort is the Israeli government' and that the goal of the Zionist movement is to stifle criticism." [Houston Chronicle, 5/23/96]
- "The goal of the Zionist movement is to so intimidate us that we will dare say nothing critical of Israel's policies," Paul wrote. [Ron Paul Political Report, 4/15/92]
- "It's time that Israel stopped running American foreign policy and draining American taxpayers' wallets." When groups protested to the Republican leadership that Paul was being assigned to the international affairs committee, Paul blamed the Israeli government for the loss of his promised seat. [Fundraising letter by Ron Paul; The Ethnic News Watch, 11/7/96]
The Cleveland Plain Dealer reported yesterday that Kucinich would consider Rep. Paul to be his running mate: "'I'm thinking about Ron Paul' as a running mate, Kucinich told a crowd of about 70 supporters at a house party here, one of numerous stops throughout New Hampshire over the Thanksgiving weekend. A Kucinich-Paul administration could bring people together "to balance the energies in this country,' Kucinich said."
