Condi vs. Olmert, Round Four (and Who Is Dennis Kucinich?)

It seems that Haaretz knows, after making inquiries with people uninvolved in the spat between Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice that it is his version of the lead-up to America's vote on last week's Security Council resolution that is closer to the truth than hers.

Here's the story:-

Last Wednesday, the only proposal on the council's table was a completely one-sided Libyan resolution. Since it was clear to everyone that the United States would veto it, Israel had no reason to worry. But then, Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, a former senior World Bank official, decided that this was the moment to make use of his Washington connections.

Fayyad persuaded the Americans to support a softened version of the resolution, which called for a prompt cease-fire, hoping that such a resolution would speed up the ongoing truce talks. He asked the British and French for help, and they agreed. Rice signaled her French and British counterparts, Bernard Kouchner and David Miliband, that she was on board.

European diplomats, UN officials and a senior PA official all said Thursday that as of last Friday night it was clear to almost everyone that the U.S., like the other 14 Security Council members, would vote for the softened resolution. They said Rice had promised as much to her European colleagues.

In Jerusalem, however, officials went to sleep thinking the Americans had only agreed to support a 48-hour humanitarian cease-fire. At 1 A.M., final confirmation came from New York: The U.S. had promised that no cease-fire resolution would be brought to a vote any time soon. An hour and a half later, however, it became clear that not only was the Security Council due to vote on a cease-fire resolution at any minute, but Rice had ordered America's UN ambassador to support it. Olmert promptly telephoned U.S. President George Bush to complain about Rice's behavior and demand that he restrain her. What Bush said to Rice remains unknown. What is known, however, is that the U.S. suddenly changed its vote from "yes" to "abstain."...

And I also would like to know what Condi replied to this patsy, Ohio Democrat Dennis Kucinich, who made an:

assertion...that Israel's use of U.S.-supplied weaponry against Hamas constitutes a violation of the 1976 Arms Export Control Act.

That law states that U.S. weaponry must not be used to, in the words of the statute, to increase the possibility of outbreak or escalation of conflict, but does permit use of arms for what the law calls legitimate self-defense.

Pelosi did not have an immediate detailed reaction to Kucinich's statement. Congressman Kucinich's office declined to provide information Thursday on whether U.S. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice has responded to a letter from the lawmaker on the matter.

Er, Rep. Kucinich, it does read "legitimate self-defense".

He's a busy bloke, aint he? He's been a hospital orderly, newspaper copy boy, teacher, consultant, television analyst and author. And Cleveland's mayor, too.

Then there's this:

Kucinich Speaks Against Israel Resolution

Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) today spoke out against a resolution affirming U.S. support for Israel’s military action in Gaza. While a firm supporter of the people of Israel and a critic of rocket attacks by Hamas militants, Congressman Kucinich led opposition against the incomplete resolution.

H.Res. 34, “Supporting Israel in Its Battle with Terrorist Hamas,” is incomplete because it does not address the humanitarian crisis of Palestinians in Gaza, fails to insist on an immediate ceasefire, and neglects Israel’s potential violation of the Arms Export and Control Act which governs U.S. arms exports to foreign countries.

Well, there are many things that could be an influence on his political outlook, like His father, a truck driver, was of Croatian ancestry or that his third wife, Elizabeth Harper, a British citizen, is 31 years younger than Kucinich. But this is really funny: the book "Best and Worst of the Big-City Leaders, 1820–1993", by Melvin G. Holli, in consultation with a panel of experts, placed Kucinich among the ten worst big-city mayors of all time for reasons of temperament and performance. He signed a letter of solidarity with Hugo Chávez in Venezuela in 2004. He voted against the impeachment of President Clinton, by the way. (Elizabeth?)

And wait, it gets better. Kucinich voted against the Rothman-Kirk Resolution, which calls on the United Nations to charge Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad with violating the genocide convention of the United Nations Charter based on statements that he has made. Kucinich defended his vote by saying that Ahmadinejad's statements could be translated to mean that he wants a regime change in Israel, not death to its people and supporters.

This is funny: on October 30, 2007, NBC's Tim Russert cited a passage from a book by Shirley MacLaine in which the author writes that Kucinich had seen a UFO from her home in Washington State. Russert asked if MacLaine's assertion was true. Kucinich confirmed and emphasized that he merely meant he had seen an unidentified flying object, just as former US president Jimmy Carter has.

More relevant info:

Dennis Kucinich addresses Arab-American voters in Dearborn, Michigan, October 28, 2007

CAIR executive director Nihad Awad thanked Kucinich for his rousing keynote speech at CAIR's annual fund-raiser addressing issues of concern to Muslim-American voters in 2004.

And James Zogby noted Dennis Kucinich for the most dramatic policy on Middle East issues in November 2007.