"Issa's comments were featured in a number of Arabic news sources, not just the Tehran Times. On Oct. 31, London-based Al-Hayat reported that Issa made a proposal to Hezbollah to get the U.S. to recognize it and remove it from the State Department terrorist list. Issa claims that's a lie, too. Pro-Hezbollah utterances by Issa, similar to those in The Tehran Times, were reported by Lebanon's Beirut Daily Star, Syria's National News Agency and even in his own past comments before the committee on which he sits, the House International Relations Committee. Does the Congressional Record lie?"
Here is what I found in the CR when doing a search on Google for "Hezbollah" and "Issa:"
"Mr. GILMAN. Thank you, Mr. Issa. Mr. ISSA. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would hope that today we get as much interface of ideas about what those items are that we should do instead of lifting the sanctions and what signs to look for or what signals to send Iran to let them know that we do want peace, we do want a dialogue, we do want to work together to solve the problems in the Middle East if they have a will to do so. I say this as an Arab-American, as somebody who has family and friends throughout the region of the Middle East, that it is with great regret that these sanctionsmust stay in place. It is with great regret that we have not been able to convince Iran who funds Hezbollah (in all candor, for the good things they do, too, the humanitarian, the hospitals, the schools that they pay) to cease the funding of those things which only prolong the agony of the people in the Middle East. And to the extent that I have the ability to do so and that this Committee has the ability to do so, we ask you to give us guidance here today. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
It would be interesting to know if this is what Debbie had in mind. If she did, some might think she guilded the lilly a bit. On the other hand, Issa seems to be obtuse as to what is Hezbollah's primary mission, and just why Iran is funding it. I don't think the motive is eleomosynarily inspired.
You be the judge.
I don't agree. I don't think he's dumb. He *appears* to of Christian Arab extraction. My guess is he figured he could tap into some really great campaign funding by sucking up to the Muslim Arabs of the United States. American Muslims have little problem with Hizbulla. They will always say it's does humanitarian activities ......which it does in addition to killing Israelis.