The Hill News

Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), the co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said Friday that Obama is “wrong” to oppose the vote for Palestinian statehood at the United Nations.

“The key issue of statehood is something that we can do now, that we should do now,” Ellison said on the progressive Bill Press radio show. “I think it will bring great stability to the region.”

Ellison said Obama is missing an opportunity to get the Palestinian state he has previously said he wanted. Ellison’s position is a break with the top House Democrats who have agreed with Obama on the possible UN vote.

Democratic leaders House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) and Minority Whip Steny H. Hoyer (Md.) sided with Obama last week in a letter sent to 40 European heads of state urging them not to support the Palestinian bid.

Read more...