Carnahan to talk about Iran and Israel -- not re-election -- during Wash U speech
U.S. Rep. Russ Carnahan, D-St. Louis, will focus on international affairs on Wednesday – notably, Israel and Iran – during an evening address at Washington University.
The event is scheduled for 7 p.m. in Tisch Commons, in the Danforth University Center.
Carnahan, a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, is expected to talk about the rising tensions in the Middle East, especially Israel's concern about Iran's quest for nuclear weapons.
At the moment, though, the congressman’s biggest concern is arguably domestic – how to remain in Congress after this year.
Carnahan currently is challenging U.S. Rep. William Lacy Clay Jr., D-St. Louis, in the August primary after both got tossed into the same district when the General Assembly drew new boundary lines for the eight remaining congressional districts. Missouri sheds one with this fall’s elections.
Although candidate filing ended several weeks ago, the Missouri Supreme Court has yet to issue a final decision regarding suits challenging the constitutionality of the new boundary lines. Carnahan publicly has continued to exude confidence that the court will order that new lines be drawn.
Meanwhile, Clay has been the recipient of several major endorsements.
In the meantime, for Carnahan, Iran and Israel may be safer political topics.
