Progress Illinois

Fearful of the threat he believes Iran poses to neighbor Israel, GOP Rep. Mark Kirk spent some time last week at the AIPAC annual conference discussing the best approach to protect our country's major ally in the Middle East. Commenter "Hawkeye" brought to our attention this Real News Network report in which Kirk does both our Israeli allies and his 10th District constituents a disservice by engaging in some good old fashioned fear mongering to sell his get-tough approach to diplomacy.

As RNN points out, Kirk overlooks some key findings from last year's National Intelligence Estimate and grossly overstates the military power of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a leader who deserves substantial criticism for his domestic failures and general wingnuttery but holds little influence over the nation's foreign policy. Check out the entire video here.

Kirk's saber-rattling has real-world consequences as well. He is the ringleader on congressional legislation that would punish oil traders and transporters that sell refined gasoline to Iran. Eli Lake at The New York Sun has the details:

Legislation is circulating in Congress, backed by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, that would punish oil traders and transporters that sell refined gasoline to Iran. While the Islamic Republic is one of the world's leading exporters of crude petroleum, the country lacks the refining capacity to turn an estimated 40% of its crude oil into gasoline. Earlier this year, the country saw gas riots after President Ahmadinejad tried to impose gasoline rationing.

American policy will likely hinge on the results of a Department of Energy study examining the effect of such a sanctions regime on the Iranians and world oil markets. It is a softer policy version of a plan to embargo the Iranian import of refined gasoline. An embargo, however would likely push the price of gasoline in America even higher and would plunge America into an open war with Iran.