++Rachel Maddow reported last night that the aim of the House Republicans in their convoluted new strategy is to bring a lawsuit against the Obama Administration on negotiating the Iran nuclear deal.
++Chris Weigant in the HuffingtonPost explained the Republicans' original strategy to get media FaceTime for their disapproval vote, since President Obama had managed to negotiate the original Corker-Cardin compromise, which infuriated the tea baggers who wanted the deal to be treated as a treaty. Weigant said that the GOP thought three bites at the apple would provide them with enough media exposure for the election. Now the image is highly confused.
++Politico reports that AIPAC ,which suffered a major defeat, is now trying to lobby Senate Democrats to allow a straight up and down vote on the resolution to "disapprove" as a way to give BIBI a symbolic victory before he talks at the UN.
++But even that strategy for AIPAC is fraught with problems now that the House Republicans have jumped they shark.
Showing posts with label AIPAC. Show all posts
Showing posts with label AIPAC. Show all posts
Thursday, September 10, 2015
Saturday, March 21, 2015
Saturday Take-Outs
++You can't take it away from him. President Obama is cool in Miles Davis cool. He gave two terrific interviews with Vice and Huffington Post. If we had passed everything he wanted, we would be a far better place.
++Lindsey Graham now threatens the UN Security Council with cutting off UN funding if they agree to the Iranian nuclear deal.
++Senator Corker says his new Iran sanction bill will pass and be veto-proof.
++Josh Marshall gets a kick out of Steven King accusing American Jews as being democrats first and Jews second in their support for Israel. Steven Israel responds in a twitter war with King saying he is "meshugana."
++AIPAC is having cardiac arrest. It is urging President Obama to be nice to Bibi on his re-election.
++Tehran Tom wants to punish countries who accept Gitmo prisoners.
++Doug Bandow, a libertarian, writes in Huffington Post that the Beltway pundits are beginning to say the same things about war and forgetting that doing stupid things endlessly only makes things worse.
++Don't look at the GOP budget. It is insane. It has two asterisks ,according to Paul Krugman, which total $2 trillion more of debt. They want to repeal Obamacare, which would cost $220 million in the first year alone and $5 trillion of debt reduction through 2020. And the American people don't get anything.
++Governor Scott of Florida got rid of climate change literally. He wants anyone using the term in government to get help for mental illness. The words can not be used. Carl Hiassen in the Miami Herald did a funny column on all the real euphemisms used in Florida for environmental degradation.
++You know Bibi is a Republican because he hasn't organized a government yet. Josh Marshall writes about some who may join him who are now driving hard bargains. The task is to get the extreme right parties away from the government.
++The EU has submitted their report on the West Bank and Jerusalem and notes increased polarization in the last year.
++The ACLU finally won their case for they release of the thousands of photos of prisoner abuse in Iraq. The court has given the Obama Administration two months to file an objection.
++The Loretta Lynch vote is supposed to come up the end of April after the Spring break,making her the longest waiting nominee for Attorney General in our history. That's because she's overqualified.
++Senator McConnell asked all states to ignore the current EPA rules on power plants. His own state of Kentucky refuses.
++NPR ran a show that Hillary Clinton is the most qualified candidate for President of the United States in a long time. The Gallup poll shows that she is held in high-esteem by both men and women. The CNN/ORC poll shows she's about 10 points ahead of any GOP challengers.
++Lindsey Graham now threatens the UN Security Council with cutting off UN funding if they agree to the Iranian nuclear deal.
++Senator Corker says his new Iran sanction bill will pass and be veto-proof.
++Josh Marshall gets a kick out of Steven King accusing American Jews as being democrats first and Jews second in their support for Israel. Steven Israel responds in a twitter war with King saying he is "meshugana."
++AIPAC is having cardiac arrest. It is urging President Obama to be nice to Bibi on his re-election.
++Tehran Tom wants to punish countries who accept Gitmo prisoners.
++Doug Bandow, a libertarian, writes in Huffington Post that the Beltway pundits are beginning to say the same things about war and forgetting that doing stupid things endlessly only makes things worse.
++Don't look at the GOP budget. It is insane. It has two asterisks ,according to Paul Krugman, which total $2 trillion more of debt. They want to repeal Obamacare, which would cost $220 million in the first year alone and $5 trillion of debt reduction through 2020. And the American people don't get anything.
++Governor Scott of Florida got rid of climate change literally. He wants anyone using the term in government to get help for mental illness. The words can not be used. Carl Hiassen in the Miami Herald did a funny column on all the real euphemisms used in Florida for environmental degradation.
++You know Bibi is a Republican because he hasn't organized a government yet. Josh Marshall writes about some who may join him who are now driving hard bargains. The task is to get the extreme right parties away from the government.
++The EU has submitted their report on the West Bank and Jerusalem and notes increased polarization in the last year.
++The ACLU finally won their case for they release of the thousands of photos of prisoner abuse in Iraq. The court has given the Obama Administration two months to file an objection.
++The Loretta Lynch vote is supposed to come up the end of April after the Spring break,making her the longest waiting nominee for Attorney General in our history. That's because she's overqualified.
++Senator McConnell asked all states to ignore the current EPA rules on power plants. His own state of Kentucky refuses.
++NPR ran a show that Hillary Clinton is the most qualified candidate for President of the United States in a long time. The Gallup poll shows that she is held in high-esteem by both men and women. The CNN/ORC poll shows she's about 10 points ahead of any GOP challengers.
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Waiting On The Ukraine
++Yesterday we saw a spasm of anti-Obama rhetoric by such successful geopoliticians as Dick Cheney, Don Rumsfeld, Ms. Lindsey Graham,John McCain, and Rudy Guiliani. Graham said that Putin's decision started with Benghazi after he saw that Americans could be killed with our consequences. I guess sort of like Iraq. John McCain said that a 1983 paper wrote by President Obama while he was at Columbia shows he doesn't understand the Soviet Union,which no longer exists. Rudy Guiliani was positively giddy about Vladimir Putin's leadership. All of this was best handled by Andrew Sullivan in his post "Putin Envy."
++By early morning,John Kerry had met with the government in Kiev and promised $1.5 billion,the EU promised $15 billion,NATO suspended all cooperation with the Russian military and Secretary Hagel travelled to Europe and said that NATO would bolster the Baltic states. Putin gave a press conference where Clint Eastwood's chair showed up and Putin was rambling about American plots against him. Putin's statements were dissected as a pack of lies by the Washington Post and President Obama said that no one believes what Putin says.
++Later John Kerry met with the Russian prime minister and the Ukraine met with Russians. Putin still reserves the right to use force but his troops have backed away from the border. Russians still occupy Crimea.
++With these pressing matters, Darryl Issa was supposed to have a blockbuster hearing with Ms. Lerner agreeing to testify after pleading the Fifth. But, alas, she showed up to plead the Fifth and Issa refused to allow Elijah Cummings, the lead Democrat , from speaking and then huffed and adjourned the hearing. He has declared that his investigation has hit the end of the road.
++The House also is deliberating the STOP Act, which would give Congress the right to sue President Obama--for doing his job. The bill declares that the President can not interpret how laws are to be implemented. In my time,this had been ok'd by several Supreme Court decisions.
++The House also voted to repeal Obamacare for the 50th time. In the polls,it looks like Obamacare is a wash for the 2014 elections.
++Same-sex couples can now get married in Illinois. Western Republicans, including former Senator Nancy Kassenbaum, signed a petition to the federal court to allow same-sex marriage.
++Bibi Netanyahu tied up traffic yesterday in D.C. and spoke to AIPAC. To a very subdued crowd, he made a pitch for the Peace Plan being negotiated by John Kerry. He argued the time has come. Then throwing red meat to the crowd, he went after Iran and called for additional sanctions against the regime, the worst in the world. Senator Menendez spoke and pledged to renew his attempt for additional sanctions. John McCain spoke and denounced President Obama.
++By early morning,John Kerry had met with the government in Kiev and promised $1.5 billion,the EU promised $15 billion,NATO suspended all cooperation with the Russian military and Secretary Hagel travelled to Europe and said that NATO would bolster the Baltic states. Putin gave a press conference where Clint Eastwood's chair showed up and Putin was rambling about American plots against him. Putin's statements were dissected as a pack of lies by the Washington Post and President Obama said that no one believes what Putin says.
++Later John Kerry met with the Russian prime minister and the Ukraine met with Russians. Putin still reserves the right to use force but his troops have backed away from the border. Russians still occupy Crimea.
++With these pressing matters, Darryl Issa was supposed to have a blockbuster hearing with Ms. Lerner agreeing to testify after pleading the Fifth. But, alas, she showed up to plead the Fifth and Issa refused to allow Elijah Cummings, the lead Democrat , from speaking and then huffed and adjourned the hearing. He has declared that his investigation has hit the end of the road.
++The House also is deliberating the STOP Act, which would give Congress the right to sue President Obama--for doing his job. The bill declares that the President can not interpret how laws are to be implemented. In my time,this had been ok'd by several Supreme Court decisions.
++The House also voted to repeal Obamacare for the 50th time. In the polls,it looks like Obamacare is a wash for the 2014 elections.
++Same-sex couples can now get married in Illinois. Western Republicans, including former Senator Nancy Kassenbaum, signed a petition to the federal court to allow same-sex marriage.
++Bibi Netanyahu tied up traffic yesterday in D.C. and spoke to AIPAC. To a very subdued crowd, he made a pitch for the Peace Plan being negotiated by John Kerry. He argued the time has come. Then throwing red meat to the crowd, he went after Iran and called for additional sanctions against the regime, the worst in the world. Senator Menendez spoke and pledged to renew his attempt for additional sanctions. John McCain spoke and denounced President Obama.
Friday, February 7, 2014
The Economy Continues To Sputter Along
++ Non Farm jobs added in January were 113,000, leaving the unemployment rate at 6.6%. If the Jobs program and infrastructure bills had been passed last year,we would be at 5.1% and aiming to full employment. And we still don't known the total cost of the government shutdown. Paul Krugman reminds us today that if it weren't for the President and the Democrats, we would have embarked on full austerity and been like Europe where unemployment is double the United States.
++In other news,right before 42 Senate Republicans sent a letter to Harry Reid to bring the Iran sanctions bill to a vote,AIPAC issued a statement that the time wasn't right and basically flew the flag of surrender.
++In other news,right before 42 Senate Republicans sent a letter to Harry Reid to bring the Iran sanctions bill to a vote,AIPAC issued a statement that the time wasn't right and basically flew the flag of surrender.
Monday, January 27, 2014
Quien Es Mas Macho?
++The Mayor of Sochi claims there are no gays in his city--only gay bars.
++The Marlboro Man died at the age of 72 because of respiratory problems.
++Bob Schaeffer laughed at Ted Cruz for saying Obama caused the government shutdown.
++Tom Perkins, a billionaire, said that the attacks on the Rich were the same as Kristallnacht. Really?
++Trey Radel ,Florida Republican, will resign from the House . He was caught buying cocaine from an undercover agent.
++Steve Stockman who has been absent from the House for the first 17 days blamed the media saying he was campaigning but no one saw him.
++Mike Huckbee says that women have to control their libidos and shouldn't expect Uncle Sugar to provide them with birth control pills.
++Texas candidate for governor, Wendy Davis is a "bad mother" according to the Republicans.
++Morning Joe Scarborough says that Hillary Clinton can't attack the GOP on the war against women because of Monica Lewinski.
++Newsmax says that "Hellcat" Clinton is in bad shape because of Benghazi.
++Rand Paul says that Bill Clinton exhibited predatory behavior against women and this will damage Hillary.
++Erick Bennett, the tea bagger challenger against Susan Collins, threatened to kill his wife and was charged with spousal abuse. These are positive things for his campaign.
++AIPAC has attacked Wendy Wasserman Schultz for not being pro-enough on Israel, although she has the highest pro-Israel voting record in Congress.
++Dinesh D'Sousa was indicted for violating campaign finance laws. He used both his wife and his mistress as fronts for his campaign contributions.
++Lamar Alexander's staff member who was busted for distributing child porn committed suicide.
++Kim Jong-un ordered the entire family of his uncle's executed.
++Chris Christie hired Patton, Boggs, the D.C. Law firm to defend him in his exploding scandals.
++Frank Rich in this issue of New York magazine proclaims Fox News dead and wishes liberals woud stop fixating on it.
++The Marlboro Man died at the age of 72 because of respiratory problems.
++Bob Schaeffer laughed at Ted Cruz for saying Obama caused the government shutdown.
++Tom Perkins, a billionaire, said that the attacks on the Rich were the same as Kristallnacht. Really?
++Trey Radel ,Florida Republican, will resign from the House . He was caught buying cocaine from an undercover agent.
++Steve Stockman who has been absent from the House for the first 17 days blamed the media saying he was campaigning but no one saw him.
++Mike Huckbee says that women have to control their libidos and shouldn't expect Uncle Sugar to provide them with birth control pills.
++Texas candidate for governor, Wendy Davis is a "bad mother" according to the Republicans.
++Morning Joe Scarborough says that Hillary Clinton can't attack the GOP on the war against women because of Monica Lewinski.
++Newsmax says that "Hellcat" Clinton is in bad shape because of Benghazi.
++Rand Paul says that Bill Clinton exhibited predatory behavior against women and this will damage Hillary.
++Erick Bennett, the tea bagger challenger against Susan Collins, threatened to kill his wife and was charged with spousal abuse. These are positive things for his campaign.
++AIPAC has attacked Wendy Wasserman Schultz for not being pro-enough on Israel, although she has the highest pro-Israel voting record in Congress.
++Dinesh D'Sousa was indicted for violating campaign finance laws. He used both his wife and his mistress as fronts for his campaign contributions.
++Lamar Alexander's staff member who was busted for distributing child porn committed suicide.
++Kim Jong-un ordered the entire family of his uncle's executed.
++Chris Christie hired Patton, Boggs, the D.C. Law firm to defend him in his exploding scandals.
++Frank Rich in this issue of New York magazine proclaims Fox News dead and wishes liberals woud stop fixating on it.
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
The Afternoon Coffee Break
++AIPAC has 76 Senators signed to back whatever they want on Iran.
++Duncan Hunter,Jr. says that the United States must be prepared to drop nuclear weapons on Iran as part of its military option.
++The California GOP is defending their bogus healthcare website as getting the word out on how terrible Obamacare is.
++Obamacare in the last two days has enrolled more than twice the number it did in November.
++Governor Rick Perry is negotiating with the federal government expansion of Medicaid in Texas. Texas has the most uninsured of any state.
++Texas is forcing navigators for healthcare to undergo background checks as a way to slow down the implementation of the law.
++Consumer Reports pronounces the website "excellent" and urges Americans to go shopping for healthcare.
++John Boehner blames President Obama and the Senate for the worst Congress in history. Boehner's crew only tried to repeal Obamacare 48 times, a very productive use of time.
++President Obama came out today rock and rolling on economic opportunities and zinged the Republicans on unemployment benefits, the SNAP program and any ideas about jobs. The Twitter feed for the whole speech had zinger after zinger.
++In their outreach to minorities,the RNC asked,"What did President Obama ever do for African-Americans?"
++Eyes were on Boehner hiring John McCain's staff aide on immigration. Harry Reid crowed that Boehner will cave on immigration reform, which is backed by labor,the evangelical churches,the Chamber of Commerce and all minority groups.
++Charles Pierce was right yesterday when he wrote in the Esquire political blog that the campaign against Obamacare would be eternal. Today, the GOP is back to criticizing Obamacare for Medicare cuts. They used this in the 2012 election but failed to convince anyone. The RNC is offended by the way Obamacare appeals to the young through its ads. And of course, Obama just took over 1/16th of the national economy.
++Peggy Noonan says the Obama White House is disorganized. This comes on the whole competence complaint against Obama.
++Former White House spokesman Gibbs argues someone has to be fired for the lousy healthcare rollout.
++Fans of Obama's electoral campaigns might notice the same techniques being applied in Obamacare. Political activists, labor unions, nurses and navigators are targeting inner cities for the quickest way to roll up the numbers for health insurance.
++The Democrats seem to be off the floor and back on their feet by challenging GOP Governors on the issue of Medicaid expansion.
++The Washington Post today teems with stories about how toxic Republican politics has become and the serial lies told about Obamacare.
++Duncan Hunter,Jr. says that the United States must be prepared to drop nuclear weapons on Iran as part of its military option.
++The California GOP is defending their bogus healthcare website as getting the word out on how terrible Obamacare is.
++Obamacare in the last two days has enrolled more than twice the number it did in November.
++Governor Rick Perry is negotiating with the federal government expansion of Medicaid in Texas. Texas has the most uninsured of any state.
++Texas is forcing navigators for healthcare to undergo background checks as a way to slow down the implementation of the law.
++Consumer Reports pronounces the website "excellent" and urges Americans to go shopping for healthcare.
++John Boehner blames President Obama and the Senate for the worst Congress in history. Boehner's crew only tried to repeal Obamacare 48 times, a very productive use of time.
++President Obama came out today rock and rolling on economic opportunities and zinged the Republicans on unemployment benefits, the SNAP program and any ideas about jobs. The Twitter feed for the whole speech had zinger after zinger.
++In their outreach to minorities,the RNC asked,"What did President Obama ever do for African-Americans?"
++Eyes were on Boehner hiring John McCain's staff aide on immigration. Harry Reid crowed that Boehner will cave on immigration reform, which is backed by labor,the evangelical churches,the Chamber of Commerce and all minority groups.
++Charles Pierce was right yesterday when he wrote in the Esquire political blog that the campaign against Obamacare would be eternal. Today, the GOP is back to criticizing Obamacare for Medicare cuts. They used this in the 2012 election but failed to convince anyone. The RNC is offended by the way Obamacare appeals to the young through its ads. And of course, Obama just took over 1/16th of the national economy.
++Peggy Noonan says the Obama White House is disorganized. This comes on the whole competence complaint against Obama.
++Former White House spokesman Gibbs argues someone has to be fired for the lousy healthcare rollout.
++Fans of Obama's electoral campaigns might notice the same techniques being applied in Obamacare. Political activists, labor unions, nurses and navigators are targeting inner cities for the quickest way to roll up the numbers for health insurance.
++The Democrats seem to be off the floor and back on their feet by challenging GOP Governors on the issue of Medicaid expansion.
++The Washington Post today teems with stories about how toxic Republican politics has become and the serial lies told about Obamacare.
Saturday, May 21, 2011
More Reactions to Obama's Israel Flap
The Sunday Washington Post's lead editorial laments President Obama's relationship with Netanyahu and believes the President undercut his own diplomatic efforts by formulating his position on negotiations between Israel and Palestine the way he did. The Post claims that Netanyahu only found out about the precise wording of the section on Israel only a few hours before the President delivered it.
The Post's editorial in my opinion is woefully wrong in its conclusions, blaming Palestinian President Abbas for not wanting a negotiated peace. They never raised the issue of Netanyahu's sincerity on the subject. And also questioned whether President Obama's initiatives on the Arab Spring are now in doubt.
Since we're supposed to think there is only the United States and the country upon which we act out our policy,it might be interesting to consider that there is something called the Quartet chosen by the international community to foster a peaceful solution between Israel and Palestine. The Quartet consists of the United States, the United Nations, the European Union and Russia. The rest of the Quartet is on the record as agreeing with President Obama's parameters for a peace settlement and saying that they especially stress the urgent need for negotiations.
Angela Merkel of Germany and Prime Minister Cameron of the United Kingdom were quick off the block openly agreeing with President Obama, especially on the 1967 borders as being the starting point for negotiations, something Prime Minister Netanyahu has so far denied.
Tzipi Livni, the leader of the Kadima coalition in Israel, went on record backing Obama's plan and his tone. But she let loose on Netanyahu, saying: "The Prime Minister has violated relations between israel and the United States. He has endangered the security of Israel and its power of deterrence."
The sight of Netanyahu lecturing the President of the United States at their joint press conference has been the cause celebre in the Middle East and has drawn criticism here in the States. Pat Buchanan, not your most philo-semitic person, donned his commentator hat to say that he was bewildered by Republican criticism of Obama's position since it was the exact same as that of George W. Bush. But he also said that he personally resented having Netanyahu, who is totally dependent on America, to be publically lecturing President Obama like a schoolkid at the press conference.
Defense Minister Ehud Barack tried to downplay the PR fiasco for Israel, saying that the meeting didn't go all that badly and people were over-reacting.
In Ramallah on the West Bank, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas instructed all his advisers to avoid any comment so as to keep the attention on Netanyahu's behavior and his collision course with Obama. Palestinian authorities privately said that the chance of renewing the talks seem rather remote after the Israeli Prime Minister's visit to the United States.
Unless Obama can change Netanyahu's mind before he leaves the United States, the odds are great that the Palestinians will again look to renew the United Nations Resolution. President Obama has openly warned the Palestinians that they would not achieve their goal of a state through this method.
Palestinians well aware that the United States has vowed to veto such a measure are now looking either to have a United Nations trusteeship declared for Palestine or to acquire observer status at the United Nations.
During this time, President Abbas has been consulting Arab foreign ministers by phone and is heading to Jordan for consultations with the King. He has requested a meeting with the Arab league next month.
We look forward to both President Obama's and Netanyahu's speeches to AIPAC this coming week. President Obama's words that the "Dream of a Jewish democratic state can not be built on permanent occupation" resonates with the better angels in Israel but the ruling coalition knows it's doomed if it openly talks about a two-state solution.
Everyone's ambulance chaser, Glenn Beck has used the occasion to announce his wonderous "Restore Courage" tour of Israel. For just a few thousand dollars, you can travel to the Holy Land and walk in the footsteps of the Savior. And get to hear Glenn Beck defend Israel. He has said he will be willing to die there if God wants it. Beck says that all of Western civilization will end if Israel is destroyed. He badgered Bill O'Reilly the other night about his attitudes toward Jews. And like many evangelicals, he invokes the name of Dietrich Bonhoffer, who died in prison after trying to assassinate Adolf Hitler.
What Beck doesn't confess to is how Hitler allowed Mormons to proselytize in Nazi Germany and how the American evangelicals, who love to talk about Bonhoffer, in fact shamefully supported Hitler's programs for Germany. Accompanied on his trip to Israel by the religious Right's favorite fake historian David Barton, Beck might have inquired about American fundamentalists strange history in their relationship with Hitler's Germany. But irony isn't allowed here.
Glenn Beck said that he hoped his trip would ruin American foreign policy toward the region. Any bets on whether he is greeted by Netanyahu. After all the Prime Minister stiffed one of America's strongest allies of Israel, Vice President Biden, for an event hosted by Pastor Hagee, who was extolling the Jewish settlements.
There is real bad juju going on here and anyone really concerned about the security of Israel has to be tremendously bothered.
As with the Republicans, I remember meeting Bibi Netanyahu with Bayard Rustin when Bibi was relatively sane and intelligent. What bothers me know about him is his fixation on Masada.
The Post's editorial in my opinion is woefully wrong in its conclusions, blaming Palestinian President Abbas for not wanting a negotiated peace. They never raised the issue of Netanyahu's sincerity on the subject. And also questioned whether President Obama's initiatives on the Arab Spring are now in doubt.
Since we're supposed to think there is only the United States and the country upon which we act out our policy,it might be interesting to consider that there is something called the Quartet chosen by the international community to foster a peaceful solution between Israel and Palestine. The Quartet consists of the United States, the United Nations, the European Union and Russia. The rest of the Quartet is on the record as agreeing with President Obama's parameters for a peace settlement and saying that they especially stress the urgent need for negotiations.
Angela Merkel of Germany and Prime Minister Cameron of the United Kingdom were quick off the block openly agreeing with President Obama, especially on the 1967 borders as being the starting point for negotiations, something Prime Minister Netanyahu has so far denied.
Tzipi Livni, the leader of the Kadima coalition in Israel, went on record backing Obama's plan and his tone. But she let loose on Netanyahu, saying: "The Prime Minister has violated relations between israel and the United States. He has endangered the security of Israel and its power of deterrence."
The sight of Netanyahu lecturing the President of the United States at their joint press conference has been the cause celebre in the Middle East and has drawn criticism here in the States. Pat Buchanan, not your most philo-semitic person, donned his commentator hat to say that he was bewildered by Republican criticism of Obama's position since it was the exact same as that of George W. Bush. But he also said that he personally resented having Netanyahu, who is totally dependent on America, to be publically lecturing President Obama like a schoolkid at the press conference.
Defense Minister Ehud Barack tried to downplay the PR fiasco for Israel, saying that the meeting didn't go all that badly and people were over-reacting.
In Ramallah on the West Bank, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas instructed all his advisers to avoid any comment so as to keep the attention on Netanyahu's behavior and his collision course with Obama. Palestinian authorities privately said that the chance of renewing the talks seem rather remote after the Israeli Prime Minister's visit to the United States.
Unless Obama can change Netanyahu's mind before he leaves the United States, the odds are great that the Palestinians will again look to renew the United Nations Resolution. President Obama has openly warned the Palestinians that they would not achieve their goal of a state through this method.
Palestinians well aware that the United States has vowed to veto such a measure are now looking either to have a United Nations trusteeship declared for Palestine or to acquire observer status at the United Nations.
During this time, President Abbas has been consulting Arab foreign ministers by phone and is heading to Jordan for consultations with the King. He has requested a meeting with the Arab league next month.
We look forward to both President Obama's and Netanyahu's speeches to AIPAC this coming week. President Obama's words that the "Dream of a Jewish democratic state can not be built on permanent occupation" resonates with the better angels in Israel but the ruling coalition knows it's doomed if it openly talks about a two-state solution.
Everyone's ambulance chaser, Glenn Beck has used the occasion to announce his wonderous "Restore Courage" tour of Israel. For just a few thousand dollars, you can travel to the Holy Land and walk in the footsteps of the Savior. And get to hear Glenn Beck defend Israel. He has said he will be willing to die there if God wants it. Beck says that all of Western civilization will end if Israel is destroyed. He badgered Bill O'Reilly the other night about his attitudes toward Jews. And like many evangelicals, he invokes the name of Dietrich Bonhoffer, who died in prison after trying to assassinate Adolf Hitler.
What Beck doesn't confess to is how Hitler allowed Mormons to proselytize in Nazi Germany and how the American evangelicals, who love to talk about Bonhoffer, in fact shamefully supported Hitler's programs for Germany. Accompanied on his trip to Israel by the religious Right's favorite fake historian David Barton, Beck might have inquired about American fundamentalists strange history in their relationship with Hitler's Germany. But irony isn't allowed here.
Glenn Beck said that he hoped his trip would ruin American foreign policy toward the region. Any bets on whether he is greeted by Netanyahu. After all the Prime Minister stiffed one of America's strongest allies of Israel, Vice President Biden, for an event hosted by Pastor Hagee, who was extolling the Jewish settlements.
There is real bad juju going on here and anyone really concerned about the security of Israel has to be tremendously bothered.
As with the Republicans, I remember meeting Bibi Netanyahu with Bayard Rustin when Bibi was relatively sane and intelligent. What bothers me know about him is his fixation on Masada.
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