This was a striking comment in defense of Bush’s mastery of his own government:
"He’s a good decision-maker," Bolten said. "If it’s important enough to be a presidential issue, we ought to expose the president to more information and more views, and we ought to let him decide."
Who is the "we"?
"Isn’t there a case for legal action against these media outlets on account of their blood libels, for indirectly aiding the perpetrators of attempted genocide?" – Melanie Phillips, citing, among others, Glenn Greenwald for disagreeing with her on Middle East policy.
… could be a senator.
An Israeli soldier takes a position behind a wall on which ‘Liberate Gaza’ is written during a protest in the West Bank city of Hebron on January 2, 2009 against the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip. Thousands of Palestinians held angry protests in east Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank today after Hamas called for a ‘day of wrath’ against Israel’s blitz of Gaza. By Hazem Bader/AFP/Getty.
Leave aside the usual huffing and puffing. Can you answer this question for me:
Is there any other significant issue in American political life, besides Israel, where (a) citizens split almost evenly in their views, yet (b) the leaders of both parties adopt identical lockstep positions which leave half of the citizenry with no real voice? More notably still, is there any other position, besides Israel, where (a) a party’s voters overwhelmingly embrace one position (Israel should not have attacked Gaza) but (b) that party’s leadership unanimously embraces the exact opposite position (Israel was absolutely right to attack Gaza and the U.S. must support Israel unequivocally)? Does that happen with any other issue?
Not that I can think of, off the top of my head.
Every now and again, the jaw still drops:
I’M WATCHING PEOPLE SAY “WHAT A CRUMMY YEAR.” But it wasn’t so bad for me. Work was good. The Insta-Daughter’s health problems were more or less resolved, and the rest of us, including the Insta-Wife, are healthy. Plus, it was the year we won in Iraq. I hope 2009 ends as well.
Me too. Can we win two years in a row? Or did we do that already?
A classic:
I’M WATCHING PEOPLE SAY “WHAT A CRUMMY YEAR.” But it wasn’t so bad for me. Work was good. The Insta-Daughter’s health problems were more or less resolved, and the rest of us, including the Insta-Wife, are healthy. Plus, it was the year we won in Iraq. I hope 2009 ends as well.
Me too. Yay! We won! It’s over!
She writes of the Middle East:
I don’t ever blog about it because one is not allowed to have an opinion on the matter–no matter what I say, I’ll be excusing terrorism or, irrelevantly, the holocaust, or shilling for western imperialism.
Or both, as my email in-tray now demonstrates. Sigh.
The late Nizzar Rayyan on Israel. Goldblog:
The question I wrestle with constantly is whether Hamas is truly, theologically implacable. That is to say, whether the organization can remain true to its understanding of Islamic law and God’s word and yet enter into a long-term non-aggression treaty with Israel. I tend to think not, though I’ve noticed over the years a certain plasticity of belief among some Hamas ideologues. Also, this is the Middle East, so anything is possible.
I suspect that’s the correct level of expectation.
Lansing, Michigan, 11 am.
The Dish 