CHARM SCHOOL

Bibi Netanyahu has charm. He was the master of it back in the old days when he appeared on the early shows of Nightline and elsewhere. It seems to be missing these days and the vacuum he created as lead Israeli charmer is now being usurped by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Abbas has certainly charmed the nubile Barack Obama into thinking that he is for peace, while somehow Netanyahu has convinced Obama and the world that he and Israel are not.

The art of diplomacy, and that's what world leaders practice as a living, is subtle business. No one knows this better than Obama, who charmed his way into the White House.

Leaders careers rise and fall on charm. Kennedy had it and Nixon did not, and Kennedy won that election. Carter had it during election season, and lost it when he was in residence at 1600 PA. Avenue and then quickly lost the presidency. Papa Bush had it in an odd sorta way; he too lost it under the strain of an election. Tush certainly had it, when Gore did not. And, of course, there is the master of charm, Bill Clinton.

Netanyahu could use a brush up course in charm? Maybe Bill Clinton will give him a lesson or two.

Because right now Abbas is winning the charm offensive  against Netanyahu. Abbas, perhaps under the tutelage of his mentor Barack Obama, is saying -- we all know what he really wants -- all the right things. The world is convinced that Abbas is a true partner in peace and Netanyahu is not. Of course, Israel has bent over backwards to meet the demands of the Palestinians, Abbas and their chief negotiator, Barack Obama. But the world doesn't see it this way. The world sees a charming Abbas and a strident, if not surly Bibi Netanyahu. Surly and strident, by the way, are code words for arrogant Jew i.e. anti-Semitism.

That being said, it is time for Israel's Prime Minister to begin a charm offensive. Style in diplomacy is as important as substance. While it's doubtful that anything Netanyahu does will persuade Obama to change his misguided ME policy, it is possible for Netanyahu to gain the confidence of other world leaders. But more importantly, truly rally his American troops here in the US.

At the end of the day it would be a hell of a thing for Israel to have lost its fight for The Jewish State over something as simple to convey as charm.

Posted: July 1, 2010  10:506 A.M. HCJ

PALATE CLEANSER: 4 U TO CHEW ON

The scoop comes from Georges Malbrunot, a French journalist with Le Figaro. Malbrunot, a respected Middle East correspondent who spent four months as a hostage of the Islamic Army in Iraq, goes on to report that two sources, from diplomatic and military circles, have confirmed the story. He suggests that the anger directed as Israel was the result of the IDF raid on the Gaza-bound flotilla, which occurred just days before this outburst.

Posted: June 30, 2010  1:54 P.M. NDGC12DX

NOT THE TIME FOR ISRAEL TO BLINK

Tensions between Israel and BO (not Congress) continue to escalate. Now, Israeli Defense Minister, after intense talks with US officials, is asking PM Netanyahu to compromise on a "diplomatic horizon" with O in order to secure the long-term relationship with the US. Reading between the lines it sounds as if O might be willing to cut off funds to Israel should he not get his way.

With the mid-term elections in the US looming, how far is O willing to push the issue? How much will American Jews take of O's bullying? And how much will the Jewish financiers of the Dem Party tolerate before they close their wallets?

O has world opinion on his side. But the world doesn't get to vote in American elections. Netanyahu would be well-served to hand O crumbles for the near future. He doesn't have to give O a chunk of any pie...not as long as elections loom. In September the moratorium on building is set to end. Netanyahu can use that for leverage to keep O in check. After the elections, is another story, however.

And then, of course, there is Iran.

UPDATE: No, Surrender

Posted: June 29, 2010  10:24 A.M. COMMENT

KAGAN FARCE

I'm going out on a limb, here. Elena Kagan will become a Supreme Court justice. LOL! The hearings, of course, are pure theatre, because Ms. Kagan will soon be sitting on the bench. But, the Republicans will try to rip her to shreds as they build themselves up, and the Dems will respond in kind. A Republican president will nominate a right wing zealot give the chance, and the Dems will nominate an activist judge given the chance. So might we do away with these spectacles and save the taxpayers some  money and time when the next sat is vacant? Of course, we can't, because this is the law. But, honestly, watching this guff is like watching Judge Judy but on C-Span...simply another channel offering boring reality TV. Which begs the question, what constitutes reality anymore?

Posted: June 29, 2010  8:53 A.M. COMMENT

ROBERT C. BYRD 1918-2010

Posted: June 28, 2010  2:09 P.M. COMMENT

THE TRUTH ABOUT OBAMA + ISRAEL

The truth comes out. Israel's Ambassador Michael Oren let's loose with a earful as to the true nature of the relationship between Obama and Israel...and it isn't pretty.

While Obama tries to reset his public image in his handling of Israel, it turns out to be nothing but Kabuki theater. This president feels no friendship towards Israel. Zero!

But what of AIPAC and the Anti-Defamation League and all other Jewish interest groups in the US? Why are they refusing to stand up to the president, and helping him in his effort to fool the pro-Israel groups that he has Israel's best interests at heart? Why are they playing into the president's hands?

I have said before and will again: current AIPAC leadership and Abe Foxman need to go. They're old, tired, and, if you will, dumb. What's worse, they've lost their guts.

By the way, Obama needs to go, too, but that's another piece.

Posted: June 27, 2010  9:41 A.M. COMMENT

FRIDAY NIGHT AT THE CJPR CAFE

Have one on me. Cheers!

Posted: June 25, 2010  5:35 P.M. COMMENT

THE IRAN SANCTIONS BILL

A mere 8  lawmakers voted against the Iran sanctions bill. All 8 have been funded by lunatic fringe, anti-Israel group J Street. Now why in the world would any lawmaker vote against Iran sanctions? Can you think of a reason? Unless you WANT Iran to achieve their nuclear goals in order to gain power in the Middle East and use their weapons against their nemesis Israel both literally and figuratively. Equally, as Iran is a threat to the Middle East, it is to the United States. So again I ask the question: Why would an elected American official vote against Iran sanctions? I know my answer. What's yours?

Here are the 8 anti-Americans:
Tammy Baldwin
John Conyers
Earl Blumenauer
Brian Baird
Pete Stark
Ron Paul
Dennis Kucinich
Jeff Flake

They have no business being members of Congress.

Posted: June 25, 2010  10:07 A.M. COMMENT

ARE THE REPUBLICANS DELIBERATELY...

Question of the day: Are the Republicans deliberately sacking the economy in order to win the mid-term election? There is evidence that this may be true. I will condemn the Republicans for placing partisanship over country. And I will say, that given opportunity, the Democrats would most likely do the same.

This question, therefore, gets to the heart of exactly why this country is in the mess that it is: Partisanship beats patriotism in government.

I know, I know, BIG YAWN! You've heard the talk before. But what you haven't heard is that it is not the politicians who hold all the blame for this. It is the citizens who should be faulted for this turn. Not only because they elect these radical bozos to represent them in government, but because they themselves are so strident in their political views.

Things in this country will not change until Americans open their closed minds. At the end of the day, therefore, it is not government that will change the fate of America. It is the people, which is exactly the way our forefathers designed our country to function.

Now, if only Americans would remember their opening line: "We the people..."

Posted: June 24, 2010  9:07 A.M. COMMENT

MCCHRYSTAL RELIEVED OF COMMAND

Gen. David Petraeus, as I thought, will takeover the Afghanistan War. I don't know why everyone else was tossing around other names. Petraeus seemed obvious.

That being said, there is a much larger issue here than the tabloid coverage of McChrystal's saga. Now maybe that McChrystal has been relieved of his command, the media will focus on the message delivered by McChrystal: We have a leader in the White House who has failed in his job as commander-in-chief.

And that the Afghan War cannot be won with less than full commitment, something it is clear Obama never offered McChrystal. It needs to be discussed. Our leaders cannot proceed without the support of the people, and the people don't have a leader to bring them into the fold.

Perhaps Gen Petraeus can whip the dysfunctional WH and Cabinet into shape and takeover the leadership of the war for the ineffectual president.

At the end of the day, McChrystal might have actually done some long-term good, at his own short-term expense.

UPDATE: President begins Rose Garden talk saying McChrystal's being relieved had nothing to do with a difference of opinion on Afghanistan and then went on to defend the schisms. I said above that this will help the president in the long-run. Gen. Patraeus will lead the Obama administration into unity, and with his popularity, perhaps the American people.

UPDATE: McChrystal statement

Posted: June 23, 2010  1:37 P.M. COMMENT

BAD DAY AT WHITE ROCK

First Obama's General virtually calls him a wimp in Rolling Stone, then a judge tells the president he has no right to institute a moratorium on off-shore drilling. Now actor Jon Voight calls President Barack Obama a liar and an anarchist. Oh yeah, and a new poll says that Hillary Clinton is more qualified to be president than Obama, Gingrich and Palin. I'm thinking that perhaps O ought to get back into bed and start this one over.

UPDATE: It gets worse: Cantor piles on.

Posted: June 22, 2010  2:46 P.M. COMMENT

ABOUT JORDAN

I touched on this last week, but here it is again. Jordan as the Palestinian homeland has always been the obvious solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Of course, Jordan despises the Palestinians. (See: below) They treat them worse than can be imagined. 

Posted: June 21, 2010  7:30 P.M. COMMENT

LARGE MAJORITY OF HILL BACK ISRAEL ON FLOTILLA

83 Senators and 298 members of the House signed on to the Reid-McConnell letter to the President. Here's the letter. Here's who signed.

Posted: June 21, 2010  12:57 P.M. COMMENT

EMANUEL OUT AT WH?

Apparently, all is not well at the White House. So says the U.K.'s Telegraph. Guess what, no surprise. Now it looks like Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel will be history within months. This is not the first report of this nature, although this is the first report of a schism between Emanuel, Valerie Jarrett and Obama. Word is Emanuel wants to return to Chicago and run for Mayor. Better he move to Israel and work for Netanyahu, maybe repair the damage he's allowed Obama to inflict upon Israel.

UPDATE: As badly as this WH has treated Israel, would it have been worse without Emanuel? We may be about to find out. Oy vey.

Posted: June 21, 2010  8:29 A.M. COMMENT

THE DUMBEST CONGRESSMAN EVAH

His name is Steve Rothman and he's a Dem from N.J. Today he posts a piece in the WashPost. It is nothing but a shill for President Obama. Read what he wrote and tell me what is real, what is speculation, what is Palestinian PR and most important, exactly what President Obama had to do with any of this. Rothman, a Jew, ought to be ashamed of himself. Clearly, the O admin. put him up to publishing this drivel. No Congressman could possibly come up with this Mickey Mouse argument by himself. If he could, he should be voted out of office for thinking so little of American's minds.

UPDATE: I am not the only one to think that Steve Rothman is the Dumbest Congressman EVAH!

Posted: June 19, 2010  10:18 P.M. COMMENT

GOOD

In response to worldwide criticism but mostly to get the world off its back, Israel has announced the easing of the Gaza blockade. This was the smart thing to do. It now puts Hamas on notice, almost dares Hamas to so start shelling Israel again. One Qassam lobbed on Israel's land after the easing of the blockade will be enough for Israel to sing its 'I told you sos.' On the other hand, Hamas knows it cannot afford to look like the terrorist organization that it is, and will likely curb aggressive acts towards Israel. We'll have to wait to see.

Posted: June 17, 2010  10:11 A.M. COMMENT

FASCINATING: AN INTERVIEW WITH IHH

You might remember the IHH, the group responsible for the flotilla that was stopped by Israeli commandos. The IHH has known ties to al Qaeda. This interview was conducted at IHH Headquarters in Turkey. It is startling. I highly recommend you take the time to read it and/or listen to the videos.

Posted: June 16, 2010  8:29 P.M. COMMENT

THE SAD TRUTH ABOUT OBAMA

Obama's reset button on Israel has set the world on fire, the fire to at last bring the Jewish nation down. Thank you President Obama for formally condoning the right to hate Israel and unleashing anti-Semitism long held in check by the power of the U.S. presidency.

 All that is changing with Obama's bizarre embrace of Hamas, a known terrorist organization. The world as we knew it is being  turned upside down. The good-guys are now the bad guys and terrorism has won. In no time at all Obama will be sanctifying al Qaeda and praising them for killing American citizens, because, after all, Israel made them do it.

Now Obama wants to do a reset on U.S. relations with Hezbollah, another declared terrorist organization. Some might ask the question, what exactly is Obama up to?

Here's the answer: By virtue of his own upbringing, by virtue of his long associations with left-wing radicals, by virtue of his years listening to the sermons of Rev. Jeremiah Wright blaming the black man's problems on the Jews, Barack Obama became Rev. Wright and Rev. Farrakhan in heart and mind.

Obama governs from the place of victimhood and his plan was always to use the bully pulpit of the Oval Office to embolden the victims of the Jewish/Wealthy Cabal to take back the world.

In short, Barry Sotero took the name Barack Hussein Obama when he joined the Black Muslim brotherhood, The Nation of Islam. That is who he is, that is what he believes and that is who he serves as president.

Those right-minded people who understand who are the evil and who are not better rally against this surrogate for Wright and his ilk. The damage being done to right vs. wrong may be undoable if Obama isn't soon stopped in this most bizarre reset. If not we'll all be sleeping with the enemy.

Posted: June 4, 2010  11:46 A.M. COMMENT

OBAMA THE UNITER

Posted: June 2, 2010  7:46 P.M. COMMENT