Amb. Marc Ginsberg: Swift Boating Comes to Jerusalem

[babylonsister]

Amb. Marc Ginsberg

Swift Boating Comes to Jerusalem

Posted May 15, 2008 | 06:05 PM (EST)


George Bush was in Jerusalem today doing what he and his fellow Republican operatives do best ....fear-mongering for crass political gain at a time when the Mid East fires are skipping their fire lines from all that hot air Bush is blowing across its parched landscape.

Instead of lofty rhetoric, imaginative new ideas, and presidential inspiration to salvage the wreckage of 8 years of Bush's Middle East follies, the president decided to jump into the political swamp and play off the worst fears of Israelis and Jews everywhere about Barak Obama

Did George Bush offer a constructive, regional approach to prevent Lebanon's fragile democracy from descending into further Hezbollah-inspired chaos? NO!

Did George Bush offer new ideas to break the logjam that has now irrevocably bottled up his vaunted Middle East road map legacy that is dying a slow death? NO!

Did George Bush offer new ideas to prevent a new nuclear arms race from engulfing the Middle East and to coax Iran away from its nuclear ambitions? NO!

Instead, Bush's not-to-veiled accusation against Barak Obama, leveled no less from the dais of Israel's Knesset (Parliament) during Israel's 60th independence anniversary celebrations that Obama's stated offer to meet with leaders who are inimical to America somehow meant that Obama is willing to naively appease terrorists and radicals and sell Israel down the river represents crass GOP Willy Horton - style swift-boating at its most evil. I don't every recall hearing Obama offering to sit down with Hamas, or Hezbollah or other terror or radical groups.

Oh how much Dubya wanted to sound Churchillian by accusing "some" of Lord Chamberlain-like appeasement. Mr. President, even if you sport a bowler and a cigar, and flash that "v" sign...that dog won't hunt.

more...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/amb-marc-ginsberg/swift-boating-comes-to-je_b_102009.html

[xchrom]

1. recommend

[quiet.american]

2. Did George Bush surprise anyone today? NO! Can't wait until this psychotic idiot is out of office.nt

[satireV]

3. He obviously surprised Obama

Obama's fell for the trap like a doe eyed bambi. then responded poorly.

Obama got very defensive and didn't attack. Obama let Bush control the dialogue. He did not look or sound presidential or decisive at all.

Obama responded to Bush like Bush is a candidate instead of a lame duck. BAD PLAN! Obama should have let his surrogates tear Busha new one, like Biden did and Obama should have stayed above the fray.

[babylonsister]

4. How, pray tell, did he respond poorly? Someone attacks him,

he's expected to respond despite what you might think. And his surrogates did a fine job. All of them, and there were many Dems who took issue with what the dim one said today.

[quiet.american]

5. I guess if one says it enough times, one can even start to believe it's true. nt