Olmerts Tops Bush, Gives Condi Her Orders

By Cernig

When was the last time there was such an obvious case of the tail wagging the dog?

“I said, ‘Get me President Bush on the phone,’ ” Mr. Olmert said in a speech in the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon, according to The Associated Press. “They said he was in the middle of giving a speech in Philadelphia. I said I didn’t care: ‘I need to talk to him now,’ ” Mr. Olmert continued. “He got off the podium and spoke to me.”

Israel opposed the resolution, which called for a halt to the fighting in Gaza, because the government said it did not provide for Israel’s security. It passed 14 to 0, with the United States abstaining.

Mr. Olmert claimed that once he made his case to Mr. Bush, the president called Ms. Rice and told her to abstain. “She was left pretty embarrassed,” Mr. Olmert said, according to The A.P.

Rice says that she had planed to abstain from the vote all along - on a resolution she helped draft - because she wanted to see what the French would do. Riiiight.

Now Bush looks like a puppet on a string for Olmert as well as for Cheney and the neocons. What a subbie!

And unsurprisingly there's a deafening silence from the "Israel right or wrong" crowd. Where are Powerline, Hot Air, RedState and the rest on this one?

Comments

[Jay McDonough]

What makes you think Israel is the tail?

[Peter G.]

I certainly wouldn't want to classify myself as part of the "Israeli right or wrong" crowd. On the other hand I see the Israel "always wrong" position as being equally indefensible and some of the fellow travelers in that crowd make me more than a little nervous. I'm sure you know the type; always hovering on the edge of a discussion and ever ready with a link to prove 911 was a Jewish conspiracy. With regard to Olmert's idle boasting, he may imagine that it boosts his credibility in certain sectors and that he can get away with making a fool of the current president in these final days of his presidency. I'd like to see him try it with the new president at the start of his term.

[Steve Hynd]

Peter,

"On the other hand I see the Israel "always wrong" position as being equally indefensible and some of the fellow travelers in that crowd make me more than a little nervous."

Yup. Israel would get a far warmer hearing from me if it wasn't so bellicosely dumb.

Regards, C