Democrats might skip Benjamin Netanyahu speech (have they gone mad?)

Politico ^ | 2/3/15 8:09 PM EST | Edward-Isaac Dovere and Jake Sherman

[Dave346]

Vice President Joe Biden won’t commit to attending Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech to a joint session of Congress next month.

He’s not the only one.

Dozens of House Democrats are privately threatening to skip the March 3 address, according to lawmakers and aides, in in what’s become the lowest point of a relationship between the Israeli prime minister and President Barack Obama that’s never been good.

Democrats have had to balance publicly supporting Israel with backing Obama, who’s trying to close a deal with Iran to curb its nuclear programs over vehement opposition from Netanyahu, who has expressed concerns that the U.S. president is being naive. Negotiations are facing a deadline at the end of March for a political framework.

The speech was devised by House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and Israeli ambassador Ron Dermer to provide Netanyahu a prominent Washington platform to warn about the dangers of the proposed deal with Iran.

Ever since the uproar over the invitation first exploded two weeks ago, the Israelis have worked to try to quash any question of partisan maneuvering. On Tuesday, an Israeli official said they’re hoping the situation will be resolved by the time Netanyahu arrived in Washington.

“We appreciate the great bipartisan support for Israel in Congress and hope that members of Congress will be willing to listen to the prime minister on an issue which threatens America’s national security, and Israel’s very survival,” the official said.

Boehner’s office says he doesn’t plan to reschedule the speech, which had already been moved from Feb. 11 to March 3 so Netanyahu can attend the American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s annual policy conference.

[SwinneySwitch]

Liberalism is a mental disease.