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Bibi's Speech Is the Dems' Box Canyon
Townhall.com ^ | March 4, 2015 | Debra J. Saunders

Posted on 03/04/2015 7:06:02 AM PST by Kaslin

Nancy Pelosi was near tears. After Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's address to Congress on Tuesday, the House minority leader sent out a press release informing the media, "I was near tears throughout the Prime Minister's speech -- saddened by the insult to the intelligence of the United States" and "saddened by the condescension toward our knowledge of the threat posed by Iran."

Wags lampoon House Speaker John Boehner for getting teary-eyed too readily -- and rightly so. So why would the San Francisco Democrat outdo the GOP leader by announcing that she was getting all blubbery because she didn't like Netanyahu's tone? What next? Will Pelosi issue statements that tell us Russian President Vladimir Putin is getting on her nerves?

Bibi's speech gave a strong reason not to trust the deal being negotiated with Tehran. Not a single nuclear facility would be destroyed. Inspectors document violations; they cannot stop them.

Yes, Boehner was cheeky to invite the Israeli leader to address Congress without White House approval. But then, the White House overreacted by getting all pouty and repeatedly telling the media that Netanyahu's visit, coming so close to Israel's March 17 elections, would be too political. This may be looked at as the moment the Obama White House walked Democrats to the cliff.

Obamaland could have tried to downplay disagreement but instead chose to go down another path. Vice President Joe Biden decided not to show up. Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Dick Durbin invited Netanyahu to a closed-door meeting with Dems to balance the GOP invitation. When Netanyahu declined, they charged that he was being too political. Suddenly, Dems see politics as a dirty word.

Last month, the big story was how Republicans foolishly got sucked into votes that threatened to defund the Department of Homeland Security. Some pundits weren't sure whether to heap scorn or pity on Boehner for failing to herd his caucus. The wound, after all, was self-inflicted.

Now Boehner has overseen the passage of a "clean" DHS funding bill, while Democrats are in a hot seat of their own making. Should they unfriend? Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., chose to boycott the speech. If she runs for president in 2016, pro-Israel voters should know they'll always have friends in the Republican Party.

The administration aimed increasingly nasty arguments at Netanyahu -- and they came hurling back like boomerangs. Secretary of State John Kerry faulted Netanyahu for being "profoundly forward-leaning and outspoken about the importance of invading Iraq under George W. Bush." Problem: Kerry voted for the resolution authorizing military force in Iraq.

Obama complained to Reuters that the whole slight was analogous to congressional Democrats inviting a French president to speak after opposing the war in Iraq. "I guarantee you that some of the same commentators who are cheerleading now would have suggested that it was the wrong thing to do," quoth the president. He's right. I thought it was wrong for Pelosi to undercut Bush foreign policy outside U.S. borders in 2007 when she went to Syria to meet President Bashar Assad -- as she refused to meet with Bush to discuss Iraq War funding. I don't remember any Republicans boycotting Pelosi.

This was not a smart fight to pick. According to Gallup, Netanyahu's U.S. favorability rating hit 45 percent, up 10 points from his 2012 numbers. Democrats like to see themselves as the smart guys. Well, the smarty-pants are tied up in a stupid fight.

Iran has an 84 percent unfavorable rating with the American people. Polls show that voters support a pact to curb Iran's nuclear ambition. But how much work would it take to convince Americans that Iran cannot be trusted? As Bibi put it, "just last week, near Hormuz, Iran carried out a military exercise blowing up a mock U.S. aircraft carrier. That's just last week, while they're having nuclear talks with the United States." And: "If Iran wants to be treated like a normal country, let it act like a normal country."


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; Israel; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: iran; israel; waronterror
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1 posted on 03/04/2015 7:06:02 AM PST by Kaslin
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To: Kaslin

The Democrats find themselves becoming mindless sycophants as they reflexively support the bizarre dangerous policies od a deluded President. Most Americans understand that lunatic “death loving” mullahs obtaining nuclear weapons is a disaster. Its ironic that the most forceful and eloquent politician who understands the threat is a foreigner. Netanyahu is not unlike the old Hebrew prophets who speak unpleasant truths. The people, who dearly love their comforts, ridicule the truth speaker and worship false gods.


2 posted on 03/04/2015 7:15:37 AM PST by allendale
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To: Kaslin
According to Mark Levin's eye witness account ... she was right there with just about every other democrat, applauding the warrior/statesman.

I watched it on Brightbart's live feed and was looking for a democrat snub .... and didn't see it !

THIS article is mentally disordered democrap boojit.

3 posted on 03/04/2015 7:16:17 AM PST by knarf (I say things that are true ... I have no proof ... but, they're true)
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To: Kaslin
Democrats like to see themselves as the smart guys. Well, the smarty-pants are tied up in a stupid fight.

Smart people are just as unable to control their most visceral emotions as non-smart people, and one of the most visceral emotions among Democrats is anti-Israel-pro-enemies-of-Israel-ism.

4 posted on 03/04/2015 7:17:22 AM PST by chajin ("There is no other name under heaven given among people by which we must be saved." Acts 4:12)
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To: Kaslin

Proving someone wrong is rarely taken well.


5 posted on 03/04/2015 7:17:44 AM PST by ctdonath2 (Si vis pacem, para bellum.)
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To: Kaslin
His speech to the US Congress can be summed up in one sentence.

So long and thanks for all the fish.

Same message the American people need to give to DC.

6 posted on 03/04/2015 7:19:56 AM PST by justa-hairyape (The user name is sarcastic. Although at times it may not appear that way.)
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Less Than 1.8K To Go
And The FReepathon Is Over

Please Donate!

7 posted on 03/04/2015 7:20:12 AM PST by DJ MacWoW (The Fed Gov is not one ring to rule them all)
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To: Kaslin

Nancy was in tears because Obama was exposed as pro-Iranian at best and an incompetent boob at worst (frankly, I think Obama is a jihadi...and a boob).


8 posted on 03/04/2015 7:21:37 AM PST by RoosterRedux (WSC: The truth is incontrovertible; malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end...)
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To: allendale

The Dems histrionic reaction is a textbook example of the old political axiom to “never get upset, except on purpose”

In this case the purpose is to distract from the powerful and effective speech Netanahu gave yesterday. Every word, sentence, paragraph and column spent ridiculing the Dems reaction is one not spent on promoting what Netanahu actually said.

The Dems know this. In the long term they have nothing to lose. They’ll gladly eat the ridicule if doing so acts as running interference for the Iran treaty.


9 posted on 03/04/2015 7:22:46 AM PST by tanknetter
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To: knarf
"HIS article is mentally disordered democrap boojit."

No, you're wrong. I saw pelousi stand up and turn her back on Netanyahu. I guess she was making all sorts of hand and facial gestures during his speech, also, which I did not see. I guess it was who was handling the camera and how they got the shots in the room. The angles were different on the different TV stations.

10 posted on 03/04/2015 7:23:04 AM PST by jackibutterfly (In this world when the body can be taken at any moment, it would be wise to reconnect with your soul)
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To: allendale
Netanyahu is not unlike the old Hebrew prophets who speak unpleasant truths.

Bibi is like Samuel to King Saul, or Elijah to King Ahab.

11 posted on 03/04/2015 7:23:21 AM PST by chajin ("There is no other name under heaven given among people by which we must be saved." Acts 4:12)
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To: Kaslin
the smarty-pants are tied up in a stupid fight.

Bibi gave the smarty-pants a wedgie.

12 posted on 03/04/2015 7:23:49 AM PST by RoosterRedux (WSC: The truth is incontrovertible; malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end...)
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To: RoosterRedux

She lives somewhere on an alternate universe, or her bad self was there applauding, and her good self was being interviewed. She is a perfect expression of the madness. God help us!


13 posted on 03/04/2015 7:25:20 AM PST by firebasecody (Orthodoxy, proclaiming the Truth since AD 33)
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To: Kaslin

Not just that she turned her back, look at her hand. ..."what is he saying!"

14 posted on 03/04/2015 7:29:33 AM PST by TexasCajun
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To: chajin

Let’s hope we can soon compare him to David.


15 posted on 03/04/2015 7:29:57 AM PST by OKSooner ("Remember Fort Hood, Boston, and Moore, Oklahoma.")
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To: jackibutterfly
OK ... thanx

I DID see once, a large applause that the camera shot a group of sitters (obviously democraps, but the angle didn't identify) that nervously began to applaud when they realized they might be the only ones not responding

16 posted on 03/04/2015 7:34:47 AM PST by knarf (I say things that are true ... I have no proof ... but, they're true)
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To: knarf

Fox News last night showed her showing disrespect and turning her back on Bibi several times.....they focused on it...it was real.....


17 posted on 03/04/2015 7:36:11 AM PST by Arlis (A "Sacred Cow-Tipping" Christian)
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To: Arlis
Thanx .... I would think SOMEone would figure out that the interests of viewers might be more than just the subject and have isolated cameras

They probably do but some law prevents them from focussing on them

A camera dedicated to democraps .. AND republicans ... ignoring the speaker (but of course we HEAR the speech) would be an eye-opener .... IMO

18 posted on 03/04/2015 7:41:34 AM PST by knarf (I say things that are true ... I have no proof ... but, they're true)
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To: Kaslin

The Democrats just sound like Ignorant Anti-Semitic Fools


19 posted on 03/04/2015 7:50:03 AM PST by molson209 (Blank)
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To: Kaslin
Yes, Boehner was cheeky to invite the Israeli leader to address Congress without White House approval.

Sick of seeing this.

Sorry, no.

Co-equal branches of government remember?

The Speaker of the House has the right to invite anyone he please to address the House and the Majority Leader has the right to invite anyone he pleases to address the Senate.

The president is not the ruler of the country. The White House was notified before the invitation was accepted. They didn't like it, but that is fine. There is nothing that says they must. It was a curtsy notification.

20 posted on 03/04/2015 7:51:27 AM PST by Harmless Teddy Bear (Proud Infidel, Gun Nut, Religious Fanatic and Freedom Fiend)
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