Posted on 01/07/2008 11:11:37 AM PST by bruinbirdman
Anyone getting in the way of the Bush Legacy Machine’s desperate attempt to create a “Palestinian” terror state in Israel’s backyard will be either ignored or bullied.
None of Reid, and I can’t stand looking at Byrd so I didn’t post him. Meetings with political opposition are common in both countries. Obviously usually at lower levels, this is GWB’s first visit as President, but when asked, they usually happen. Clearly GWB is attempting to show support for Ohlmert, which is his choice, as it was Clintons to support Barak. Of course Ohlmert isn’t Barak, he has no support, so imo it’s foolish. Bibi and/or Barak are the ones GWB has to convince to accept severe compromises in the face of terror, not Ohlmert who only want’s to hang onto his job a little longer. When Sharon was here in 2005, he met with congresscritters of both parties.
I wouldn’t have met with him, either. If a foreign head of state like Putin or that Sarkozy guy from France visited the U.S., I wouldn’t expect to meet with some jack@ss like John Kerry or Hillary Clinton just because they were senior opposition party members.
Sorry, ML/NJ . . . I should have read through the entire thread before posting the exact same thing you did. LOL.
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'PM blocking Netanyahu-Bush meeting'
Jan 6, 2008 23:02 | Updated Jan 7, 2008 16:21
By GIL HOFFMAN
Senior Likud sources have accused Prime Minister Ehud Olmert of intervening to prevent US President George W. Bush from meeting with opposition leader Binyamin Netanyahu when he comes to Israel on Wednesday.
It is customary that when heads of state come to Israel, they meet with the head of the opposition to receive an alternative perspective.
But Bush has not made time to meet with Netanyahu or with any other politician who opposes the Annapolis diplomatic process.
"It would be right if the president would take the time to listen to someone who represents more than half the people in Israel, who oppose the Annapolis process," Netanyahu said.
Senior Likud sources went further, saying that "given the extent to which the prime minister is willing to endanger the country to survive politically, it is not surprising that the Prime Minister's Office is going out of its way to prevent Bibi [Netanyahu] from meeting Bush."
Olmert's spokesman said he was not familiar with any effort to prevent a Bush-Netanyahu meeting. A Kadima source shifted the blame to the White House, hinting that officials in Washington were not interested in Bush meeting Netanyahu because of bad experiences they had with him in the past.
"At the White House they think he's a liar, because of his behavior when he was prime minister," the Kadima source said.
Likud officials called such allegations "ridiculous." They expressed outrage that the only person Bush will meet with on the trip who opposes the Annapolis diplomatic process is former prime minister Ariel Sharon's son, Gilad Sharon, who Bush requested to meet in order to discuss the agricultural expertise he has gained running the Sharon family ranch.
Sharon initially opposed his father's 2005 Gaza Strip withdrawal plan, but eventually was persuaded to support it. He has been a vocal critic of the Annapolis process through his regular column in Yediot Aharonot.
In a column published on Sunday, Sharon called Bush "a true friend of Israel." Sharon also criticized the government for arming Fatah and for abandoning the road map's insistence on ending terrorist activity, dismantling terrorist organizations and confiscating weapons before negotiating an accord.
"The prime minister and cabinet ministers talk about how important it is to strengthen Abu Mazen [Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas] while we bury the people who died as a result of his strengthening," Sharon wrote.
"As long as the terror and chaos continues on the Palestinian side, there is no reason for peace talks. After all, the goals of the negotiations are quiet and serenity, and not their [the talks'] mere existence," he continued.
Sharon did not return messages from The Jerusalem Post. But a source close to him said he doubted Sharon would say anything regarding diplomatic issues to the US president.
One Jerusalem director-general Yechiel Leiter, a former Ariel Sharon confidant who has led the effort to prevent the capital's division, said he did not intend to send a message to the president via the former prime minister's son. Leiter questioned the business ethics of Gilad Sharon, who was investigated in the Greek Island scandal, and said it was unfortunate that the US leader was meeting with him.
"Bush has fallen into Olmert's trap and has been given bad advice,"
Leiter said. "It's one thing to support the prime minister. It's quite another to ignore the opposition."
Leiter said the real message to Bush would be sent in a One Jerusalem demonstration Tuesday in which protesters will join hands in a human chain around the capital's Old City.
One Jerusalem chairman Natan Sharansky, who Bush considers a mentor, will speak at the event. Sources close to Sharansky said he was not upset that Bush had not asked to meet with him during his visit.
Condi must be whispering the Department of State’s line into “W” ear over morning coffee.
If Don Knotts were still alive he could play “W” perfectly in a bio-movie.
Thanks.
Didn’t he resign today?
“What wrong Dubya don’t want hear the truth”
His Saudi masters forbid it.
“It’s not clear from the article who is at fault. Bush and the White House or Olmert and Kadima?
But I wouldn’t be surprised. Bush has taken a deep dive. It’s shameful.”
GW has made a number of very questionable moves over the years vis-a-vis Israel, Bible prophecy, etc. The worst of which may have been his arm-twisting Israel to give away pieces of THE PROMISED LAND to the ragheads in hopes of getting some kind of treaty from the ragheads.
What GW has not seemed to have learned is: If a raghead’s lips are moving, he’s lying! In fact, under raghead law, it’s a virtue to lie to a non-muslim.
“Exactly. But gone are the days when FReepers scrutinized sources, read articles before commenting, or even heaven forbid engaging the brain, before posting.”
That’s because those FReepers were perma-banned.
I predict some of the nastiest, Bush bashing coverage EVER coming from this source(Arutz Sheva) during the entire Mid-East visit. You will hear a whole lot of “sources close to President Bush or Condi Rice say...”. The only person they hate more than President Bush is Secretary Rice although hate may not be a stong enough word.
Dubya would rather talk to the guy who helped him let Hamas escape from Southern Lebanon.
They are incompetents in spirit.
Bush just bumbles along, doing more things to place obstacles in the path of his own party’s fight to the White House.
Kool Aid, Kool Aid, tastes great,
So because Benjamin Netanyahu believes the land of Israel is not for sale (or to be given to terrorists) President Bush refused to meet with him. Very, very disappointing.
Did Bush’s strategy of pressuring Israel to give up the Gaza Strip gain anything? Absolutely not. So why in the world does he think pressuring the Israeli’s to give up more land to terrorists will yield any peace? This is utter foolishness.
Israel is only occupying about 10% of the land given to Abraham (and the Jewish people) by Almighty God. Pressuring Israel to give up more land puts our nation in greater danger on multiple levels, and I’m very sorry that President Bush doesn’t realize this.
If I were BiBi, I would be more upset at Rudy Giuliani for plagiarizing my speeches.
They knew who was there, what we don't know is, what were we doing that provoked the prolonged attack.
As time goes on, the more and more respect I lose for this President, what a shame.
So am I, but basically anything but Olmert/Livni/Barak.
My year will start really busy, but I'll try to look in now and then. The best election coverage on FR, as always.
:-)
That is a big mistake - considering as how Olmert is almost out and Netanyahu is almost in! MR. BUSH - PLEASE RECONSIDER!
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