Swift Boating Comes to Jerusalem

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 Barack 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-too-veiled accusation against Barack Obama (leveled no less from the dais of Israel's Knesset (Parliament) during Israel's 60th independence anniversary celebrations) that Obama's willingness to meet with heads of state 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 ever recall hearing Obama offering to sit down with Hamas, or Hezbollah or other terror or radical groups, just doing the very same that Bush is doing with Iran and North Korea, and through our embassy, with the leadership in Syria.

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.

The irony of it all is that this is the very same George Bush that has authorized his administration to negotiate with the charter member of his Axis of Evil -- Iran. What chutzpah!! Mr. President, did it ever occur to you that you are not only negotiating with Iran, but you are doing from a position of utter weakness. Any self-respecting Democrat knows that effective negotiating with Iran will require the U.S. to do so from a position of re-earned and re-gained strength.

In eight years of Bush/Cheney/Condi Mid East tumult, the United States has endured a massive deterioration of standing and support throughout the Middle East, as the radicals and terrorists have grown stronger and bolder. I submit that Israel, because of George Bush's policies, is weaker, not stronger. That Israel's enemies have become a graver threat to Israel than when Bush first assumed office. I know that many of my pro-Israel friends challenge my position, but they have not fully grasped how much more dangerous the Middle East has become since Bush took office. It will take a new president to undo that damage. At a time when Israel faces grave threats on its borders, and a government in Iran that has threatened its very existence, what Israelis wanted to hear was the confident, reassuring voice of support from a president who would offer tangible policies to alleviate those security threats -- not empty rhetoric stoking those fears.

To American supporters of Israel, I urge you not to fall victim to this White House-inspired swift-boating against Democrats and their leadership. Sen. Obama has engendered some concern among many Americans and Israelis that he does not grasp "from the gut" the magnitude of the threats facing Israel. Hopefully, he and his campaign will do more to address these concerns. And I am confident that in time, he will earn that trust should he become our nominee. But any such hesitation of support that Obama has engendered should pale when compared to the damage Bush's policies have done to Israel's long term security.

The United States is in desperate need of a new, comprehensive Middle East strategy that will undo that staggering damage that Bush has wrought on the region and oh, how wonderful it would have been if Bush and his foreign policy team would have bequeathed a new U.S. Middle East strategy to Israel and to the region that could have included many of the following elements:

1. Strategies to galvanize Islam's moderates to challenge terrorist ideology.
2. A policy to contain the regional fallout arising from America's withdrawal from Iraq.
3. A 24/7 effort to galvanize Israelis and Palestinians into supporting creation of a Palestinian state that is not a threat to Israel.
4. A new muscular diplomacy that includes the incentives and disincentives to reduce Iran's threat to regional stability.
5. A new approach to neutralize the threat that Hezbollah poses to Israel's security and Lebanon's democracy.
6. A massive Marshal Plan -- largely funded by Arab petro-dollars, to bring economic relief to the Palestinian people so as to coax them into a two-state solution.
7. Credible security arrangements that can leverage more effective U.S. diplomatic activities.
8. Last, but not least, an energy conservation strategy that weans America off of the region's oil barons.

Because George Bush has so little to offer in the way of a new American Middle East strategy, he preyed on Israelis worst fears and by doing so introduced that dreaded GOP swift boating to Jerusalem. That's quite the birthday present from the president of the United States to a nation that has endured more fears than most nations have endured in 200 years.

Comments

[ICanHasDemocracy]

previous comment ^^ directed at Apollo

damn this huffpo thread style!

[Centaur]

Very well said Amb. Ginsberg! This president has once again shown his inept , clueless, and obtuse perception of foreign policy and the middle east in particular. He's been a complete disaster. Hopefully, a majority of people will and should feel this way too.

[AdamWykle]

Israel doesn't even care about its own security when they keep planting illegal settlements in a warzone. Chew on that.

[chappelforpres]

American Jews might vehemently disagree on a wealth of issues, but when it comes to Israel, there is nary a dissenting voice. Bush is simply playing the "annihilation card" there, to garner unilateral Jewish support here.

Decrying that Obama is an appeaser, or worse, a potential collaborator, Bush hopes to galvanize another faith based voting bloc. Better yet, it enables his successor to plunder the treasure chests of its powerful donors. This, from a guy who has no reservations about bedding the Saudis..., who play him like a fiddle.

"It is the servant who takes money" - Peter O'Toole - Lawrence of Arabia

[mpell]

Did it ever cross this President's mind, even once, that he might be poisoning the Knesset against someone who might very well be the next President and have to deal with them? How does this strengthen America? Once again, our President puts party over country. I'd call that unpatriotic. He has insulted both Israel and America by using the birthday celebration for political pandering to neocons at home.

Do you think the Israelis know that Prescott Bush, grandfather of this most unpatriotic President, helped finance the Nazis?

Also, who was bush quoting? (He doesn't deserve a capital.) Could it have been a republican? (Ditto.)

[simplecitizen]

Let there be no doubt come November the Jewish vote will be overwhelmingly Democratic. Jewish voters are no different than voters of any of the diverse backgrounds of Americans that make up this great country. This election will be decided on the myriad of issues facing this nation most of which the Bush administration failed to address. No one in the Jewish community ever need worry about any American President when it comes to supporting our number one ally in the mideast. Can we really depend on any arab country to support us. The only good thing about America to them is as a dumping place for $ 125 barrels of oil. When push comes to shove we are not their brothers but we certainly are useful when they need to have someone fight their wars for them.

[nokoolaidforme]

The Israelis have been conceding again and again to the Palestinian Authority but live with rocket attacks and suiciede bombers daily. How much more can you ask of them? Gaza is a pile of rubble now that the Jewish settlers were forced to leave and the Palestinians moved in. What do you want Israel to do? Their adversary doesn't want to peacefully co-exist. They want to eradicate them.

This kind of force can only be dealt with by overwhelming force, the only "diplomacy" the Palestinian Authority understands.

[brutus948]

Why is making sure Israel is secure sooooo important to our national Security? We have to stop writing our Middle East policies as if Isreal is a state in United States of America. What has Israel done for us. Tell me that congressman.

[Angelus2007]

I completely agree that Bush has no credibility and all this was is fear mongoring. But what bugs me the most is Obama fell into the same trap Republicans have used for years. Bush makes a statement about negotiating with terrorists like Hezbollah, Hamas, ect and gives no names, although it seems that he is intending it for Obama. So what does Obama do? He takes the bait and repudiates it. Some people, actually, many people who only get their news from MSNBC or CNN will say "Why did he jump to defend something so quickly that wasn't directed at him if it isn't true?"

He should've said something like "While I disagree with the tactics Bush used in Israel, I do agree that nobody should be negotiating with terrorist organizations." Just more elequently, that way he distances himself, but doesn't seem defensive. When someone gets defensive they appear guilty even if it wasn't true.

[truthynesslover]

What Obama did was perfection! he framed mccain as a hippocrite and appeaser himself.The problem with john kerry was he DIDNT smack them down as soon as they said anything.

[eridees]

Do you remember 2004 by chance and a guy named Kerry. He ignored attacks directed at him, and do you see him as President. By the way, anyone with half of Bush's IQ knew he was talking about Obama. Nah.. I think he's doing just fine without your advice. Thanks anyway.....

[rzan]

I would think the Israelis would be insulted for being used in this way.

[JJeff88]

The irony is that GWB did Barack a huge favor:

1. He diverted attention away from Hillary

2. He sucked McCain into being a willing partner on the losing side of this issue.

3. He's given Barack a golden opportunity to "look presidential" and demonstrate his foreign policy creds to the American people when he responds to Bush in a major televised addressed at noon (ET) today.

4. He's reminded disunified Democrats why cleaning out the White House rat's nest is far more important than settling old political scores build up during the primaries.

Way to go, Cowboy!

[pahpah25]

george bush was pandering, in the worse sense of the word.....to the jewish people of america..does he really think jews are that stupid?......to most people, jewish or not, talking to a supposed 'enemy' is the first step in resolving an issue.....if 'problems cannot be resolved by 'talking', there are always other alternatives.....'talking' from a position of strength works wonders.......once the bombing and killing starts , it is very difficult to bring people 'to the table'............as we see in iraq.

[RRK70]

I wonder what the Knesset thought of these facts:
-Prescott Bush's business dealings with Nazi war industry, talk about appeasement!
-the quote about "talking with Hitler" was from a Republican
-Iran Contra sale of weapons to Iran for profit and/or release of hostages, again TALK ABOUT APPEASEMENT

Here's this Jewel from Ronald Reagon:
In his speech on November 13, Reagan confirmed the transactions and stated the reasons for them:

"My purpose was... to send a signal that the United States was prepared to replace the animosity between [the U.S. and Iran] with a new relationship... At the same time we undertook this initiative, we made clear that Iran must oppose all forms of international terrorism as a condition of progress in our relationship. The most significant step which Iran could take, we indicated, would be to use its influence in Lebanon to secure the release of all hostages held there."

link: http://www.reagan.utexas.edu/archives/speeches/1986/111386c.htm

Republicans: the Party of Appeasement

[kasha]

Bush has no cred whatsoever on foreign policy and never did. I think the Israelis know that. McLieberbush is doing Israel no favors with their bellicose 20th century rhetoric at a time when the unquestioned military superiority of Israel and the U.S. has been challenged in both Lebanon and Iraq and the big winner as a result is Iran.

[rwe]

again as the Swift Boat for Truth guys never had one iota repudiated by Kerry , Pres Bush was also accurate...Yes Swift boating is actually accurate as it points out the lefts ignorance

[ICanHasDemocracy]

how can one dignify a completely false utterance? It's like arguing with a two year old about ethics.

[Obamamo]

It's very easy to call people names but please, can you elaborate?

[andyg]

if Obama say's he going to meet the leader of Iran, with out him changing his message on destorying Isreal and killing soldiers in Iraq. That appeasement like when Chamberlain meet hilter. And he promised in a note not to invade.