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You are here: Home / Boycott the Damned Thing

Boycott the Damned Thing

by John Cole|  February 15, 20157:04 pm| 119 Comments

This post is in: Assholes

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They’re not even pretending anymore:

Boehner invited Netanyahu without consulting the White House, leading numerous congressional Democrats to boycott the speech.

“Haven’t you taken one of the few bipartisan issues in this country — support for Israel — and turned it into a political football?” Wallace asked.

“I have not. The fact is that we had every right to do what we did,” Boehner responded. “I wanted the prime minister to come here. There’s a serious threat facing the world. And radical Islamic terrorists are not going to go away.”

“And then when it comes to the threat of Iran having a nuclear weapon, these are important messages that the Congress needs to here and the American people need to hear,” the speaker continued. “And I believe that Prime Minister Netanyahu is the perfect person to deliver the message of how serious this threat is.”

Wallace then pointed out that Boehner asked Ron Dermer, Israel’s ambassador to the U.S., not to tell the White House about the joint meeting with Netanyahu.

“Why would you do that?” Wallace asked.

“Because I wanted to make sure that there was no interference. There’s no secret here in Washington about the animosity that this White House has for Prime Minister Netanyahu. I frankly didn’t want that getting in the way, quashing what I thought was a real opportunity,” Boehner responded.

This is nothing more than partisan politics, and if Netanyahu wasn’t a self-serving hack, he would take this admission by Boehner as an excuse not to attend.

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Reader Interactions

119Comments

  1. 1.

    Splitting Image

    February 15, 2015 at 7:10 pm

    if Netanyahu wasn’t a self-serving hack, he would take this admission by Boehner as an excuse not to attend.

    Yeah, and if my aunt had a dick, etc.

    Netanyahu is the worst leader Israel has ever had, and the pro-Israel lobby in the U.S. is a bigger danger to both Israel and the world’s Jews than Iran will ever be.

  2. 2.

    SiubhanDuinne

    February 15, 2015 at 7:11 pm

    BooMan had a nice righteous rant about this earlier today, and one of his commenters said (paraphrasing) that Boehner almost always folds, and folds early, but this time he isn’t despite Dem and even a fair amount of media pushback. The commenter wondered who, exactly, has Boehner’s back on this. I agree. There are promises here that go well beyond a Congressional speaking gig.

  3. 3.

    debbie

    February 15, 2015 at 7:14 pm

    “Because I wanted to make sure that there was no interference. “

    Isn’t that beyond his Constitutional authority?

  4. 4.

    Corner Stone

    February 15, 2015 at 7:14 pm

    “Because I wanted to make sure that there was no interference. There’s no secret here in Washington about the animosity that this White House has for Prime Minister Netanyahu. I frankly didn’t want that getting in the way, quashing what I thought was a real opportunity,” Boehner responded.

    He gets to decide what state to state political etiquette is, now?

  5. 5.

    catclub

    February 15, 2015 at 7:15 pm

    @SiubhanDuinne:

    who, exactly, has Boehner’s back on this. I agree. There are promises here that go well beyond a Congressional speaking gig.

    Sheldon Adelson?

    As to attacking Iran, the favorite Hymn of both Israel and the Saudis is “Onward Christian Soldiers”.

  6. 6.

    debbie

    February 15, 2015 at 7:16 pm

    @Corner Stone:

    It seems to me the animosity is all Netanyahu’s.

  7. 7.

    Frankensteinbeck

    February 15, 2015 at 7:17 pm

    if Netanyahu wasn’t a self-serving hack, he would take this admission by Boehner as an excuse not to attend.

    Not psychic, but I’m pretty sure insulting Obama by going around him was Bibi’s idea. He’s an ultra-right wing Israeli, which means that he thinks the middle name Hussein and Obama occasionally saying Arabs deserve to be treated with dignity are proof that Obama is a Muslim plotting the destruction of Israel.

  8. 8.

    Big ole hound

    February 15, 2015 at 7:18 pm

    FOLLOW THE MONEY. Any Congressman accepting money from a foreign government can be found guilty of treason. I hope they hang the GOP bastards and throw the Israeli embassy out of the country and stop all so called “aid”. Arrogant prick.

  9. 9.

    Hildebrand

    February 15, 2015 at 7:18 pm

    Really makes me wonder just exactly what Netanyahu plans on saying – it can’t be just standard boiler-plate after this kind of build-up.

  10. 10.

    mtiffany

    February 15, 2015 at 7:19 pm

    There’s no secret here in Washington about the animosity that this White House has for Prime Minister Netanyahu.

    I’m sorry, but did Speaker Boehner just accuse President Obama of putting petty personal animosity for the leader of a country ahead of the interests of that country? Projection, thy name is Congressional Republicans.

  11. 11.

    Mustang Bobby

    February 15, 2015 at 7:19 pm

    “Interference” is the new “uppity.”

    Boehner is such a prick.

  12. 12.

    JPL

    February 15, 2015 at 7:21 pm

    We have bombs and Boehner wants to use them. It doesn’t matter how many countries we leave prime for extremist takeovers. It’s all about the bombs.

  13. 13.

    Luthe

    February 15, 2015 at 7:22 pm

    Further proof Bibi is a douchenozzle: he’s got campaign ads out in Israel depicting “ISIS” terrorists in a Jeep. They ask someone for directions to Jerusalem. The answer? “To the left.” Because not voting for right-wing crazies is just like letting ISIS win.

  14. 14.

    Mike J

    February 15, 2015 at 7:25 pm

    @Hildebrand: It’s a campaign speech since his election is in a month. P5+1 bad, killing arabs good.

  15. 15.

    Corner Stone

    February 15, 2015 at 7:25 pm

    Speaking of boycotting. Man I hate these damn Buick commercials. “Thass what I tooold him!”

  16. 16.

    Corner Stone

    February 15, 2015 at 7:27 pm

    Anybody who physically reprimands another person’s child? Lucky if they get to be charged by the police and not toe tagged.
    F you NBC for promoting this stupid show.

  17. 17.

    mtiffany

    February 15, 2015 at 7:29 pm

    @Corner Stone: At least those are trying to be humorous — better than the faux gravitas of the McConaughey caddy commericals…

  18. 18.

    Baud

    February 15, 2015 at 7:30 pm

    @mtiffany:

    This. MM really undermined his film and TV work with those ads. I hope they paid him well.

  19. 19.

    Hildebrand

    February 15, 2015 at 7:30 pm

    @Mike J: Seems like a heck of a lot of stupid just to let Bibi mouth off for the home crowd. Not that the MSM will suddenly grow an actual conscience, but it would seem even they would have to realize that isn’t cricket and question the wisdom of the Republicans shilling for a foreign politician.

  20. 20.

    Corner Stone

    February 15, 2015 at 7:32 pm

    @mtiffany:

    better than the faux gravitas of the McConaughey caddy commericals

    We’re going to have to agree to disagree here because those Lincoln commercials are the absolute fucking height of self-parody. They are a kind of art all by themselves.

  21. 21.

    Ben Cisco (onboard the Defiant)

    February 15, 2015 at 7:34 pm

    Get back to me about a boycott when DWS is a) on board and b) apologizes for eqivocating in the first place.

  22. 22.

    OzarkHillbilly

    February 15, 2015 at 7:34 pm

    We all need to write Boehner’s minions a short little note saying something along the lines of:

    “I have never said this to a sitting member of Congress before: Fwck Israel.”***

    Be sure to copy in the Israeli ambassador, and all the heads of the left leaning Israeli parties.

    ***please rephrase

  23. 23.

    SiubhanDuinne

    February 15, 2015 at 7:35 pm

    @catclub:

    Yes, Sheldon Adelson was the first name that came to my mind. I didn’t mention it because it seemed almost too obvious, but … yeah.

  24. 24.

    jl

    February 15, 2015 at 7:35 pm

    An effective way to deal with dangers and crises is to run around like a chicken with your head cut off, pee your pants at every unexpected adverse event, play whack-a-mole constantly without figuring out who who is who, what they might do, and what priorities should be. Grown-up serious GOIP daddies like McCain and Graham know this.

    Hezbollah!! Assad!! ISIS/ISIL/IS!! Iran!! Houthis!! OMG we’re gonna die! OMGOMG OMGOMGOMG!! We’re gonna die die die die. Do something! Boots, bombs, bullets, and boots boots boots right now!

    Edit: I learned to calmly think through national security issues like that from reading Scalia’s opinions on national security/civil liberties cases.

  25. 25.

    SiubhanDuinne

    February 15, 2015 at 7:38 pm

    @Hildebrand:

    Not that the MSM will suddenly grow an actual conscience, but it would seem even they would have to realize that isn’t cricket and question the wisdom of the Republicans shilling for a foreign politician.

    That’s why it’s significant that the media person giving Boner a bit of pushback is Chris Wallace of Fox News “News” Channel,

  26. 26.

    Wag

    February 15, 2015 at 7:40 pm

    If I were in congress I would attend. I would turn my chair around and keep my back turned on Nyetunyahoo, and would stand and leave without looking at the podium at the end of the speech.

  27. 27.

    Baud

    February 15, 2015 at 7:43 pm

    @Wag:

    They could sit there with Obama pins on.

  28. 28.

    SiubhanDuinne

    February 15, 2015 at 7:44 pm

    @Ben Cisco (onboard the Defiant):

    Yes. I’m afraid DWS, Chuck Schumer, and maybe a few other members are going to neutralize the message by attending. Didn’t they put out a press release a few days ago saying they didn’t like having to “choose” between Israel and the United States? Excuse me, “CHOOSE”??? We need to remind them that they are members of the Congress of the United States of America, knot the Knesset. What’s to choose?

  29. 29.

    Corner Stone

    February 15, 2015 at 7:44 pm

    @Wag:

    I would turn my chair around and keep my back turned on Nyetunyahoo, and would stand and leave without looking at the podium at the end of the speech.

    You can do that if you’re elected from CA or a mountain west state.

  30. 30.

    JMG

    February 15, 2015 at 7:45 pm

    Obama should recall the Ambassador to Israel “for consultations” the morning of the speech. It’s a perfectly legit move. Countries do it all the time when they’re pissed at some other country.

  31. 31.

    BillinGlendaleCA

    February 15, 2015 at 7:45 pm

    @Wag: The House doesn’t have chairs, so it might present a problem.

  32. 32.

    SiubhanDuinne

    February 15, 2015 at 7:45 pm

    @Wag:

    Ah, the NYPD tactic.

  33. 33.

    SiubhanDuinne

    February 15, 2015 at 7:46 pm

    @JMG:

    Oh, absolutely he should do that. Really hope he does.

  34. 34.

    Baud

    February 15, 2015 at 7:47 pm

    The Dems could also all show up without any pants on.

  35. 35.

    Corner Stone

    February 15, 2015 at 7:48 pm

    @JMG: Recalling an ambassador (absent a death) is a sign of being highest peeved.
    Obama will not do that.

  36. 36.

    I'mNotSureWhoIWantToBeYet

    February 15, 2015 at 7:49 pm

    @SiubhanDuinne: Adelson visited lots of Republicans in DC in mid-January. Boehner’s invitation went out by January 21. Coinkydink? Dunno…

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  37. 37.

    I'mNotSureWhoIWantToBeYet

    February 15, 2015 at 7:51 pm

    Good grief. Is slang for “coincidence” a FYWP word now??

    [edit] Oh, the URL had a bad word in it. :-/

    A little help from the moderators, please? Thanks.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  38. 38.

    Hildebrand

    February 15, 2015 at 7:52 pm

    President Obama should invite Khamenei for tea the day of the speech.

  39. 39.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    February 15, 2015 at 7:52 pm

    There’s a serious threat facing the world. And radical Islamic terrorists are not going to go away.”

    So I thought I would create some additional propaganda for the most extreme elements in Middle East politics from Algeria to Pakistan.

    I’m sure there have been dumber Speakers in our history, but none in my lifetime. Not even Delay’s Meatpuppet.

  40. 40.

    Patrick

    February 15, 2015 at 7:54 pm

    @SiubhanDuinne:

    Didn’t they put out a press release a few days ago saying they didn’t like having to “choose” between Israel and the United States?

    They are members of the U.S. Congress. They took a fricking oath to support and defend our constitution. If they have forgotten this, they should resign immediately.

  41. 41.

    MikeBoyScout

    February 15, 2015 at 7:57 pm

    One could jump up & down and label the Speaker of the House’s “no interference” motivation in defiance of the Constitution and in defiance of his own his oath of office, but that would be attributing a level of thinking beyond Boehner’s capabilities.

  42. 42.

    SiubhanDuinne

    February 15, 2015 at 7:57 pm

    @Corner Stone:

    He may not formally recall the Ambassador, but he will do something public and diplomatic to register his extreme piss-offedness.

  43. 43.

    SiubhanDuinne

    February 15, 2015 at 7:58 pm

    @Patrick:

    Well, exactly. I can’t imagine why any of them would hesitate for a split-second about where their loyalties lie.

    If they cave and attend the speech and smoochie up to Bibi, they are no better than Boner.

    ETA: In which case, fuck ’em. Fuck ’em all with a rusty Phillips-head screwdriver drenched in badger musk.

  44. 44.

    JMG

    February 15, 2015 at 8:03 pm

    Oh, let’s face it. If Israel bombed Denver the Congress would pass a resolution in support by an overwhelming margin.Republicans out of crazy, Democrats out of what seems to be incurable cowardice.

  45. 45.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    February 15, 2015 at 8:03 pm

    I was surprised and disappointed to see Barbara Boxer say she’s going to attend in spite of her objections, and even more surprised to see that Feinstein had (as of last week) not yet announced. If she actually boycotts, I’ll have to find an edible hat.

  46. 46.

    I'mNotSureWhoIWantToBeYet

    February 15, 2015 at 8:06 pm

    @SiubhanDuinne: In my FYWP-eated comment, I said:

    Adelson visited lots of Republicans in DC in mid-January. Boehner’s invitation went out by January 21. Coinkydink? Dunno…

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  47. 47.

    JPL

    February 15, 2015 at 8:07 pm

    The new love about the Jews is about their land, not them. If they are not born again, they will burn in hell. David, be damn. Most Jewish people understand this.

  48. 48.

    Baud

    February 15, 2015 at 8:08 pm

    Sarah Palin was an announced guest on SNL 40.

  49. 49.

    Suzanne

    February 15, 2015 at 8:09 pm

    UGH. I can’t believe Boehner. Dude, YOU’RE NOT GOING TO GET THE JEWISH VOTE ANYWAY.

  50. 50.

    Mike in NC

    February 15, 2015 at 8:09 pm

    @SiubhanDuinne: Still, what are the odds that FOX will run a live feed of Bibi’s speech? Or CNN?

  51. 51.

    MomSense

    February 15, 2015 at 8:10 pm

    @Baud:

    I would like you to run for Congress!

  52. 52.

    Mandalay

    February 15, 2015 at 8:11 pm

    @Hildebrand:

    question the wisdom of the Republicans shilling for a foreign politician

    It’s less to do with that, and much more to do with their desire to split Democrats, and make them look wishy washy on national security.

    I begrudgingly acknowledge that it has been a highly effective tactic (so far at least). It has provoked the chair of the DNC (Debbie Wasserman Schultz) to side with Republicans rather than Obama. But loathsome as DWS may be, the Democrats who “still haven’t decided” whether to attend are the absolute lowest of the low. Pick a position and defend it rather than waiting to see which way the wind is blowing in a few days.

    If every Democrat had simply refused to attend (“We stand with President Obama, not Netanyahu!”) then this would have blown up in Boehner’s face. But with DWS, Schumer, Reid, Pelosi et al attending, Democrats are sending out a mixed and muddied message.

  53. 53.

    Baud

    February 15, 2015 at 8:13 pm

    @MomSense:

    I could really use the immunity from arrest that Congresscritters enjoy.

  54. 54.

    raven

    February 15, 2015 at 8:13 pm

    Sir Paul and Paul Simon up.

  55. 55.

    Roger Moore

    February 15, 2015 at 8:13 pm

    @SiubhanDuinne:

    I can’t imagine why any of them would hesitate for a split-second about where their loyalties lie.

    Their loyalties are to reelection. They just don’t want to put it so baldly.

  56. 56.

    jl

    February 15, 2015 at 8:14 pm

    Another thing is that I do not know how Boehner’s comment squares with the notion that Obama is merely the seventh king, rather than the AntiChrist himself.

  57. 57.

    JPL

    February 15, 2015 at 8:15 pm

    @Mike in NC: All of them , Charlie.

  58. 58.

    Baud

    February 15, 2015 at 8:15 pm

    Steve Martin looks good for his age.

  59. 59.

    SiubhanDuinne

    February 15, 2015 at 8:16 pm

    @Mike in NC:

    Oh, hell, I expect MSNBC and NPR will carry it too. I think the point is, if there are a lot of empty chairs — an absence of bums in seats — the visuals (excuse me, the “optics”) might not be all the GOP wish for. Actually, come to think of it, I wish all the Democrats would confirm that they ARE attending, and then — as a body — not show up.

  60. 60.

    LosGatosCA

    February 15, 2015 at 8:16 pm

    Lucky for us America first, true patriots, it’s getting easier and easier to make the case that nations don’t have allies, they have interests. Israelis can make their own decisions and live with the consequences, just like us. As long as those decisions align with US interests, they’re allies.

    When they mistakenly decided to redefine the superpower-client state relationship they set themselves up for the consequences. They may recover from this mistake, but if it’s part of an emerging pattern, they may actually be setting themselves up for a future that’s much different then they are assuming they are entitled to.

  61. 61.

    Mandalay

    February 15, 2015 at 8:17 pm

    @Suzanne:

    YOU’RE NOT GOING TO GET THE JEWISH VOTE ANYWAY.

    Maybe, maybe not, but it will certainly help them a lot with Jewish political donations.

  62. 62.

    jl

    February 15, 2015 at 8:19 pm

    @Roger Moore: I agree. They GOPer pols have no particular loyalty to Israel or the welfare of Israel or its people. It is a prop for two big constituencies: rabid Zionist neocons, and nutty Endtimes Xtianists (who have a rather peculiar loyalty to Israel, in wanting the place to explode into smoking ruins, start the end of the world, and then they can watch the Jews get one more chance to convert to Christianity or burn in Hell forever. But whoever disagrees with that notion of ‘Israel’s welfare’ is going to Hell anyway, and their opinions don’t count).

    Whatever gets them through to next election is where their loyalties lie. ‘Cynical as we have to be, to hang on to power!’ would be a good motto.

  63. 63.

    Roger Moore

    February 15, 2015 at 8:24 pm

    @jl:

    ‘Cynical as we have to be, to hang on to power!’ would be a good motto.

    I think “Party First!” is closer to correct.

  64. 64.

    Tree With Water

    February 15, 2015 at 8:26 pm

    I’ve always disliked the question, “can you imagine how republicans would react if the democratic party pulled this stunt” But in this case, can you? Those people impeached over a blow job.

    The democrats, meanwhile, are simply clucking like a barnyard full of chickens, and about what? Whether or not to attend a War Lover’s speech. That’s it, that’s their best shot. Chickenshit congressional democrats should have been pounding on the doors of the networks screaming bloody murder about the invitation since the day it was made public. Screw them, and screw the people of Israel for not putting a leash on their bum.

  65. 65.

    MomSense

    February 15, 2015 at 8:27 pm

    @Baud:

    Health care and pensions are pretty nice, too.

  66. 66.

    Redshift

    February 15, 2015 at 8:27 pm

    My translation of Boehner: “No, honey, I had to arrange that date behind your back because I know you don’t get along with her!”

  67. 67.

    Ben Cisco (onboard the Defiant)

    February 15, 2015 at 8:28 pm

    @SiubhanDuinne: Yes. I read the Politiho article. Absolutely disgusting.

  68. 68.

    pluege

    February 15, 2015 at 8:29 pm

    both netanyahu and boehner are self-serving crap pols that have no interest in serving their countries’ interests. Both only serve their own personal interests.

  69. 69.

    LWA (Liberal With Attitude)

    February 15, 2015 at 8:39 pm

    If support for Israel becomes a partisan issue, and synonymous with the GOP, this will end very badly for Israel.

  70. 70.

    pseudonymous in nc

    February 15, 2015 at 8:39 pm

    I wanted to make sure that there was no interference.

    And a little freelance foreign policy is what exactly, you fucker?

    FFS, is it really so fucking hard to grasp the notion that relationships between the US and other countries might be the primary domain of the executive branch. The Logan Act is still on the statue books.

  71. 71.

    MikeBoyScout

    February 15, 2015 at 8:39 pm

    I’m old enough to remember when a US president and Israel got along well enough to arm Iran. What happened?

  72. 72.

    pseudonymous in nc

    February 15, 2015 at 8:44 pm

    @JMG:

    Obama should recall the Ambassador to Israel “for consultations” the morning of the speech.

    Just summon him to State an hour before the speech is due and leave him sitting in reception.

  73. 73.

    MikeBoyScout

    February 15, 2015 at 8:50 pm

    Crazy thought.
    Maybe Netanyahu is going to tell Congress that Israel is waiting for Obama haters with open arms. No?

  74. 74.

    Mike J

    February 15, 2015 at 8:51 pm

    @pseudonymous in nc: No, that’s what he would do to the ambassador FROM Israel.

  75. 75.

    Corner Stone

    February 15, 2015 at 8:52 pm

    Who the fuck was that ghoulish spectre?
    And why does Sir Paul continue to think he can sing? He can not.

  76. 76.

    jl

    February 15, 2015 at 8:52 pm

    @LWA (Liberal With Attitude):

    ” this will end very badly for Israel. ”

    It will end badly for general support for Israel in US, if GOP official position is that they make their own foreign policy regardless of whether in WH, and anyone who disagrees with Likud (or is it just Netanyahu personally now?) is anti-Israel.

    Seems like it might end badly for Netanyahu in the upcoming elections (this was supposed to be a clever stunt to win it). But looks like Netanyaho is all-in, and he will give it even if obvious mess. More high risk/ high reward deal that he cannot back out of, the crazier and riskier he will play it, no matter what the consequences for his country or US diplomacy in the region.

    Boehner out of his league, looks like. But what is new about that? The stakes are higher this time though.

    Edit: May turn out very badly for GOP too, if more of this nonsense before 2016 election, and the serious daddy grown-up foreign policy hard-balled GOPers are shown to be the incompetent clowns and chumps and marks that they are, whenever they are forced to deal with serious real reality.

  77. 77.

    glory b

    February 15, 2015 at 8:58 pm

    @SiubhanDuinne:Ii read somewhere (can’t remember right now where) that republicans have lined up aides and office staffers to sit in any empty seats so it will look like everyone decided to come.

  78. 78.

    Fred Dickinson

    February 15, 2015 at 8:59 pm

    So long as USA tax dollars are going to find the illegal Zionist colonial occupier, I could give two flying fucks whether or not Democrats attend the speech.

    Israel is an occupying, Jewish supremacist colonial ethnostate and so long as the USA supports it the USA funds genocide.

  79. 79.

    SiubhanDuinne

    February 15, 2015 at 9:00 pm

    @MikeBoyScout:

    Maybe Netanyahu is going to tell Congress that Israel is waiting for Obama haters with open arms. No?

    “Let’s Make Aliyah with the Tea Party!”

  80. 80.

    jl

    February 15, 2015 at 9:00 pm

    @glory b: GOP braintrust is trying to play out of its league. If incompetence like we see here does not have any direct bad consequences, I hope it keeps up until election day.

  81. 81.

    jl

    February 15, 2015 at 9:05 pm

    @Fred Dickinson: I think Netanuahu is tried to make that so, for his own selfish political ends. As I said, will be a mess for all around if GOP tries to make its own foreign policy dictates, especially if it looks like more tied up with an individual, and an unsavory one like Netanyahu and focused too much on his, and their own electioneering. And I think it is getting to that point.

    It will be hard to hide brute facts like that to voters, no matter how the corporate media and GOP media spin and BS artists try to obfuscate and posture.

  82. 82.

    MikeBoyScout

    February 15, 2015 at 9:05 pm

    @SiubhanDuinne: Win-Win-Win, no? Though I suspect our freedom loving Obama haters would have a tough time with all that “organic law” around commerce on the Sabbath.

  83. 83.

    SiubhanDuinne

    February 15, 2015 at 9:11 pm

    Completely O/T, but Louis Jourdan has died, age 93. Most people remember him (with some justification) for his role opposite Leslie Caron in Gigi, but I first fell madly in love with him in The Swan, with Grace Kelly in her last film.

    RIP, Mr. Jourdan, you gorgeous man. The night they invented champagne, it’s plain as it can be, they thought of you and me.

  84. 84.

    Fred Dickinson

    February 15, 2015 at 9:15 pm

    @efgoldman:

    Racist settler ethnostate demands massive immigration for the dominant group. Well, knock me over with a feather!

  85. 85.

    AliceBlue

    February 15, 2015 at 9:18 pm

    @SiubhanDuinne:
    Louis Jourdan? Mais oui!

  86. 86.

    Chris

    February 15, 2015 at 9:20 pm

    @SiubhanDuinne:

    Boehner isn’t folding because as mentioned in the original post, Israel is America’s single most bipartisan issue, which is another way of saying that it’s the one issue on which the right controls the debate even more thoroughly than it does on gun control. Boehner’s betting that if there’s one issue on which he can take a big dump on the White House front lawn and not pay a price, it’s Israel, because there’s nothing Obama can do that won’t end up with him labeled an antisemite or soft on terrorism or abandoning an ally.

    I’m not saying Boehner is necessarily right on this – I don’t know. But he’s certainly got lots of grounds to think that.

  87. 87.

    Zinsky

    February 15, 2015 at 9:21 pm

    A recently declassified report details how the U.S. learned that Israel was building nuclear weapons in the 1980s and helped, or at best, kept it a secret for 25 years. There are some who assert that Israel stole the nuclear technology from the U.S. (see Mordechai Vanunu). The real nuclear threat in the Middle East is Israel, not Iran. The irony and hypocrisy of the U.S. permitting Israel to have 200 or more nuclear weapons, while denying Iran even one, is not lost on any of the Arabic countries of the Middle East and North Africa.

  88. 88.

    Chris

    February 15, 2015 at 9:24 pm

    @Suzanne:

    He doesn’t need the Jewish vote. It would certainly be a nice feather in his cap, but really, all he needs to do is shore up his vote among neocons, fundiegelicals, and your more garden variety nationalist assholes who like to watch hajjis get blown up.

  89. 89.

    Mandalay

    February 15, 2015 at 9:25 pm

    @efgoldman:

    Apparently alienating his allies in the US isn’t enough for him

    Anti-Semitism in much of Europe is on the rise, including in national politics, and I also suspect that saying “Israel is your home” to European Jews does not carry the same stigma that it would here for historical reasons.

    And I’m sure Bibi is well aware of what Jim Morrison pointed out nearly 50 years ago: “They got the guns, but we got the numbers”. He needs all the Jews he can get.

  90. 90.

    Chris

    February 15, 2015 at 9:37 pm

    @efgoldman:

    Glad the rabbi said what he said. The popular assumption that all Jews everywhere in the world are racially bound to Israel is one of the many things that pisses me off when this issue comes up – whether the people making that assumption are antisemites accusing all Jews of being agents of the Israeli government, or Jewish chauvinists demanding that they should be.

    My wingnut, Christozionist uncle posts some pretty fucked up shit on the Internets now and again, but I’ve never actually wanted to break his fucking nose before, until his reaction to the Charlie Hebdo attacks was to proclaim his solidarity by turning his Facebook avatar into… an Israeli flag. Instead of a French one.

  91. 91.

    MikeBoyScout

    February 15, 2015 at 9:38 pm

    @efgoldman: I’m not Jewish, but the idea of jumping into a lifeboat captained by a man openly intent upon spitting in the eye of the leader of the only country to routinely bail it out seems like a bad idea.

  92. 92.

    Mandalay

    February 15, 2015 at 9:46 pm

    @efgoldman:

    the Danes were the *only* German-occupied country in WW2 that refused en masse to participate in the Holocaust.

    Your claim seemed so outrageous that I had to check it, and apparently you are absolutely correct. I just learned something – thanks for that.

  93. 93.

    Cain

    February 15, 2015 at 9:55 pm

    @Wag:

    I might also let a little flatulence escape as well.

  94. 94.

    Cain

    February 15, 2015 at 9:56 pm

    @Hildebrand:

    Just invite him to talk to the Congress afterwards. Maybe invite him to photobomb some of the photos with Netanyahoo.

  95. 95.

    debbie

    February 15, 2015 at 10:05 pm

    @efgoldman:

    Right. We saw how French Jews went running to Israel, didn’t we? That man is single-handedly turning Israel into a pariah.

  96. 96.

    SiubhanDuinne

    February 15, 2015 at 10:08 pm

    @glory b:

    republicans have lined up aides and office staffers to sit in any empty seats so it will look like everyone decided to come.

    They really are bastards, aren’t they?

  97. 97.

    Chris

    February 15, 2015 at 10:10 pm

    @LWA (Liberal With Attitude):

    If support for Israel becomes a partisan issue, and synonymous with the GOP, this will end very badly for Israel.

    I’ve been saying that since this whole mess started – not that I really expect much of a reaction this time, but it’s stupid to alienate people deliberately when you have so few friends to begin with.

    But, really, the Israeli government’s idiocy was relying on a foreign policy of “it doesn’t matter how many people are mad at us, because America has our back!” in the first place. American hegemony won’t last forever. It may not end for several more centuries for all I know, but eventually it will, and when it does, if Israel still hasn’t changed, it’s going to suddenly find itself in the same position as those white African enclaves did after the fall of colonialism – the people they have to live with won’t like them, and the people who do like them won’t have the resources to help anymore even if they wanted to.

    Restricting your international support base from “just America” to “just right wing America” merely compounds an already suicidal foreign policy.

  98. 98.

    SiubhanDuinne

    February 15, 2015 at 10:13 pm

    @AliceBlue:

    Sacre bleu! et aussi Zut alors!, malheureusement, c’est vrai.

  99. 99.

    MikeBoyScout

    February 15, 2015 at 10:20 pm

    @Chris:
    This -> Restricting your international support base from “just America” to “just right wing America” merely compounds an already suicidal foreign policy.

  100. 100.

    LWA (Liberal With Attitude)

    February 15, 2015 at 10:27 pm

    I can’t help but wonder how many Americans base their support for Israel, like I do, on a vague sense of moral obligation partly stemming from the Holocaust to domestic Anti-Semitism, to the notion of a people longing for an ancestral homeland.

    Which is to say, a very soft and weak support, which would not work out well if it were put to the acid test of -“would I send my son to die for it?”

    For instance, if Israel were credibly threatened with Holocaust level extermination? Probably.
    If they were being forced to retreat to the 1967 borders? Not a chance.

    And I can’t be the only American who rolls his eyes in horror at the bizarre End Times murder-suicide pact freakshow that is the Evangelical support for Israel.

  101. 101.

    jonas

    February 15, 2015 at 10:54 pm

    American evangelical support for Israel and its political ramifications has always bemused me. It’s as if there were some group in China or Russia or Brazil that was rabidly pro-American — supported the US no matter what we did, even if it was nuking wales or using infants to boost the protein content of exercise shakes or whatever. But it was only because they belonged to a cult that fervently believed that America had to exist in order to draw to earth a certain race of space alien whose ships would vaporize Washington, D.C. and all other American cities, feast on the flesh of the survivors, and then make our country available for colonization by this particular bunch of Russian space believers who would build a new utopia on our bones.

    Why the bloody hell would our president want to go and give a big formal speech to these loonbats?

  102. 102.

    pseudonymous in nc

    February 15, 2015 at 10:55 pm

    Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on Sunday morning for the “massive immigration” of Likud voters to Israel

    FTFY, Bibi.

  103. 103.

    Chris

    February 15, 2015 at 10:59 pm

    @LWA (Liberal With Attitude):

    I think it’s at least a contributing factor, yes. Particularly in explaining liberal squeamishness in speaking out too loudly. The popular American view of Israel still seems to treat it as a nation of huddled refugees fleeing from the Nazi death camps.

    It’s a perfect storm of a ton of things. Holocaust guilt plays a role. Christian fundamentalism plays a role. The fact that Jews in America, like the Irish and Italians, “became white” while Arabs, like blacks and Latinos, didn’t, plays a role – watching Israel bomb Gaza is sort of the international version of watching an Irish cop beat the shit out of a black guy.

    And geopolitics plays a role, in the sense that Israel and its forerunners have been on the “right” side of the last three major international conflicts, and its Arab enemies on the “wrong” one. Arab nationalists sided with the Axis in World War Two and with the Soviet Bloc during the Cold War, and islamists are now the main enemy of both Israel and America. Some of that is justifiable (easy to see why people oppressed by the French and British empires and targeted by Zionist bomb throwers would support anyone who was their enemy) and some of it isn’t (not exactly hard, already then, to find stuff on the Arab side that goes well over the line into Nazi-style antisemitism), but the bottom line is that we in the West have had plenty of time to get used to the idea of Israel as the good guys and the Arabs as the bad guys.

    There’s probably even more stuff that I’m not thinking of right now. Our Israel/Palestine derangement syndrome definitely has more than one cause.

  104. 104.

    Mandalay

    February 15, 2015 at 11:13 pm

    It’s not just the Obama Administration that gets treated like a doormat by the Israeli government….

    Last month, Swedish foreign minister Margot Wahlstrom postponed her visit to Israel after foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman and other Israeli officials refused to meet her in response to the new Social Democrat Swedish government’s initiative to recognize a Palestinian state.

    If Israel wants to foment anti-Semitism in Europe, and accelerate the formal recognition of Palestine, then it should just maintain its current attitude towards the rest of the world.

  105. 105.

    Omnes Omnibus

    February 15, 2015 at 11:19 pm

    @Mandalay: Just off hand, why should Israeli behavior foment anti-Semitism?

  106. 106.

    Gravenstone

    February 15, 2015 at 11:56 pm

    @efgoldman: As you should know, the species Troglodytarum castitatae* only has one setting, Maximum Outrage!!1!!

    * blame Google if the translation of purity troll is wonky

  107. 107.

    Omnes Omnibus

    February 15, 2015 at 11:58 pm

    @Omnes Omnibus: @Mandalay: I do wonder about your reasoning. Dreyfus wonders as well.

  108. 108.

    Omnes Omnibus

    February 16, 2015 at 12:09 am

    @Mandalay: Just as I expected.

  109. 109.

    Yatsuno

    February 16, 2015 at 12:38 am

    @Omnes Omnibus: Like it or not, Israel is short hand for all Jewish action in the world. Add in a long European history of anti-Semitism and the end result leads to Israel = all Jews. It’s unfair, but that’s how things tend to get viewed on the old continent.

  110. 110.

    DTOzone

    February 16, 2015 at 12:48 am

    @Suzanne:

    UGH. I can’t believe Boehner. Dude, YOU’RE NOT GOING TO GET THE JEWISH VOTE ANYWAY.

    Bob Turner disagrees.

  111. 111.

    DTOzone

    February 16, 2015 at 12:49 am

    @LWA (Liberal With Attitude): I grew up in a working class white area where everyone votes on sticking it to “them.” My neighborhood was right out of Archie Bunker’s mind.

    The “Jews are shysters” comments were everywhere. I think if we hadn’t been convinced the Muslims are worse, antisemitism would be rampant here.

    At least the Europeans are honest about it.

  112. 112.

    glocksman

    February 16, 2015 at 12:58 am

    There is an account (probably not true) of a meeting involving Truman and the Saudi King that said ‘give them Bavaria’, when asked about the question of a Jewish homeland while discussing the Holocaust.

    I don’t have a problem with that reasoning.

  113. 113.

    Yatsuno

    February 16, 2015 at 1:33 am

    @glocksman: There was discussion at one point at putting what is now Israel in what is now Uganda. The history of the Zionist movement is a very interesting one with a lot of mistakes made by many parties along the way.

  114. 114.

    sm*t cl*de

    February 16, 2015 at 3:34 am

    People who pay attention to history remember that the Danes were the *only* German-occupied country in WW2 that refused en masse to participate in the Holocaust. And they got away with it, too.

    The city of Copenhagen was collectively recognised as Righteous among Nations on account of that. The proclamation to that effect used to be on show in the Resistance Museum (I couldn’t find it last time I visited, perhaps it is on loan somewhere else).

    So Netanyahu is telling Danish Jews that No, they’re not really Danish, their true loyalties lie somewhere else. I do not see this going down well. Why would they want to move from Denmark to a theocracy?

    Yup. Everyone from the royal family to the average Dane on the street put on a yellow star, as the Germans required the Jews to do.

    Nope, didn’t happen. That part was dreamed up by Leon Uris.

  115. 115.

    JGabriel

    February 16, 2015 at 4:54 am

    John Boehner:

    Because I wanted to make sure that there was no interference.

    Boehner wanted to make sure there was no interference in foreign relations from the President of the United States?

    That cowardly little orange fucker ought to be impeached.

  116. 116.

    NorthLeft12

    February 16, 2015 at 7:32 am

    @efgoldman: Interesting that Bibi can claim that they will be safer in Israel than in the other countries [he may have a point about the Ukraine], yet he can turn around and claim that Hamas, Iran, and Palestinians inside Israel are an ongoing and credible existential threat to the entire Jewish population of Israel.

    Okay……whatever.

  117. 117.

    boatboy_srq

    February 16, 2015 at 8:44 am

    @Suzanne: @Mandalay: It isn’t the Jewish Vote Boehner is after. It’s the FundiEvangelist Xtian vote: the Fundies are all for a reconstituted, repopulated (with Jews) Israel as prerequisite for the End Times. Anything that impedes that impedes the Second Coming, which they expect in 1939 in 1941 in 1949 in 1960 in 1973 in 1999 in 2001 in 2003 in 2009 next week any time now.

    @Corner Stone: @debbie: Uppity pResident isn’t doing what His Betters want, so Betters throw a tantrum. Boehner doesn’t need to be recalled (though that would be nice): he needs the sound spanking he obviously didn’t get when he was five.

  118. 118.

    catclub

    February 16, 2015 at 9:53 am

    @Baud: Chevy Chase looks a lot like Dick Cheney.

  119. 119.

    jamie

    February 16, 2015 at 12:51 pm

    Yup. Everyone from the royal family to the average Dane on the street put on a yellow star, as the Germans required the Jews to do.

    What actually happened was the Nazis told the Danish government they would start distributing yellow stars, and the Nazis were told in no uncertain terms that the King would be the first person to wear one. Result: Nazis never distributed yellow stars.

    Arendt goes over many of the historical details of the Danish resistance, in Eichmann in Jerusalem. The depressing fact of the matter is that the Nazis never did anything in occupied countries without local support, and when they met unified opposition to their demands, the Nazis would fold like blankets.

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