I’m in a sour mood today. Last night the usually-enjoyable Andy Rooney was putting down the presidential candidates because of their names. What if Rudy Giuliani had been George Washington; how would it sound to go to Giuliani, D.C.? That…
Every week or so in Haaretz, Shmuel Rosner rates American presidential candidates on Who is best for Israel? Giuliani is usually first, what with all the neocons in his braintrust, and Hillary is not that far behind. Ron Paul is…
I gather that the flood is already beginning, from Hillary’s side to Obama’s in New Hampshire. Something ought to be said about the fickleness of the babyboomers. We’re vain and we don’t really have a lot to show for ourselves,…
I’m still washing in the waves of Obama’s great speech last Thursday night. The most fascinating thing to me is that he did not speak of his blackness, at least as I recall the speech. He began by saying, “They…
When Condoleezza Rice met last September with Jewish leaders at the home of the U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Haaretz editor David Landau told her that Israel was a “failed state” politically that needed to be “raped” by the United States….
A couple weeks back I came out for a two-state solution–the “peace process”–and Saif Ammous, who generally endorses stuff I write, scoffed at me. I have to post our dialogue on the question. Will get to it soon. In the…
I’m a devoted Chris Matthews watcher because he’s so street-smart and so knowledgeable about political history (and also a former Peace Corps volunteer). Last night he was the one guy on his show to understand the ravishing power of Obama’s…
Nearly twice as many Democrats showed up as Republicans in Iowa, and more than 2/3 of them voted for progressive candidates, Obama and Edwards. Obama was lifted by idealistic and probably angry youth. The center does not hold. Even Hillary…
Just saw Obama’s speech. The most uplifting amazing speech I can remember. The comparison of the revolutionaries of ’76 who broke an empire to the freedom riders and marchers of ’64 who braved firehoses–breaks my American heart. I think the…