Speaker of the House John Boehner showed that, when he wants to, he knows how to play the game in DC.
His invitation to Israeli PM Netanyahu was a number of things, but most certainly it was a brilliant end-run around the White House and its catastrophic conduct of foreign policy. It served to remind that the President can no longer have it his way, that elections have consequences, and that--Surprise!!--each branch of our government is equal to the others. Our very wise Founding Fathers gave each branch certain powers. It is certainly within the power of the Speaker to invite anybody he wants to address the Congress. Representatives and Senators can make their own decisions as to whether they will attend. My guess is there will be nearly 100% attendance. I just hope Netanyahu is not talked out of coming to give that speech.
Instead of reacting with grace, seconding the invitation, and, at least, pretending to be glad the PM is coming to America, the current occupant of the White House and his cohort showed just how petulant and childish they are with cries of "breach of protocol," and "Netanyahu spat in our eye, and there will be consequences!"
The lame-duck White House showed how increasingly irrelevant it is to what is happening in America and abroad.
Obama knows that Netanyahu will give a real State of the World address. It is indeed a sad state of affairs when a foreign leader from a small country understands the key role the United States must play in confronting the dangers of our age, and the President of the United States does not have a clue.
Obama is churlish. My sense is we will be seeing more and more of this behavior in the next 2 years. As if we haven't seen enough of it already.
ReplyDelete~M.
Petulent as well, M. In some ways, he makes me think of an overaged teen.
DeleteM, I'll take your word for it about GloZell. I looked her up and found out she's an entertainer.
DeleteFrankly, a lot of pop culture references evade me. Uncle Kepha is a 60+ grandfather, and between his lesson planning, grading, and doing all the things that justify the continued employment of his bureaucratic minders at the county, state, and local level, he has little time for entertainment other than reading history and serious books (including original sources) on theology and Sinology.
But I certainly agree with you about the O--it's Hakka, and said in one tone (儿),it means "child", and in another (屙）it means "to defecate"--America's first Third World Great Leader wannabe.
Kepha-
DeleteHere is the woman the President of the United States decided to grant an interview to. All the talk of lack of "gravitas" when George Bush was in office can be explained by our betters in this video. Please, I beg of you, do not watch more than a minute of it. And certainly don't watch it after you eat. http://tinyurl.com/p5ann2e
I could only stomach about a minute of it. I lasted longer listening to the State of the Union speech and that was painful.
This is the "new normal"?
~M.
Some chicken, some sh*t!
ReplyDeleteJames the Lesser
Mr. Boehner's invite of Netanyahu is a master stroke. The Congress of the People's representatives need to be addressed by a leader of stature who is principled, and patriotic. That duty has traditionally fallen to the President of the United States, but we have Comrade Obama. Obama hates BiBi because BiBi is a leader and a man. Obama is neither. It will be two more years before we are rid of that red bastard. Our friends and allies will have to wait him out
ReplyDeleteWait him out we will; but what worries me is who follows.
DeleteDon't forget, 6 years ago our friends and allies couldn't trip over themselves fast enough to fill stadiums and listen to his prattle about the oceans healing and the dawn of a new understanding. They stood in awe and glee that the US had finally come to its senses and shrugged off the yoke of Bush the Younger in exchange for Obama the Redder.
DeleteAnd now with the radicals on the rise, the Russian Bear awake from his slumber, their economies still struggling, and the dream of a Unified Europe crumbling before their very eyes...they turn to the US and wonder where the Leadership is. Where is the Nation that does the hard thing because its the necessary thing. Where is the Leader of the Free World who can draw a line in the sand and stick to it, regardless of the caterwauling raised by those very people wondering where the US is.
KellyJ...I remember all that too. By the way, I must steal that "Obama the Redder".
DeleteI too think it was a master stroke, and entirely proper. The WH response was, as you say, petulant in the extreme. I can almost see him stamping his foot.
ReplyDeleteBibi addressed our National War College class. He was very nearly Churchillian, and that was 25 years ago.
Bill Clinton also tried to defeat Bibi and sent his election team to Israel to campaign for his opponents. Of course, Netanyahu was pretty open about his preference for president in 2012. I hope his talk is televised, at least on Fox which knows a good thing when they see it.
ReplyDeleteI believe that DISH no longer carries FNC.
DeleteOh he has a clue alright. he's just on the other side.
ReplyDeleteConstitution spells out the executive as being primarily responsible for foreign affairs. Yeah, it's sad that he's neglected American interests aboard, but that's the purpose for which the idiots elected him. If we don't suffer for that, we're not going to 'learn our lesson to be remembered until existing generations die off'. (Lesson being: don't elect idiots who can't promise anything more than 'change for the sake of change')
ReplyDeleteI don't think Bibi's speech to congress abrogates that segmentation of responsibilities, but it can't really go much further without potus anyways.
- reader #1482
Fook him and the illiterate literates who he rode in on.
ReplyDeleteCome here:)
We have cookies.
http://bar.baen.com/index.php?t=msg&th=112775&start=0&
I'm hoping Adam Smith was right when he wrote: "There is a great deal of ruin in a nation."
ReplyDeleteDid Adam Smith say that? Sounds more like Dr. Johnson or Chesterton.
Deletehttp://adamsmithslostlegacy.blogspot.co.uk/2009/11/adam-smith-on-ruin-of-nation.html
DeleteThe sad thing is that these latest strong moves by Boehner are motivated by a false concept. Boehner has finally internalized the results of the election and had an "Aha!" moment. "Yes, these conservatives dislike my policies. I had better begin paying some lip service to them.
ReplyDeleteLip service: Invite Bebe, denounce Obama from the floor, bring out a bill to slightly reduce abortion, talk about adding a few miles of border fence..
Lip service.
This may be one area where adult democrats, republicans and the american people can agree. Stopping the insane states in the Middle east from blowing up the world is not in the US interests. Read Peggy Noonan's confusing column this weekend and you will see a last ditch attempt to save Obama's reputation in history. His last two years in office will be as a war presidents and just like Chamberlin he will be remembered as a failure. (Chamberlin was honest, but ineffective while Obama is deceitful and incompetent).
ReplyDeleteThat's one for Boehner and makes the score 100-1 Obama. Keep it up John, if you push "The One" hard enough he'll push back twice as hard and topple over.
ReplyDeleteThis post was presented in Facebook's World Think Tank 'State of the Union DISCUSSION' by a Jonathan, fellow blogger and WTT member.
ReplyDeleteCaptain Rick, WTT's founder, welcomes new members who have great minds for thinking and wish to share their thoughts with the world:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/WorldThinkTank/
Prime Minister Netanyahu could give a speech in Tel Aviv about Iran's threat to the region and more specifically to Israel and it would be grossly distorted by the NY Times. Ditto for the network news programs. But when he gives it to a joint session of Congress, there will be no distortion. It will be carried live on TV for millions to watch.
ReplyDeleteThis is why Boehner, in a stroke of genius, invited him. And indeed it is a well deserved slap at Obama. The viewership will be overwhelming even if the network news outlets cave to the White House intimidation not to carry it. Fox could have its best day ever.
I doubt any TV network but Fox will carry it.
DeleteC-Span will cover it and probably discuss it at length the next morning on Washington Journal. So, you have at least that...
DeleteI find myself in a continual state of embarrassment with this administration. Between the preening about smart diplomacy, reset buttons, and red lines they could not make themselves look more silly. I have a 9th grade daughter who displays more subtlety and diplomatic poise than these yahoos (and she is no great shakes, believe me).
ReplyDeleteWait... are my two under four going to become 9th graders? Crap... I need a stasis field or something!
Delete- reader #1482
Gird your loins bro. It is painful.
DeleteMr. Obama would rather meet with a woman that eats fruit loops out of a bath tub than the PM of Israel! Dear God, we are doomed.
ReplyDeleteEvery time I hear that Prime Minister Netanyahu is going to address the U.S. Congress, I remember that poster that shows a photo of him dressed in IDF combat gear going on a raid juxtaposed with a photo of the bastard whoreson toking up. The Israelis have an honorable and courageous leader. We have Obama. My contempt for the God-damned fools that voted for that criminal couldn't possibly be any deeper. They truly are TWANLOC.
ReplyDeleteMy take:
ReplyDeletehttp://mskochin.blogspot.com/2015/02/speechgate-boehner-obama-netanyahu-and_10.html
Kepha, masterstroke "Hakka, and said in one tone (儿),it means "child", and in another (屙）it means "to defecate"--America's first Third World Great Leader wannabe." even more valid, than overgrown little boy kindergartner, which I always see the little undergrown boy as, personally.
ReplyDeleteWhitewall, I agree with every single word, in your 9:35 full description starting as Mr. Boehner's invite of Netanyahu is a master stroke. For once, hussein, the “red bastard” will have to address a new reality, in his little baby face.
Unfortunately, life is actually worse than just this, more could be seeing this program already emplaced, such as gorgeous Danish women, and formerly Viking males, as follows: “Islamic State chops off women’s hands for using cell phones” http://www.jihadwatch.org/2015/02/islamic-state-chops-off-womens-hands-for-using-cell-phones and only whips men……..
One also should be aware of the little admission of the UN secretary about killing off capitalism, as mentioned among several places, here: http://factsnotfantasy.blogspot.com/2015/02/are-we-seeing-history-repeat-itself.html
And that is not, nay, the last. One may read amazon number four, “The Hundred Years Marathon”, speaking of sino studies, by Michael Pillsbury, at the Hudson Institute, a vastly safer institution than many, for reality. The book details the declassified part what is still partly classified materials, and knowledge, unsettling absurdity in its own right of reality. A start point here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Pillsbury and maybe here: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20696000-the-hundred-year-marathon
All the finest principles of the free world and it’s blood and fortunes, are under great assault. One has no choice but to gird, to educate oneself, and become strong, each man. This world is no place for little “redder boys”, all “hakka’d” up! “Only strong statesmen need apply.” “Preferably warrior experience”
Jack