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| Eva in Paris |
This is a guy who was head of the Olympics in Salt Lake City. He knows the challenges London faces better than almost anyone else. You’d think a guy who wants to be POTUS would understand the fine art of diplomacy when making a social call. But noooooo. He decides to be blunt on the TODAY show:
"You know, it's hard to know just how well it will turn out. There are a few things that were disconcerting. The stories about the private security firm not having enough people, the supposed strike of the immigration and customs officials … that obviously is not something which is encouraging."
Is this man a moron? Or did he just not get that the interview would be seen in the UK? Yes, there were issues and problems, but house guests don’t publically humiliate hosts if they want to be asked back...especially to Buckingham Palace. Frankly, I thought PM David Cameron’s comeback was spot on:
"We are holding an Olympic Games in one of the busiest, most active, bustling cities anywhere in the world. Of course, it's easier if you hold an Olympic Games in the middle of nowhere."
And as if that were not enough humiliation for one trip, Mitten’s crack advance team in Israel planned a major fundraiser/luncheon on Tish B’Av, a fast day commemorating the destruction of the First Temple in Jerusalem around 587 B.C.E., and the Second Temple in 70 C.E. I hear it took 'em a while to figure out why they got so many “no” responses.
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| Mitt at the Kotel. |
The candidate was also scheduled to pay a social call on the Kotel (the remaining Western Wall of the Temple Mount) on Tisha B’Av, thereby throwing a wrench into what is one of the most important days to actually show up at the wall. Thousands of people pay social calls at the Kotel on Tisha’b’Av. Kinda like paying a social call over at the WTC in New York on any given September 11th. It’s kinda what you do if you live in the neighborhood.
The sentiments mouthed were sounded pretty good unless you actually listened to them. Dan Senor, one of his less than stellar aides, clarified Mitt’s comments saying,
"If Israel has to take action on its own, in order to stop Iran from developing that capability, the governor would respect that decision."
Respect? What the hell does that mean? That the US is gonna stand by when Israel bombs Iran? Or, did he mean Mittens as POTUS is going to drag the US into a potential nuclear pissing contest in the Middle East? I’m not sure what he meant, but somehow I cannot see Congress standing behind any of this. Does no one on this man’s team ever look down the road? Can you spell n-u-c-l-e-a-r p-r-o-l-i-f-e-r-a-t-i-o-n, boys and girls?
Excuse me for not jumping for joy here, but Romney et al are pretty much part of the apocalyptic gang. You know…the kind that believe there’s gonna be a Rapture….and for that to happen, you know what has to happen first? Armageddon. And you know where that is supposed to happen……Meggido. And you know, of course, where that is. Of course these people want Israel to exist. They can’t have their prophesies if it doesn’t. In other words, Israel becomes their sacrificial lamb. They do not have the best interests of the State of Israel at heart.
And speaking of Israel as sacrificial lamb, did anyone besides me notice what happened at Olympic judo practice on Friday?
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| IOC Mechitza |
It seems that both the Israeli and the Lebanese judo teams were slated for practice at the same time in same venue. When the Lebanese team saw the Israeli team working out, they refused to begin practice until a wall was constructed to separate the two teams. They shouldn't look on each other. The Lebanese wanted a mechitza and the IOC went along with it.
A brief recap: The IOC refuses to allow a moment of silence to mark the 40th anniversary of the Munich Massacre. Th IOC permits the Iranians to remove of member of the team because he is "ill" at precisely the same moment they figured out he will be competing against an Israeli. The IOC sanctions building a ghetto wall around the Israeli judo team.
How is this okay? How is this sportsmanship? How was that request not racist and apartheid? Instead of sending Greek triple jumper home for a moronic re-tweet, how about sending the Lebanese team home for blatant racism and antisemitism? IOC President Jacques Rogge, told us everything we need to know about him and his committee when, at the opening ceremonies, he said, “Character counts far more than medals.”
Where was Mitt Romney's bluntness for that one?
Oh, wait. We're talking about real, live Jews here, not the prophetic kind. Then I guess silence is okay.
Forget I said anything.
[Not.]
A brief recap: The IOC refuses to allow a moment of silence to mark the 40th anniversary of the Munich Massacre. Th IOC permits the Iranians to remove of member of the team because he is "ill" at precisely the same moment they figured out he will be competing against an Israeli. The IOC sanctions building a ghetto wall around the Israeli judo team.
How is this okay? How is this sportsmanship? How was that request not racist and apartheid? Instead of sending Greek triple jumper home for a moronic re-tweet, how about sending the Lebanese team home for blatant racism and antisemitism? IOC President Jacques Rogge, told us everything we need to know about him and his committee when, at the opening ceremonies, he said, “Character counts far more than medals.”
Where was Mitt Romney's bluntness for that one?
Oh, wait. We're talking about real, live Jews here, not the prophetic kind. Then I guess silence is okay.
Forget I said anything.
[Not.]
Wifely Person's Tip o'the Week
Not everyone believes the same thing or the same way and that's okay.
Thanks for the explanation of just what else Mitt and his team were oblivious to. In all fairness, I would also be oblivious, but if I had a team of supposedly knowledgeable people setting this up, I would hope they would steer me in the right direction, or work closely with my hosts so that I wouldn't blunder my way through a country that I claim is so important to me. As it is, should I ever be fortunate enough to visit Israel, I'll be consulting a number of really good guide books to help me navigate my way.
ReplyDeletePlease, continue giving us the clearer picture.
WP -
ReplyDeleteOlympics: If you want some insight into the IOC, I suggest this article by Guri Weinberg, the son of Moshe Weinberg, the Israeli wrestling coach who was murdered at the 1972 Olympics by Black September, under the orders of Yasser Arafat and financed by Mahmoud Abbas.
Romney: I am far from a Republican, but read the transcript and you see it is a damn good speech, with the exception of the rah-rahing for free enterprise. (not that I am a socialist, either - I just believe that there has to be a balance between regulation and free enterprise, and that you have to realize that balance is fluid.)
But here is the take-away line for me:
"Hopefully, this new government [Egypt] understands that one true measure of democracy is how those elected by the majority respect the rights of those in the minority."
It is the language I would have liked to hear from the President during the so-called "Arab Spring." I don't know that he never said something like that. I am just saying that I didn't hear it or read it. (and would be grateful is someone could find it.)
As for Romney calling Jerusalem the capital of Israel, well Candidate Obama did the same thing during his 2008 visit to Israel. And we see how long that lasted once he met the State Department people. So, I don't put a lot of stock in that statement.
I do agree that a visit to Israel on Tisha B'Av is ill-timed. A real campaign faux-pas. Straight out of an episode of "Veep." I don't know if his speech was done tastefully or not, but the media disruption at the kotel on that day is simply inconsiderate to the people who are there.
Perdie
You're kidding, right? You actually believe this? "Hopefully, this new government [Egypt] understands that one true measure of democracy is how those elected by the majority respect the rights of those in the minority."
DeleteSorry, not buying Romney's speech at all. Those are empty words with no real meaning. He was all for rushing in for arming rebels without realizing what he wanted to arm. The danger of the Arab spring was that no one, not even the rebels, were prepared for running a government. Now,the Egyptian generals have completely declawed their revolution by stripping the powers of the president prior to the election. For good or bad, the people had the right to self-determination and the consequences that go with it.
Consider the source. Consider what purpose guys like Romney and the right wing want Israel to serve.
If he's elected, you think Romney's going to lift a finger if Israel bombs Iran? Do you think for one New York minute that bombing Iran is going to solve anything...or will that open the door to a far greater danger to Israel? Remember, these people are waiting for Armageddon.
These are dangerous times in the ME. Unless you want Israel caught in the cross-hairs of Egypt, Syria, and Lebanon, tread lightly.
Sometimes, it's just better to sit back and let the bullies fight amongst themselves. And while there doing that, let Israel get ready for the next border war.
Israel is a little country sitting in the middle of a lot of really angry countries. Picking fights is probably not the best thing to do right now.
I loved David Cameron's response to Romney's stupid Olympic comments....
ReplyDeleteGreat post!
Yeah... "In the middle of nowhere," that's where Romney is...
DeleteI think you're on to something, WP. I can see it now... as the curtain rises they're not chanting: "E-veeee-ta E-veee-ta" -- instead it's "Mitt-skeeee-to Mitt-skeeee-to"
ReplyDeleteAnd in the background you hear (forlornly) "Don't Cry for Me Massachusetts"
WP,
ReplyDeleteWhat you're really saying is that Mitt and Ann are sure looking presidential, even without the Styrofoam Greek columns, and we can't have that!
First it was the Scott Brown win (accomplished without a dead babe in the backseat), then the loss of the House, then the easy Gov. Walker win in WI, and now this.
I got it......let's go after the rich guy's tax returns.
GO HOOSIERS!