re: #163 lawhawk

I don’t think that’s the wisest course. Let the President meet with Bibi. Have it done in private. No public pomp and circumstances. The GOP will go nuts no matter what the President says or does, even if the US gives Israel billions more for anti-missile defense systems. The President could simply say that he’s not going to meddle in the internal politics of a near-dear ally like Israel, so saying/doing more than that would be inappropriate. Israel’s electorate will make the decision as they see fit, and the US will not meddle in the outcome. The GOP will, of course, claim that by not meddling, the US is meddling.

I disagree. Netanyahu was invited by the Congressional GOP, not the president. Bibi’s visit has everything to do with derailing the painstaking progress we’ve managed to make in relations with Iran and nothing to do with what’s best for the region or for the US. If Obama meets with him under these circumstances he’ll appear to be validating the Congressional GOP’s attempts to meddle in foreign policy. The last thing I’d want to see is the GOP fucking that up like they fuck up everything else that they touch.