By Debra J. Saunders
Nancy Pelosi was near tears. After Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus address to Congress on Tuesday the House minority leader sent out a press release informing the media I was near tears throughout the Prime Ministers speech -- saddened by the insult to the intelligence of the United States and saddened by the condescension toward our knowledge of the threat posed by Iran.
Wags lampoon House Speaker John Boehner for getting teary-eyed too readily -- and rightly so. So why would the San Francisco Democrat outdo the GOP leader by announcing that she was getting all blubbery because she didnt like Netanyahus tone? What next? Will Pelosi issue statements that tell us Russian President Vladimir Putin is getting on her nerves?
Bibis speech gave a strong reason not to trust the deal being negotiated with Tehran. Not a single nuclear facility would be destroyed. Inspectors document violations; they cannot stop them.
Yes Boehner was cheeky to invite the Israeli leader to address Congress without White House approval. But then the White House overreacted by getting all pouty and repeatedly telling the media that Netanyahus visit coming so close to Israels March 17 elections would be too political. This may be looked at as the moment the Obama White House walked Democrats to the cliff.
Obamaland could have tried to downplay disagreement but instead chose to go down another path. Vice President Joe Biden decided not to show up. Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Dick Durbin invited Netanyahu to a closed-door meeting with Dems to balance the GOP invitation. When Netanyahu declined they charged that he was being too political. Suddenly Dems see politics as a dirty word.
Last month the big story was how Republicans foolishly got sucked into votes that threatened to defund the Department of Homeland Security. Some pundits werent sure whether to heap scorn or pity on Boehner for failing to herd his caucus. The wound after all was self-inflicted.
Now Boehner has overseen the passage of a clean DHS funding bill while Democrats are in a hot seat of their own making. Should they unfriend? Sen. Elizabeth Warren D-Mass. chose to boycott the speech. If she runs for president in 2016 pro-Israel voters should know theyll always have friends in the Republican Party.
The administration aimed increasingly nasty arguments at Netanyahu -- and they came hurling back like boomerangs. Secretary of State John Kerry faulted Netanyahu for being profoundly forward-leaning and outspoken about the importance of invading Iraq under George W. Bush. Problem: Kerry voted for the resolution authorizing military force in Iraq.
