Obama Going To Mideast In January To Push Peace Deal

[babylonsister]

http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/12/10/obama_is_going_to_mideast_in_j/

Obama Going To Mideast In January To Push Peace Deal
By M.J. Rosenberg - December 10, 2008, 10:01AM



The naysayers were wrong about Barack Obama yet again. Both the pundits and the status quo lobby predicted that he would be crazy to take on the Israeli-Palestinian and other Middle East issues during the first year.

During the campaign Obama repeatedly said that he would. And now, he says it as President-Elect. (It didn't hurt that he received 80% of the Jewish vote).

Yesterday he told the Chicago Tribune that he will be going to a Middle East capital (probably Cairo) as soon as he takes office to tell the Arab world (and the Israelis) that the bad old days are over. The Obama administration will put all its weight behind peace and, reading between the lines, behind the Arab League initiative which offers Israel full peace and normalization of relations with all 22 Arab states in exchange for a Palestinian state in West Bank/Gaza and East Jerusalem.

Obama gets it. He understands that until we resolve the Arab-Israeli conflict, preserving Israel's security and achiieving a state for the Palestinians, American interests throughout the Muslim world are doomed. He also know that the status quo is killing Israel and, as a strong supporter of Israel, it is incumbent on him to use his authority to end the deadly occupation.

There is not a single problem that America faces in the Middle East that will not be ameliorated if America becomes what it must be, an honest broker between Israelis and Arabs. This is one of many reasons Barack Obama was elected President.

As Sam Cooke sang, "change is gonna come." Even sooner than I expected.

[Renew Deal]

1. I worry that Obama will take on too much at once.

I posted about this the other day. I love that Obama can do many things at once and I love his aggressiveness. But I worry that problems here are so bad that traveling in his first 10 days in office is a bad thing. His cabinet is going to have to be absolutely incredible for them to work at this pace. If his campaign is any indication, they will be incredible.

[babylonsister]

2. And I'm excited. This is what has been so lacking in the current admin.

He's going to jump on the diplomacy wagon straight off. I think it's terrific, and also think he will leave us here in good hands for the couple of days he'll be gone. He has got to trust his cabinet; sounds like everything has been well thought out.

Well, maybe not crazy Blogo, but stuff happens.

[FrenchieCat]

4. Well, Obama is damned if he does take on a lot, and damned if he doesn't.

I'm going to believe that he's got it covered.

[Beetwasher]

5. Actually, It's Smart Tactics

Though it is a gamble.

He's riding the inertia. It's sort of the good version of Shock and Awe. Go big and go fast and overwhelm your opponents; ride those 80% approval ratings into big things right away and steamroll anyone who gets in your way.

[Cha]

3. Obama understands

priorities not cw perpetrated by the corrupt US media.

[OhioChick]

6. Good to hear. n/t

[Clio the Leo]

7. Sam sang, I sang, the whole world sang. Beautiful isn't it? NT

[Skwmom]

8. Well, considering reports that U.S. power will rapidly decline,

if I was Israel I'd want to get a peace deal worked out sooner rather than later.