Kiss the Ring, Barry

Looking forward to some Change We Can Believe In™? If you're holding your breath, I hope you can go on doing so 'til 2012. As soon as he more or less officially became the Jackass candidate for World Executive Manager, Senator Obama delivered himself of a speech to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC. Wait a minute -- what did I write, "speech?" More like a hybrid of homage and prayer, really:

Let me be clear. Israel's security is sacrosanct. It is non-negotiable. The Palestinians need a state that is contiguous and cohesive, and that allows them to prosper — but any agreement with the Palestinian people must preserve Israel's identity as a Jewish state, with secure, recognized and defensible borders. Jerusalem will remain the capital of Israel, and it must remain undivided.

"Preserve Israel's identity as a Jewish state?" Wow. Try using that formulation with anything but The Precious. Any agreement with the black African people must preserve South Africa's identity as a white state. Any agreement with the Kosovar people must preserve Serbia's identity as a Christian state. Any agreement with the Kurdish people must preserve Turkey's identity as a Muslim state. Any agreement with the African-American people must preserve Mississippi's identity as a white state. Hard to imagine, no? Still, Senator Obama is entitled to a presumption of sincerity and truthfulness; so, for the foreseeable future, one form of apartheid will be accepted gladly in the imperial palace.

We will also use all elements of American power to pressure Iran. I will do everything in my power to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. That starts with aggressive, principled diplomacy without self-defeating preconditions, but with a cleareyed understanding of our interests. We have no time to waste. We cannot unconditionally rule out an approach that could prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. We have tried limited, piecemeal talks while we outsource the sustained work to our European allies. It is time for the United States to lead. ... Finally, let there be no doubt: I will always keep the threat of military action on the table to defend our security and our ally Israel. Sometimes there are no alternatives to confrontation. But that only makes diplomacy more important. If we must use military force, we are more likely to succeed, and will have far greater support at home and abroad, if we have exhausted our diplomatic efforts.

I think it is likely that Senator Obama will be elected in the fall. So, I guess the Israelis can hope he's telling the truth ... and I can hope he's not. My hope is a pretty forlorn one, though. Some things aren't going to Change, and that We Can Believe In.