Rush Limbaugh's latest theory

[Guest EXPAT]

On yesterday's show, Rush Limbaugh put forward another of his signature "theories," noting in advance that he was "picking it off the wall."

"What if Ayman al-Zawahiri and other al-Qaeda leaders gave up Osama bin Laden for the express purpose of making Obama look good?" Limbaugh asked his audience.

Why would they want to do that? Because militant Islamists, according to the syndicated talk show host, want nothing more than to see Israel gone, and having Obama re-elected would help advance that goal.

"Al Qaeda was not depending on Osama bin Laden for operational leadership," Limbaugh asserted. "His day had come and gone." Letting go of an "expendable" bin Laden would net Obama "instant political capital," and help further the militants' anti-Israel cause.

"Let me put it to you this way," Limbaugh said. "Do you think that militant Islamists will be as hopeful of getting rid of Israel with a Republican president or with a Democrat president?"

No mention by Limbaugh of the fact that Israel's own defense minister Ehud Barak earlier this year called Obama the most supportive American president ever.

[TampaYankee]

LOL.... Rush is such an amusing figure of fun when he is not spewing hate and lies.

[Guest lookinAThim]

Who do you trust, a righty-talker or an Israeli politician?

I trust neither. They both say things for their own convenience.

Lastly, Ehud Barak said, "But I should tell you honestly that this administration under President Obama is doing in regard to our security more than anything that I can remember in the past."

Why did he have to qualify his statement with "But I should tell you honestly..."? Anytime, I hear 'to tell you the truth' or in this case, to tell you honestly', I assume the next thing I'm going to hear is a lie.

[Guest hitoallusa]

Well to Al Qaeda it doesn't matter who is the president of the US.. They have only one purpose.... I propose Rush's supporters send him to a foreign country with extreme poverty and political instability. I hope he can become open minded. A lot of Americans are like him unfortunately. I am not sure what's the cause of it... I hope people are progressive enough to fight against this irrationality...

[MsGuy]

Israel's own defense minister Ehud Barak earlier this year called Obama the most supportive American president ever.

Barak is definitely right-wing in the context of Israeli factional politics, has long been associated with Bibi and, in the past, has been a public advocate of attacking Iran's nuclear assets. However, both The Jerusalem Post (center/right)and Haaretz (leftist) have reported persistent rumors that Barak is putting some distance between himself and Netanyahu.

Publicly he has recently said that a unilateral Israeli attack is a very bad idea and rumors have it that he is privately putting some distance between himself and Netanyahu's jousting with the White House in an election year. Possibly as a result of pressure from many factions in Israel, Bibi himself has eased off on his criticism of Obama, at least for now.

The Israeli press is also reporting 'not for attribution' type sources from inside Bibi's coalition that say at least some in the US administration are furious with Bibi's apparent efforts to throw Jewish support to Romney and are saying that there will be payback after the election. Contemplated paybacks are said to take the form of not vetoing anti-Israeli actions in the UN, pushing back really hard on Israeli settlements on the West Bank &/or taking a hard look at military hardware and technolgy transfers to Israel.

As to whether there's any truth to the rumors, remember that this is Israelis talking to Israelis. Quite possibly these rumors are being pushed forward as part of the Byzantine maneuvering that passes for normal political discourse in Jerusalem & are intended purely for local comsumption.

Strangly enough, at least judging from reaction in the English language Israeli press online, Netenyahu's partisan political gambit is much more controversial in Israel than in America. LOL, many Israelis seem more horrified at Bibi's open intervention in American politics than the Dems themselves. I can't count how many articles I've read where folks keep saying that 'disagreements between friends' are best handled quietly in behind the scenes talks. Even the writers who agree with Bibi's position usually caution that this is not the kind of thing that benefits from public discussion.

LOL, welcome to the down the rabbit hole world of politics in our 'only reliable ally' in the Mideast.

[AdamSmith]

I know from my software consulting biz several center-leftist (much more centrist than lefty) types who live in Tel Aviv or thereabouts, and they all to a one salivate over how to find a way to break family and business ties so as to move to NYC and get away from the inbred self-inflicted lunacy they live amidst.