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It appears that some followers can't abide the idea that their leader might find some reasons to change his mind. Either that, or they came on board with a basic assumption that Israel never has and never will do anything wrong, and couln't bear the idea oof someone disagreeing with them in even the slightest degree.

Eric, it doesn't seem that their concerns are in the category of "disagreeing with them in even the slightest degree;" but major rifts of perspective and policy. The idea of the U.S. being a broker will never work if we, either give Israel a blank check, or the Palestinians free rein to blow up folks. From my perspective they are BOTH culpable, and respnsible for abuses. A yrue broker would try to eliminate the extremes and pull together the centrist elements. Even then, it will be a tall order for any mortal in the next century or two.

Jimbo C. is all too typical of the emerging left wing in the Dem. Party, who tend to be stridently anti-Israel and pro anyone anywhere who is a Marxist "freedom fighter," be they Castro, Chavez, NPR or Al Qaeda (maybe not so much ideologically Marxist as using many of the same guerilla, freedom pighter tactics).

In other words, anyone who hates and opposes them dastardly, kapitalist, imperialist, White, Western reactionies. Their dressed-down lingo is just a re-hash of the old doctrinaire cold-war rhetoric, dressed up in sophisticated American university professorial and hip new-left student garb, seen on graphic display at recent anti-war rallies by thier fringe storm troopers.

Carter is just one of their coming-out-of-the-lefitst-closet front guys (sickening pink in the rainbow band). Now they have a congressional cadre to help move America toward the precipice of socialistic, self-deprecating national dismantlement. And the effete, old-guard, blue-blood Republican club is seemingly clueless and impotent.

And the Iraq War: let's get them up and running the best we can, as wuick as we can, and get out -so we can deal with Iran, China and North Korea. God bless and defend our gallant troops!

"Eric, it doesn't seem that their concerns are in the category of "disagreeing with them in even the slightest degree;" but major rifts of perspective and policy. The idea of the U.S. being a broker will never work if we, either give Israel a blank check, or the Palestinians free rein to blow up folks."

I agree on this. It's just that it seems to me that we have in fact given out years and years of blank checks to Israel's government.

"From my perspective they are BOTH culpable, and responsible for abuses. A true broker would try to eliminate the extremes and pull together the centrist elements."

Assuming centrists can be found and supported. Might be a little difficult.

"Even then, it will be a tall order for any mortal in the next century or two."

Very true. Particularly when those who want peace seem to find ways of becoming dead before they can succeed. Not good.

"And the Iraq War: let's get them up and running the best we can, as quick as we can, and get out -so we can deal with Iran, China and North Korea."

If only...

My position on the Iraq War from the very beginning was: "Oh man, this may not be such a hot idea; we don't understand the mentality of Mesopotamian resolve and radical Muslim fanaticism."

But I do support our troops, our military and the American war on Jihadist terorism. And since we made the move in Iraq and committed ourselves to restoring the country with some viability for its people, we are obligated to succeed. To rapidly withdraw, without doing the job, would be ethically wrong. Oh that we had invaded Iran instead - or at least bombed the hades out of their nuclear sites early on.

Waiting until the enmy makes his next "move" today is something akin to masochism and naivete. I support a firm and somewhat preemptive hand in the Middle East, but Iraq was perhaps not the best choice. And invasion should have been a bit farther down the list of effective options. It's way too costly, deadly and precarious - and potentially counterproductive. My highest hope is for American success in this very real war on terrorism. But perfect decision making (a al Bush) has NEVER, EVER existed in historic warfare. Much of this anti-Iraq frenzy is just opportunistic anti-Bush, anti-conservative politicking by new-left, anti-American elements of various stripes, who would be quite happy to see a side-lined U.S., weakened and confused sufficiently to allow Hugo Chavez to be voted President by Congressional acclamation. And with the new lefty Congress that would be no problema.