Israel

  Just a word about U.S.-Israeli relations before all the hubbub dies down. Here in California we are a bit innoculated, I think, from the noise in Washington, but nonetheless it's an issue not to be ignored, if only because every national representative in this country has a (the same) view on it, and much of our foreign policy in the Middle East must be conducted with respect to Israel.

  This might be enough to say, actually, but I'd like to add one nuance before I sign out. And that is, if Benjamin Netanyahu was dressed up in a Barack Obama costume, he would have been booed in his speech to Congress yesterday. As it was, sans costume, he was cheered loudly by our elected officials for saying the exact same thing as Obama. The difference was who it came from.