I was away from my computer for a week,as I went up north,to celebrate my grandson's bar mitzvah.In that week, so much has happened in our political drama,as well as in Israel with the Bush visit.
When Rudy announced for President,I thought that his was a candidacy I could support.He talked tough on terrorism, and dwelled on 9/11.As the campaign has proceeded, Rudy looks like a one dimentional candidate, who made a terrible decision to avoid all the early primaries.Thus he is not part of the National debate.What with cable TV giving so much time and coverage to the active candidates, Rudy has been pushed out of the limelight.
As I watched John McCain, fight to victory in N.Hampshire,I realized that even though I disagree with him on many issues, he is a person that would make me proud to have him as our President.
He is experienced,with a long record of service to the country.He is tough, but has the ability to work with Dems to bring some sense of bipartisanship to Washington.
As I think of Rudy's record, I realize he was just in the right place at the right time.He made no foreign or domestic policy.If anything, his crony Bernie Kerick was the wrong man for the Homeland Security post.His personal life has been less than admirable.In the final analysis, we are electing a President, and not a civil defense leader.Of course even Rudy is better than any Dem.
The mud being thrown between the Clinton and Obama camps is not pretty. To attack Hillary because she stated the obvious, that it took Lyndon Johnson , a sitting Pres. to enact civil rights legislation, is certainly not an attack on MLK.
If this continues, then the Dems, will only have themselves to blame if they split the party, and allow a Rep. to win.
Bibi Netanyahu, met with the President, and laid out his objections to this " virtual peace process" with Abbas.What Bibi said ,is right on the mark.The problem is, that when he was PM,he failed to live up to his potential.
Zeev Boim, the Kadimah Housing Minister, is to be applauded,for saying that building within Municipal Jerusalem must go on.If the Har Homa project was stopped now, it would endanger Ramot in the North, and Gilo in the South.The ring of Jewish housing must be completed.
Thus, it is a happy moment, that we witness 60 new apartments being constructed in Ras-al-Amoud.
I have visited there many times, and Dr. Moskowitz ,who purchased the land is to be commended.This property near Abu Dis, is a project that will block (together with the police station and Ir David) any corridor from the West Bank to the Temple Mount,
for Arabs, tring to build a Capital in Abu Dis.At the time when the first Jewish housing was under consideration in Ras -al-Moud, as OU President, I visited PM Netanyahu, to lobby for the final approval.The US vigorously fought both that project and Har Homa.
