Good Sign

I still can't do it. From the moment O won Ohio, I have not watched a minute of news TV. The Fox Fast has been expanded to a total news black-out. (Can you still say 'black-out?' Does that offend both African-Americans and gays? It's hard to keep up with what's acceptable these days.)

There is a good sign, however. Obama has already offended Ahmadinejad...and been chided by him. If this is what Obama means by 'conversation,' it's not so bad after all.

Plus, there is that thought in some quarters that Obama's newly appointed White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel might be none too friendly toward Iran. Emanuel, a Jew with two of his children named Zachariah and Leah, was supportive of Bush's invasion of Iraq though critical of Bush's prosecution of the war.

Wickipedia has this to say in their bio of Emanuel:

Emanuel has been described as a “strong Israel partisan” and a “convinced Zionist” and “prominent figure in the US Jewish lobby.” A strong supporter of AIPAC, he personally introduced fellow Chicagoan Barack Obama to the organization's directors during the 2008 presidential campaign A November 2008 article claimed that while expressing empathy for Palestinians, Emanuel has explicitly condemned their leaders. In June 2007, Emanuel condemned an outbreak of Palestinian violence in the Gaza Strip and criticized Arab countries for not applying the same kind of pressure on the Palestinians as they have on Israel. At a 2003 pro-Israel rally in Chicago, Emanuel told the marchers Israel was ready for peace but would not get there until Palestinians "turn away from the path of terror", according to the Chicago Tribune.

So, is Rahm Emanuel Obama's Paul Wolfowitz?

I know that Emanuel is one of my least favorite Dems. And I think his appointment seems to look back toward the Clinton administration rather than forward to 'transformative change.' But who knows.....