In direct contravention of my wife's explicit instructions, herewith I inaugurate my first blog. Long may it prosper.

For some reason, I think I have something to say to you. You think you have something to say to me? Email me at: gideonsblogger -at- yahoo -dot- com

 
A correspondent takes me to task for slighting Nixon's support for Israel in 1973. He points out (1) that Nixon forced Israel to allow the Egyptian Third Army to escape only because the Soviet Union threatened direct intervention; (2) that, in the early days of the war, Nixon had Phantoms flown to Israel to replace the lost planes of the Israeli Air Force without Congressional autrhorization, which, given the context of the debate over Presidential war powers and the Vietnam War at the time, was quite a risky thing to do domestically. Points taken in each case, and I should not have slighted Nixon, who may very well have saved the State of Israel in her hour of great need. My larger point, though, was that slighting Bush is truly absurd. There's no question in my mind Bush would have acted as Nixon did in similar circumstances, and I strongly suspect Nixon would be leaning harder on Israel today were he President now. I stand by the assessment of Bush as the best friend of Israel since Truman, and my annoyance at those for whom no friend of Israel is a good enough friend.
posted by Noah at 11:19 AM