http://www.gamla.org.il/english/peres/index.htm

This is not some beloved, doddering old uncle who belonged to the Communist Party in the 1930s.

Moshe Sharett, the former Israeli Prime Minister, wrote in his personal diary in 1957, “”I have stated that I totally and utterly reject [Shimon] Peres and consider his rise to prominence a malignant, immoral disgrace. I will rend my clothes in mourning for the State if I see him become a minister in the Israeli government.”

There are many who shared and continue to share Sharett’s concern. I don’t believe that it had anything to do with hawkish or dovish political views.

It is fitting and proper that they should be united in partisanship now too.

They were ALWAYS united in their love of Israel and their dedication to it.

And they knew that.

Peres was just a dove. And naive.

Sharon is a daring cynic.

And Sharon turned out to be right – about Arafat and so much else.

And Peres KNOWS it.

And Shaorn knows how to best use Peres’ strengths.

They will make a great team.

BTW: is this the LION AND LAMB!?

Do you and others have short memories or just not paying attention? Bush has tried to bring numerous Democrats in from John Breaux to Tony Knowles from Alaska, only Norm Mineta accepted. Unfortunately for the most part the Democrats Bush does have or used for consulting are all former Democrats (Condi, Wolfowitz, Giuliani, etc.) which is what poses his real problem, most Democrats that would be supportive are the those that have left the Party and outside of Joe Lieberman (a wonderful idea yet he would become just as reviled as Wolfowitz), who could he bring on? Maybe Sam Nunn or Zell Miller? They would also be hated. After Richard Clarke and George Tenet who could he trust? Does he need a Democratic version of a Bill Cohen to muddy up his goals if he thinks he can more stick to plan with thin support? The Democrats Bush could bring on (or has had) Democrats hate (Richard Perle, James Woolsey), is Joe Lieberman willing to do what the others would not and put himself in that list? It is most Democrats who have refused to make the sacrifice, I don’t think Bush fears any thing like this at all, but he certainly isn’t going to make a political move to jeopardize the WOT. I would love it if he could, I would love it if Joe accepted yet I understand why he wouldn’t.

I will also suggest to you Roger that to equate our political situation here as at all comparable to Israel is naive. Bush doesn’t have near the problems with the right as Sharon does with his right wing, the amount of Liberal support Bush might add is negligible compared to what he may lose, a greater portion of the Israeli population including liberals understand that terror is a reality, our population is less convinced, especially liberals and that will not change by bringing on Lieberman. More obvious is their is not enough support accross the spectrum of or society for the WOT to risk insulting or sidelining the support from the right, for Israel 9/11 would not come to be viewwd as some aberration bearing little future risk of repeating as it has here by so many, the political situations are very different. Dividing society into three parts is silly, we do not have a Parliamentary system and coalitions are built the way Bush has done it, but dreaming isn’t necessarily a bad thing just realize what it is.

The most important thing Bush needs to do is keep a Republican Congress and majorities are kept and fed very different in our system. We’ll just have to leave this decision to the one man who has shown the steadiest nerve through all the… President Bush.

I agree with you insofar as “…leaving the stage” goes. This move shows Arik as the doer, Peres as the Clintonesque diplomat with one finger in the air, and both of them forming a geriatric party that will be absolutely gone within a decade.

Meanwhile, look for the right-of-center “Youth Brigade” of Netanyahu, Olmert, et. al. to solidify their hold on the remainder of Likud and for Peretz to completely alienate everybody remaining in Labor save his Histadrut buddies.

The only long-term hope for Kadimah is to poach these disaffected Labor voters. While many Likud apparatchiks have found their way after Sharon I am not so sure that many voters will do likewise. Peretz, meanwhile, will capitalize on Sephardic ethnic politicking (he is Moroccan) and dreamy literary idealism (his new party leadership is packed with academics) to maintain his own leadership but vastly alienate the public in the process. Where are most of these left-of-center (NOT left wing, Roger!) going to go? Noplace left but Kadima.

Prediction; in 15 years Labor is an insignificant fringe party yelling from the sidelines alongside Tzomet, Meretz, UTJ and Shas. Meanwhile Kadima and the reformulated Likud occupy the lions share plurality but no majority. Unstable coalitions still rule the Knesset roost. IOW, SSDD!

And I haven’t found Ha’aretz’s coverage of Sharon’s Kadima party to be negative. I think that, now that Peres finally is out of the Labor Party, the editors believe that they can begin to expose him for what he really is.

–William Kristolî

http://weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/006/423jshnf.asp

Would Senator Joseph Lieberman accept? Iím all for it. Are there any other Democrats worthy of consideration—or are the vast majority unwitting enemies of Western Civilization? The Bush administration already has one Democrat in its cabinet: Norman Mineta. Unfortunately, this politically correct man has caused enormous harm.