Maybe you are right. (And I did not expect to up this late into the morning!) Keith Olberman is my one regret for having gotten off cable.

What keeps me from being reassured by your line of thought is 1) Israel does feel itself to be under existential threat and 2) the current US government is captured by Israel, that is to say, the neocons, who see Israel's and America's interests as identical, have Bush's ear more than anyone else.

I agree that neither Bush nor Olmert has any more credibility, but I disagree that that will keep them from getting their way. Bush has no credibility, but our Congressional Democrats are only willing to submit non-binding resolutions, as opposed to not making funds available for escalation, which is completely within their power. That makes me think that the Dems do not have the resolve to keep Bush from getting his way, that is, the resolve to serve the interests of our country as opposed to their campaign contributors.

A bomb, H bomb, Minuteman / The names get more attractive / The decisions are made by NATO / The press call it British opinion -- The Three Johns