Israel Matzav

Stay classy Barack

The picture above is one of the most unclassy moments of the Obama Presidency - Obama walks ahead as Sergeant James Crowley helps Professor Henry Lewis Gates down the steps of the White House after their August 2009 'beer party.' Now, Alana Goodman reports on an ongoing unclassy Obama moment: Obama's refusal at AIPAC to even acknowledge Senator Mark Kirk (R-Il), who suffered a stroke several weeks ago.

Sen. Mitch McConnell gave a nod to Kirk during his speech at the gala, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued this sincere request during his keynote:

I want to send a special message to a great friend of Israel who is not here tonight: Senator Mark Kirk, the co-author of the Kirk-Menendez Iran Sanctions Act. Senator Kirk, I know you’re watching this tonight. Please get well soon. America needs you; Israel needs you. I send you wishes for a speedy recovery. So get well and get back to work.

Kirk has been one of the strongest friends of Israel in the Senate, and co-authored the latest, and toughest, Iran sanctions legislation with Sen. Robert Menendez. After months of foot-dragging and pushback, President Obama finally signed the sanctions into law in February.

Despite his initial opposition to the legislation, Obama was perfectly happy to take credit for these sanctions during his AIPAC speech on Sunday, which included no mention of Kirk or his ongoing recovery:

I have said that when it comes to preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, I will take no options off the table, and I mean what I say. That includes all elements of American power: a political effort aimed at isolating Iran, a diplomatic effort to sustain our coalition and ensure that the Iranian program is monitored, an economic effort that imposes crippling sanctions and, yes, a military effort to be prepared for any contingency.

This is the third time Obama had an opportunity to mention Kirk in an address and declined to do so.

Read the whole thing.

This isn't about politics - it's about basic human decency. Barack Hussein Obama doesn't have it.

What an arrogant shmuck.

Labels: Barack Hussein Obama, Mark Kirk

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 10:41 PM