Israel openly pulling America’s strings

Congressional monitors, members of the media and others have observed that the level of partisan rancor in Washington is as high as it’s ever been in the modern era. Bitter public fights over spending limits, the healthcare bill, economic stimulus packages and the overall legislative agenda have all worked to reinforce that argument. The degree of partisanship has contributed to the politicization of “support for Israel” — formerly an issue that commanded broad support from Democrats and Republicans. The participation of Israel’s prime minister in lobbying on behalf of the Republican presidential candidate strengthened the tendency. And the recent Israel-related fight over the confirmation of Obama’s choice for Secretary of Defense has seen it develop into a deepening cleft. American presidents typically possess the prerogative of deciding whom to appoint to cabinet-level positions within their administrations. The norm is one real manifestation of the American “checks and balances” system of