Paul Goldman and I have a piece on Fox News that takes Democrats to task for their boycott of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech today before a joint session of Congress. Among those not attending is our own Sen. Tim Kaine:
In American politics, you either push your way in, or you get pushed out. With all due respect to our friend to Sen. Kaine, you don’t have to be William Shakespeare to know those claiming their speech boycott is a principled protest doth protest too much.
Isn’t Netanyahu’s being “pushy” akin to the “Audacity of Hope” candidate Obama used to push past Hillary Clinton in 2008? Her husband Bill thought so.
He used an allegedly racist remark in describing the future president’s gall. So yes, Mr. Netanyahu is pushy. And yes, he has come to America to criticize the president’s Iranian policy.
We doubt there is currently a viable military option. But if one exists, then Americans need to know it. But even if diplomacy is the only way forward, we need to know the options there, too. Mr. Netanyahu thinks Iran is outfoxing us at the negotiating table. Let’s hear his case.
Boycott the speech? Kill the messenger never works.
But it does make for very interesting politics. In Kaine’s case, he’s taken a big risk that has little upside, particularly for a candidate with national aspirations.
