Bitterly Clinging: Obama and the Israelis

From the "Are You Kidding?" file: Pres. Obama sat for an interview on Israeli TV, where he answered the question of why Israelis view him suspiciously with just the sort of modest diplomatic resetting that he promised during the campaign: Obama: Israelis Suspicious Of Me Because My Middle Name Is Hussein

During the interview Wednesday, when confronted with the anxiety that some Israelis feel toward him, Obama said that "some of it may just be the fact that my middle name is Hussein, and that creates suspicion."

"Ironically, I've got a Chief of Staff named Rahm Israel Emmanuel. My top political advisor is somebody who is a descendent of Holocaust survivors. My closeness to the Jewish American community was probably what propelled me to the U.S. Senate," Obama said.

Yes, yes. The Israelis may be surrounded by bloodthirsty enemies. They may look across the water and see a US President who sat in Rev. Wright's church for 20 years, and has chest-bumping relationships with such worthies as Hugo Chavez and Louis Farrakhan. But, sure, they don't like you because they are little more than bitter losers clinging to their guns and religion. Never mind that the Israelis have long been making deals with the Kings of Jordan, despite their having the cursed name of Hussein.

(And, hint to Obama, the Israelis don't like Rahm Emmanuel either. So, you probably shouldn't cite him to establish your bona fides.)

Funny, though. This incredibly dopey statement was made on television. Presumably video exists. Has anyone seen it? (outside of Israel, I mean). Of course not. Just like Rahm's "don't let a crisis go to waste," BP's oil spill, and people jumping from the World Trade Center; some video is too inflammatory for American viewers.

I know I've said somewhere before that someday Obama's mouth is going to get him into real trouble. "The Cambridge Police acted stupidly" was the worst so far, but Obama's been on his guard since then, and the media has helped bail him out when he lets slip with something equally dumb. Still, they can't hold the tide back forever.

UPDATE: here's the video from Israeli TV. Note that the interview took place in the White House. I had assumed he said this overseas, which - as we know in the modern media environment - "doesn't count."