Not Kosher

Israel's relentless attacks on Lebanon to cripple Hezbollah leaders in the country appear more and more to be like going after a mosquito with a thermonuclear device. There must be an easier way to deal with the kidnapping of an Israeli soldier than this. Destroying a neighboring country's only major airport ain't cool.

George W. Bush hoped to use the upcoming annual Group of Eight summit to show how the seven most economically advanced nations on earth - and Russia - were united on Iran and North Korea trying to acquire nucelar capability. Now the United States is at odds with the other seven nations over what to do about Israel, with Bush being the only leader sympathetic to Israel's actions. This can't be too comfortable for Germany's Angela Merkel, whom Bush met with yesterday; imagine being the leader of the nation that started the Holocaust trying not to appear anti-Semitic in criticizing the Jewish state. But then, Israel is making it hard to anyone to give them any smypathy.

Meanwhile, Bush seems to want to avoid any opportunity at leadership on the Middle East crisis whatsoever. He started a press conference with Ms. Merkel saying how he looked forward to a banquet where a roast pig would be served, and he looked forward to eating the pig. When a reporter then asked him a complicated question about the Middle East that demanded a complicated answer, Bush replied, "I thought you were going to ask me about the pig."

It was the most frightening presidential response to a Middle Eastern crisis involving Lebanon since President Reagan told the Lebanese foreign minister that his nose resembled Danny Thomas's. Bush's obsession with dinner at a serious news conference was broadcast by CNN and "The Daily Show," but it's unlikely to spark a needed debate about Bush. Not about his intelligence, but rather about his sanity. :-O