Michael Bryan

Bush’s self-appointment as the ambassador of democracy in the Middle
East continues to misfire with
the Palestinian elections handing a clear majority of 76 of 132 seats
in Parliament to Hamas, which is officially considered a
terrorist organization by the United States’ government and Israel, as
well as the EU and Canada. Hamas also does not recognize the state of
Israel and its destruction is part of the
organization’s charter, as are some other choice bits that are likely
to make the peace process difficult at best:

"Israel will exist and will continue to exist until Islam will obliterate it, just as it obliterated others before it."

"There is no solution for the Palestinian question except through
Jihad. Initiatives, proposals and international conferences are all a
waste of time and vain endeavors."

Bush is calling for Hamas to change it’s charter. Don’t hold your
breath. Though Hamas has made some hints that it
intends to continue to negotiate with Israel through intermediaries, it
is not altogether clear that Israel will be receptive. Israeli hard-liners may use the rise of Hamas as a reason to break off all talks, likely prompting another intensification of mutual violence.

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I just finished reading George Saunder’s novella, The Brief and Frightening Reign of Phil. It is nothing like what you would expect, but yet is everything you could want in a political satire for our times. Instead of rushing headlong at the subject as I am wont to do (and did do in my own novella Homeland), Saunders started from a much more exploratory place and wound up with what is essentially a Dr. Suess book about genocide.

More from Saunders on how the book was written on the flip…

Flake endorses fellow Arizonan for House majority leader. I don’t know how much weight this public show of support will throw, but it is certainly, to my mind a neccessary precondition to a Shadegg win. Flake is a nationally recognized spokeman for limited government and reduction of government spending and a vocal critic of ‘earmarking’. … Read more

Ron Drake has apparently settled upon his campaign slogan in his uphill fight against incumbent Raul Grijalva, "We Can Do Better!" Just don’t ask Ron how. As of this writing his page on "The Issues!" still says only check back soon. Wow. I gotta say I’m inspired. It’s clear that what Ron is saying to … Read more