Helen Thomas Has More Going On Upstairs Then The Whole Bush Administration Put Together

Stranger from Blah3 brings me something I enjoy (besides cotton candy and candied apples, although he's welcome to post those, too); Helen Thomas kicks serious ass:

Not literally, o'course. But she does have Condi's number.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has flunked her first foreign policy crisis in the Middle East.

She went to the turbulent region last month in the early days of the war that began when Hezbollah forces in Lebanon crossed into Israel and kidnapped two Israeli soldiers.

Rice had orders from President Bush to oppose any immediate cease-fire, which was hardly the proper policy by the United States if it wanted to end the suffering among Israelis and Lebanese.

Rice apparently was dispatched to the Middle East to pass on to Israel the message that it has the green light from the White House to do whatever it wanted and could take more time to clobber the rocket-firing Hezbollah forces in Lebanon despite Lebanese and international pleas for a truce.

Israel has taken that message to heart, and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert seems bent on proving that he can be as tough as his predecessors.

During her trip, Rice was snubbed by Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, who told her she was not welcome in Beirut if the U.S. did not support an immediate cessation of hostilities.

She was later blindsided in her personal visit with Olmert and other Israeli officials. During the meeting, the Israelis failed to alert Rice of their bombing massacre that day of Lebanese civilians in the village of Qana. The attack evoked worldwide indignation.

Rice was notified of the attack later by e-mail from a State Department staffer. After learning the news of Qana, Rice appeared shaken and stressed out. Perhaps the human dimension of a threadbare foreign policy finally hit home.

Rice is out of her league and seems to have little knowledge about the Middle East. Rice's expertise was always on the now-defunct Soviet Union and the Cold War.font>

Helen can come over to my house any time. I'll give her a beer and we can sit on the porch.

Or maybe I'll invite Helen and Cal Thomas, and Helen can kick Cal's ass. You know she could.