Coming Up Empty

Al Jazeera correspondent Rob Reynolds said Bush's remarks showed a lack of "understanding of how bitterly Palestinians resent those barriers, which strangle the local economy and often subject Palestinians to petty humiliations."

Party With the President

Ron Kampeas of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency wrote in a pool report from last night: "What happens when you ask everyone over to dinner?

"Second desserts and talk -- lots of it -- especially when 'everyone' is pretty much the entire Israeli Cabinet.

"Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's farewell dinner for President Bush Thursday night ran almost until 10 p.m. . . .

"The reason for the late dinner, Israeli officials said, is that everyone wanted to get in their say, particularly leaders of parties that fear concessions to the Palestinians."

Yad Vashem

Aron Heller writes for the Associated Press: "President Bush had tears in his eyes during an hour-long tour of Israel's Holocaust memorial Friday and told Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice that the U.S. should have bombed Auschwitz to halt the killing, the memorial's chairman said. . . .

"Bush was visibly moved as he toured the site, said Yad Vashem's chairman, Avner Shalev.

"'Twice, I saw tears well up in his eyes,' Shalev said.

"At one point, Bush viewed aerial photos of the Auschwitz camp taken during the war by U.S. forces and called Rice over to discuss why the American government had decided against bombing the site, Shalev said.

"The Allies had detailed reports about Auschwitz during the war from Polish partisans and escaped prisoners. But they chose not to bomb the camp, the rail lines leading to it, or any of the other Nazi death camps, preferring instead to focus all resources on the broader military effort, a decision that became the subject of intense controversy years later.

"Between 1.1 million and 1.5 million people were killed at the camp.

"'We should have bombed it,' Bush said, according to Shalev."

Here are Bush's remarks after his visit.

When Do We Land in Iraq?

It's really not a question of if Bush visits Iraq, but when.

From today's press gaggle on Air Force One after leaving Israel, with special guest Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice:

Q: "So do you have any announcement of where we're going? Anything special?"

Rice: "We're going to Kuwait. (Laughter.)"

Q: "That's what we thought you were going to come back and tell us."

Rice: "No, we are. We really are. In a few minutes -- two hours you'll land in Kuwait, so don't be surprised."

Who's Being Provocative?

Robin Wright writes in The Washington Post: "The Pentagon said yesterday that the apparent radio threat to bomb U.S. warships in the Persian Gulf last weekend may not have come from the five Iranian Revolutionary Guard speedboats that approached them -- and may not even have been intended against U.S. targets.

"The communication Sunday was made on radio channel 16, a common marine frequency used by ships and others in the region. 'It could have been a threat aimed at some other nation or a myriad of other things,' said Rear Adm. Frank Thorp IV, a spokesman for the Navy.

"In the radio message recorded by the Navy, a heavily accented voice said: 'I am coming to you. You will explode after a few minutes.' But Farsi speakers and Iranians told The Washington Post that the accent did not sound Iranian.

"In part because of the threatening language, the United States has elevated the encounter into an international incident. Twice this week, President Bush criticized Iran's behavior as provocative and warned of 'serious consequences' if it happens again. He is due to head today to the Gulf area, where containing Iran is expected to be a major theme of his talks in five oil-rich sheikdoms."

A "five-minute video, released by Iranian television yesterday, offers no indication of the tensions that supposedly sparked the encounter between U.S. and Iranian vessels in the Strait of Hormuz -- and no indication of an intention to attack. The Pentagon said it does not dispute anything in the Iranian video."

Wiretapping Watch

Dan Eggen writes in The Washington Post: "Telecommunications companies have repeatedly cut off FBI access to wiretaps of alleged terrorists and criminal suspects because the bureau did not pay its phone bills, according to the results of an audit released yesterday. . . .

"The report cited a case in which an order obtained under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act -- which covers clandestine wiretaps of terrorism and espionage suspects -- was halted because of 'untimely payment.'"

American Civil Liberties Union national security policy counsel Michael German "said that the report raises questions about the motives of large telecom firms, which have, in many cases, allowed the government to run wiretaps on their systems without warrants."

Poll Watch

The Associated Press reports: "President Bush and Congress retained their dismal levels of popularity and huge majorities are unhappy with how things are going in the country, according to a poll released Thursday.

"Thirty-four percent said they approved of the job Bush is doing, about where his ratings have been for more than a year, according to the poll by The Associated Press and Ipsos. Twenty-six percent said they were happy with Congress' performance, little different than where it has been for months."

In the latest Gallup Poll, Bush's job approval rating remains at 32 percent.

Paul Bedard writes for U.S. News: "He's a poll cellar-dweller whom even GOP presidential candidates sneer at, but George W. Bush and some congressional backers see happy days for the prez this year. His fans have dubbed it his 'legacy year,' when they hope to lock in his achievements on the domestic front. . . .

"As for the war, they say, the news has been good, and Bushies believe that their guy will eventually get credit for opening the war on terrorism. But more immediately, they are predicting a remarkable poll shift to about 45 percent favorable by the time he leaves office next year."

Lawrence Lindsey Watch

In an essay adapted from his new book, former chief White House economist Lawrence Lindsey writes in Fortune about why he got in so much trouble in 2002 for his Iraq war cost estimate:

"The real problem with the interview for my colleagues in the White House was not my analysis but that I mentioned a hypothetical cost of the war that might be sufficiently high to raise budgetary objects in Congress. But there was a high cost to their strategy. Five years after the fact, I believe that one of the reasons the administration's efforts are so unpopular is that they chose not to engage in an open public discussion of what the consequences of the war might be, including its economic cost. I think that having done so not only would have been good government, but would also have been good politics. . . .

"Long-term credibility is the best asset any President has, and it is too bad for the country that his credibility was squandered by the White House not being upfront about what the war might cost."

Karen Hughes Watch

Former Bush counselor Karen Hughes writes in Time: "The authoress of the 'vast right-wing conspiracy' charge is not the candidate to bring left and right together and bridge the hyper-partisan divides of Washington. Yet that's the Hillary Clinton that her campaign has been evoking.

"[W]hen I see the Clintons together, I see a parade of images from impeachment to Monica to Ken Starr that are reminders of Washington at its partisan worst, with Hillary as a harsh and accusatory player. She only underscores this with her frequent complaint -- really a reminder -- that she's taken 'incoming fire.'"

Where's the Opposition?

Over at NiemanWatchdog.org, where I am deputy editor, I wonder why the Democratic presidential candidates are talking about leadership -- but aren't showing any when it comes to countering the Bush agenda right now.

Late Night Humor

Jon Stewart notes Olmert's overly effusive praise for Bush at their joint press conference on Wednesday, and asks: "I wonder if Bush's ass is kosher?"

Cartoon Watch

John Sherffius on Bush's place in history and Ann Telnaes on Bush's legacy tour.