Is there anyone who gets Obama more upset than Bibi Netanyahu?
It’s not for nothing that unnamed senior administration officials called Netanyahu “chickenshit” and mocked Israel’s failure to attack Iran.
There is no love lost in that relationship.
Remember when Bibi lectured Obama in front of reporters in 2011, setting off a furious reaction?
And Obama left Bibi in the White House to go have dinner with the family. And on, and on.
Oh, and when Bibi got more standing ovations during a speech to a joint session of Congress than Obama did in his State of the Union?
The way Netanyahu dealt with a heckler was classic:
It’s about to happen again:
House Speaker John Boehner is inviting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address a joint session of Congress on February 11.The invitation comes as the Hill braces for a clash with the White House over sanctions on Iran. For Netanyahu, it will come about one month before Israel’s upcoming election.In Tuesday night’s State of the Union speech, President Barack Obama told members of Congress that he will veto any new Iran sanctions bill, which he says would undermine the chance for a long-sought nuclear deal with the country.
Oh, and Boehner didn’t consult Obama:
Speaker John Boehner has invited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to speak to a joint session of Congress about Iran next month, a move sure to inflame the Obama administration, which is trying to negotiate a nuclear deal with the Islamic republic.Boehner later told reporters he did not consult with the White House about the invitation….After the closed GOP meeting Wednesday, Boehner told reporters he didn’t need to consult with the White House.“Congress can make this decision on its own,” Boehner said. “I don’t believe I’m poking anyone in the eye. There is a serious threat that exists in the world, and the president last night kind of papered over it. And the fact is that there needs to be a more serious conversation in America about how serious the threat is from radical Islamic jihadists, and the threat posed by Iran.”
Boehner inviting Netanyahu is big-time trolling. But even bigger, it may help Netanyahu in the run up to the March Israeli elections, ensuring that Netanyahu will be around for the remainder of Obama’s final term in office.
Update: I was wondering if Netanyahu would accept the invite, since it could be perceived by Obama as another poke in the eye. Yes. He. Did.
UPDATE: The speech is postponed to March 3:
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