Franklin Lamb: How McCain was Greeted in Lebanon

"Khalas" .... Enough with the Mushrooming T-Lists!
How McCain was Greeted in Lebanon

By FRANKLIN LAMB

Beirut

John McCain dropped in on Beirut last weekend en route to Israel to join fellow US Senator Joe Lieberman in agreeing with their hosts that, just as he told them during the 2008 Presidential campaign, Barack Obama was real bad for Israel. McCain, fund raising for his 2010 reelection bid, emphasized that the Obama administration’s hint that the US might just possibly consider withholding a few largely superfluous loan guarantees to pressure Israel on settlements was a joke. Their hosts were likely pleased with assurances that no way would John and Joe allow Congress or Obama to pressure Israel.

In Israel, McCain may still have been smarting from the earlier drubbing he and other US officials received from their usual self-effacing Lebanese hosts. His stopover in Lebanon was to be lite fare. Extending “Congratulations on forming the new Lebanese government, even though our government has serious doubts about those we know hold the real power”; better weather here in Beirut than in Washington DC, plus three quick meetings-- but for sure, no heavy lifting.

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