Insulting Whose Intelligence?
Insulting Whose Intelligence?

Prime Minister Netanyahu’s speech, so feared by President Obama, was delivered as scheduled in an eloquent and impassioned manner, interrupted by approximately two-dozen standing ovations. The majority of the bipartisan Congress cheered the Prime minister and listened carefully to his admonitions against signing a bad deal with the terrorist nation of Iran. They heard his words and understood his warnings.

When he declared that the Jews were no longer going to allow themselves to be bullied, the applause was long and steady.

But not everyone applauded nor appreciated Netanyahu’s message. In fact, sixty or so Democrats decided not to attend as did Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of State John Kerry who were busy elsewhere. President Obama, I presume, went golfing. Needless to say, a number of Democrats criticized, ridiculed and generally mocked Netanyahu and his dire predictions of Iran’s genocidal intentions. Seemingly annoyed and or exasperated, they loudly accused the Prime Minister of a condescending speech and fear-mongering.

One of those acidic reactions which clearly stands out, came from House Democrat Leader, Nancy Pelosi.

"I was near tears... saddened by the insult to the intelligence of the United States... and saddened by the condescension toward our knowledge of the threat posed by Iran and our broader commitment to preventing nuclear proliferation," she said.  

I must admit that I laughed when I heard her rebuke.  I laughed at the fact that she was near tears and her contention that PM Netanyahu’s speech was “……an insult to the intelligence of the United States…..”

I’m still laughing.

This is the same Nancy Palosi who had no problem insulting the intelligence of every American citizen when she demanded that the Republicans stop bickering over the Obamacare issue. She wasn’t crying as she pushed for the passage of the overhauled health coverage contained in a thick, nine-hundred plus page report on the ins-and-outs of Obamacare. Etched in our collective memory is Pelosi’s brainy and now famous statement, ‘…we need to pass it in order to read what’s in it…’

Insulting the intelligence of the United States? You bet.

After the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese Premier Rafik Hariri, Pelosi used her superior intelligence to put media headlines ahead of good judgment. Defying the express wishes of the administration of then President George Bush not to travel to Syria,  Pelosi met Syrian President Bashar Assad and at a press conference after her meeting with the despot, Pelosi told the crowd of reporters that she had delivered a message from Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to the Syrian President, saying that Olmert was ready to negotiate for peace.

Olmert's office later disputed that claim, indicating he had not made that statement to Pelosi and provided a clarification statement saying that "although Israel is interested in peace with Syria, that country continues to be part of the axis of evil and a force that encourages terror in the entire Middle East."

The Israeli Prime Minister's Office later said that, "Pelosi took part of the things that were said in the meeting, and used what suited her." Pelosi's attempt to earn foreign policy headlines worked, although not with intended result.

Insulting Israeli and US intelligence?

After years of alleging that the Republicans compromise their voting records and ethics based upon donations and perks from lobbyists, ABC News uncovered that the speaker had her own ‘Pelosi 100’, an elite group of donors of some of the wealthiest lobbyists and political action committee members who according to ABC News "contribute and raise $100,000 or more each in personal funds" for Pelosi and her colleagues. During the August 2008 democratic convention, the Pelosi 100 attempted to quietly run an elaborate VIP program that rewarded wealthy contributors with luxury perks, back stage access to the Denver convention and insider access to key elected officials, all part of what Democratic Chairman Howard Dean called the "business plan."

Insulting whose intelligence?

Not so many years ago, in the 1930s, many dire warnings were heard in Europe about Adolf Hitler’s intentions. In general, the world chose to ignore those gathering dark clouds of doom. Pelosi wasn’t there at the time but Europe and the US were not interested in fear-mongering speeches.

Resisting the ‘insult to our intelligence,’ Prime Minister Chamberlain made a deal with another despot. On his return he waived a piece of paper signed by that despot. ‘Peace in our time’ he declared triumphantly. A very short time later, the most devastating war the world has ever seen and the annihilation of six-million Jews, was launched by the other person who signed that piece of paper.