Circuit Break

Every group of guys has an individual who’s just a little bit wilder than the rest. He’s the one the others can point to and say, damn, I’m pretty crazy, but this guy’s INSANE.

Benjamin Netanyahu is that guy for President Obama.

Obama wants to be the reasonable one in the room. He’ll grab his buddy’s arm to keep him from smashing a beer bottle on some schmuck’s head.

On Tuesday, he cautioned Israel’s government to be patient as rumors persist about Iran’s alleged nuclear ambitions. Two days before, he assured the American Israel Public Affairs Committee that military action is certainly on the table, while asking for time for diplomatic efforts to work.

Maybe it’s all just election-year posturing. While he plays the role of the steely Commander in Chief, he accuses the Republicans of “beating the drums of war.” But it’s not a drumbeat. It is a slow, funereal minor key piano dirge, increasing in volume to its inevitable final note.

And indeed, we’ve heard this one before.