Condi Picks Her Crowd

With the Israel and Hamas going at it through over and through the air, the Gaza situation deteriorating, and Abbas caught in between, you would think Bush/Rice would have had better sense than to publicly appeal to Abbas to sit down with Israel. 

You can read the story, but the image frames the result that much better. 

Just like the way Putin publicly humiliated Rice last year, we see a politically deaf and smilingly naive Condi getting it every which way by her Palestinian pal.  To her side (yeah, way over there), Abbas flashes a classic "I swear by my flag, I'm not budging" expression to the world.  And behind her back, Arafat not only cuts Condi off from her man, but appears to be laughing at her from the great beyond.  Moreover, even Abbas -- the way his portrait on the wall functions cleverly here like a thought bubble or his inner mind -- is experiencing mirth at her expense.

And then, I don't know what that pin is about.  Is it a question mark?  Or, maybe it's that famous mushroom cloud of hers.

Abbas Rebuffs Call by Rice to Return to Talks (NYT)
Outsmarting Versus Plain Smarting: or, Chin scratching after a hammering by Putin (BNN)

(image: Pool photo by Abbas Momani. March 4, 2008.  Ramallah.  via nytimes.com)

Comments

[Puka]

Ms. Rice is in over her head.

[black dog barking]

I've seen pictures of that woman before. She was the President's National Security Advisor the day foreign terrorists reduced the two tallest buildings in the country to rubble, killing 3000 citizens. Took her by complete surprise. She didn't have a clue it was even possible. Secretary of State now, huh? Is that an important job?

'Cause I agree. It looks like she's in over her head.

[margaret]

It's a tornado, and it's not a good icon for her: center of the storm, and so on.....
She is absolutely worthless as a Secy of State. Oh, for the days when the world saw the likes of Talleyrand as a negotiator and a solver of the unsolvable!

[eatbees]

For the last couple of years now, it's become increasingly painful for me to look at Condoleeza's face. She's gone from being the concert pianist who does diplomacy in her spare time, to the stiletto-booted globe-trotting dominatrix, to this grimace of a small dog that wants her treat. It must be incredibly tedious for world leaders to sit in a room with her time after time, but they can't really turn her away at the airport, can they, when she shows up to do her tricks....

[MonsieurGonzo]

Tiffany Paloma Picasso brooch?

perhaps it's a StarTrek communicator ~ she reminds me of the Klingon, "Lt. Worf", in drag :)

Mr. Abbas... whose doctoral thesis was a scholared Holocaust Denial screed, here tries to deny the existence of an alien being on ‘planet Palestine’, whose existence the aliens deny being Palestinian.

[jtfromBC]

Welcome tweedy bird to the Occupation Cage, or as Israel and friends say ~ Administered Territories ~ Judea and Samaria ~ the Territories ~ after the 1967 border delineations they are now called *Disputed lands*.
As you know, good guys arrest and respond the bad guys always kidnap and provoke ~ etc etc ~ so good luck Condi mouthing Orwellian lingo, singing the sanctioned lyrics ~ and dancing to this 40 year old waltz ~

[richard]

The reign of Condi Rice is just a huge photo-op hiding the Bush foreign policy disasters.