(CONCLUDED) LIVE: President Obama speaking to AIPAC (VIDEO, AUDIO LINK)

[Poll_Blind]

Last edited Sun Mar 4, 2012, 01:58 PM - Edit history (2)

HERE

Select one of two streams, and away you go. You may also only need to hit the play button.

You can also listen in at the WhiteHouse, HERE

UPDATE: Full text of President Obama's speech can be found HERE.

PB

[Poll_Blind]

1. President Obama announced he is giving Shimon Peres Presidential Medal of Freedom. nt

PB

[frazzled]

5. Ah, so that's why I heard Shimon Peres raving about him on Charlie Rose

Israeli President Shimon Peres on Thursday said that U.S. President Barack Obama is “a great president and a great friend of Israel,” and that security cooperation between the U.S. and Israel is “the best we’ve ever had.”

In an hour-long interview with American broadcaster Charlie Rose, conducted before a large audience at New York’s 92nd Street Y, Peres said that he does not want to interfere in American politics, but he is stating his opinion on Obama “because it’s true,” adding that he has “the highest respect” for Obama for overseeing the current relationship between the two countries.

But there's also this:

Last week, Haaretz reported that Peres will tell Obama that he objects to an Israeli attack on Iran in their scheduled meeting during the upcoming AIPAC conference.

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/peres-obama-is-a-great-president-security-ties-are-the-best-we-ve-ever-had-1.416030

[Poll_Blind]

6. Well, the President had to give the Presidential Medal of Freedom to SOMEONE in the Israeli govt!

Peres, who gets terribly little press even in Israeli newspapers, started sucking up to President Obama a few days ago and it was A) unusual to see him as part of any article and B) to see him so unpredictably effusive about Obama- coming out of nowhere.

Of course, we should be thankful. If Peres weren't there the short list would include Ehud Barak, Benjamin Netanyahu and Avigdor Lieberman.



He couldn't give it to Tzipi Livni without insulting Netanyahu terribly.

We'll see if NeoCon Netanyahu softens toward Obama or if he continues to do everything to make sure a Republican wins in 2012. Somehow I think Obama could send cases of Presidential Medals of Freedom to Netanyahu's government and it wouldn't change his Netanyahu's bottom line.

PB

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

2. It's a campaign speech.

[IamK]

3. summary - I have not killed as many arabs as you.... but I'm working on it....

[Poll_Blind]

4. He just finished up. My summary:

I've covered for Benjamin Netanyahu's conservative Israeli government consistently and nomatter what I will continue to cover for you. I'll toe your line not just in speeches to conferences like this- but I'll go up and say the same things at the UN. Even when the rest of the world knows I'm talking out of my ass. Give me your support and I'll keep it up. Nobody covers for you like I do. We need a 2-state solution, though. You know it, I know it. I'm going to keep covering for you though, but you know making peace is where it's at. But Iran can't have nuclear weapons and no options are off the table. I don't want to use war but Iran can't have nuclear weapons. We all know the real way out of this is through dialog, not war. But I'm still going to cover for you. Nobody does it better.

I thought his literal point-by-point list of toeing the line for every action Netanyahu's conservative Israeli government (including the attack in international waters of the Mavi Marmara) was deliciously groveling.

GOBAMA!



The transcript should be out soon. I invite you to read it for yourself.

PB