Spit hits the fan for MTA

Anti-Israel sharks sniff O's weakness

Michael Goodwin June 2, 2010

In the aftermath of the Gaza flotilla fiasco, the air is thick with nonsense. Chief among the instant myths is that Israel has created a dilemma for President Obama.

Actually, it's the other way around.

The president's appeasement policies helped to create the incident. Israel took the bait, but the trap was set in Washington.

Weakness always begets aggression, and, like clockwork, Obama's repeated signals that he is weakening America's commitment to Israel are emboldening the Jewish state's enemies. From Syria to Iran to Lebanon, from Hezbollah to Hamas and the PLO, the wolves smell blood and are trying to gauge whether they can get close enough for the kill.

And whether the United States will stop them. That they even dare hope we won't reflects the danger of Obama's demented decisions.

The huge flotilla is the latest example of the open-season mania, with the result that Israel is under international siege -- for defending itself. And, not incidentally, for defending an embargo on Gaza that Washington supports.

Obama says he wants the facts of the incident, but let's hope he also wants the truth, even if it is inconvenient to his worldview.

The first fact is that the flotilla was not really a humanitarian effort. The compassion claim was a fig leaf for the political aim of busting the 3-year-old maritime blockade, as organizers admitted last week.

They knew they would not be allowed to dock in Gaza, but still rejected Israel's offer to unload the goods in Israeli ports and, after inspection, truck them overland. At least a few of the passengers were armed.

"We're trying to break the blockade of the Gaza Strip and tell the world that Israel has no right to starve 1.5 million Palestinians," Greta Berlin, the head of an organization called Free Gaza Movement, said in typical exaggeration to a British newspaper.

Her group's boats were turned away before, but they vowed not to be stopped this time. "The previous boats were making a statement -- these boats will be making a real impact," Berlin said four days before the launch.

Israel, of course, is not exempt from criticism for what was clearly a bungled effort. Incredibly, given what they knew beforehand about the intent of the activists, its military leaders sent in only a handful of lightly armed commandos who were easy targets as they slid down ropes from helicopters.

Yet it's also fair to ask where Obama was while the problem was building. Even if he was too busy with the oil disaster in the Gulf, where was the secretary of state? It was long clear the flotilla had the potential to cause a regional ruckus, but Washington watched it unfold like a spectator.

That's strange in and of itself, because the US and Europe supported the blockade to force Hamas from power in Gaza, or force it to recognize Israel and renounce violence. They might have stopped the dangerous flotilla simply by making it clear they would support Israel's right to interdict it.

The most troubling fact of shifting allegiances is Turkey's role as sponsor of the convoy. Not so long ago, Israel and Turkey were allies, even conducting joint military exercises.

But Turkey, a member of NATO, has been moving away from Israel and the West and toward the Islamic bloc. Witness its recent, destructive foray into the Iranian nuclear game.

Instead of siding with Europe and America, ostensibly its allies, Turkey joined with Brazil to give cover for the Iranian program. Its prime minister even blasted the US, saying, "While they still have nuclear weapons, where do they get the credibility to ask other countries not to have them?"

These are the facts, and the truth. For the obvious stakes, they shouldn't present a dilemma for Obama.

He should do what any American president would -- protect our friend and ally from the predators who want to devour it.

GOP LOSERS CRASHING THE PARTY

In theory, state Republicans are holding their convention this week to nominate their candidates. In reality, they're gathering in a circular firing squad.

Beset by infighting and too many weak candidates, New York Republicans look to be on the verge of failing to seize what should be a golden year for insurgents. Voters are looking for change, and with Democrats holding all statewide elected offices, both US senators, both chambers of the Legislature and 27 of 29 House seats, some should be ripe for a fall.

But Rule No. 1 of Politics for Dummies says you can't beat somebody with nobody and, in too many key races, the GOP is putting up lackluster candidates. Not-so-slick Rick Lazio is the leading choice for governor, and Democratic Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand seem set for a coronation against largely unknown opponents.

If they suffer lopsided races at the top of the ticket, even good GOP candidates for other offices will likely be sunk, too. Yes, there is a long way to November, but it's starting to feel late already for those who hope for a viable two-party system.

Spit hits the fan for MTA

Post readers know a scam when they see one, and the report on MTA bus drivers who took an average of 64 days off after being spat upon struck a nerve. Here are some reactions that should give the crybaby drivers something to think about.

"They should be ashamed of themselves saying they were so traumatized they needed the time off," Angie wrote in an e-mail. "Tell that to our men and women at war who dodge more than spit on a daily basis. Tell that to the health-care workers who get scratched, bit and spit on, then take tests for possible diseases and go right back to work because that is their job."

Al Flaxman, an NYPD sergeant, wrote that he's often been spit on, "including twice in one week. If we had the same rules as the MTA, half the department would be off three-quarters of the year. I'm a union guy, but fair is fair and this makes all civil-service employees look bad."

Perry, noting that politicians signed off on these and other goofy giveaways, has an idea for keeping labor negotiations honest. "Since we can no longer expect the pols to negotiate with the public's best interest at hand, there needs to be someone" else at the table, a volunteer representative with the power to say no and make outrageous requests public to shame the unions and pols. It's a good idea, but too late. Most unions and pols are beyond shaming. They don't care what taxpayers think.

Maybe it's time for a subtract-vocate

I've never understood the idea behind the city Office of Public Advocate. Starting with the president and vice president, every New Yorker is represented by 14 other elected officials.

We have a mayor, a governor, three members of Congress, one in the City Council, two in the Legislature, city and state comptrollers, an attorney general and a borough president. Aren't they all supposed to be public advocates?

Dave 'ducking' the dirty work

It is absolutely fitting that lame- duck Gov. Paterson is drawing up plans for massive layoffs next year. In true Paterson fashion, they are plans for somebody else to carry out.