Israel, Palestine, George Mitchell, Newt Gingrich, and More Sunday Talk
George Mitchell says Israel is not threatened by 1967 borders, Newt Gingrich defends his rough week, Herman Cain blasts Palestine, and more in our Sunday talk roundup.
Mitchell: Pre-1967 Borders Don’t Threaten Israel
In his first interview since stepping down as Obama’s special envoy to the Middle East last week, George Mitchell said that the President’s call for pre-1967 borders between Israel and Palestine is not a threat to Israel. The key here, it seems, is in Obama’s language, specifically his call for “agreed swaps.” “Swaps means an exchange of land intended to accommodate major Israeli population centers to be incorporated into Israel and Israel's security needs,” Mitchell said on This Week.
Gingrich on Ryan, Tiffany’s: Another Awkward Sunday
And the hits keep coming for Newt Gingrich. After the rough first week of his campaign, the Republican hopeful went on Face the Nation to say that his controversial comments about Paul Ryan’s budget plan on Meet the Press weren’t actually aimed at Ryan. And as for his hefty bill at Tiffany’s? That’s a personal matter. Perhaps Gingrich should stay off the Sunday talk show circuit for a little while.
Cain: Offer Palestine Nothing!
In his first interview since announcing his candidacy for the GOP ticket, Herman Cain told Fox News Sunday about the “Cain Doctrine” for peace in the Middle East. This “expert” foreign policy is simple: Give Palestine nothing. “It has been clear that the Palestinians have always wanted to push the Israelis and push Israel for more and more and more,” he said.
Ryan: Gingrich ‘Deeply Inaccurate’
In this round of Paul Ryan versus Newt Gingrich, Ryan told Meet the Press host David Gregory that Gingrich’s statements about his plan were “deeply inaccurate” and a “gross mischaracterization.” But was this demagoguery on the part of Gingrich, a seasoned politician, in an attempt to seem more moderate than he actually is?
King Abdullah II: No Peace for Middle East
This isn’t very reassuring for Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. In an exclusive interview with Christiane Amanpour on This Week, King Abdullah II of Jordan said that he doesn’t expect the situation to change until at least 2012. He added that only thing that can disrupt the “status quo”—war.
To Publish or Not to Publish Arnold’s Maid’s Name
Why did the Los Angeles Times avoid publishing the name of the maid who Arnold Schwarzenegger had a love child with? In this exclusive Reliable Sources interview, reporter Mark Barabak sat down with Howard Kurtz to explain exactly why it doesn’t matter whether the former governor had an affair with the gardener, the cook, or the chimney sweep.
Crowley to Durbin: Do Something!
With the budget plan negotiations failing to make any progress, Candy Crowley has had enough. In a passionate plea to Sen. Dick Durbin this week, the State of the Union host demanded to know why the government just doesn’t debate bills that may actually pass. Durbin’s solution: Expanding the “Gang of Five” to include a bipartisan group of senators who are willing to use the existing framework to deal with the deficit.