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Commentary;
No, this is not a mis-posting meant for a sports blog. 7 years before 2008’s glorious Philadelphia Phillies World Series championship, a future Hall of Fame pitcher and one of baseball’s finest 3rd basemen (at the time) both talked back to team management telling them that they were not serious about contending and winning.
In turn, Curt Schilling and Scott Rolen were both sent packing and traded from the team. Schilling was subsequently instrumental in bring three World Series titles to 2 cities and Rolen helped bring his team to the World Series once.
Bibi Netanyahu’s actions regarding regarding Moshe Feiglin and the duly-elected Likud primary slate are more than just a little reminiscent of team not committed to winning.
Consider the following;
Camil Fuchs, who supervises Dialog’s survey, linked the shift to Netanyahu’s machinations to drop the ranking of ultra-hawkish candidate Moshe Feiglin on Likud’s slate of candidates for parliament…
Many right-wing voters must be wondering, perhaps aloud, whether Bibi is serious about winning this election, serious about changing governance, or whether he will emulate his past prime ministership — being more left than left, but this time with a ton at stake.
For his machinations regarding Moshe Feiglin, this blog, with a hat tip to the Phillies Nation blog, awards Bibi Netanyahu an honorary Steve Jeltz bag-head dunce award. MB
Pair of Polls Show Tight Race for PM
Excerpts;
A pair of polls published Thursday showed Binyamin Netanyahu’s hawkish Likud party losing part of its substantial lead in public support but still best able to put together a government after February 10 national elections.
Several weeks ago, Netanyahu was solidly ahead in the polls, leaving his rival, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni of the ruling Kadima party, lagging behind by as many as nine seats. The new polls showed his lead shrinking to four seats, but potential hawkish partners gaining the strength he lost.
A Dialog survey published in Haaretz showed Likud winning 30 of parliament’s 120 seats, down from 36 seats in its previous poll two week ago. The poll, which surveyed 475 people and had a margin of error of 4.5 percentage points, had Kadima winning 26 seats, down one from its previous showing.
A Dahaf survey published in Yediot Ahronot had identical results. That poll surveyed 525 people and had a margin of error of 4.3 percentage points.
Camil Fuchs, who supervises Dialog’s survey, linked the shift to Netanyahu’s machinations to drop the ranking of ultra-hawkish candidate Moshe Feiglin on Likud’s slate of candidates for parliament. Netanyahu had been afraid that a higher ranking would have alienated moderate voters whose support he hoped to court.
But the polls suggest the move backfired, driving some former Netanyahu backers into the arms of other nationalist parties that similarly oppose the sweeping territorial concessions that would be needed to make peace with the Palestinians and Syria.
At stake is the future of peace talks with the Palestinian Authority leadership in charge of the West Bank. Livni has been leading the negotiations for the past year. Netanyahu has sent mixed signals over whether he would pursue the US-backed talks.
MK David Rotem: We Will Not Sit in Land for Peace Government
New Poll: Kadima Surges into the Lead, by Gil Hoffman (Jerusalem Post)
Supreme Court Accepts Likud’s Appeal to Keep Feiglin in 36th Slot, Gil Hoffman (Jerusalem Post)
Full Text;
The Supreme Court overturned Sunday a Tel Aviv District Court decision that had restored party activist Moshe Feiglin and former MKs Michael Ratzon and Ehud Yatom to their previous places on the Likud list. The three were originally demoted by Likud’s election committee two weeks ago.
In its ruling, the court accepted the Likud election committee’s appeal to retain Feiglin in the borderline 36th slot.
High Court Overturns Earlier Verdict, Feiglin Stays in 36th Slot, by Gil Ronen (Israel National News)
Court Orders Michael Ratzon Restored to 24th Likud Slot
Court Verdict Means Feiglin Might Be No. 20 After All, by Gil Ronen