Is Rape Determined By The Inches of Penetration?

Hamas' answers Israel's unilateral cease fire with - more rockets etc.

Europe bails out Palestinians again with more wasteful and useless aid proposals. Adds up to more chestnuts pulled from the fires Palestinians allow to be started by their 'democratically' elected government. (See 1 below.)

So, what's new? Cockroaches and maggots have a tendency to return. (See 2 and 2a below.)

Olmert believes the world community has become enlightened regarding Hamas but there is that other version.

The mere fact Olmert stated Israel has the right 'to renew op' proves there can be no victory against terrorists unless they are completely wiped out or those who harbour them become so disenchanted with the destruction terrorism causes, the innocent victims unite and throw them out. It is pointless to call for meaningless cease fires in the belief it will produce desired results.


As for any proportionality argument, in a world that embraces relativism there is little, if any room, for even a few moral absolutes. Therefore, is it fair to ask should rape be determined by the inches of penetration?(See 3 and 3a below.)

When will the world awake and smell the foulness of what drives radical Islamists?(See 4 below.)

Fred Barnes manipulates a phrase from FDR and applies it to Obama not out of anger but out of fear.

A lot has happened even before President Elect Obama is sworn in and Republicans seem conflicted. They are asking themselves what is their role both as the minority, as the loyal opposition. Republicans can either go along, as they seem to be doing, disregarding their proper role of political guardians out of fear of being deemed obstructionists. They can resort to being hack party politicians and ignore legitimate concern for our nation. They can 'return' to their 'shredded' principles and do, what in their honest philosophical judgement, is best for the nation and let the chips fall where they may.

If they do a combination of all three, as I suspect they might, they will deservedly self-destruct even further because they will fail to send a cohesive message. They will have shown themselves to be weak kneed pitiful politicians.

Fred Barnes may not be correct in all his assumptions and or concerns but he has made a compelling case why a fearful nation is vulnerable to an 'anything goes' approach. Barnes raises legitimate concerns because we have elected a man about which we know very little when it comes his "ideological center of gravity."

I would relish watching Republicans making a list of their concerns, explain why they have them and offer consructive alternatives. Newt gave us his 'Contract' and listed ten worthy goals. In view of all the water that has passed under the Potomac bridges and in retrospect they are quite benign but they were deemed the ruination of America when he first espoused them.

Barnes could be right but I prefer listening to the stock market speak about its thoughts regarding the possible success of Obama's ppolicies.(See 5 below.)

Have a great Inaugural Week. Alas, the hucksters are out trashing its historical significance but that's all part of what it means to live in our great nation.


Dick

1)Hamas shatters Gaza ceasefire, shoots at Israeli troops, fires rockets into Sderot



Five Hamas launched five missiles against Sderot after opening fire on an Israeli tank force in northern Gaza early Sunday, Jan 16, seven hours after Israeli troops carried out government orders to cease hostilities. Israeli ground troops returned the fire and engaged Hamas operatives in battle after which its air force struck Gaza targets.

The Israeli security cabinet in a special meeting Saturday night, Jan. 17, approved a unilateral halt in fire in the Gaza Strip from 0200 hours while leaving Operation Cast Lead forces in Gaza to test Hamas' response.

Israeli forces will hold to their positions in the Gaza Strip for no more than days. Meanwhile, although prime minister Ehud Olmert assured the nation that all the Gaza operation's goals had been reached, Hamas promised to keep on fighting and shooting rockets, while neither Washington nor Cairo guaranteed action to end the flow of weapons to Gaza.

As the cabinet voted, Hamas fired rockets against Ashdod, Ashkelon and Beersheba - 40in all Saturday.

Sunday, a large group of European leaders from the UK, France, Germany, Spain and the Czech Republic descends on Jerusalem. DEBKAfile's sources report they are coming ostensibly to show the flag for Israel, but they will also be on hand to ascertain that the Israeli military quits the Gaza Strip – even without the operation's goals being met – and also lean hard on Israel to open the six Gaza crossings as demanded by Hamas. They will also meet Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak at Sharm e-Sheikh.

The plan the European leaders have developed with Egypt provides a $1.6 billion aid package for the Gaza Strip's reconstruction.

The millions of tons of cement and supplies will be shipped to Israeli ports and delivered through the Gaza crossings over a period of years. Israel, they believe, will not be able to refuse to reopen the crossings, thereby bringing its embargo of the Gaza Strip to an end.

2)Shin Bet Chief: Hamas will resume arms smuggling to Gaza within a few months
By Barak Ravid


Shin Bet chief Yuval Diskin on Sunday told the cabinet that Hamas would resume smuggling arms into Gaza within a few months, despite Israel's recent destruction of many tunnels used for this purpose.

Diskin said that the Palestinian Islamist group would soon rebuild the tunnels, which were destroyed during Israel's 22-day offensive against Hamas in Gaza.


He said that despite heavy criticism of Israel, Gaza residents are "fiercely criticizing Hamas for the destruction it has brought to Gaza."

Diskin emphasized that there has been mass confusion among the Hamas leadership in both Gaza and Damascus since Israel's announcement of a unilateral cease-fire.

"The confusion stems from the fact that Hamas' stance, in the context of the UN resolution and in the context of the Egyptian initiative, placed the organization in a very problematic position in which it is likely to emerge exposed from all sides."

Diskin added that Hamas suffered a strategic surprise and that it "did not expect that Israel would begin an operation in the lead up to elections, not of such a scope and magnitude and not one in which Israel would send troops deep into Gaza."

He said the IDF's pressure on Gaza City put Hamas in a very difficult situation.

One of Israel's stated goals in the campaign was to halt the smuggling of weapons from Sinai to Gaza. A unilateral cease-fire in Gaza declared by Israel took effect early Sunday.

2a) Hamas may 'even the score' with terror attacks
By Roni Sofer


Intelligence chief tell cabinet Palestinian organization will try to change the picture following Gaza op, possibly using unconventional tactics; Hamas has not disappeared, security leaders emphasize.


As retribution for damages it sustained during Operation Cast Lead, "Hamas will try to change the picture Israel painted and even the score by using, among other things, terror attacks," the IDF's Chief of Intelligence Major-General Amos Yadlin said at a cabinet meeting on Sunday.


"Hamas sustained a heavy blow… Hundreds of their commanders and operatives were casualties. Hamas is hiding the true extent of the damage," Yadlin said.


Palestinian groups announce immediate ceasefire by their fighters, allied groups in Gaza Strip, say Israel has a week to pull out its troops from area. Hamas source tells Ynet declaration aimed at allowing organization's delegation to Cairo to receive clarifications
Full story


"As of now, Hamas has not been able to advance its goal of opening the crossings… The unilateral ceasefire (declared by Israel's cabinet Saturday night) surprised Hamas and left it shame-faced. They are having a hard time decided which stance to take," he said.

"Hamas has begun a process of self-examination over its failed performance. The international and regional communities have understood that the smuggling (into Gaza) is an international problem," he explained.


The IDF's Chief of Staff Lieutenant-General Gabi Ashkenazi also noted the intense damages sustained by Hamas, he emphasized that that the organization "has not disappeared."



In this capacity, Shin Bet Chief Yuval Diskin spoke of the importance of continuing the fight against smuggling along the Philadelphi route.



"The damages to the smuggling tunnels along Philadelphi were significant. But if Israel does not maintain this issue, the situation will return to the way it was a few months ago," Diskin asserted.



'Unclear where ceasefire will lead'
Diskin added that although the public is criticizing Hamas heavily for the casualty count among the civilian population in Gaza, "it's unclear to what extent such criticism will manifest itself, possibly because of the fear of brutality."



"Hamas experienced a strategic surprise with this operation… It seems that they are wary that this unilateral ceasefire is also a trick by Israel," Diskin added.



"The upcoming day will determine whether the ceasefire will hold or whether there will be a renewal of combat," Diskin said, noting that Hamas and the other Palestinian organizations who lent it their support are confused as to how to proceed, following the Israeli ceasefire.



"Israel is in a better place than it was before this operation, as far as its deterrence capabilities are concerned, but it will be a challenge. If the ceasefire will not be honored, we'll have to operate," he added.



This lack of a decisive ending to the operation was emphasized at the cabinet meeting. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert noted that "the operation has not come to a complete end and thus it's too early to summarize it or the Gilad Shalit issue."



Olmert also emphasized Israel's awareness of the humanitarian situation in Gaza, stating that Israel had repeatedly allowed in humanitarian aid to the Strip and even created a humanitarian corridor for civilian victims into Israel, despite the fact that Hamas had utilized these lulls for humanitarian aid in order to continue shooting rockets at Israel.

3) PM: We reserve right to renew op

Following the renewal of Gaza rocket-fire after the start of an Israeli unilateral cease-fire in the Strip, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said that the morning's events showed how "fragile" the truce was and emphasized that Israel would renew the military offensive in the territory if the attacks don't stop.

"We are monitoring all of the developments, minute after minute, hour after hour," the prime minister said at the start of the weekly cabinet meeting.

"The military forces in the Strip have their eyes wide open, are attentive to any rustle and ready for any order from their commanders," Olmert continued. "The decision on the cease-fire leaves Israel the right to react and renew its military actions if the terror groups continue firing," he said.

Olmert also had warm words for Likud chairman and opposition leader Binyamin Netanyahu. "I would like to praise the opposition leader for supporting the government during the operation and explaining Israel's position to the world," he said.

The prime minister also hailed Egypt. "Egypt's backing of the understanding that we hold fire while the IDF remains in Gaza is not to be taken for granted, this is no trivial matter," he said, adding that it showed Egypt's determination to prevent arms smuggling through its border.

"All the world agrees that Hamas's arming must be stopped," he continued, stressing that now, after the operation, the entire world understands "that Hamas is Iran's Gaza branch."

Before the meeting, Shas chairman Eli Yishai, who voted against the cease-fire at Saturday night's security cabinet meeting, said that "as long as [captured IDF soldier Gilad] Schalit is not home, the IDF mustn't cease its fire. I am not opposed to a new-type of ground deployment in Gaza, but we must continue air strikes."

Similarly, Justice Minister Daniel Friedmann said that "IDF troops are deployed in Gaza and I hope that they won't be pulled out without the Gilad Schalit issue being solved."

Infrastructures Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer said the army made the most of the first stages of the operation, but that "no one expected them [Gaza terrorists] to stop firing immediately after the cease-fire had gone into effect."

Meanwhile, Meretz MK Zehava Gal-On criticized the decision to keep IDF troops in Gaza.

"Remaining in Gaza is a prize for Hamas," she said in a statement. "The moment a unilateral cease-fire was agreed upon, the IDF should have pulled out of Gaza."

"This is a continuation of the foolish move to deploy ground troops, which makes Israel responsible for what goes on there," the statement continued.

3a) ANALYSIS: Israel declares victory in Gaza, but at what cost?
By Aluf Benn

Trying to hide a smile and a sense of self-satisfaction Prime Minister Ehud Olmert faced the cameras at the Defense Ministry and declared to the Israeli public, "We won." The Israel Defense Forces objectives for its operation in the Gaza Strip were "obtained in full." Hamas was "surprised and badly beaten," the government "made decisions responsibly and wisely," the IDF's performance was excellent and the southern home front "displayed resilience."



Olmert would have loved to have been able to say the same thing back in 2006, at the end of the Second Lebanon War. But then he had to confront a disappointed and outraged public calling for an inquiry into the government's handling of the war. The Gaza operation was undoubtedly intended to redeem Olmert, and will be used as a springboard for a comeback - if he avoids conviction on any of the charges pending against him.


Israel's military achievement in the fighting was aided by prior preparation and the creation of national and international legitimacy for the operation. The success was further assisted by the weakness of Hamas, in comparison to Hezbollah in the Second Lebanon War, and the IDF's willingness to sustain losses that in the end were less than expected.

Israel succeeded in hurting Hamas and in creating an international awareness of the need to prevent weapons from being smuggled into the Gaza Strip, but not all the operation's objectives were accomplished. Rocket fire from the Strip into Israel continued throughout, and it will take a few weeks to determine whether they will stop. A humanitarian crisis in Gaza was not averted and it is not clear whether the likelihood of securing the release of abducted IDF soldier Gilad Shalit has increased.

Olmert finally accepted the suggestions of Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and Defense Minister Ehud Barak, after a week of delays. Livni was the first to suggest a unilateral cease-fire. She also initiated the "agreement to prevent arms smuggling" that she signed with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Friday, providing Israel with an excuse to scale back its operations in Gaza.

Barak was the progenitor of the two-phase truce: First a cease-fire is declared. If Hamas stops firing rockets then Israel pulls its forces out of the Gaza Strip. If rocket fire resumes then the IDF goes back in, this time with the international backing gained by having tried a truce.

Saturday's decision includes both Livni's unilateralism and Barak's two-phase strategy. Olmert and Barak attempted to present a common front yesterday, after their public disagreement last week. The prime minister said the defense minister was his "friend." In his speech Barak emphasized his military experience, stressing his relative advantage over Olmert and Livni.

But Hamas' gains cannot be ignored: It has won international legitimacy and sympathy, and its forces still control the Gaza Strip.

4)Egyptian Clerics Encourage Martyrdom in Gaza: 'We Must Love Death'; ‘There Are Black-Eyed Virgins Ready For You'; ‘We Must Teach Our Children to... Hate the Jews'

Following are excerpts from addresses by several Egyptian clerics on the subject of martyrdom and love of death. The programs aired on Al-Rahma TV and Al-Nas TV on January 2, 8, and 11, 2009.

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Al-Rahma TV, January 2, 2009

Hazem Shuman: "Dying Means Meeting Allah, So Why Do We Fear Death and Martyrdom?"

Egyptian cleric Hazem Shuman: "Why do we hate death? We do not avoid or fear death. We avoid and fear only the Hellfire.

[...]

"Do you want to enter Paradise? Of course you do. We all do. You will never enter Paradise until you die. Do you love the Prophet Muhammad? You love him very much. Me too. You will never get to see him or embrace him until you die.

[...]

"The reason for the 1967 defeat, for the 1948 calamity, for the loss of all our lands, for the fall of Baghdad, for the occupation, for Darfur, for the problems in South Sudan, for the colonialism that lasted throughout the 20th century is our hatred of death. Sheikh Amin and I reached the TV station together, and without arranging this in advance, we decided to come here to fight the hatred of death. We must love death, just like the companions of the Prophets.

[...]

"Dying means meeting Allah, so why do we fear death and martyrdom? We watch the martyrs in Gaza... We are not saddened by their deaths, because they are martyrs. We are sad only about the humiliating way they were killed, and about the humiliating circumstances in which we live. We do not hate martyrdom." [...]


"The Man is Under Siege, Living in Distress... With His Wives and Children in Anxiety; All Of a Sudden... They Find Themselves in Paradise"

"Sheikh Nizar Rayan, may he rest in peace, who was killed in Gaza along with his wives and his nine children, preferred to remain in his home, even though he knew it would be bombed. I talked to Sheikh Amin on our way here, and he said something nice. He said: If he had left his home, could he be sure he would live?

"The man is under siege, living in distress, in pain, in hunger, and in thirst, with his wives and children in anxiety. All of a sudden, the background changes, and they find themselves in Paradise. They are reborn, together, in a different kind of beauty and happiness. Can you imagine this?

"The aim of this program... Sheikh Amin and I have come to wage jihad against... It’s like in medicine. A sick man might have 1,000 problems in his body - in his hands, chest, heart, lungs, stomach, legs, and joints - but all these problems were caused by a single virus. The virus that afflicts our nation is the hatred of death, people.

"The thing that most astounded and amazed the enemies of Islam, when they faced the armies of Islam... This was discussed extensively in the hadith: We have met people who love death as much as we love life." [...]


"With Every Drop of Blood That Drains From Your Body for the Sake of Islam... You Get Blessings - The First of Which is That You Don’t Owe Anything Anymore - All Your Debts and Bills Are Covered"

"The martyr gains martyrdom for the sake of Allah. He is absolved with the first drop of blood. There are five liters of blood in the body. If someone’s heart is cut open - will those five liters flow out immediately? No. With the first drop of blood, you are absolved, and surely with the next drops, there will be other blessings. With every drop of blood that drains from your body for the sake of Islam and God, you get blessings, the first of which is that you don’t owe anything anymore - all your debts and bills are covered.

"The martyr... Tonight, we want to look at death in a different light. When we look at a martyr, we see him lying on the ground, his blood flowing, but the martyr sees things differently. He feels like a released prisoner. How does a prisoner feel toward his prison after his release? It’s the place he hates most. How does a fetus feel after leaving his mother’s womb towards that dark tiny room - the womb? Is it conceivable that he would want to go back to that suffocating place? That is how someone who has left this world feels. I hope that Allah will take us from this world as martyrs.

"He is absolved with the first drop of blood, and sees his seat in Paradise. When he dies, it’s not that the Grim Reaper appears by his head. His death is like a movie, in which he sees images of Paradise. He sits and watches these images, and his soul ascends to Allah. When Abraham died, the angels gave him sweet basil to smell, and his soul departed. A man smells a beautiful flower - a flower from Allah, not from this world - and he meets God. How can we possibly fear death? This fear of death must stop."

Al-Rahma TV, January 2, 2009

Sheikh Ayman Sayda: "Allah Turns the Sword Blows and the Bombs into Angel Kisses... There Are Black-Eyed Virgins Ready For You"

Egyptian cleric Sheikh Ayman Sayda: "Allah absolves the martyr with the first drop of his blood.

[...]

"You do not feel the blows of the sword on your body, or the bombs, or the missiles from airplanes. Not at all. Allah turns the sword blows and the bombs into angel kisses on the body of the martyr. The angels kiss you, man. Imagine an angel kissing you on the forehead, and if it is a little boy, the angels take him straight to Paradise. What do we live for? We should be crying over us, the living. We congratulate the relatives of whoever died for the sake of Allah. We congratulate these [martyrs] themselves.

[...]

"There are black-eyed virgins ready for you. The martyr gets at least two of the virgins of Paradise, and they embrace the martyr. Imagine a black-eyed virgin embracing the martyr. While people carry the body to be buried, a black-eyed virgin is embracing him. We’re talking black-eyed virgins, man! All you guys who are looking for the women and girls of this world... True, a righteous woman is a good thing, but the martyr gets something even more valuable - a black-eyed virgin. Do you know what a black-eyed virgin is? When she laughs, she overshadows the light of the sun and the moon. She has beautiful laughter. Sometimes you hear or see girls or women with beautiful laughter. Imagine - when the black-eyed virgin laughs, she overshadows the light of the sun and the moon. Who wants to get married? Who wants black-eyed virgins?

[...]

"A black-eyed virgin, man. When she smiles, she overshadows the light of the sun and the moon. If she were to spit into a raging salty sea, like the Pacific Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea, or the Red Sea, the raging salty seas would turn into sweet water - just from her spit.

[...]

"Immediately after that, the martyr is spared the torments of the grave. The grave... The grave... Even if there were no other torments, the grave would be enough. The grave... May God spare me and you. The martyr is spared these torments. Sorrow and pain is the lot of those who live.

[...]

"Then, he is married off to 72 virgins of Paradise. Allah Akbar - 72 virgins of Paradise. I have already described them to you. They greet him with singing, with beautiful words, such as: Oh friend of Allah, I have never seen anyone as perfect and handsome as you.

"I wish women would learn from the virgins of Paradise."


Al-Nas TV, January 11, 2009

Safwat Higazi: "When I Wake Up... I [Count the] Martyrs to Know How Much Happiness There Is in Heaven and On Earth... I Wake Up in the Morning to See How Many Children Will Remain Children Forever"

Egyptian cleric Safwat Higazi: "When I wake up in the morning, I check on the number of martyrs to know how much happiness there is in heaven and on earth. I do not wake up to see how many of us have been killed. No, I wake up to see how many bridegrooms have been wedded in the heavens, how many brides have been wedded in the heavens. I do not wake up in the morning to see how many children have been killed. I wake up to see how many children will vouch for their relatives. I wake up in the morning to see how many children will remain children forever. I wake up in the morning to see how many children will carry jugs of water to the sink of the Messenger of Allah.

"The blood of the martyrs shines light upon everything between heaven and earth. I want to know the number of martyrs and the number of wounded, in order to know how many liters of the blood of believers has been spilled, how many liters of the blood of believers have been spilled on the land of Gaza, increasing its purity, cleanliness, and honor."

Al-Nas TV, January 8, 2009

Sheikh Salam Abd Al-Qawi: "We Must Teach Our Children to... Hate the Jews"

Egyptian cleric Sheikh Salam Abd Al-Qawi: "Hating the enemies of Allah is very important. We must teach our children, our youngsters, our brothers, and all the Muslims to hate the accursed Zionist Jews. Why not? They teach their children to hate us. Our hatred of the Jews is based upon our faith. The Koran tells us to hate them, not to love them.

[...]

"We must teach our children to obey Allah, to obey the Prophet Muhammad, and to hate the Jews, the Zionists, and what the Zionists are planning. We must raise them on the Koranic verses that call to fight and wage jihad for the sake of Allah. We want to raise our children to love jihad for the sake of Allah. We must teach our children that death for the sake of Allah is our most lofty goal.

[...]

"We want to make our children love jihad for the sake of Allah, to teach them what sacrifice is, what it means to love jihad for the sake of Allah. We too, as fathers, must learn this. The peak of my happiness as a father is to raise a martyr, and to sacrifice him in the battleground of jihad for the sake of Allah. The peak of my happiness would be to do what the Prophet’s companions did. Every mother should raise her son, and nurse him - together with her milk - with the love of jihad for the sake of Allah, with the love of Paradise.

[...]

"What kind of honor, glory, and status can a mother wish for her son which is better than Paradise? Is there anything better than this? Is there anything better than Paradise? Is there anything better than martyrdom for the sake of Allah? That is why we want to change the culture of our children’s education. Education should not be through love, spoiling, and pampering. True, these are nice things - I’m not saying you should slaughter your sons or tie them up. These are nice things, but it is even nicer to teach our children to hate the enemies."

5) The Only Thing We Have to Fear . . . is Obama.
By Fred Barnes



Barack Obama is the apostle of hope. But he also arouses the flipside of hope--fear. And while the fear he stirs may turn out to be unfounded, it's not irrational. People don't know who Obama really is or where his ideological center of gravity rests, to the extent it rests anywhere. He was a liberal in the Senate and the campaign, a centrist in the transition, and who knows what he'll be as president. He's elusive.

I count four separate fears. Whether he's a crypto-Marxist is not one of them. Neither is the absurd fear that he's secretly a Muslim, even a closet jihadist. Nor is the groundless claim Obama was actually born outside the United States and isn't really an American citizen. Forget all those. They're nonstarters.

He doesn't know what he's talking about. This is a legitimate fear. Obama throws around numbers like confetti. In the campaign, he said he would create 1 million jobs. After the election, he put out a plan he said would produce up to 3 million jobs. Then in a radio address on January 10, he said the number could reach 4.1 million and said 500,000 would be jobs in the alternative energy field, 200,000 in health care. Does he really believe he can achieve this? The fear is that he might.

"Social Security, we can solve," he told the Washington Post last week. Really? President Bush, freshly reelected, promoted Social Security reform in 2005 and got nowhere. Certainly Obama was no help. Obama "said his administration
will begin confronting the issues of entitlement reform and long-term budget deficits soon after it jump-starts job growth and the stock market," the Post reported. When will this happen? Not next year or next summer but next month when he convenes a "fiscal responsibility summit."

Obama is smart, Ivy League-educated, and able to discuss issues knowledgeably and intelligently. He's put together a strong staff. The same was often said of Bill Clinton. Brains and advanced degrees, though they thrill Washington's journalistic elite, aren't enough. Clinton didn't have a magic wand and neither does Obama. True, reality often creeps in. Obama initially aimed to shut down Guantánamo instantly. Later his aides said it might take a year. Last week, Obama told the Post he'd consider it a failure if the prison hadn't been closed by the end of his first term.

He's a pushover. Who's tougher, Senate majority leader Harry Reid and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi or Obama? The fear is that Reid and Pelosi are. Indeed they act like they are. Reid told ex-senator Joe Biden, Obama's vice president, he's not welcome at meetings of the Senate Democratic caucus. Neither Reid nor Pelosi is cautious about ramming the liberal agenda through Congress. Pelosi wants to raise taxes now, in the teeth of the recession.

As a senator, Obama never bucked his party, its leaders, or a single liberal interest group. In the 2007 debate over immigration reform, Obama voted for every amendment pushed by liberal lobbyists, though if they'd passed, the amendments would have jeopardized the emergence of a bipartisan majority. The legislation died for other reasons.

Obama's allegiance to organized labor has been unflagging. He co-sponsored "card check" legislation allowing labor to set up unions without winning elections by secret ballot. He's still for it, despite its unpopularity and diminished prospects of passage. When he met last week with Mexican president Felipe Calderón, Obama said he wants to "upgrade" the North American Free Trade Agreement. Renegotiating NAFTA is a top priority of labor leaders, but Mexico, Canada, and most economists fear it would reduce trade and stir alarm about a wave of protectionism.

He's another Jimmy Carter on foreign and national security policy. Carter had misplaced confidence in his ability to bend anyone, including dictators, to his view through persuasion. He was a talker, not a doer. A year after he met with Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev, Carter was shocked when Brezhnev ordered an invasion of Afghanistan. His talks with North Korea led to a treaty on nuclear weapons that the North Koreans soon violated. Carter was surprised again.

Obama's willingness to meet with dictators or other anti-American leaders has raised the Carter fear. He sometimes talks about diplomacy as if it's a panacea, a surefire way to solve the world's problems. On the other hand, Obama is committed to sending more American troops to Afghanistan to fight the Taliban and al Qaeda. And he's backed away from a rapid withdrawal from Iraq now that a status of forces agreement has been reached. Perhaps the fear of Carter redux is exaggerated.

Obama has nerves of jello. This fear may be unfair,
since there's no evidence one way or other as to how he might react in a crisis. David Shribman of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette wrote that Obama "possesses an enviable inner calm." Maybe, maybe not. What Obama does have is an enviable outer calm. Inside, he may be wracked with doubts and anxiety as he takes over the presidency. We don't know. The problem is he's never had to make a truly tough decision.

Presidents with strong nerves are decisive. They don't balk at unpopular decisions. They are willing to make people angry. President Bush had strong nerves. President Clinton, who passed up a chance to eliminate Osama bin Laden, did not. Obama is a people pleaser, a trait not normally associated with nerves of steel.

We'll soon discover if any of these fears has merit. Obama made a series of clever moves during the transition, reaching out to conservatives and picking evangelical pastor Rick Warren to give the invocation at the inauguration. But these were cost-free, ephemeral, and didn't reveal much. What Obama does as president will tell us all we need to know.