That is all I can conclude as I heard about the promise that Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA) made to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu last week. Cantor wanted Netanyahu to know that the GOP had his back. Cantor met with Netanyahu -- the same day when the actual U.S. Secretary of State met with Netanyahu -- and vowed that he and his GOP colleagues would protect and defend Israeli interests against his own Government. According to a statement proudly issued by Cantor's own office:
"Eric stressed that the new Republican majority will serve as a check on the Administration and what has been, up until this point, one party rule in Washington," the readout continued. "He made clear that the Republican majority understands the special relationship between Israel and the United States, and that the security of each nation is reliant upon the other."Even Jewish power brokers were shocked at Cantor's statement of loyalty to Netanyahu. Jewish Telegraphic Agency's bureau chief in Washington, Ron Kampeas, declared that Cantor's statement was "extraordinary." He wrote that he could not "remember an opposition leader telling a foreign leader, in a personal meeting, that he would side, as a policy, with that leader against the President."
I suspect that we will hear Cantor backtrack on his pledge to Netanyahu soon. It is one thing to be ego-driven in private. It's another thing when you ego-driven statements go public.