Top Priorities

Earlier by CNN I was told that one of Bush's "top priorities" was a Middle East peace deal. Because peace in the Middle East is what the Bush administration has been all about! Another failure.

Since then, Ms. Rice has proved an indefatigable mediator: this will be her eighth visit to the region since Annapolis. But the political transitions and upheavals affecting politics in both the United States and Israel have already effectively put the talks on hold. Citing the political turmoil in Israel, Ms. Rice implicitly acknowledged for the first time that there was little chance of an imminent deal.

“Obviously, Israel is in the midst of elections and that is a constraint on the ability of any government to conclude what is the core conflict,” she told reporters on the plane as she flew in for talks with both sides.