Big Freddy was sitting there at our booth, eyes closed, hands folded across the barrel of his chest when I arrived.
"Asleep already?'' I asked, as I wedged myself into my bench seat.
"Cogitating on the odds of Iran and Israel going head to head over Iran's nuke threat in April and what that would do to our election in November,'' Freddy said.
"Wash your mouth out with soap,'' I said.
"It's on the table,'' Freddy said.
"What's on the table?'' I asked.
"Israel bombing Iran,'' Freddy said. "Both the Republicans and the Democrats jumped out of their seats applauding Obama's State of the Union speech a few weeks back when he said no way we'd let Iran have a nuclear bomb, come hell or high water, and Iran's been turning up the heat ever since.''
"Possibility's one thing, but the probability's something else,'' I said.
"Not from what I just read,'' Freddy said. "Last week, our Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta was saying Israel's primed to take out Iran's nuke facilities come spring. Iran's flexing its war muscles by shooting off missiles, and he didn't look at all happy when he said it. In fact, Panetta hasn't looked happy since Obama stepped up our pull-out.''
"And we'll do what about it?'' I asked. "Obama's getting us out of there has most people saying it's about time. We've had it with trying to straighten out Middle East messes.''
"And so has just about everyone except the Israelis and hard-core Arabs,'' Freddy said.
"What does that have to do with the campaigns here?'' I asked.
"Obama goes one up in his ratings, and he needs every one he can get,'' Freddy said.
"That's a reach,'' I said. "We're not the only ones worried about what Iran's doing. That's why so many nations have been embargoing what goes in there.''
"It's the threat of another war,'' Freddy said. "Oil and gas prices are already out of sight, and voters are going to take that into the voting booths in November.''
"To whose advantage?'' I asked. "Obama's not to blame for what's going on with Iran.''
"No blame game intended,'' Freddy said. "I just said those on both sides of the aisle got up and applauded what Obama had to say about us and protecting Israel, so if Iran keeps on doing what it's doing and Israel does what it believes it has to do, Obama's not only off the hook, he's one up on the wannabes.''
"What about Romney and Gingrich?" I asked. "They support Israel.''
"So does Santorum — all the Republican candidates have,'' Freddy said. "But Obama had to make up some ground because he and Hillary Clinton have been trying to broker peace on both sides, which Obama has been critical of Israel's expansion.''
"Which hasn't done much to relieve conflict," I said.
"And won't for so long as there is an Israel and there are hard-line Muslims willing to die to get them out of there,'' Freddy said.
"What you're saying is that there's no way we can clear out,'' I said.
"What I'm saying is what's going on is off the table as far as this election goes,'' Freddy said. "But as far as our involvement, if Iran keeps on doing what just about everyone believes they're going to do, and Israel does what it says it will do to keep that from happening, whoever wins in November is going to be facing bigger problems than are already on the table.''
• • •
Bill Plante is former executive editor of Essex County Newspapers. His email address is plantejr@comcast.net.
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