This just in - Road Map barrels over cliff

I'll be the first person to admit I'm not a true Beltway Insider. I know a little, though. So with that said, is it just me, or was Hamas' landslide victory in the Palestinian elections a total shock? Of course, there are Washington types who will jadedly claim they saw this coming - there are Washington types who would claim they foresaw what you're having for lunch today - but really - was this in any way predictable? Is this the massive monkey wrench in the already-fragile Middle East political machine that blows everything right back to where it was before the Road Map and all the other efforts?

Hey, guys? I think we may be lost.

These elections gave Hamas - which regularly claims responsibility for some of the most deadly suicide attacks in Israel and openly wishes for that nation's destruction, not to mention the destruction of all things American - a majority in the Palestinian parliament.


Your new Palestinian lawmakers - dedicated to democratic, open-minded debate. And by "debate," I mean "killing."

So much for winning hearts and minds over there, huh? If this is not a resounding rebuff of American efforts to Westernize these cultures, I don't know what is. We are bringing in democracy, sure enough, but this just goes to show that democracy and American Values (whatever those are) don't mean the same thing. You can say what you want about our efforts and our intentions, but there's no two ways about it - this is one battle we undoubtedly lost. And it was a big battle. Bottom line - the Bush administration was dead wrong and perhaps even delusional to believe they could institute democracy in these nations and then just assume these nations would somehow become miniature Americas. That argument makes no sense. And now, if nothing else, we have proof.

Meanwhile, Israel is already circling the wagons and preparing for a return to open aggression, with the U.S. pledging not to deal with Hamas. And all this with Israel's prime minister still in a coma. Of course, for its part, Hamas has no plans to change its tune.

By they way, what, if anything, does Hamas know about governing a population? What experience do they have in this field? Do they know that, if they continue to insist on talking about destroying a neighboring country, they would most likely be cut off from the international aid on which their people are almost entirely dependent?

So I ask again. Is it just me, or is all of this decidedly, you know, not good? Those gathering storm clouds look pretty mean.

(Photo Credit: West Berlin Fire Company #1, Planet Internet)