June 15, 2009 9:29 AM

Three Quick Thoughts

The gloves are off - the Chamber of Commerce announced it was spending $100 million to defeat Obama's health care and global warming reforms. For the Chamber, this is truly cheap at the price. Any sense of Obama honeymoon is now gone - I continue to feel that defeat of the public insurance option would almost doom any possibilities for moving serious reform through Congress before the 2010 elections.

I think that the Iranian elite stole this election a little too obviously. The millions who came out, stood in long lines, and wore green know the election was stolen. I have no insight that would let me predict that the current reaction to the theft will overturn the results. But I am confident that the legitimacy of the ruling elites is seriously damaged.

Finally, how will Mr. Obama react to Netanyahu's utter rejection of placing limits on Israeli settlement expansion? I hope he reacts swiftly and without any equivocation - the settlements are illegal and must stop growing immediately. Period.