Tonight is the first night of Hanukkah, the Jewish festival of lights. Last year, the Obama social office caused quite a stir when it invited 50 fewer people to the White House's Hanukkah party than the Bush administration had the year before. Did this signal a deep hatred of Israel by the administration? Who were the 50 Jews getting the cold shoulder from the White House? What did it all mean?
So, now, as we light the menorah, we wait with bated breath to see the scope of this year's White House Hanukkah party and then to very intensely read political motives into every decision about it.