What'd I tell you?

In your face, Jerusalem Post analysts!

Ha'aretz:

Ehud Olmert favors Yisrael Beiteinu over Shas in coalition

Olmert said Thursay in conversation behind closed doors that despite Lieberman's opposition to withdraw from the territories, he seems to be a convenient partner, reliable and easier than Eli Yishai and Shas.

Boo-frickin-ya, suckas.

Also, Peretz is taking the opportunity to be a bit of an opportunistic moron.

Meanwhile, Labor is working to convince factions to support Peretz for prime minister to raise the stakes in the negotiations. "Anyone who recommends Peretz will not be in the coalition," Kadima said.

...Sources in Labor said Peretz had begun talks with a number of factions to recommend him to the president to form the cabinet and thus to the post of prime minister. Yishai said in response that he did not discount the possibility that Shas would recommend Peretz to the president: "Shas has no preferred candidate; as long as [the movement's spiritual mentor] Rabbi Ovadia Yosef has not stated his preference we will not discuss it."

It is believed in Kadima that in the end Shas will be part of the coalition, after Yishai signs the coalition platform, since Yosef does not want the party to remain in opposition for another term.

Yes, Amir, we're all impressed with the fun displays of your notorious "tough negotiator" tactics. But let's get real here and start cutting the crap. Anyone with a mustache like yours should know that playfulness has a limit.

More:

Meretz decided at a meeting Thursday to recommend to the president that Peretz form the coalition said Ran Cohen, appointed chairman of the party's negotiating team. Cohen said Meretz's condition was that Peretz would not enter a coalition with the Likud, the National Union or Yisrael Beiteinu.

Cohen called Kadima's threat that a party that recommends Peretz to the president would not enter the coalition "irrelevant."

Sigh. And so it goes.

P.S.

Congratulations to MK Rabbi his semi-holiness Eli Yishai for displaying this week's Independent Thought Award, sponsored by our free-thinking friends over at Fox News. Kudos, Eli. Keep on representing the best of the Jewish intellectual tradition.

Edit: Settlers are mad about the Kadima win? No way! Tomorrow's USA Today Headline: "New study finds Asians enjoy rice; noodles. Scientists stunned."