The times they are a'changin...

Israel is in for some changes:

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon suffered a "significant stroke" Wednesday evening and is currently being ventilated and anesthetized, Jerusalem Ein Kerem hospital director announced. Shortly thereafter, the hospital director added Sharon was suffering from a brain hemorrhage and has been rushed to surgery.

The talking heads are besides themselves with excitement at having something to fill those dreary 24 hour new cycles they have to deal with. Things will happen as they happen, talking heads notwithstanding, but I do have to wonder at the apparent surprise everyone is feeling that a morbidly obese elderly man should suddenly be stricken. This was always the risk Israel took putting all her eggs in the Sharon basket. My bet is that Netanyahu will walk out of this one the winner. With the self-identified center gone, people will view the Left as ineffective, and hew Right. BTW, someone who listens to the news told me that Sharon's incapacity is a disaster, because he's widely perceived as the only one who can make peace with the Arabs. My response was that's a ludicrous label to attach to him, because it's manifest that the Arabs have no interest in making peace with Israel, regardless of who is in charge.