Did You Know...

**Written by Doug Powers

This is not-so-coincidentally running concurrently with Netanyahu’s criticism of the Obama administration over Iran’s nuclear program:

The White House declined Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s request on Tuesday to meet U.S. President Barack Obama during a UN conference in New York at the end of the month.

An official in Jerusalem said that the prime minister’s office sent the White House a message stating that although Netanyahu will spend only two and a half days on U.S. soil, he is interested in meeting Obama and is willing to travel to the U.S. capital specifically for that purpose. The official added that the White House rejected the request and said that at this time Obama’s schedule does not allow for a meeting.

The White House’s response marks a new low in relations between Netanyahu and Obama, underscored by the fact that this is the first time Netanyahu will visit the U.S. as prime minister without meeting the president.

And after all the “sure sounds like two-thirds to me” love the Dems gave Israel at the convention?

Tomorrow Jay Carney will remind any reporter asking about this that the president’s plate is quite full.

Maybe Bibi will counter by holding a public meeting with an empty chair. We’ll see — but chances are the other chair will now have Mitt Romney in it.

**Written by Doug Powers

Twitter @ThePowersThatBe