JEFFREY GOLDBERG: The Point Of No Return. “For the Obama administration, the prospect of a nuclearized Iran is dismal to contemplate— it would create major new national-security challenges and crush the president’s dream of ending nuclear proliferation. But the view from Jerusalem is still more dire: a nuclearized Iran represents, among other things, a threat to Israel’s very existence.” I think some people in Washington — and elsewhere — have been letting the Israelis twist in the wind in the hopes that Israel will solve our Iran problems for us, and take the blame. I don’t think these “leaders” will like the outcome, and if I were the Israelis I wouldn’t be trying too hard to make it pleasant. Irresponsibility can be expensive.

UPDATE: Herschel Smith emails: “Good point. I have a coworker who believes – and practices – the philosophy that filling in the gap for bad managers, even when you see something that is about to go very wrong, is generally a bad idea. It continues them in their stolid beliefs, enables them to continue to be poor managers, and allows them to keep from growing up. Allowing leadership to succeed or fail on their own merits is always best. It develops them and helps them to stop their bad behavior.”