A new party headed by Roni Milo and Dan Meridor with, perhaps, Amnon Lipkin-Shahak might be more attractive to the centrist voter who does not want either Labor or the Likud. Ariel Sharon is still a wild card. And, last but not least, the Labor Party might still learn a lesson or two and force Orr to resign from the Knesset, and better sooner than later. It took Ehud Barak too long to understand that if he doesn't force Orr to quit, he too might find himself out of the race, together with his friend. Barak did not understand that not taking Orr with him to Washington is not even a token reprimand.
Nobody here cares about a U.S. visit, mainly because the trip itself is useless.
The next election will be won in Dimona, Ofakim and the Katamonim, not in Washington's Foggy Bottom, especially in August when everyone is rushing to pack and leave town, and the Jewish community is already on vacation. Barak would be better off staying in the country, picking up the pieces and trying to save a Labor Party that seems to be on the brink of oblivion. He can do so by creating a new alliance with the North African community and giving its leaders, such as Shlomo Ben-Ami and Amir Peretz, a central place in the leadership. For Netanyahu, his only option is to call for new elections. In so doing he leaves less time for other parties to organize and he also still benefits from the short memory of the voters, who have not yet felt the full burden of the economic, social and employment situation.