You know this is what they had in mind

...with all that talk of freedom and democracy. A fundamentalist Iran with nukes, on friendly terms with a fundamentalist Iraq. A Palestinian state run by a sect dedicated to wiping Israel from the earth. Blah blah blah. Who could have foreseen that a multiyear occupation would lead to increased power for angry anti-imperialist groups? no sireee...

Oh, anyway, reactions to the Hamas ascendancy include a rant from Digby and speculation by the NYTimes that bilateral negotiations and progress will come to an abrupt end. Look for more Berlin wall, less return of land to Palestinian control. A half-century-sized set-back. whee.

Update: here's another pithy take. Key quote: "Given the incompetent war criminal we elected to roll back our own Constitution, though, we're not in a position to question their judgment." sigh.