Applesauce
Pat Cunningham offers an unabashedly liberal perspective on national politics. A note of caution: The language gets a litttle salty on some of the sites to which this blog links. So, don’t say you weren’t warned. By the way, this blog’s name is inspired by the Will Rogers quote, “All politics is applesauce.”

It was John McCain, not Barack Obama, who wanted to play patty-cake with Hamas

May 16th, 2008 at 06:21am Pat Cunningham

mccain.jpg

Mr. Straight Talk should change his nickname to Mr. Zig-Zag Talk.

John McCain’s been peddling baloney of late about how Barack Obama is somehow inclined to be too chummy with Hamas, the terrorist organization that controls the Palestinian government.

Actually, Obama’s been saying that Hamas should renounce its violent ways before diplomatic relations with the United States are established.

But McCain said this of Hamas when it emerged victorious in Palestinian elections:

“They’re the government; sooner or later we are going to have to deal with them, one way or another, and I understand why this administration and previous administrations had such antipathy towards Hamas because of their dedication to violence and the things that they not only espouse but practice, so . . . but it’s a new reality in the Middle East.”

Former Assistant Secretary of State James P. Rubin puts the matter in perspective HERE.

Entry Filed under: Hamas, John McCain, Barack Obama

5 Comments Add your own

  • 1. CR  |  May 16th, 2008 at 10:35 am

    Wait - stop the presses - didn’t Hamas JUST endorse Obama on April 13th? Search ‘Hamas endorses Obama’ into Google, this is a widely reported story!

  • 2. Obamasux  |  May 16th, 2008 at 2:17 pm

    Raise your hand if you’ve never had to fire anyone in your campaign for talking secretly with and propagandizing for Hamas. Not so fast Obama.

  • 3. Right Of The Star Blog  |  May 16th, 2008 at 8:25 pm

    Pat, video shows Mr. Rubin basically lied by leaving out the next part of the interview (this is becoming a habit with Obama supporters):

    Rubin: “So should the United States be dealing with that new reality through normal diplomatic contacts to get the job done for the United States?”

    Sen. McCain: “I think the United States should take a step back, see what they do when they form their government, see what their policies are, and see the ways that we can engage with them, and if there aren’t any, there may be a hiatus. But I think part of the relationship is going to be dictated by how Hamas acts, not how the United States acts.”

    This answer is consistent with everything else McCain said at the time about the election of Hamas to governing status in the Palestinian territories. He told Rubin, CNN, and said in a press release that the election gave Hamas an opportunity to reject violence, renounce the destruction of Israel as a goal, and act like a legitimate political party rather than a terrorist organization. If they did that, then the US would find ways to engage with them. If not, McCain said a hiatus would occur in diplomatic contacts with the PA — which is exactly what happened.

    This shows considerable dishonesty on the part of Rubin. The Washington Post should issue a retraction of this column forthwith.

    David

  • 4. Kaus  |  May 16th, 2008 at 9:25 pm

    Rubin lied and Pat is recirculating his half story…Mccain’s piece also included “I think the United States should take a step back, see what they do when they form their government, see what their policies are, and see the ways that we can engage with them, and if there aren’t any, there may be a hiatus. But I think part of the relationship is going to be dictated by how Hamas acts, not how the United States acts.”

  • 5. Tom McMahon  |  May 18th, 2008 at 6:56 pm

    Caught in yet another lie by the Democrats.

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