Two Faces

President Bush started a big dust up yesterday by suggesting some Democrats (i.e., Barack Obama) were appeasers with their crazy position that they might actually conduct diplomacy with foreign governments.  (And we should all pay attention when President Bush lectures on foreign policy, as he's demonstrated so much proficiency in this area).  John McCain piled on as well, hoping to land some cheap shots. 

Remember, this the same John McCain who's been straining himself for the last week claiming Hamas "endorsed" Barack Obama's candidacy for president.   In fact, just the other day Senator McCain said:

I think that the people should understand that I will be Hamas’s worst nightmare.

I think it is very clear who Hamas wants to be the next president of the United States. If Senator Obama is favored by Hamas, I think people can make judgments accordingly.

Well, guess what?  In what is becoming an increasing frequent occurrence, there's evidence the Senator has not been exactly consistent on the issue.  During an interview two years ago with Sky News, Senator McCain was questioned about Middle East issues:

I asked: "Do you think that American diplomats should be operating the way they have in the past, working with the Palestinian government if Hamas is now in charge?"

McCain answered: "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. I think the lesson is people want security and a decent life and decent future, that they want democracy. Fatah was not giving them that." (Link)

Oops.

Comments

[Crian Padayachee]

McCain and Bush, wow there really doesn't seem to be alot of difference with these two. I am not surprised about Senator McCain's incosistency though. I am reading Cliff Schecter's the Real McCain and it is filled with pages of how McCain does what is needed to further his political career rather than have a definitive opinion

[Ali]

Lectures from GWB on foreign policy. Yeah, there's something we need to listen to. And of course, immediately do the opposite of whatever he says.