McCain Accused of Hypocrisy Over Hamas Positions
WASHINGTON — Democrats accused Sen. John McCain Friday of hypocrisy on the question of whether the United States should negotiate with terrorists and dictators, saying the certain Republican nominee had previously been willing to negotiate with the militant Palestinian group Hamas.
In an op-ed published Friday in The Washington Post, former Clinton State Department official James Rubin said that McCain, responding to a question in a television interview two years ago about whether U.S. diplomats should be working with the Hamas government in Gaza, said:
“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 toward 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.”
Rubin, who interviewed McCain for the British network Sky News, said McCain is “guilty of hypocrisy” and accused him of “smearing” Democratic presidential front-runner Barack Obama. On Thursday, McCain suggested that Obama was naive and inexperienced for expressing a willingness to meet with rogue leaders like Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
McCain campaign spokesman Tucker Bounds said Friday that McCain has long said he would impose pre-conditions before meeting with Hamas or other radical groups and leaders.
“There should be no confusion, John McCain has always believed that serious engagement would require mandatory conditions and Hamas must change itself fundamentally renounce violence, abandon its goal of eradicating Israel and accept a two state solution,” Bounds said in a statement.
Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Joe Biden, D-Del., also accused McCain and President Bush of hypocrisy, saying Bush was talking about Obama when he slammed those who would negotiate with rogue leaders and terrorists as appeasers in a speech to the Israeli Knesset on Thursday.
The Bush administration has negotiated with rogue leaders in North Korea and Libya, Biden said in an interview with CNN Friday.
“This is pure hypocrisy, but the worst part about it is, think how it falls on the ears in capitals of Europe and the rest of the world and Toyko when the president of the United States says under no condition will we talk to anybody like that, and John McCain, the nominee for the Republican Party, who may very well be president of the United States, is saying the same thing,” Biden said.
On Thursday, McCain told reporters he took the White House at its word when it said that Bush hadn’t been referring to Obama in his speech. But he said Obama must explain why he wants to talk with leaders like Ahmadinejad and added that Obama’s position was a serious error.
Policies change with time and circumstances. Are these Dems trying to throw up a smoke screen to divert attention from Obamas willingness to “sleep with the enemy”?
Political gain at the expense of American interests must be treated with disdain as this is what we dont want to see happening to a great Country like the United States of America. John Mcain has once again shown that he only has his personal interests at heart and not the American people at all! The best he should have done is to make it clear that he was equally as “naive” as Obama was long time ago and that he has changed his position with age for him to take the stand that he has taken. The USA has “dailogued” with Muammar Gaddafi and helped that tyrant to democratise (at least a bit!) and drop his terrorist sponsoring activities…was nt that “talking to them”, I am in the UK and my family is in the States and they are bewildered when they hear/see the level od lies and hypochrisy in leaders! Mcain should not take his name name to the same level as Bush who does not care whether he is being prudent or he is gaffing! I suspect there must be a lot or red faces in the boardroom when the republicans meet to address this issue
SEEMS LIKE THE STRAIGHT TALK EXPRESS TURNS INTO THE FLIP FLOP EXPRESS… THIS GUY IS REALLY UNSTABLE
Does Oliver North and the Taliban-Contra ring a bell?
Isn’t this more evidences that Senator McCain has lost his BEARING… This is just typical of a politician to take opposition to an idea just for the sake of draw differences. Someone in these individual’s camp should be keep tab on the stance they take on policies so that they remain consistent.
I can say this is in no way shocking as Senator McCain’s views today are now totally different from a year ago. The man only has one platform “Lets project Strength”. While that might be appealing to certain individuals who believes America should rule the world, very few of them are on the frontline flexing that muscle required to project such strength.
Why is it such a bad idea to speak to your enemies? How much have we really accomplished by not talking to Cuba, Iran, North Korea… Isn’t it time for a different approach? I tell my kids they should try to workout their differences with individuals that don’t like them. Why does this simple concept eludes educated individual who wants to represent all of us.
hypocricy is part of politics especially the Republicans-they love and enjoy being hypocrites. Mr. McCain go ahead and be what you really are.
Sen. McCain, be wary of who you alienate with your liberal pandering. You may get some democrats to vote for you but at what price?? Would you risk losing the conservative vote just to cater to left-wingers?? I’m very disappointed in the Republican party. At this point, the only difference I see between McCain and Obama is that McCain MIGHT not raise my taxes.
Comment by kwame
May 16th, 2008 at 12:26 pm
hypocricy is part of politics especially the Republicans-they love and enjoy being hypocrites. Mr. McCain go ahead and be what you really are.
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Not all Republicans are hypocrites, just the ones like McCain who are more Democrat than Republican.
When someone tells the truth, Rubin, why don’t you agree with it? You can’t hold a candle to the experiences and honors of Sen McCain.
Joe Biden, D-Del is the man who after spending years and years in Washington wasn’t respected enough in the democrats’ views to even make a marginal showing in his run for the Presidential nomination of his own party. He has failed everywhere with the exception of, maybe, his home state to be considered a respected member of our Government. On numerous occasions he has had to backtrack on statements he made because of his own lack of credibility and/or knowledge. Joe Biden, D-Del serves no useful purpose to our government and his thoughts on anything should only be taken with a grain of salt……..if that much.
Long live George W. Bush, he’s kept us safe!