Hmm – Carter cae out saying that Hamas had agreed to a 2 state solution – Hamas said “No we didn’t” within minutes, and Carter is still maintaining that they did. At best he’s a fool; at worst, he’s a bald faced liar who has no sense of history.

The use a different analogy than the normal one, Wilson thought he was being a peacemaker between the central and entente powers. You could try reading Tuchman’s “The Zimmerman Telegram” to see how well that worked out for him. When you are dealing with people whose stated desire is to conquer, there’s not a whole lot of “middle ground” to find. Wilson never figured that out, and it looks like the concept is beyond Carter as well.

Carter is merely trying to help open communications between the various players in the middle east. He can’t make any promises or commitments for anyone other than himself.

I find it quite ironic that a peacemaker is despised, while it’s quite alright to destroy a country based on a lie, killing 100,000+ people along the way, and destroying our own military to boot.

As for Obama and Wright… we all have those friends and relatives who sometimes spout total crap… but we still consider them friends and/or family. If I had to disown every person I had any disagreement with, I’d be trying to figure out how to disown my own younger self.

Guilt by association isn’t fair. We don’t judge McCain on the basis of his religious leaders. We don’t judge George Bush on his close friendship with the Bin Ladens. The only reason to do something like that is to divide people and make them afraid to associate with anyone.

Hillary is a sociopath, hell bent on the acquisition of power. Can anyone point out where she’s done something that wasn’t in her own best interests?

–Mike–

Hope it sticks this time…

“You see, this is the problem I have with Obama. I’m still not sure what I think he is: a cynical politician who throws out empty rhetoric and makes these grand statements only when he needs to (that is, like every other cynical politician) or a mushy wimp who can’t make tough decisions because he thinks he can get along with everybody (Jimmy Carter).”

Exactly. And, Carter has been a lousy ex-President. Unlike most, he doesn’t realize that diplomacy isn’t a freelance operation, and he continually gets played by authoritarians.

First, Obama’s denial of knowledge about Wright’s extreme views is not credible. Not to me, at least. He’s even more busted than Roger Clemens on that one, and he is making the same big mistake by not fessing.

Obama should have said something like, “Look. Yes, this guy has extreme views. I cringed at them when I sat in his church, and when he shared them personally. But he’s my friend and like family to me. He officiated our wedding and baptised our children. We put up with disagreements in family that we won’t in politics. What was once family is now political, and it pains me to see that happen. But it has. So I have resigned from Reverend Wright’s church, but not from my affection for him personally, even as he works against my campaign for president. At least let’s thank God and our founders that free speech is a guaranteed right for everybody. And let’s move on”

But Obama didn’t do that. Instead he stonewalled. It was a Nixonian moment. Or worse, a (Bill) Clintonian one. Getting out of it will require Obama’s own version of the weaseling at which Bill Clinton has no equal — and Bill’s ass still got impeached. This isn’t going away. It will only get uglier.

My guess is that Barack is protecting Michelle here. I don’t know all the history, but I have heard enough of Michelle Obama (e.g. “for the first time in my adult life, I am proud of my country…”), and know enough about her background to assume that her own opinions and cultural alignments are at a midpoint and form a bridge between Rev. Wright and her husband. To me the subtext of Obama’s messages about Wright are, “Look, I’m connected to this man through my wife, and I don’t want to bring her into this.”

But she will be brought in. Count on it. This thing is far from over. Not because Barack buried it, but because he is clearly lying about what he knew and when he knew it.

Hey, if I’m wrong about that, prove it. But I doubt that will happen. The dirt diggers in both parties are already all over it.

As for Carter, he was in over his head. He’s a fine ex-president, but as president he was a lousy leader. To be fair, there haven’t been many great ones. And most of the ones we call great have been glossed by simplistic characterizations. Kennedy and Reagan both come to mind, for different reasons.

Would Obama be another Carter? I dunno. James may be right about that. I do know that we need something better than a choice between a warmonger and dynastic succession. Obama feeds my fantasies about that. But as time goes on my cynicism returns. And it’s not because The Right has pulled Obama’s pants down. It’s because he’s running naked for emperor.

The advantage here goes to Hillary, who has been undressed aggressively for many years.

The disadvantage is McCain’s. He is masterful at schmoozing the press, but his own wacky nature and compromised connections will be exposed fully by the time the de-pantsers are done with him.

Especially if Hiillary leads the democratic ticket. Which odds now favor, following the most disturbing convention since 1968.

And McCain will win anyway, because the country will see the least worst in him.

Obama refused to distance himself from Wright in that speech. Not to mention this: Try reading that speech rather than listening to it. I read it first, then watched the video. It was flat, said nothing, and mostly involved throwing his grandmother under a bus.

To say I was unimpressed would be an understatement.