Surro-Gate: Hamas Ties and Lies Arise

By Caleb Howe
May 12th 2008 5:55PM

Filed Under:eBarack Obama, Scandal, Foreign Policy

Following Friday's resignation by Obama Middle East advisor Rob Malley over his many meetings with Palestinian terrorist organization Hamas, the Obama-Hamas controversy is bubbling up once more. Over the last few weeks the controversy has been a particular point of discussion between the McCain and Obama campaigns. In an interview last week, Senator Obama said that McCain was "losing his bearings" and suggested that the Hamas issue was nothing more than a "smear" tactic. In a subsequent appearance, Senator McCain said he believed the endorsement of Senator Obama by Hamas was "a legitimate point of discussion." Conservative and liberal blogs have been abuzz, albeit to a lesser extent than the "When Will She Get Out" speculation.


Senator Obama's position with regard to rogue states and terrorist groups has been a point of contention for months, starting with his statement during a CNN Debate in July of last year that he would meet with such states without precondition. The Clinton campaign made much use of this, with Senator Clinton herself calling Obama's answer "irresponsible and frankly naive," in an interview with an Iowa newspaper that same month.

The senator has received a few unpleasant endorsements that further exacerbate the campaign's weak spot. In March, Ali Abunimah, co-founder of the Electronic Intifada website, which is a website for the radical Palestinian liberation group International Solidarity Movement (ISM), wrote an article about Senator Obama. In it, he suggested that "Obama implicitly admitted that Wright's views were rooted in opposition to Israel's deep ties to apartheid South Africa, and thus entirely reasonable," in his effort to establish a pro-Palestine tint to the Senator's speeches. The link is tenable, particularly in light of Senator Obama's friendly relationship with Palestinian activist Rashid Khalidi.


Recently, and with much more coverage than Ali Abunimah received, Ahmed Yousef, chief political advisor to the Prime Minister of Hamas, endorsed the Senator. "We like Mr. Obama, and we hope that he will win the elections," he said. The endorsement has caused a stir, particularly among conservatives and conservative bloggers. In a conference call with bloggers two weeks ago, Senator McCain was asked about the endorsement by Commentary's Jennifer Rubin. He replied that he would be "Hamas' worst nightmare," and that he thinks "it's very clear, that it's understandable why they would not want me to be President of the United States. So, if Senator Obama is favored by Hamas I think people can make judgements accordingly." As Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran is one of those leaders on Senator Obama's "no conditions" day planner, his debate remarks are again material. As Senator McCain said, "Iran is obviously an important supporter of Hamas."


Additionally, throughout the Reverend Wright controversy, Wright's anti-Israel views and those published in the Church newsletter, have haunted Senator Obama.


The New York Times ran an article on Saturday in which campaign spokesperson Dr. Susan Rice is quoted suggesting that "for political purposes, Senator Obama's opponents on the right have distorted and reframed" his views on rogue states. The article says Senator McCain and his surrogates have pressed the "unconditional" issue, though makes no mention of Senator Clinton's comments. Little Green Footballs notes that Dr. Rice is contradicted by the Obama Campaign website, which states, "Obama is the only major candidate who supports tough, direct presidential diplomacy with Iran without preconditions." Unless his webmaster is one of the Senator's "opponents on the right," it would seem that comment is another one for "Surro-gate".


The two fronts are clear: Whether Senator Obama is soft on rogue states; Whether Senator Obama is soft on Hamas and, by extension, terrorism. His surrogates seem bent on further damaging him in these areas (and Jimmy Carter isn't exactly helping Democrats overall on this issue either.)


Senators Clinton and McCain have attacked these Obama weak points on the terrrorism and foreign policy fronts. If Senator Obama wants to address such issues, he's only getting it half right. Rob Malley's departure was correct. Susan Rice rewriting the past was not so correct.


The New York Times article has one point that is crystal clear: Senator McCain's campaign will be using this issue in the general campaign. Senator Obama will need to find a response better than Susan's "nuh-uh" or campaign spokesman David Axelrod's "it's flattering when anybody says that Barack Obama would follow in [Kennedy's] footsteps" Hamas-inspired afterglow.

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