OK, So What Are The "Legitimate Claims" Of Hezbollah And Hamas?

David Brooks chatted with Barack Obama on Hezbollah and Hamas, with eyebrow-raising results:

The U.S. needs a foreign policy that “looks at the root causes of problems and dangers.” Obama compared Hezbollah to Hamas. Both need to be compelled to understand that “they’re going down a blind alley with violence that weakens their legitimate claims.” He knows these movements aren’t going away anytime soon (“Those missiles aren’t going to dissolve”), but “if they decide to shift, we’re going to recognize that. That’s an evolution that should be recognized.”

As a former community organizer himself  I suppose Obama might admire the efficacy of the Hamas and Hezbollah street level operations.  But what "legitimate claims" does he have in mind?  Beats me.  The Confederate Yankee and Noah Pollak of Commentary are also concerned.

But I have a Bold Suggestion - since Obama is backing away from his "I'll meet with any rogue fool without preconditions" pledge anyway, why doesn't he announce one pre-condition - any bad boy dictators or lunatics who want to meet with Obama must load onto YouTube a video of themselves singing a chorus of Kumbaya.  That should be reassuring.

Comments

[laura]

JMHanes
Cruise control is bookmarked.
This could be the reason to get through the dog days.

[Topsecretk9]

I come to bring you your saturday afternoon hilarity - set the drinky down for a momento so don't spew it all over when you DIE laughing your behind off....

Larry's Tape story evolves....

Here’s the news short and sweet–if you have a copy of the Michelle Obama video, in which she is lambasting white people (four different sources say she uses “whitey” as an epithet) at Jeremiah Wright’s church, then there is an ultra conservative Republican billionaire who wants to pay your $1 million dollars for the tape. Why? He hates John McCain. Conservative Republicans refer to John McCain as a Marxist and a sell out (and those are the nice comments). The billionaire in question believes Barack is a very weak candidate and, if he gets the Democratic nod, then McCain will surely be President. Especially after the October “surprise” of Michelle Obama railing against whitey. The billionaire wants to preempt McCain and Rove and has put the word out thru conservative networks that there is a $1 million dollar bounty for the person or persons who produce the tape.

I got this info courtesy of a major Republican operative. I am told that Karl Rove and his political allies control the tape where Michelle Obama has a Stokely Carmichael moment of sorts. Rove and company reportedly are showing the tape to big money Republicans to loosen up their wallets and get new money to fund independent expenditure groups. That’s why news of this is starting to leak out. The money is being raised for 527 groups that will target the Democrats in the fall.

A retired CIA buddy is friends with a lawyer who saw the tape. This lawyer, who has a stellar reputation for being very low-key, described the video clip of Michelle’s anti-white rant as, “stunning.” My guess is that the billionaire who detests John McCain is probably going to find someone who will comes up with the tape. So there you have it, someone is looking for “Whitey.” If they find it they get a pay day. If not, you will have to wait till October to watch it.

[Sue]

Top,

I'm glad you warned me. That is the funniest thing he has ever written.

[Sue]

I am going to find it hard to not defend McCain at some point. http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=NWE5MjUwNDU4MWFmOWI4ZmQyNTEwZGMzN2U1Mjg3NTQ=>Steyn explains why.

[Sue]

At what point does your credibility become the liability it should be? Hasn't Scary reached that point?

[Topsecretk9]

Sue

No kidding. I'm just wondering when the Obama lovers in the media are going to blow their top over Scary and cry uncle - they know he's full of crap, they know he's always been full of crap, but they just played along with him because they liked he and NoJo Jo Jo lies were about Rove and Bush. Now that he's making up crap about the chosen one they've got to be pissed.

[Sue]

When was the last time Scary was on as an analyst? I think they've already ditched him, especially Olbermann, which was the last place I saw Scary appear.

[Sue]

I'm watching them delete comments so fast your head would spin. Man, I wish he would let me play again. ::grin::

[clarice]

Larry's finest moment..

And if you think the CIA and ex-agents are crackpots, here's England:

An MI5 agent has resigned after his prostitute wife engineered the tabloid sting that exposed Max Mosley, the head of motor racing, for taking part in a sado-masochistic orgy. The disclosure is deeply embarrassing for Britain's security service and has forced a review of vetting. The man was a surveillance operative with several years of service.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1976775/Max-Mosley-orgy-revelation-forces-M15-agent-to-quit.html>Some vetting

[Topsecretk9]

Sue,

I'm not talking ditching. I talking they put him to bed for good.

[Sue]

They would have to expose their own conduct in order to do that, Top. They just hope everyone has forgotten him by now, I'm sure.

[clarice]

I know where that tape is--just under the sealed indictment of Rove and the 22 other indictments. They should check out Nifong's still padlocked file cabinet.
(Do I get the reward now?)

[Sue]

(Do I get the reward now?)

Yes. And I fully expect you to use it to take us all on a JOM cruise!

[Topsecretk9]

Sue

I'm just hoping one is willing to expose their own conduct - for the Messiah!

[clarice]

First a big donation to Americare and then money for the cruise.Trust me.

[Lesley]

What is so astonishing to me is the history of the Mitfords (Max Mosley's mother was Diana Mitford).

Diana Mitford divorced Byron Guinness (yes, that Guinness) to marry Oswald Mosley, a British fascist, and was nursing poor baby Max when she and husband Oswald were thrown into jail during WW2. Perhaps Max's sexual problems stem from being taken too early from his mother's breast.

Unity Mitford was a pal of Adolph Hitler (I think he paid for her apartment in Berlin) and shot herself in the head when WW2 was declared. Unity survived, was returned to England, but her brain injury rendered her with the mentality of a difficult child.

Deborah Mitford married Andrew Cavendish and became the Duchess of Devonshire upon the death of Andrew's older brother who was married to Kathleen Kennedy (Jack Kennedy's sister).

Jessica Mitford eloped with Esmond Romilly (related to Churchill) and they ran off to the Spanish Civil War as devoted commies. Romilly dies during WW2 and she ends up marrying the left-leaning American Bob Treuhaft (who started the law firm for which Hillary Clinton later interned).

Nancy Mitford was a VERY famous author, lived in the town of Versailles after WW2) and pined after a French colonel who dumped her to marry a French aristocrat. Collections of her letters (edited by Charlotte Mosley are among my all-time favorite reading material. Nancy Mitford was hysterically funny and she corresponded with scads of famous people - best known are the letters she and Evelyn Waugh exchanged).

Pamela Mitford married Derek Jackson who was a well-known British physicist.

There was a brother who died during WW2.

What an extraordinary family.

[Lesley]

Darn.

Did I put this on the wrong thread? Who mentioned Max Mosley?

[Porchlight]

I've long been fascinated by the Mitfords, too, Lesley. Nancy is my favorite, Deborah second. Jessica was a loudmouth. Unity was always a bit odd, even before she fell in love with Hitler. The Pursuit of Love and Love In A Cold Climate, Nancy's semi-autobiographical novels, are great fun.

[Sue]

I think I'm going to be sick. The people posting at Scary's are voters. They are going to help decide who my next president is going to be. I don't think I'm going to be sick. I think I'm going to die of fright.

[Lesley]

Porchlight - nice to find another Mitford fan. Nancy is my favorite, too.

[Elliott]

Since Rubin's interview with McCain took place in Davos, would it be correct to label his disingenuous attack "Swiss boating?"

[Topsecretk9]

Elliot

Ba dump bump.

--

Sue

I know. It's creepy when you stop cracking up at them huh?

[MayBee]

The Pursuit of Love and Love In A Cold Climate,

Oh yes I love them, and only recently got the books out of storage.
Two things that always seem apyt (and I'll have to look up her exact quotes)-- the old rich woman who claims she and her husband put India on the map "before we went, hardly anyone had heard of India!" (Pauline Kael in the opposite) and her description of liberals always being unhappy.

[SunnyDay]

an eastern Caribbean cruise in November could be choppy.

[Topsecretk9]

Just for the record...I hope everyone knows I was just being silly at 12:23

Hit and Run does this much better.

[Topsecretk9]

12:33

[PeterUK]

"An MI5 agent has resigned after his prostitute wife engineered the tabloid sting that exposed Max Mosley, the head of motor racing, for taking part in a sado-masochistic orgy."

Good Lord,"sleeping with the enema".
In fact a large number of MI5 employees who have come blinking into the light of day,have been losers and loop the loops.
At one time operative were recruited from the armed forces,now it seems to be normal Civil Service recruitment.Anyone over the age of ten who wants to be a spy should be excluded.

[Pagar]

From the Steyn link posted by Sue on May 17, 9:57pm.

" During those years, McCain did not share the disillusioning and morally jarring experiences of soldiers like Kerry, Webb and Hagel,"

That is why I can't understand why so many are upset that McCain does not back the GI Bill written by Webb and Hagel. If America wants a strong military, it needs top quality senior NCOs ands senior officers. Senators Webb and Hagel do not share that belief, IMO, and have written their GI Bill accordingly. I believe Sen McCain is correct in this matter.

Surely, if one believes that some of our problems in Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan stem from improper decisions by our military; one would agree we need to have the best in the senior NCO and officer ranks , not what is left after everyone else is enticed to leave.

[clarice]

Maybe we can work something out with MI5.

[centralcal]

Okay, woke up early this a.m. and thought I would catch up on the thread. Holy cow, doesn't Tops have a howler from Scary Larry!

The man is absolutely bonkers. Talk about "voices in my head" nutso (sorry Hit).

[Pofarmer]

That is why I can't understand why so many are upset that McCain does not back the GI Bill written by Webb and Hagel.

So, what you're saying, is that Webb and Hagel have written a bill to entice people to leave the military?

How patriotic.

[kim]

Note the singular 'voice'; as had Socrates, though his was only proscriptive.
====================

[Pagar]

Some previous actions by Sen Webb and Sen Hagel include; "Sen. Chuck Hagel, right, and Jim Webb discuss their measure to require that troops get as much time at home as they spend overseas before being redeployed."
Article

It sounds real nice but IMO, no General could run any Organization that has such restrictions. It takes every experienced person out of action, with no hope of training the number needed to replace them. In Vietnam, we had a much larger pool of manpower and therefore were able to do things like that, but the manpower has been cut and there is no hope of getting it increased, IMO.

That effort by Sen Webb/Hagel failed because Sen Warner realized what was at stake, and the anti war coalition had no rebuttal. Now they are convinced they have found the perfect arguement with the GI bill and that no one should be against it. Sen McCain sees the effort for what it is, and has explained why he is against it.