President George W. Bush's attack on Sen. Barack Obama on the floor of the Israeli Knesset was an unprecedented act that undermines American diplomacy to serve political purposes. Here is Bush's statement:
Some seem to believe we should negotiate with terrorists and radicals, as if some ingenious argument will persuade them they have been wrong all along. We have heard this foolish delusion before. As Nazi tanks crossed into Poland in 1939, an American senator declared: "Lord, if only I could have talked to Hitler, all of this might have been avoided." We have an obligation to call this what it is – the false comfort of appeasement, which has been repeatedly discredited by history.
Some people suggest that if the United States would just break ties with Israel, all our problems in the Middle East would go away. This is a tired argument that buys into the propaganda of our enemies, and America rejects it utterly. Israel's population may be just over 7 million. But when you confront terror and evil, you are 307 million strong, because America stands with you. Full text of speech here.
Commentary below the fold.
The President of the United States is supposed to represent the United States above all else when acting on foreign soil or otherwise dealing with the international community. Bush's attack on Senator Barack Obama, falsely accusing him of advocating a strategy of appeasement and evoking Hitler and the Nazis while doing so, is a sad example of putting the interests of the Republican Party ahead of those of the United States.
There is a very good chance the Barack Obama will be the next President of the United States. For a sitting President to tell the government of one of our strongest allies that the person that may be the next President will not be as strong an ally undermines the United States and the course of diplomacy that will be undertaken by his successor.
Making a Hitler reference to the Israeli Knesset in order to score a cheap political shot against a Democrat amounts to one of the most embarrassing statements ever made in the history of American statecraft.
Not only does Bush's accusation blatantly misrepresent Barack Obama's position, but his right-wing attack dogs do not even know what they are talking about in defending the absurd statement. (Example: Kevin James).
If one thing is clear, it is that the United States must not again elect a President from a political party that values itself more than our country. President Bush just showed how you can abusively unpatriotic while wearing a flag pin.