Bush Blasted For Opposing Appeasement Of Terrorists

Bush made a statement in Israel that caused some controversy:

"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," the President said to the country's legislative body, "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."

There's even controversy on the name of the senator Bush is quoting. Just for the record, the senator who made the statement was Senator William Edgar Borah, Republican Senator from Idaho. But even that is controversial, since it is not really clear if he said it. Wikipedia merely says the quote was attributed to him and has no source.

But there is an apparent source provided on Yahoo! Answers:

...The first publication I can find is in Marian Cecilia McKenna's 1961 "Borah," on page 360. She cites as her source William K Hutchinson's "News articles on life and works of William E. Borah," in which Hutchinson apparently records that Borah made the remark to him. I don't own the Hutchinson book, so if you do, I'd be grateful for the full context.

Though Obama made a point of taking this as a personal attack, there is reason to believe that Bush was not singling out Obama:

ABC News' White House troops point out that the President has made similar statements in the past and Bush did not specifically cite Obama by name...

But that won't stop anyone:

The White House insists that Bush was "referring to a wide range of people, not any single person." But Obama's campaign says it appeared to be a swipe at him, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Thursday that Bush's remarks were "beneath the dignity of the office of the president and unworthy of our representation" at the celebration of Israel's 60th anniversary.

Referring to Sen. John McCain, Pelosi said: "I would hope that any serious person that aspires to lead the country, would disassociate themselves from those comments.”

That last dig by Pelosi is truly absurd: sort of like asking Pelosi--who has posted on Daily Kos--to distance herself from the Anti-Semitic posts that continue to appear on that blog.

Meanwhile, House Democratic Caucus Chairman Rahm Emanuel came out with the following:

"The tradition has always been that when a U.S. president is overseas, partisan politics stops at the water's edge. President Bush has now taken that principle and turned it on its head: for this White House, partisan politics now begins at the water’s edge, no matter the seriousness and gravity of the occasion. Does the president have no shame?”

Kerry talks along the same lines:

In a separate statement, Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) said that Bush "is still playing the disgusting and dangerous political game Karl Rove perfected, which is insulting to every American and disrespectful to our ally Israel. George Bush should be making Israel secure, not slandering Barack Obama from the Knesset."

So much for Emanuel's tradition. See AllahPundit's Kerry rips Bush in front of former Iranian president at Davos.

Then there is Senator Biden:

“This is b______, this is malarkey. This is outrageous, for the president of the United States to go to a foreign country, to sit in the Knesset ... and make this kind of ridiculous statement.”

After the outburst, Biden only then admits that he did not actually hear Bush's exact words and says that he will have to check it out. Real class.

Kathryn Jean Lopez has no difficulty compiling a short list of Democrats who have urged negotiating with terrorists.

In the midst of the Democrats' hypocrisy and political one-upmanship my only question is why Bush is so ready to force Israel to appease the not-so-moderate Abbas and the Arab Palestinians whom polls show still want to destroy Israel--by continually making concessions that directly affect Israeli security, just in order to bolster Abbas.

Technorati Tag: President Bush.