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Obama Fires Foreign Policy Adviser for Meeting With Hamas

May 09, 2008 7:57 PM

The Times of London reports that Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., has fired one of his foreign policy advisers -- Robert Malley -- for meeting with the Palestinian group Hamas, which the U.S. State Department classifies as a terrorist organization.

"He was one of literally hundreds of informal, outside advisors," Obama spokesman Bill Burton told ABC News, confirming the Times account.

Malley, a former official in the administration of former President Bill Clinton, is Middle East and North Africa program director for the International Crisis Group, a conflict resolution group.

“I’ve never hidden the fact that in my job with the International Crisis Group I meet all kinds of people,” Malley told the Times.

Malley has been a criticized in the past as insufficiently supportive of Israel -- the New Republic's Marty Peretz has defended Obama as pro-Israel but assailed Malley -- though several Clintonistas have defended him from the charge.

He participated in the failed 2000 Camp David accords and said that Yasser Arafat was not the only one to blame for those talks breaking down.

**

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., has been attacking Obama over the fact that a senior member of Hamas praised the Democrat.

In an interview on CNN, Obama called the attack, "Offensive, and I think it's disappointing. Because John McCain always says ‘I am not going to run that kind of politics,’ and to engage in that kind of smear is unfortunate, particularly because my policy toward Hamas has been no different than his. I’ve said it’s a terrorist organization and we should not negotiate with them unless they recognize Israel, renounce violence, and unless they are willing to abide by previous accords between the Palestinians and the Israelis. So for him to toss out comments like that I think is an example of him losing his bearings as he pursues this nomination. We don’t need name calling in this debate.”

McCain top aide Mark Salter then took issue with Obama saying McCain was "losing his bearings."

"First, let us be clear about the nature of Sen. Obama's attack today: He used the words 'losing his bearings' intentionally, a not particularly clever way of raising John McCain's age as an issue," Salter write in a memo. "This is typical of the Obama style of campaigning."

- jpt

May 9, 2008 in Obama, Barack | Permalink | Share | User Comments (116)

User Comments

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Folks, these Free Republic plants are hoping to influence folks to not vote Obama. Of course, the dominant comments on this blog are as intelligent as those on Freep. The statements made about Obama are absurd. If Hillary supporters really mean the nasty things they are saying, if Hillary was elected imagine what the Bill Kristol/Drudge Machine would do to her closet full of skeletons. Obama is genuine and sincere.

The question to ask is why McCain has Max Boot as his foreign policy advisor (Boot was the originally cheerleader of the war and mimicked the Wolfowitz-Cheney position). And why has McCain changed his position on choice and gained the support of neocons and evangelicals? A man who cheated on his wife to marry Cindy? A divorced man who admitted to changing his stand on abortion to win a primary in 2000. And GOPers trust him?

Posted by: Miguel | May 11, 2008 2:24:50 PM

Sneaky...
Almost as sneaky as praying in the basement with his racist pastor,

then going upstairs to announce his run for president of the United States of America.

Sneaky, like saying he loves America but attends a Black Liberation Church that is racist and anti-American.

Sneaky like spending 20 years listening to hate and not having the backbone or decency to speak up or walk out.

And 50% of Americans want him to lead our country...Unbelievable.

Hillary/McCain but never ever Obama

Posted by: cindy in nc | May 11, 2008 1:46:01 PM

Posted by: Myst | May 11, 2008 4:00:45 AM

great post!!!!

Posted by: rrt | May 11, 2008 4:53:29 AM

Barack, don't sweat it. Nominating Larry Sinclair as your Veep will lock up the jewish vote, guaranteed.

Posted by: Allison | May 10, 2008 9:18:19 PM

Eyes Wide Open

I approve your message too.

Posted by: John_Lai | May 10, 2008 6:26:53 PM

Obama only takes action against his advisers after they are caught and exposed in their backroom dealings. These behaviors show the inner feelings of their candidate. Americans will see for themselves after Obama becomes the president. It's all a show. Stay tuned!

Posted by: SO | May 10, 2008 3:21:44 PM

have seen that Hillary supporters will "write-in" her name on the ballot in November, if Obama steals the nomination. Me too...

Posted by: Abe in FL | May 9, 2008 10:45:29 PM
-----------------------------------
I am sure all the Hillary supporters
in both MI and FL will write her in on their ballots.
The write Hillary in campaign has begun! Hillary the WRIGHT ON candidate!!!

Posted by: HP Boston | May 10, 2008 2:06:57 PM

Outstanding post CICI. Obama supporters should read the information when they get up each morning and before they go to bed each night.

Posted by: Jayhawk | May 10, 2008 11:30:47 AM

TO MELINDA-

Please forgive me, but NOT to question the patriotism of the person for whom you vote to entrust the well-being of our country t is not only unpatriotic but also stupid and naive. Forgive me again, but you must be one of those college kids that got on the bandwagon with little or no information but with the promise of romance from the sweet talk of a two-timer.

Posted by: HOWITREALLYIS | May 10, 2008 10:59:06 AM

Wonder how far Obama would have gone in this race if he had labeled himself bi-racial instead of black.

Obama has sold his soul...hope it was worth it.


Hillary or McCain or no one

Posted by: cindy in nc | May 10, 2008 10:53:57 AM

Of course he fired him; the voters aren't supposed to find out yet that he's a pro-Palestinian surrounded and supported by anti-Semites: Rev. Wright, Louis Farrakhan, Rashid Khalidi, Edward Said. If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck...

Posted by: HoosierSue | May 10, 2008 10:32:15 AM

OBAMA is covering his rear and his assoicates begin their moves in all directions.

Leadership, chaos, and judgment!!!

Hardly any

Posted by: John_Lai | May 10, 2008 8:45:40 AM

You know Blacks have help elect every democratic president...period. They walk around America with brown skin that allows them to be singled out as different all of their lives...unlike folks that are Jewish, Irish, Scottish, or German.
Anything that is different is feared in America. Romney was Mormon that made him feared by his party. Hill was a woman and that was different...Obama on the outside has Black skin but grew up in a white house with white grandparents and values and yet because the shell is black, he is labeled a racist. Is he thinking he is superior to his Black side or White side of the family.

Some churchs in lower income areas talk to where their members feel they are at the time. If they see their sons being shot and killed and the government does nothing to stop it...if they see their schools inferior to other schools because the tax dollars are not their then the Pastor talks to the ills of the society that is their reality. If this is not your reality, then you could never understand. Understanding the differences in people being able to empathize with others make you a better leader, and protecter of your fellow human being. That is the core of the Democratic party. If you have not spent one day in Obama's church, then you can clearly have no basis for judging it. If you have been sitting squarely in Hills camp the entire 16 months without stepping outside of the door to see what really is happening next door (with clear vision) then you are blind to real truth. It is impossible to make a clear decision when you make this election about white, black, female, male, poor, rich. America has never been about that until the frontrunner was exposed by Hillary and Bill as not being black enough...being too black...being muslim...being racist...supporting Nafta...not being patriotic...just having one speech...being elitist...and to be quite honest, Blacks voted for Bill Clinton in the same numbers they are voting for Obama and when I last looked Clinton is not Black...yet Blacks were able to look past that...so who is really the racist people. Blacks are not racist...they feel victimized, judged, fearful and frustrated,..

Posted by: Belinda | May 10, 2008 7:12:17 AM

Hillary has HARD Working Whites, wall street, lobbyists and Corporate america...she also has a Past President with ties to foreign contries...now their money is totally funding her campaign...including NAFTA lobbyist money.

Hills' campaign money went to paying her consultants tens of millions of dollars. What an awesome manager she is...she is so qualified to run what...What has she done given the huge platform she has had for 35 years...definitely not past any legislation of health care reform or otherwise. Not one step closer...not even for NY. Solutions...no Ideas!

Posted by: Belinda | May 10, 2008 6:51:11 AM

So Obama's base has more money? Wow...college students and BLACKS?

Posted by: Belinda | May 10, 2008 6:46:54 AM

Sorry Belinda. You aren't selling me Obama. The media has been trying for 16 months and I'm not biting. It's either Hillary or McCain. I got no respect for someone who uses race to bash people over the head. You can't even say a COLOR and Obama in a sentence without being called a racist. That is a HUGE turnoff to white voters. That and the fact he attended a racist church for 20 years and just now figured that out.

Posted by: Hillary for McCain | May 10, 2008 6:08:05 AM

Lets see Belinda.

Barack Obama supporters= rich whites and African Americans

Hillary Clintons supporters= working class whites, Jews, Asians and Latino's

Who would you think had more money to donate?

It's not hard to see how Barack raised more money. Half of Hillary's supporters are elderly and have never used a computer. Yet with all of Obama's advantages, he couldn't really beat her in big states where caucuses couldn't be over taken with activist. We know who the stronger candidate is. The media just won't tell you that it's Hillary and that alone costs her votes because it depresses turnout when they hear over and over that she can't win and that Obama has looked this up for months now. Obama will never win a general election.

Posted by: Hillary for McCain | May 10, 2008 6:03:05 AM

Now I noticed also that many have speculated about where Obama money comes from...if you go to his site, you will find that he has over 1.5 million individual donors and many have elected to be monthly recurring donors at 5-25.00 per month. As the primary election winds down, the funds will start going into donating for the general election...another 2300.00 allowable per person. Everyone can do this math can't they...Well his average donor donates 97.00...that is almost 150 million and then there are those fundraisers that every candidate does.. So I am certainly expecting DEMs to be supportive of any candidate that will bring us closer to ending this war and changing our way of life. The only reason at this point for critcism is if you are racist or really a GOP candidate poised to create division in the party. If it is your desire to vote for MCCAIN..do so...Because no one here is criticising McCain and Hillary, I can only assume that these posts are being written by people who are anti-American. Our constitution states that all men are created equal. Obama is a patriot. He has for 20+ years served this country when he could have ran off and made millions being a HedgeFund manager, Judge or highly successful Atty. Clearly, he has worked harder for this country than you or I. I sit here in the comfort of my home watching TV and blogging while he goes from city to city away from his family campaigning just as Hill., Bill and Mccain have done, Each very patriotic citizens of the US. To question a citizen's patriotism is UNAmerican in my view.

Posted by: Belinda | May 10, 2008 5:57:50 AM

It is unfortunate that Hillary received over 17 Million voters and yet these hard working white folks somehow felt that donating $5.00 to her campaign was a sacrifice they were unwilling to make. Coming to hear her speak when she came to their city was a sacrifice they were unwilling to make...Spending time in cognito lying about the potential democratic nominee not because of disagreement with his policies and etc. because I have listened to Hillary, Bill, and Obama speak and clearly the only difference between the direction they want to take this country in is how they intend to do it. From Day One, Obama has been about growing the democratic base, in all 50 states. This you must agree is a good thing. It is like the story about Who wants to make bread? Everyone wants to eat it but no one wants to make it. Obama made the bread and as a result, he gets to eat it. Hillary's folks talk a great game but failed to invest in her campaign, plain and simple.

Posted by: Belinda | May 10, 2008 5:43:49 AM

How do you people think Obama has been raising so much money "online" Foreign groups from the middle east have been donating to his campaign on there. Not shocking to find out that Hamas is meeting with his people. Hell, they are probably his biggest fans. Wake Up people.

Hillary 08

If that doesn't work out.

McCain 08

Posted by: Harley. | May 10, 2008 4:54:40 AM

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