Obama Criticizes Carter's Hugs for Thugs Tour, Makes No Mention of His Church Publishing Hamas Manifesto

I'm a bit confused here. Wasn't it Obama who said he'd be sitting down with our enemies to exchange dialogue?

Maybe a little birdie whispered in his ear that he's viewed very suspiciously due to his known associates and realizes how terribly unpopular Carter appears cavorting with those who wantonly murder Americans and Israelis.

More likely he's just shamelessly pandering to a Jewish audience.

Democratic White House hopeful Barack Obama on Wednesday disagreed with former President Jimmy Carter's overtures toward Hamas, saying he would not talk to the Islamist group until it recognized Israel and renounced terrorism.

The Illinois senator, campaigning in Pennsylvania which holds the next presidential voting contest on Tuesday, told a group of Jewish leaders he has an "unshakable commitment" to help protect Israel from its "bitter enemies."

"That's why I have a fundamental difference with President Carter and disagree with his decision to meet with Hamas," Obama said. "We must not negotiate with a terrorist group intent on Israel's destruction. We should only sit down with Hamas if they renounce terrorism, recognize Israel's right to exist and abide by past agreements."

"Hamas is not a state. Hamas is a terrorist organization," he said.

Obama's opponents have criticized him for saying as president he would be willing to meet with foreign leaders who are hostile to the Unites States. Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican John McCain have called those comments naive and said such meetings would bestow credibility on those leaders.

Of course, this is just a tad too hypocritical considering Obama's church published a Hamas manifesto.

Somehow I doubt he mentioned that before his swooning audience.