Carter's trip a problem for Obama?

Posted: Thursday, April 10, 2008 4:22 PM by Mark Murray

From NBC's Libby Leist and Andrea Mitchell

The State Department has advised former President Jimmy Carter to not meet with Hamas representatives on a trip to Syria next week.

Details of Carter's schedule have not been made public, but State Department spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters, "We have counseled the former president against such a meeting."

"US government policy is that Hamas is a terrorist organization. We don't believe that it is in the interest of our policy or in the interest of peace to have such a meeting," he added.

Carter's trip comes as an Israeli study claims Hamas is in a major military buildup -- with help from Syria and Iran. Carter already has been criticized by some Jewish groups for his past criticism of Israeli policy.

Carter's decision to meet with Hamas could have blowback for Obama. In Nigeria last week, Carter signaled his support for Obama, without officially endorsing him. Asked about that, sources close to both Obama and Carter told NBC NEWS that they are ducking a formal endorsement to avoid alienating Jewish voters critical of the former president's Middle East policies. Carter is a superdelegate and has long had rocky relations with the Clintons.

*** UPDATE *** The Obama campaign provided NBC with a statement it released yesterday. "Senator Obama does not agree with President Carter's decision to go forward with this meeting because he does not support negotiations with Hamas until they renounce terrorism, recognize Israel's right to exist, and abide by past agreements. As President, Obama will negotiate directly with the head of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas."

In anticipation of his trip to Syria, Carter had requested a briefing from the State Department, McCormack said. Secretary Rice tasked David Welch, her top aide on Middle East issues, to convey to Carter that the Bush Administration did not support a meeting with Hamas.

Welch spoke to Carter for about a half-hour while traveling with Rice in the Middle East two weeks ago.

McCormack said if Carter does decide to meet with leaders of Hamas, the US will not participate in the planning or help schedule any meetings. Carter will not be carrying any messages from the US, says McCormack.

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Comments

This is a report from an idiot, Mark Murray. The whole post makes no sense. There has not been an endorsement or an acceptance of one. They have no ties what so ever. This idiot writer is just posting a negative blog to get attention.

Be Real, NY, NY (Sent Thursday, April 10, 2008 6:29 PM)

Traditional Media has become nothing but stenographers.

Perish the thought that you all do some journalism, or some actual analysis. Should Sen. Obama be pinned on the actions of a FORMER PRESIDENT who happens to support him. Pres. Carter can do whatever he wants, and he can support who ever he wants.

This makes the news, but McCain's intro that included the saying "You can have your Tiger Woods" I see nothing on.

Pathetic.

Dissapointed in Traditional Media, FL (Sent Thursday, April 10, 2008 6:29 PM)

I always thought you only endorsed people with simalar ideas.right? Had to disinvite pastor so he didnt upset the jewish people and now here we go again with Pres. Carter. Now where could he have gotten the Idea Obama felt same as he did about the jews??How many people does Obama have to hide ?/ oh ya Farrakhan doesnt have much thought for jews,whites or even blacks if they dont fall into line. Poor bommy they are comeing home to roost.His wife's ideas on all whites?

No Onama08 (Sent Thursday, April 10, 2008 6:34 PM)

"James" you find a way to tie that message to everything. Give it a rest. None of your arguments hold up to any thought on them at all. Just calm down already.

Also, because no one else will say it, Jimmy Carter is my hero. Finally an American who understands that talking doesn't hurt and who is trying to do good for a change instead of just saying "good guys are good-bad guys are bad" kind of thing.

Nick, Austin, Texas (Sent Thursday, April 10, 2008 6:39 PM)

Obama has already said he would meet with leaders of rogue nations without preconditions. Does anyone actually believe he disagrees with President Carter? This is more.............cover your own ass politics as usual. And I'm not saying that it's any different than any other politican would do but again that is EXCATLY my point that given the fact that Obama is just another slimy politican I would rather elect one that I felt could actually do some of the things they promise and could WIN.

amy of Illinois (Sent Thursday, April 10, 2008 6:39 PM)

It would be a problem if Carter was endorsing Hillary... but since it's Obama... No Problem... the media won't make it an issue...

Richard, St Petersburg, Florida (Sent Thursday, April 10, 2008 6:46 PM)

Carter wants to be God. Instead he is a fool.

John Doe, Seattle, Wash (Sent Thursday, April 10, 2008 7:01 PM)

Well at least Carter is still acting like a PRESIDENT, talking to people before sending people to DIE for NO GOOD REASON! Yes, Hamas is bad etc, we all know this, certainly Carter talkin to them won't make it worse, and kind of a shame the current admisitration won't support him for doing what they fail to do.

Doctor Dean, concord NH (Sent Thursday, April 10, 2008 7:06 PM)

Why does NBC have to wait for Obama to release a statement opposing Carter's trip?

NBC (the National Barack Channel) is Obama's biggest surrogate and should be able to defend him outright!

Jack (Sent Thursday, April 10, 2008 7:10 PM)

Obama does not agree with Carter going?

That is what his entire foreign policy is about... meeting with anyone in order to get assassinated.

I am confused.

Will MSNBC, the network of Obama help me out with this.

Russell Gorall, Green Bay, WI (Sent Thursday, April 10, 2008 7:13 PM)

Isn't Hillary responsible for every supporters and surrogate she has? I remember some very nasty posts on here when Geraldine Ferraro made a comment that Obama would not be this far along if he were a white man, which IS TRUE whether people like how it sounds. Say Barrack was a young white man full of good speaches and promises, he wouldn't have 80% of the black vote and Hillary would have already put this nomination to bed. Blacks would have voted for Hillary because for the most part they loved the Clinton's until they had a chance to vote for a black man so it can prove something about this society. The majority of Americans aren't biased against blacks. Blacks segregate themselves a lot in this society because they still hold all whites accountable for things some whites did many years ago. I will never know what it's like to be a black person. No more than any black person knows what it's like to be born asian or hispanic. We all have roles people see us in based on our color and gender but I'm disappointed that so many people have chosen a candidate BECAUSE he is black. Either candidate running is going to have a higher standard of excellence than ANY or President that has come before them. No one will ever be the perfect President for every American but I do think it is in our country's best interest to judge each candidate based upon what they've DONE and not what they say they will do. Every candidate makes promises. You can only judge what people will do based upon what they've done in the past and based on that criteria I have more faith that Hillary will follow-through and deliver healthcare, and end to the war and a more prosperous America.

chamie1@sbcglobal.net (Sent Thursday, April 10, 2008 7:17 PM)

Wow!! So we are associating the actions of former President Carter to the actions of Obama and yet not the actions of former President Clinton to his wife Hillary Clinton. Crazy stretch!! Obama actually said he would not meet with Hammas, several times. He would meet with the Palestinian government under the right circumstances though. That would be called diplomacy. In fact the Israeli govt meets with the Palestian govt when they can set the right terms. PEACE.

JL in California (Sent Thursday, April 10, 2008 7:20 PM)

In case you guys didn't know Obama has already stated he would meet with everyone EXCEPT Hamas, because they are a terrorists organization. Also, how has isolated our enemies worked. Did it work in Cuba? Is it working in Iran? I agree with Obama, it's time to try a new approach.

Charles (Sent Thursday, April 10, 2008 7:23 PM)

Wow I am really shocked at how some people want to change history so that it makes them feel better as a race but sorry Donna in P.A you are DEAD WRONG and anyone over the age of 30 knows you are Jessie Jackson didn't get the hostages released by Iran after about two years in captivity during the fommer president Carter tenure the hostages where released because in just a day or two Ronald Reagan was to be sworn in as president and one of his campain promisies was to get the hostages back by any means nessagary and the millitary was allready preparing for the mission they knew was comming because President Reagan understood that you had to be willing to fight for what you belive in order to be respected and in the case of iran feared so before you next try to tell us how Ronald Reagan was a black man just give it up allready

Steve who lived thu it (Sent Thursday, April 10, 2008 7:32 PM)

It does seem a bit strange that obama is being judged on a super delegate who hasn't even committed themselves to going for obama- is that fair?

www.mpfree.org.uk

sweeetback (Sent Thursday, April 10, 2008 7:44 PM)

For all of you who keep saying Obama would meet with our "enemies", Obama would meet with terrorists, Obama would meet with Hamas, please look up your facts...this is getting tiresome. Obama said he would meet with heads of state, not terrorists. He also specifically said he would not meet with Hamas. Meeting with heads of states even of...especially of...countries that are not our "friends" seems like a good idea to me. What we have been doing with embargos, sanctions and silence for years and years has certainly not been working, so why keep doing it? I mean, look how 50 years of embargos on Cuba, for example, brought about real change in that country...not. All it brought was hardship and poverty to the civilians; not a good way to make people like us and, perhaps, quell some anti-American sentiment that could boil into terrorism, now is it. Who cares what Carter does...he is not a representative of Obama's campaign. The double standard here is ridiculous (also...people, please look up the spelling of this word rid--not red)...Bill, I would assume, is much closer to Hillary than Carter is to Obama, yet it is ok for him to have a position (Columbia trade) that is 180 degrees from hers?

Shari, Flower Mound, TX (Sent Thursday, April 10, 2008 7:47 PM)

Its not really a stretch to link Carter to Obama and Hamas when Obama's church praises the actions of Hammas in their church bulletin that Obama subscribes to.

Terry Williams, Pittsburgh, PA (Sent Thursday, April 10, 2008 7:50 PM)

If a common person goes and meets Hamas chielf, the person is termed a Terrorist. How come Carter is not a terrorist and same with Obama. He should be stripped of his superdelegate vote.

Paul (Sent Thursday, April 10, 2008 7:55 PM)

I applaud President Carter's decision to meet with Hamas. He is the only one of America's so-called leaders to show moral courage on this issue. Hamas is defending their ancient land and their right to exist on their own terms. I believe it unchristian what has been done to these people in our country's name and with our tax dollars for over a half century.

Robert Marshall, Washington, DC (Sent Thursday, April 10, 2008 7:55 PM)

So Obama won't meet with a group/government that won't recognize Israel's right to exist but he will meet with Iran. Iran also doesn't recognize Israel's right to exist. Why the difference?

John (Sent Thursday, April 10, 2008 8:02 PM)

1. Carter has not endorsed Obama.

2. Carter has not indicated that he is in any way an Obama supporter.

3. Carter has no role whatsoever with the Obama campaign.

4. It is not clear whether or not Carter will actually meet with Hamas.

Therefore, not only has Jimmy Carter not actually done anything objectionable yet, but anything that he does or says has absolutely nothing to do with Obama.

I'm sorry if you're not getting blog hits, but this is not a story.

Go back to journalism school.

Matthew Gerring (Sent Thursday, April 10, 2008 8:04 PM)

Obama heard the word "trip" and thought fondly back to his troubled youth when he and his boys used to "trip" on you know what...
********************

Obama smoked pot and did cocaine, as did a lot of people who grew up in the 70s.

You don't "trip" on either one of those substances.

Welcome to the 1971 District Attorney's convention on Narcotics.

Matthew Gerring (Sent Thursday, April 10, 2008 8:07 PM)

Awww...come on James. If one were judged by people who were indicted, convicted or fled the country to avoid prosecution or forced testimony Clinton could not get elected to the Hope Arkansas School Board.

Dan Chapman, Costa Rica (Sent Thursday, April 10, 2008 8:21 PM)

Jimmy Carter is a waste of human life. We all know he's going to meet with Hamas because he's a terror supporter and Anti-Israeli. He's been this way from day one. When he was in office, the Ayatollah took power which gave us Hezbollah and that wacko president in Iran who kills gays. Then he falsely blames Israel for a creating an apartheid like state but never mentions the hundreds of rockets the Palestinians shoot into Israel on a daily basis. Someone should just put this loser to sleep.

Sal (Sent Thursday, April 10, 2008 8:31 PM)

Yeah I guess we should all label the guy with the nobel peace prize as a treasonous meddler who doesn't speak for the U.S. You can criticize Carter's presidency so easily when you don't take in account that what happens during a presidency is not necessarily the sole fault of the executive office. 9/11 anyone? Republicans, the CIA, and all those other long time middle-east wheeler and dealers back then had no part in making him look bad and throwing this country's economy into the toilet, no not at alllll. You can criticize Carter's failings against terrorism and fail to criticize Bush's collossal blunder in his wonderfully orchestrated "War on Terror"??
Obama is willing to talk with those that most wouldn't even consider talking with, but WITH conditions.
If you really believe that terrorism is going to be somehow defeated with violence then you don't understand what terrorism means. We are only feeding the fire.
Diplomacy is the only way to quell terrorism. You must get rid of the hate.
But to do so would take a great deal of effort that Clinton wouldn't even begin to put forth nor would McCain want to put forth. And neither would have a great deal of help considering one would not be respected as a woman and the other wants to kill most of them.
The choice is clear to me I just wish it were more so with others, like the ones who brought us Dubya and Dubya Dubya 2.
GOBAMA!

Dubya the notsoevilone, San Diego, California (Sent Thursday, April 10, 2008 8:35 PM)

Oh, heavens no . . . let's not try talking to and reasoning with our enemies. Let's just bomb them and ask questions later. Isn't that the Bush/McCain mentality? Is it any wonder the world view of the United States has plummeted the past 7 years?

I think the only group left that the Bush government hasn't declared a terrorist organization are blonde-haired, blue-eyed children born to people with the last name "Smith" or "Jones."

Obama cannot control what Jimmy Carter chooses to do. Neither can anybody else, for that matter.

Baileigh (Sent Thursday, April 10, 2008 8:58 PM)

Hate to let all you PC'ers of the Democratic Israel Myth. There are those regular folks who mutter against the over-influence of Israeli domestic policy on our foreign policy. These people aren't anti-semites, though the anti-semites exploit this resentment. Over-all there is a strong under-current that sees the pandering, supination of the politicians and the media to the pro-Israel lobby as more whores paying obesiance to their pimps, than those giving a full airing debate to the issues of the emigration of European Jews into Palestine under the sentimentality of the nostagia of the Torah, rather than these israel proponents and apologists admitting that Israel exists as the compensation for European complicity in the Nazis holocaust with out giving the victims heirs the compensation (OR APOLOGY) they deserved from the treasures misappropriated during the Nazis savagery.

Carter is the honest man who is condemned by those for whom honesty is an insult.

Bugsy
Abagad-diablo@excite.com

Bugsy Merlin (Sent Thursday, April 10, 2008 9:05 PM)

Obama get blamed for delegates that hasn't committed to his campaign, bloggers that post comments, unpaid supporters. He has to throw his race, parents and associates under the bus to please the general public...his ceiling for perfection is so high, he would never be good enough for most americans.
John (Sent Thursday, April 10, 2008 4:32 PM)

As someone who is not voting for Obama, you got the "he would never be good enough" part right, but the rest is just a lot of whining.

Obama will never be good enough (Sent Thursday, April 10, 2008 9:33 PM)

That's okay, Carter can go there, if he wants to.

Did you hear that Obama is now citing a trip to Pakistan while in college as foreign affairs experience???

Like I have said before, Obama's resume is very thin.

Delores Rose-Kennedy a Hillary supporter (Sent Thursday, April 10, 2008 9:46 PM)

Dear President Carter...Please stay the course..Remember the housing problem that poor people have in this nation...We need to mend and sir your God Given Gift of Family is needed very strongly here at home in the U.S.A....
Hamas can wait...
We need your support and prays here..
Dangerous people are trying and coverting the land at this time.
Their covetous display of fulfillment most be
curtailed. This danger exist here...
We know you are the most gifted and gracious man to fill the job as President of these United States in decades ..
We will pray for you that the Holy Spirit guides you and shows us your solemn duty..
Peace and Strength to you ..and Thank You supporting
Barack Obama

William Jones (Sent Thursday, April 10, 2008 9:50 PM)

THe Zionist Jews are doing a hatchet job on President Carter. Carter as always had AMerica's interest uppermost..and that means talking to those we don't like or those we do. This country marks every episode on the standard that.."Is this in Israel's interest?" SHould it not be, then the hell with it. Well....it's time that we realized that Israel is not America...Our interests come lst. And while I'm at it....the media should stop calling the neocons neoncons. They are Zionist Jews working this government to do everything in Israel's interest. They are are the group that got us into this damn Iraq war..and we are there ONLY to protect Israel. Watch Lieberman (avowed Zionist Jew) hold up McCain and advise him on everything except when to go to the men's bathroom.
America lst, our citizens lst. Hail and cheers to Jimmy Carter. He's the only one with the balls to stand up to Israelis. Bless him always.

Virginia Sawaya Redding, Cal. (Sent Thursday, April 10, 2008 11:32 PM)

This stupid media has nothing to do but poking every single matter and twist it and they do like to slaush and burn.Stupid people who believes that candidates should be responsible for any ones's actions other than thier own action, should go back to middle school and learn freedom of speech and its necessity in our society.
Why Obama has to be responsible for the pastor's actions?
Why obama has to be blame if any of his supporters has different opinion than his?
Why Obama has to be so nervous about getting the support of pro-Israel's groups?
Our leaders should seek the best for our country and need to do everything their power to ease the hostality in Middle East to protect our long time interest.
People should wake up and talk about real issues. Do not be fooled by the media because media wants to spins this to create news coverage to promote their ratings and thats how the media and news channels are making millions.

Watchdog2009 (Sent Friday, April 11, 2008 12:26 AM)

Jimmy Carter is not saying that Israel doesn't have the right to exist nor is he anti semetic. He just believes that there are other ways of resolving conflict. He gave some illustrations in his book that some don't agree with, but it's not about who's right or wrong but taking the first step which is talking-communication. Hamas needs to be dealt with right or wrong. I just think Mr. Carter should wait until after the elections because unfortunately the ignorant closed minded people like the Republicans, the media and others would castrate Senator Obama even though he has nothing to do with it.

consuelo from Seattle, Washington (Sent Friday, April 11, 2008 1:17 AM)

If anyone reads this.... I thought Barack supported the Idea of meeting with people not friendly to the US without conditions?

AJ (Sent Friday, April 11, 2008 2:57 AM)

Mr. Carter has been helpful in his previous peace-seeking attempts. His plans to speak with Hammas are better than Bush's plans not to. If our country had a sound foreign policy that would be jeopardized by outside intervention, then I would understand concerns about Carter's plans. But we don't, so good luck Mr. Carter, hopefully you can accomplish what the administration cannot.

Peter Caloger Bushkill, PA 18324 (Sent Friday, April 11, 2008 7:22 AM)

The former president should understand the cost of his actions.Nothing is free and everything has a price if Hamas has been proven to be linked with terrorism than he should not meet with them.If something does happen to our former president we have no choice but to take somekind of action. Senator Obama has nothing to With Jimmy Cater trip and cannot say who he can meet with.Jimmy carter out ranks him he a former president and he presindential hopeful

stella Baltimore,maryland (Sent Friday, April 11, 2008 7:41 AM)

"This is a study mission and our purpose is not to negotiate but to support and provide momentum for current efforts to secure peace in the Middle East," the Carter Center said in a statement.

Should former President Jimmy Carter meet with Hamas?

http://www.youpolls.com/details.asp?pid=2069

dblake Austin (Sent Friday, April 11, 2008 7:48 AM)

WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH BARAK ....CARTER DIDNT ENDORSE BARAK....I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE CONNECTION.

BRIDGET MAYFIELD OHIO (Sent Friday, April 11, 2008 8:39 AM)

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