Democrats disavow Obama's unconditional talks

Washington Times:

Three prominent Democrats yesterday rejected Sen. Barack Obama's position of meeting unconditionally with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and leaders of other American enemies.

Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. of Delaware, former Sen. Gary Hart of Colorado and former Rep. Harold E. Ford Jr. of Tennessee distanced themselves from Mr. Obama's position, each saying that preconditions for any such meeting would be essential.

"I'll concede, you cannot meet with foreign leaders — with terrorists, rather, those that lead rogue nations — without some conditions," Mr. Ford said on NBC's "Meet the Press."

Mr. Obama was asked in a Democratic debate in July whether he would "be willing to meet separately, without precondition ... with the leaders of Iran, Syria, Venezuela, Cuba and North Korea."

"I would," Mr. Obama said. "And the reason is this: that the notion that somehow not talking to countries is punishment to them — which has been the guiding diplomatic principle of this administration — is ridiculous. ... We have the obligation to find areas where we can potentially move forward. I think that it is a disgrace that we have not spoken to them."

Mr. Obama later said he would first send lower-level diplomats to prepare high-level talks, but has continued to pledge to hold such unconditional meetings. Mr. Hart yesterday pointed to that distinction in the Democratic presidential candidate's position.

"I don't think Barack Obama or any other president is going to meet with a head of state without lower-level discussions preceding that," he said on CNN's "Late Edition." "What you do is send diplomats and negotiators to explore areas of mutual interest. And if it does seem profitable, then you go to the heads of state."

Mr. Biden, who is chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and sought the Democratic presidential nod this year, said Mr. Obama gave the "wrong answer" in the debate, but added that the senator from Illinois has "learned a hell of a lot."

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Judging by his over the top reaction to the President's speech in Israel, I would say he hasn't learned much. In fact, he is compounding the original error and no explanations by Biden are Hart can cover that. If he had really learned anything, he would not have reacted the way he did.