“Well, hopefully, that Hamas now that they are going to govern, will be motivated to renounce this commitment to the extinction of the state of Israel. Then we can do business again ..."



Update:  McCain's comments at the NRA meeting today:

"Earlier today, Senator Obama made a few remarks I would like to respond to. I welcome a debate about protecting America. No issue is more important. Senator Obama claimed all I had to offer was the 'naive and irresponsible belief' that tough talk would cause Iran to give up its nuclear program. He should know better. I have some news for Senator

Obama: Talking, not even with soaring rhetoric, in unconditional meetings with the man who calls Israel a 'stinking corpse' and arms terrorist who kill Americans will not convince Iran to give up its nuclear program. It is reckless to suggest that unconditional meetings will advance our interests.

"It would be a wonderful thing if we lived in a world where we don't have enemies. But that is not the world we live in, and until Senator Obama understands that reality, the American people have every reason to doubt whether he has the strength, judgment, and determination to keep us safe."

Think Senate races don't matter this year?  These are the folks who would be voting on judicial nominations.  In light of the California Supreme Court's ruling on gay marriage, here's a quick run-down some of the Democratic Senate candidates up for election this year ...

Al Franken (MN) – Franken has stated he wouldn't have voted for the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).  (CNBC’s “Tim Russert,” April 1, 2006).

Rick Noriega (TX) – Noriega was one of only nine Representatives to vote against banning gay marriage and civil unions in Texas.  (Dallas Morning News, May 1, 2003).

Mark Udall (CO) – Voted against a ban on same-sex marriage in the Colorado House -- and in the U.S. House, he twice voted against a Constitutional amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman.

Tom Udall (NM) – An advocate of domestic partnership who has said the issue of same-sex marriage does not belong in the Constitution. Udall twice voted against a Constitutional amendment defining marriage between a man and a woman in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Mark Warner (VA) – Attempted to block a legislative ban on all legal recognition of gay relationships.  He also recommended striking partnership contract provisions from the Affirmation of Marriage Act for the Commonwealth of Virginia.

“It was remarkable to see Barack Obama’s hysterical diatribe in response to a speech in which his name wasn’t even mentioned. These are serious issues that deserve a serious debate, not the same tired partisan rants we heard today from Senator Obama. Senator Obama has pledged to unconditionally meet with Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad -- who pledges to wipe Israel off the map, denies the Holocaust, sponsors terrorists, arms America’s enemies in Iraq and pursues nuclear weapons. What would Senator Obama talk about with such a man? It would be a wonderful thing if we lived in a world where we don’t have enemies. But that is not the world we live in, and until Senator Obama understands that, the American people have every reason to doubt whether he has the strength, judgment and determination to keep us safe.” ---Tucker Bounds, spokesman John McCain 2008