Obama Needs a History Lesson

Real Clear Politics by Jack Kelly | May. 10, 2008 (Opinion)

In defending his stated intent to meet with America's enemies without preconditions, Sen. Obama said: "I trust the American people to understand that it is not weakness, but wisdom to talk not just to our friends, but to our enemies, like Roosevelt did, and Kennedy did, and Truman did."

That he made this statement, and that it passed without comment by the journalists covering his speech indicates either breathtaking ignorance of history on the ... Full Story »

Posted by Roland F. Hirsch

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by Terry Gamble - Oct. 1, 2008

Specious argument that distorts the intent of Barack Obama's words that are essentially in the vein of Kennedy's "Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate." Attributes a Santayana quote to Churchill. Snarkily comments that "History is an elective few liberals choose to take these days." And fails to make the argument that the first-tier diplomacy undertaken by Roosevelt and Kennedy prior to military actions was ill-conceived or non-constructive.