Senate Democrats press Obama on Hamas

[oberliner]

Twenty-seven Senate Democrats wrote President Obama today to urge him to weigh in vocally against the Palestinian Authority's peace deal with the Gaza group Hamas.

"The United States should stand by its refusal to work with any Palestinian government that includes Hamas," says the letter, whose first signatory is Robert Menendez and also includes Chuck Schumer, Bob Casey, Carl Levin, and Joe Lieberman.

Leading members of Congress of both parties have threatened to cut off funding for the Palestinian Authority should it join Hamas, unless Hamas recognizes Israel's right to exist, renounces violence, and accepts past peace agreements. The Administration has taken a somewhat more muted line, and the Senate Democrats are calling on Obama to raise the volume.

"It is imperative for you to make clear to President Abbas that Palestinian Authority participation in a unity government with an unreformed Hamas will jeopardize its relationship wth the United States, including its receipt of U.S. aid," the letter says. "We urge you to conduct a review of the current situation and suspend aid should Hamas refuse to comply with Quartet conditions."

http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0511/Senate_Democrats_press_Obama_on_Hamas.html

[tularetom]

1. In the good ol USA we get our money from China

our cars from Japan, Saudi Arabia sells us our oil, and Israel tells us what our foreign policy is going to be.

[inademv]

2. Why is Lieberman listed?

I thought it said Democrats.

[oberliner]

4. Good catch

Does he even call himself an "independent Democrat" anymore?

[asjr]

3. How would those twenty-seven Democrats

act if we had John McCain as president? I liken that statement to giving the president an ultimatum. Our president just helped rid the world of a vicious madman. I think he can handle other things. When are the Democrats going to tell Obama he needs to prosecute the corporations that have been picking our pockets for a very long time? Well, it is all rhetorical since we will not get answers.