Exclusive Video: McCain Was For Talking To Hamas Before He Was Against It...

Two years ago, in an interview with James Rubin for Sky News, Sen. John McCain expressed a willingness to negotiate with the terrorist group Hamas -- the very group that McCain has been relentlessly using to smear Sen. Barack Obama over the last several weeks.

Rubin has written an op-ed in Friday's Washington Post about his exchange with McCain, and The Huffington Post has obtained exclusive video. Here's the key excerpt:

RUBIN: "Do you think that American diplomats should be operating the way they have in the past, working with the Palestinian government if Hamas is now in charge?"

McCAIN: "They're the government; sooner or later we are going to have to deal with them, one way or another, and I understand why this administration and previous administrations had such antipathy towards Hamas because of their dedication to violence and the things that they not only espouse but practice, so . . . but it's a new reality in the Middle East. I think the lesson is people want security and a decent life and decent future, that they want democracy. Fatah was not giving them that."

Watch the video:

Sky News clip of McCain discussing why he would talk with Hamas.

Video courtesy of Sky News

As Rubin adds:

Given that exchange, the new John McCain might say that Hamas should be rooting for the old John McCain to win the presidential election. The old John McCain, it appears, was ready to do business with a Hamas-led government, while both Clinton and Obama have said that Hamas must change its policies toward Israel and terrorism before it can have diplomatic relations with the United States.

Even if McCain had not favored doing business with Hamas two years ago, he had no business smearing Barack Obama. But given his stated position then, it is either the height of hypocrisy or a case of political amnesia for McCain to inject Hamas into the American election.

UPDATE: The McCain camp has released the following response:

"There should be no confusion, John McCain has always believed that serious engagement would require mandatory conditions and Hamas must change itself fundamentally - renounce violence, abandon its goal of eradicating Israel and accept a two state solution. John McCain's position is clear and has always been clear, the President of the United States should not unconditionally meet with leaders of Iran, Hamas or Hezbollah. Barack Obama has made his position equally clear, and has pledged to meet unconditionally with Iran's leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the leaders of other rogue regimes, which shows incredibly dangerous and weak judgment."

UPDATE II: Blogging on HuffPost, National Security Network's Max Bergmann digs up quotes from McCain saying he was in favor of conducting talks with Syria, despite acknowledging that Syria's government was "sponsoring and harboring terrorists." Click here for details.

Comments

[NoLove4HillaryAnymore]

He has lost his bearing now big time.

[TXfemmom]

I can see and hear it now, "Senator McCain, did you or did you not say that you would meet or speak with Hamas?" I cannot recall.

[Bluejay00234]

I have no knowledge of the event in question.

Maybe?

[vinny]

i'aaaam ooold, give me a break... possibly?

[SpookyTooth]

every time john flip flops another republican dies.

[vinny]

johnny is more flop than flip...

[PatCroft]

talk about regression. half a step forward and then steps backward. Way to go John. Have another bushsnort will yah.

[booshman]

What a joke. Mcfuck is too dumb to know that it's real easy to catch a lying jerk like him. May be he should get a brain transplant from his a$$ kissing friend Liberman! LOL That will at least give him a chance to survive the first debate with Obama.

[Phaedrus21]

It's a shame the 2000 McCain isn't running. He seemed like a decent sort of guy.

I think a big problem is that the 2000 McCain isn't all that far from Obama on a lot of issues. Obama is a pragmatist. So was the 2000 McCain. Back then McCain acknowledged that it was a complex world and that ideology wouldn't solve most problems.

However, giving the voters a choice between the 2000 McCain and Obama highlights the "age issue". Personally, I think that McCain has another 20 years as a politician left in him (and probably another 10 years on top of that once he retires). But polls have repeatedly shown that the American public has a bigger problem with electing an older man than with electing a black man. If they can't tell any difference between the two of them on approach to the issue, McCain loses on age.

[KQuarksSuperKollider]

You got that right. It seems like dementia is setting in for McCain. The poor man has been through a great deal of psychological stress in his lifetime and studies show that this can hasten the onset of Alzheimer's. I'm not trying to be funny her because I have seen 4 of my father's brothers and sisters go through this terrible disease. Voting for McCain is like voting for 2nd term Bush and we all know he was not in his right mind by the end of his presidency. I just hope for this country if we are crazy enough to elect McCain Cindy McCain is as good as running the white house as Nancy Reagan was.

[ObamaFarmer]

McDole. lol

[Birdman]

I'm sure McSame will say that his wanting to talk to Hamas is different, of course at least 70 percent know that is total BS, 30 percent will not know the diference and out of the 70 percent that do know 30 perent will vote for him anyway. No matter how you look at it we ALL Lose.

[julescator]

There is no doubt that Obama is tough. He has had to fight McCain, cindy, Bush, Hillary, Bill, Chelsea and the "bitter" blue color white voters who said they will not vote for a Black guy. People think being tough means having "tough" talking oint and a big mouth. Sometimes strength comes from within and is mightier than the bloviator! Not only is Obama tough, he has outsmarted all of those who have grossly underestimated him and continue to do so at their peril. Rove is no match for Obama and he knows it. The GOP is imploding and grasping at straws trying to cover up the HUGE mistake of running McCain as the nominee. There is a reason McCain lost this twice before! He is a dumb as Bush. He graduated #790 out of 795 students in the Navel Academy. He was in Viet Nam for 23 whole days before he was shot down. He had 20 whole hours of combat and 5.5 years as a POW.

[Sabreen60]

WOW!!!!

[KQuarksSuperKollider]

I think toughness is being consistent and unflappable under pressure. Obama has shown that he is tough throughout this campaign. McCain is more of a bully like Bush who is tougher than Bush but his toughness is built more on having a chip on his shoulder and having great survivor instincts.

[AbstractImp]

Hey, Mc-Chit-head,
that rogue regime of Hamas was brought in by the Bush-Condoleeza election...

or, can't you remember that?

[mediaspy]

Here's a list of McCain's Lobbyists in trouble for foreign lobbying.

http://www.McCainsource.com

[PuritanDescendant]

Thank for sharing this. Absolutely increible. These guys McCain hires are not policy experts or poitical players or even professional campaigers, they are influence peddlers. McCorporate puppet.

[DrDemon]

McDino is going S*E*N*I*L*E; slowly but surely!

[cariintexas]

ThankYou Jamie Rubin. Time to join the Obama team.

[1PALady]

OFF TOPIC - Sorry - But McCain should be rejecting and denouncing what Huckabee said today at the NRA meeting speech and rejecting and denouncing Huckabee if he does not apologize to Senator Obama for what he said! I thought better of him and I am so very disappointed in him. I never would have thought he would have stooped so low!

[VolvoBirkenstock]

Yes he should.

Huckatrash is just what he appears to be. Another ignorant good 'ol boy.

[Nochnoi]

Who makes scary uncalled for "jokes"......

[BWonka]

If McLoser tries to pick scHmuckabee as his VP this will come back to haunt them both. The scHmuckabee has killed his chance of ever being elected anything.

[VolvoBirkenstock]

Except President of the Neanderthal Reactionary Association.

[Bluejay00234]

I absolutely agree, I can't believe that someone would stoop so low, oh wait I forgot he's a republican.

And who wouldn't dive to the floor after hearing gunshots? Geezus people are stupid.

[halyscomet]

TRUE!

Absolutely NO excuse for Huckabee's "joke".

[Bluejay00234]

Now if something God forbid were to happen to Obama, we know exactly who to blame.

[cariintexas]

Well Well looks like Huckabees mask has finally fallen off. There were a lot of people (myself included) who thought Huckabee was a pretty decent guy considering he was a Republican, while others were saying "wait until you see the real Huckabee." He is no different than Mc Cain, his buddy Rove or any of the other hypocrits. he was just a little slicker.

[Podewumun]

Didn't both McSame and Karl "Petunia" Rove attend this same event?
If he doesn't come out and denounce Huckabee soon, one can only assume he agrees with him.

[borderorder]

Flash -

John McCain just announced that television would soon prove to be the new great communicator uniting Americans and the world and would soon supplant radio.

The nodding traveling press corps continued jotting down Karl Rove's talking points for their publishing deadlines.

[Nochnoi]

Hehehehe.... funny today.... ; )

[borderorder]

TGIF bump.

[mcgreen]

teehee - same stumble as Hillary - darn this getting older is tough, those young'uns know everything is on the internet nowadays to catch an old timer up on mis-speaking incidents .

Gosh, maybe he was talking about himself???

[evahartselftlanguages]

TO: Senator John McCain Mary 16, 2008

It's not War Appeasement.

Firstly, in 1648 the Westphalia Treaty of after more than two years of negotiations ended the Thirty Years' War. A provision in this Treaty stated,"The Right to worship God in one's own way ended Reliigous Wars among the German States." Thus negotiations do work! This is parallel to our situation today since the enemy Terrorists think we are Crusaders when we are not. We have the Great First Amendment to the Constitution stating Reliigous Freedom for all Religions in U.S."

Knowing different customs and religious beliefs, we can then heal and solve their pain and differences and resolve misunderstandings. We can compromise intelligently and to negotiation does not mean we have to compromise unintelligently.

Eva Hart A Christian In Army from 62-70 670 Eddy St. Sfc 94109

[evahartselftlanguages]

TO: Senator John McCain May 16, 2008 Continued

It's Not War Appeasement.

I disagree with President George W. Bush when he says in past negotiations do not work. We must try to understand other nations customs and religious beliefs for as you'll remember the terrible 911 attack was because we did not understand the terrorists dislike of our Army being on their sacred lands. If we had talked to them before all this, then maybe 911 would not have happened.

On Jolo Island the Moslems do not like Christians since we introduced the cars on their islands. The Moros of Jolo Island do not like hospitals for they fear Christians have touched their dead. This cannot be borne. They accepted readily the militant Islamics on Jolo Island. The Moslem code also states,"They are against murder, cruelties against slaves,orphans,widows. Against alcohol, idolatry. From The New Popular History of the World. Wallce. With foreward by Lowell Thomas, famous journalist. 63
As you can see we can learn customs

With the 1648 Westphalia Treaty mentioned above and with Israeli Accords by President Jimmy Carter and President Bill Clinton this shows negotiations do work and to negotiate does not mean we have to give the enemy anything for we can discuss and send letters to enemy nations for a mutual attempt at Peace Between Nations and to Save America and lives. We must not give up hope.

Eva Hart A Christian In Army from 62-70 670 Eddy St. Sfc 94109

[evahartselftlanguages]

TO: Senator John McCain May 17, 2008 Continued

It's not War Appeasement or ApPEACEment!

The War Ap"peace"ment is for Peace Between Nations. Although I am not an expert on War matters, I can tell you what I've read from trusted history book I've quoted before. I know that nations in past use to pay tribute to appease their nations and keep them safe. It all depends on the demands. If demands are unreasonable then we cannot give them. There was the Italian lady who was released by her captors in Iraq by it has been wondered money or some other arrrangement. Hostages have been released by U.S. appeasements and wounds healed. Under proper protections nations can discuss differences for peace.

Conscientiously, the problem is that Hitler is not Saddam Hussein. Hussein never attacked America. We can never know if Hussein or another evil leader would have agreed to appeasement thus saving America and families from our losing Iraq War. Not all evil people are without redemption or as bad as Hitler was. With hope and faith in our God we must try to amend differences. People for years of history have mended their differences and forgiven others for Appeacement and Appeasement. Unless we try we will never know for sure if appeasement would have worked. It doesn't hurt to try. If it does not work we'll know it.

Eva Hart A Christian In Army from 62-70 670 Eddy St. Sfc 94109 Rec job Sec of Def 64

[evahartselftlanguages]

TO: Senator John McCain May 16, 2008 Continued

In trying to understand customs of other nations as I mention above and discuss them, I present a story to illustrate the point.

From an English Skills book I was reading and in excercise articles I discovered story of Jolo Island that I've mentioned here already. Here on Jolo Island it tells that as late as 1940 the Jolo Island students also known as Moros killled all their non-Moro teachers and authorities do not know reason for this. Inasmuch as the United States must get to know other people and their customs so we can heal their pains and hurts, it is also true that people of other nations must let us know of their customs so we do not tread upon their customs and hurt them.

We cannot heal their fears and concerns if we do not know them. This is why we must talk with people. But we must be given a chance to correct these misunderstandings. Our First Great Amendment to the Constitution states we believe in Religious Freedom for all Religions." It would be unmerciful,brutal and cruel, and against God's Love and Forgiveness to kill people instead of enlightening them about your grievances and thereby give the people a chance to heal the hurts and pains. This is the Golden day and moment for all Nations.

Eva Hart A Christian In Army from 62-70 670 Eddy St. Sfc 94109 Rec job Sec of Def 64