JustASC

Investors Business Daily editorializes against Jimmy Carter’s plans for a citizen-diplomat mission to Syria, during which reports say that he might meet with exiled Hamas leader Khalid Meshal.

The editorial concludes with this neat bit of sleight-of-hand:

Now we see Jimmy Carter conducting the kind of “aggressive personal diplomacy” Barack Obama has promised.

If Obama wins the White House, will Khaled Meshal be invited to Camp David?

This double-bank shot is a brilliant display of rhetorical chutzpah. It’s a parlor game – connect a politician with an egregious news report in two moves or less — that you can try on any issue. Like this:

On The 700 Club April 8 edition, Pat Robertson said of Islam: “I want to say it again, and again, and again: Islam is not a religion, it is a political system meant on — bent on world domination, not a religion. It masquerades as a religion…”

Is this the kind of rhetoric we can expect from our diplomats when John Hagee becomes McCain’s secretary of state?

Or how about:

Sen. Clinton called on President Bush to skip the opening ceremonies of the Olympics, unless China modifies its human rights policies. Meanwhile, violence spread from Tibet through neighboring parts of China on Sunday as anti-Chinese protesters took to the streets.

If Clinton wins the White House, will condoning violent protest be the signature of her presidency?