Obama Calls McCain’s Statement About Hamas Support `Offensive’
By Joe Sobczyk and Julianna Goldman
May 8 (Bloomberg) — Democrat Barack Obama said Republican John McCain’s suggestion that the militant Islamic group Hamas favors Obama is “offensive” and a “smear” that goes counter to McCain’s promise to run a positive campaign.
“My policy toward Hamas has been no different than his,” Obama said in an interview on CNN. “I’ve said that they are a terrorist organization, that we should not negotiate with them unless they recognize Israel, renounce violence, and unless they are willing to abide by previous accords between the Palestinians and the Israelis.”
Obama was asked about remarks the Arizona senator made last month during a conference call in which he said he would be Hamas’s “worst nightmare” and suggested the group, which the U.S. designates as a terrorist organization, favors Obama. In an appearance last night on Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show” McCain repeated the assertion, citing statements made by a Hamas official.
“For him to toss out comments like that I think is an example of him losing his bearings as he pursues this nomination,” Obama, a senator from Illinois, said today.
Obama is leading the race for the Democratic presidential nomination over New York Senator Hillary Clinton. McCain has sewn up the Republican contest.
The adviser of Hamas, Ahmed Yousef, said in a recent interview: “We like Obama and hope that he will win the election.”
