Come on, guys:

The Arab daily Al-Hayat on Tuesday quoted a senior Hamas official as saying that United States President-elect Barack Obama's advisors met with members of the Palestinian militant group before the U.S. presidential election. Ahmed Yusuf, a political advisor to Hamas' Gaza leader Ismail Haniyeh, reportedly told the London-based paper that, "The connection was made via email and after that we met with them in Gaza." Al-Hayat reported that Yusuf also said the relations were maintained after Obama's electoral victory last Tuesday. He said the president-elect's advisors requested that the relations be kept secret so as not to aid his rival, Senator John McCain. During Obama's campaign, he pledged that his administration would only hold talks with Hamas if it renounced terrorism, recognized Israel's right to exist, and abided by past agreements.

Not exactly. He said that those were the minimum conditions that Hamas would have to meet before he sat down with them - necessary but not sufficient, as the kids say. Those conditions were dishonest and ever-so-convenient given that Obama seemed eager to meet with Hamas's Tehran sponsors - mullahs who not only fund terrorism and want to wipe out Israel but are also developing nukes, attacking our soldiers in Iraq, destabilizing Latin America, etc. But still - they were the pretexts he used and there wasn't really a reason to violate them before the election. If anything he could wait until after Nov. 5 to thank Hamas for all the time and energy they expended helping him get elected.

Besides, why would Obama send his own people when he could settle for praising Carter with faint criticism after Carter's insanely counterproductive sit down with those lunatics? Obama's leading Secretary of State candidates all believe Carter should be the US's envoy to the Palestinians anyway. No reason to use campaign people.

References:
* Report: Hamas says its officials met Obama aides before U.S. election [Ha'aretz]
* Obama: Meeting With Hamas Is Wrong - But Meeting With Hamas's Holocaust-Denying Genocidal Iranian Sponsors Is The Best Idea Evuh [MR]
* Summer Camp Funtime For Palestinian Kids - Getting Brainwashed, Learning How To Launch Qassams (Plus: New Anti-Rocket Lasers) [MR]
* CNN: Obama, Clinton "Clearly Uncomfortable" Criticizing Carter's Hamas Visit [MR]
* The definition of useful idiot is … Update: Video added, and Hamas punks him twice [Hot Air]
* Noted Democratic Shill Begs Nutroots Not To Viciously Attack Emanuel For Being Too Jewish [MR]

Previously:
* Actually "The World" Is Kind Of Unhappy With Obama
* Exit Polls: 77% Of American Jews Confirmed Social Scientific Finding About How They're Total Morons
* Genocidal Lunatics And Vicious Terrorists Helpfully Illustrate Negative Connotations Of "Change" For American Electorate