Earlier today our revered President spoke to the Israeli Knesset on the 60th anniversary of the founding of the state. In that speech Bush took the opportunity to slam the Democratic nominee on his policy of negotiating with adversaries. In front of many Jews who had lived through perhaps the most nefarious period in modern history the President of the United States chose to invoke appeasement and Hitler for political purposes. This act was flawed on many levels. First, the Dixie Chicks were lambasted for criticizing Bush on foreign soil. Their reputations were severely tarnished and death threats followed. President Bush not only did this on foreign soil but in front of the entire Israeli legislative branch. Secondly, Bush purposely didn’t give credit to the Senator with whom he quoted, isolationist Republican Congressmen William Edgar Borah from Idaho who said, “Lord, if only I could have talked to Hitler, all of this might have been avoided.” If Borah had been a Democrat I’m sure he would have been fully disclosed. Finally, talking to Iran, North Korea, Syria, et al is a policy proposed by Robert Gates, the Secretary of Defense.

So now we are left with the fallout. McCain has hitched his wagon to the opportunism offered by Bush’s speech. And the Right Wing has begun to try to triangulate Obama as the second coming of Neville Chamberlain. Fortunately, many Conservatives are not very savvy when it comes to history. In fact, many right wingers I have argued with over the years have a hard time getting past what they hear on their favorite sycophant’s radio program. What do I mean, you say? Chris Mathews today tried to carry an argument with one such right winger and talking points seemed to get in the way of the facts. Enjoy.