Bill Richardson is clearly suffering from Jimmy Carter disease.
The New Mexico governor thought he could talk Chavez into pressuring Colombia’s FARC into releasing its hostages, including three U.S. contractors they’ve held since 2003. Given his catastrophic negotiations with the Taliban, however, you’d think he’d know better.
The problem with this fracas in Caracas is that our allies in Colombia’s government are already negotiating for the release of the hostages, and didn’t really want Richardson involving Chavez in the process. But such concerns never deter the Armchair Diplomat brigade. These go-getters just know they’re better qualified than American diplomats—or Colombian diplomats—to negotiate with America’s adversaries.
The question of negotiation is an interesting one. [Investor’s Business Daily] rightly wonders what Richardson laid on the table to enlist Chavez’s help: “Such disrespect for Colombia raises questions about the governor’s judgment and, worse still, what he might have offered Chavez and FARC in behalf of a future U.S. Administration.“
That future administration would be Barack Obama’s, of course.»
Dunderhead Diplomat
Gah. I have to believe that the more the American people learn about Barack Obama (and those he’d bring with him into office), the less likely they’ll be to elect him president against—yes, even John McCain.
The Democrats appear poised once again to nominate, not a potential President of the United States, but November cannon fodder.
Some things never change.
