A conversation between President Bush and former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon (who is in a permanent coma), is that relevant? Why don't we dig up conversations between Yassar Arafat and Saddam Hussein, another brilliant meeting of the minds.

The innanity of the Bush administration, now only after pushed by being embarassed by President Carter's unilateral diplomatic success in the mideast, to actually enter into communications is nothing short of a Monty Python sketch. The Bush administration is a "lame duck" without any "carrot or stick" powers and with a fixed time limit on their residency in the White House, and given the undying enmity they have earned not only from Arabs but also a growing number of Israelis' due to the geometric growth of Islamic extremism due to the unwarranted and unjust destruction and invasion of Iraq, they have neither the intellectual nor political authority to negotiate let alone communicate with anyone in the region. To that end, ironically, Mr. Abbas, may be the most suitable selection and Arab equivalent to Mr. Bush and his administration.

Hopefully, President McCain can utilize his common sense and a fresh start to actually implement rational and honest dimplomacy in concert with the European Union allies to finally start on a road to establishing a dialogue between the Israeli and Palestinian people themselves that is not usruped by the political, religous, industrial, or other individuals or groups who have a vested interest in continuing rather than ending the conflict between these two good people.

"The innanity of the Bush administration, now only after pushed by being embarassed by President Carter's unilateral diplomatic success in the mideast"

SUCCESS??????????

hahahahahahaha

All Carter manged to get was another statement by Hamas that they want to destroy Israel.
They demand that all 1948 refugees, including their children, and their children, and their children, be allowed to come to Israel

4.5 mil plus 1.5 mil Israeli arabs=no more Israel.

Some success!!!!!!1

Anonymous, what I and any objective observer and unbiased actor in the middle east dynamic has observed is that the "success" that President Carter achieved in sitting down and merely speaking with the Hamas' (bigoted, anti-semitic, anti-zionist, and racist) administration, is the first step to opening a dialogue between that group and the Isreli (bigoted, anti-arab, anti-Palestininian, and racist) administration.

However, you purposeful and complete mismangement of the facts of the communications of the diplomatic iniitiative by President Carter is frankly about as valuable as Secretary Rice's false assertion that her office advised President Carter not to meet with Hamas or the Syrian leadership - and the implicit lack of use of proper English, juvenille insults, and dismissiveness without any factual basis, or rational argument, makes it not humorous or relevant but mor like something that frankly came off of the desk of GW Bush before it was corrected and edited by the PR team at the White House.

President Carter, a true Christian, and loyal American, has always, and more specifically to Hamas and Syria during these communications, made it abundantly clear that he does not abide any racism or intolerance, and that he believes in the right of both the state of Israel and the state of Palestine to exist, in peace, and harmony, as part of a global environment.

The Bush government's two terms of historic lies, manipulation, and unprecendented incompetence economically, diplomiticaly, and militarilly does not need to be deliniated in my posting, I will leave that to the post November 2008 cottage industry of journalists and authors who are already preparing to bring that reality into full view before the "Freedom Fry" nation can once again delude itself with revisionist history.

But, all of the American dysfunction is irrelevant, the issues of import to the average Israeli and Palestinian citizen is hardly that of their, let alone the US', leadership, they want only peace, prosperity, and the opportunity to work, worship, and raise their family in an environment absent of the costant threat of death, dismemberment, and terror.

American has faced ONE 9-11, and we still here about it on a daily basis like it was somehow the most important event in the history of mankind. Both the Israeli and Palestinian people have faced the threat and manifestation of that kind of death and destruction daily and for decades.

There is absolutlely nothing to be amused about here, President Carter's actions are laudible and historic, and with God's grace, President McCain will carry on the good work to bring together the citizenry of Israel and Palestine in peace and brotherhood to work, live, and prosper together - perhaphs not in our lifetimes - but in the future - the road must start somewhere and without war, sanctions, or silence.

it is not good for the Bush Administration to put their hands on Jerusalem. It would not be good for Jerusalem to be divided in order to create a Palestinian State. The Arab Nations hate Israel and no matter what said, this is a plot to diplomatically "WIPE ISRAEL OF THE FACE OF THE MAP." Israel, Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, belong to the Jews and will always by Yahweh's blessing, belong to the Jews. I pray Bush's plane to create a Palestinian State completely fails! Sh'ma Israel!