What Were They Thinking?

An official of a terrorist-sponsoring state that has a horrible human rights record spoke over the weekend at a convention in Washington. She accused Israel of “ethnic cleansing against the Palestinians” and accused American forces in Iraq of trying to wipe out Arab culture. She was met with a standing ovation. You’d think that in the middle of a war on terrorism American politicians would want to steer clear of this sort of event. Or if they did show up, they would at least voice a protest. Yet the Bush administration sent a top official from the Department of Homeland Security, Asa Hutchinson, to participate and speak at the meeting. The Kerry campaign sent the candidate’s wife, Teresa Heinz Kerry. Ralph Nader showed up in person.