Mr. Foreign Policy Expert Screws Up!

For the man who is suppose to be the foreign policy brain for Barack Obama, Joe Biden, the Senate Foreign Relations Chair, made several serious foreign policy gaffes in his debate with Governon Palin on Thursday night. If he is the foreign policy expert, it did not come through on the issue of the Middle East and the Israeli-Palestinian issue. At best, Joe Biden demonstrated that experience does not always equate with good judgment.

First, Biden stated that George Bush waited too long before mediating negotiations between Israel and Palestine. This made Bush's policy in the Middle East an abject failure according to Biden. Wonder if it ever occurred to Mr. Foreign Policy that the internal political struggles within Israel may have played any role during this time when Biden was pushing for mediation?

Second, Biden stated that George Bush made a mistake when he insisted on elections in the West Bank which led to a victory for Hamas and thus legitimizing Hamas. Wrong, Joe. The 2006 election took place in Palestine and not in the West Bank. Biden claimed to have warned not to hold the elections in the West Bank. Guess what Joe? They didn't hold them in the West Bank.

Third, Bush failed to establish NATO forces in Lebanon after France and the US drove out Hezbollah. Biden again claimed that he warned that failing to fill the vacuum in Lebanon would leave Hezbollah an opening to establish control. Guess what, Joe? The Lebanese as well as Hezbollah will be very surprised to learn that Hezbollah was kicked out in the 2006 war.

For a man known as Mr. Foreign Policy who promises thoughtful, real live diplomacy, these gaffes alone are frightening, but to think he might actually believe he's an expert is even more frightening.