The Hamas factor in US election

Could Hamas play a decisive role in choosing the next US president?

Probably not, but the Islamist forces are sparking a new dust-up in the race.

Last month, Hamas political strategist Ahmed Yousef (pictured below) set things in motion when he spoke warmly of Democratic US Sen. Barack Obama.

";We like Mr. Obama and we hope he will win the elections," said the Gaza-based, Western-educated Yousef.

"I hope Mr. Obama and the Democrats will change the political discourse," Yousef said. "I do believe [Obama] is like John Kennedy, a great man with a great principal. And he has a vision to change America to make it in a position to lead the world community, but not with humiliation and arrogance,"

(Last June, Yousef told me that he favored US Sen. Hillary Clinton, but the fact that he's changing horses is a footnote at this point...)

It didn't take long for US Sen. John McCain to seize on Yousef's comments to kick up some dust.

"Barack Obama's foreign policy plans have even won him praise from Hamas leaders," McCain's campaign wrote in a fund raising letter. “We need change in America, but not the kind of change that wins kind words from Hamas, surrenders in Iraq and will hold unconditional talks with Iranian President Ahmadinejad.”

McCain has kept the issue alive in various forums, claiming in one chat that he would be Hamas' "worst nightmare."

"If Senator Obama is favored by Hamas, I think people can make judgments accordingly," McCain said.

Obama hit back this week by calling McCain's implications "offensive" and suggesting that the Republican senator was "losing his bearings."

McCain's campaign immediately accused Obama of trying to inject McCain's age (71) into the race.

On Friday, McCain said the whole issue was "a legitimate point of discussion."

Hmm. Well it seems like the general election campaign is getting off to a dignified start...