On the April 30 edition of Fox News' Your World, host Neil Cavuto falsely suggested that Sen. Barack Obama has expressed a willingness to meet with Hamas. Cavuto said: “Well, one of the reasons why he espoused talking to our enemies -- much as Jimmy Carter has with his recent meeting with Hamas and all that -- is that we can't make things worse, so what's the harm in talking to them?” In fact, as Media Matters for America has repeatedly noted (here, here, here, and here), Reuters reported on March 3 that Obama “has said he would break with President George W. Bush's stance of declining to talk to some other international adversaries but that stance does not apply to Hamas.” According to Reuters, Obama said at a campaign stop in San Antonio: “You can't negotiate with somebody who does not recognize the right of a country to exist so I understand why Israel doesn't meet with Hamas.”

Referring specifically to Carter's planned meeting with Hamas, the Obama campaign released a statement on April 10 saying that Obama “does not support negotiations with Hamas until they renounce terrorism, recognize Israel's right to exist, and abide by past agreements.” On April 16, Obama reiterated that he “disagree[s] with” Carter's decision to meet with Hamas, in remarks that Reuters reported before McCain claimed Obama “approve[d] of such a meeting.” From the April 16 Reuters report:

Democratic White House hopeful Barack Obama on Wednesday disagreed with former President Jimmy Carter's overtures toward Hamas, saying he would not talk to the Islamist group until it recognized Israel and renounced terrorism.

The Illinois senator, campaigning in Pennsylvania which holds the next presidential voting contest on Tuesday, told a group of Jewish leaders he has an “unshakable commitment” to help protect Israel from its “bitter enemies.”

“That's why I have a fundamental difference with President Carter and disagree with his decision to meet with Hamas,” Obama said. “We must not negotiate with a terrorist group intent on Israel's destruction. We should only sit down with Hamas if they renounce terrorism, recognize Israel's right to exist and abide by past agreements.”

“Hamas is not a state. Hamas is a terrorist organization,” he said.

From the April 30 edition of Fox News' Your World with Neil Cavuto:

CAVUTO: So, you draw a connection here that he puts trust in people, he assumes the best in people, which isn't a bad way to live life, I guess, but as president, it's risky way.

AMANDA CARPENTER (TownHall.com columnist): Well, certainly. I mean, there's no doubt there's been a pattern of him associating with people, like, you know, the man who wanted to bomb federal buildings, William Ayers. You have Barack -- or, excuse me, Reverend Wright coming out and saying these anti-American things, and yet, he thinks that he can go negotiate with our enemies and see these people for what they are. And, you know, right now, he's under all this fire because he had to denounce his long-time friend and pastor, because he didn't realize the kind of things that he was saying, you know, to -- in front of hundreds of people, which I don't know how believable that is, but that's what Barack Obama wants you to believe.

CAVUTO: Well, one of the reasons why he espoused talking to our enemies -- much as Jimmy Carter has with his recent meeting with Hamas and all that -- is that we can't make things worse, so what's the harm in talking to them?

CARPENTER: Well, I certainly think there's always a capability to make things work. But it's interesting -- a lot of people are making the comparison between Jimmy Carter's form of diplomacy and Barack Obama's, most recently because Jimmy Carter indicated that he liked Barack Obama's philosophy when asked by a reporter, you know, who he might give a superdelegate endorsement to, and he certainly hinted that he favored Obama.

So, you know, we won't know for sure until probably August, when Jimmy Carter makes that endorsement, but, you know, you could have that photo of them in August at the nominating convention with, you know, them two together, and a lot of people saying, “Wow, they're in the exact same old, at least in terms of diplomacy.”

CAVUTO: Amanda, thank you.

CARPENTER: Thanks.