Despite the flash response from Team Obama and his supporters, the White House says President Bush wasn’t referring to Obama in his speech in front of the Israeli Parliament.

White House press secretary Dana Perino flatly rejected the idea that the Knesset remark was aimed in any way at Obama. The remark is fairly typical for Bush speeches, and Gordon Johndroe, a national security spokesman for the president, said the president was referring to “a wide range of people who have talked to or suggested we talk to Hamas, Hezbollah or their state sponsors” over a long period of time.

One such person most recently was former President Carter, who held talks with Hamas leaders, prompting criticism from Bush officials.

It’s actually entirely plausible that the President wasn’t speaking about Obama. Ace notes:

I know he’s advocated unconditional talks with a rogues gallery of governments but I don’t remember him ever saying we should talk to terrorists groups. No, that infamous distinction belongs to the worst President and ex-President evah….Mr. Jimmy Carter.

Indeed, as Dana Perino points out, the President was talking about people who want to talk with Hamas, Hezbollah, and the like. While I vehemently oppose Obama’s plans for unconditional talks with Iran & Co., he doesn’t say he wants to talk with Hamas and the ilk.