Now comes word that Jimmy Carter plans to meet later this month in Syria with the exiled head of Hamas, Khaled Mashaal. 

Mashaal, of course, is a finalist alongside Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in the global competition to be named "Most Reviled Terrorist on Earth."

We're pretty sure that Carter could save himself the schlep all the way to Syria if the U.S. State Department would simply extend to Mashaal the same courtesy if offered Ahmadinejad and let Mashaal speak at Columbia University and be publicly pandered to by Carter there.

There is no reason that Mashaal should not be invited to Columbia.  Like Ahmadinejad, who spoke on campus on September 24, 2007, Mashaal is a murderous holocaust denier who seeks the destruction of both Israel and the United States.  We say, let's welcome him.

Look JC  (Jimmy) isn't getting any younger.  He's been courting every enemy of Israel every chance he gets.  But let's not make him work so hard.

When Columbia University President Lee C. Bollinger introduced Ahmadinejad to his students and the watching world media last September, Bollinger really opened the door for further dialog with any avowed racist and terrorist.  Bollinger's rationale for opening the campus to Ahmadinejad's brand of hate speech applies equally to Mashaal.  

In Bollinger's eyes, every murderous thug is a petri dish for engaging student minds.  Columbia students have heard and "asked tough questions" to Ahmadinejad and thus were able to better focus their formative brains.  Well, why not Mashaal?

Carter will go to Syria and will kiss Mashaal on all four cheeks (two each above and below the belt line).  But really folks, while Syria plays host to this lovely reunion, it is Columbia and Bollinger who helped make it all possible.

p.s.  Columbia alumni, of whom there are so many, don't forget your annual donations to support the great work of the University in the education of its students.  See how Columbia is impacting the world through its academic leadership?