The United States’ policy on negotiations with terrorists is simple: We don’t negotiate.

So there was much hullabaloo — from both the left and right — when former President Jimmy Carter announced he would meet with the leader of Hamas, a militant Islamic group that the United States defines as a terrorist organization.

Here’s some details from FOX News:

A group of more than 50 congressmen from both sides of the aisle have sent a letter beseeching former president Jimmy Carter not to meet with Khaled Meshal, the head of the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas.

The letter, sponsored by Reps. Mark Kirk, R-Ill., and Shelley Berkeley, D-Nev., and signed by congressional leaders including House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, and veteran representative Barney Frank, D-Mass., lists the 26 Americans who have been killed in terrorist attacks launched by Hamas.

Carter reportedly hugged - and kissed - a Hamas leader Tuesday in the West Bank town of Ramallah on a Mideast visit that is to culminate in a meeting Friday with the group’s exiled leader in Damascus, Syria.

Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor said Carter’s meeting with Hamas “dignified” a group committed to Israel’s destruction. “One cannot but wonder how this attitude is supposed to promote peace and understanding,” he said.

The U.S. has also expressed displeasure at Carter’s overtures to Hamas, an Islamic group responsible for the deaths of some 250 Israelis in suicide bombings and labeled a terrorist organization by both countries.

OK — I know you may find me crazy, but I somewhat agree with what Jimmy Carter is doing. Here’s why:

Talking is better than killing — right? — so the preferred first option for any conflict is to talk. But, opponents say talking to Hamas legitimizes the group, and lends them more credibility than they should have; which may be true, but it can’t be denied that Hamas does have some credibility already — I mean, they control the Gaza Strip.

It seems like people (in the US) don’t want us to talk to Hamas, but then they don’t want us to kill them either. Well, which is it? Are they advocating a third option — just ignore the situation and hope it goes away? (I’ll call that the “Clinton” strategy — which didn’t work so well with al Qaeda.)

President Bush should send me over there; I’ll talk to Hamas, beginning with questions like: “Why are you crazy?”; “What’s so bad about Jews?”; “Do you know any Jews? They’re really not so bad.”; “Are you guys going to stop trying to destroy Israel, or are we going to have to smart-bomb you and your goats back to the Stone Age?”; and, you know, things like that.

I think the logical mistake people make is to assume that talking necessarily leads to compromise. Not true — a good negotiator can talk someone into giving up a whole lot, without sacrificing anything.

Which brings me to my last point, which is: Jimmy Carter is not a good negotiator. The title of this post says “Give Him a Chance,” but it sounds like he’s already blown his chance. I mean, hugging and kissing Hamas leaders?

That’s not how it’s done, Mr. Carter.