General Petraeus agrees with Obama — we have to talk to our enemies

John McCain likes to invoke the name of General David Petraeus a lot, and he likes to say that Barack Obama’s stance on negotiating with our enemies is naive and untested.  Petraeus, Petraeus, Petraeus, goes the chorus of harpies on the right.  Well General David Petraeus spoke at the Heritage Foundation the other day and pretty much destroyed all of John McCain’s arguments.  Washington Independent:

Petraeus also came out unambiguously in his talk at Heritage for opening communications with America’s adversaries, a position McCain is attacking Obama for endorsing. Citing his Iraq experience, Petraeus said, “You have to talk to enemies.” He added that it was necessary to have a particular goal for discussion and to perform advance work to understand the motivations of his interlocutors.

All that was the subject of one of the most contentious tussles between McCain and Obama in the first presidential debate, with Obama contending that his intent to negotiate with foreign adversaries without “precondition” did not mean that he would neglect diplomatic “preparation.”

McCain, apparently perceiving an opportunity for attack, Tuesday again used Obama’s comments to attack his judgment. “Sen. Obama, without precondition, wants to sit down and negotiate with them, without preconditions,” McCain said, referring to Iran.

Yet Petraeus emphasized throughout his lecture that reaching out to insurgent groups — some “with our blood on their hands,” he said — was necessary to the ultimate goal of turning them against irreconcilable enemies like Al Qaeda in Iraq.

Crooks and Liars points out that Petraeus also wants to negotiate with the Taliban.

So, John McCain, you’re saying that Barack Obama is naive and has it all wrong?  Then you must also agree that General Petraeus is naive and has it all wrong, as well.

Only Walnuts knows what’s best!  Give me a break.