Politics and Culture

OK. Some people who are otherwise pretty smart are confused about why Bush and McCain won't negotiate with terrorists.

Fact: The United States government is talking to Iran as you read this.
Fact: Official, high-level talks confers respectability to a nation or regime. It also provides photo-ops. A picture of FDR, for example, hugging Hitler could have been used against him.

Obama, Hamas, and Iran prove that official, high-level negotiations are prestigious simply because they desire them. Why would Obama make a point of "negotiating with enemies" if he thought that official negotiations were no different from what we're doing now? Why would Hamas and Iran want them?

What McCain should say if Obama continues to demagogue this legitimate policy issue is something like, "Well, apparently Obama doesn't mind legitimizing terrorists. In fact, I rememeber that some of his best friends are terrorists."

McCain would be referring to unrepentant William Ayers (below, standing on American flag).