Petraeus: "I Do Think You Have To Talk To Enemies" (VIDEO)

TPM:

So General Petraeus agrees with Barack Obama -- and not John McCain -- on the question of whether we should meet with hostile enemies?

In an interview that aired on CBS last night, John McCain, when asked which three living people he'd like to have dinner with most, promptly chose General Petraeus. McCain frequently hails Petraeus as an "American hero."

McCain, however, might not enjoy that dinner so much if he heard Petraeus' views on one of the leading foreign policy differences he has with Barack Obama.

In a case of comically awful timing, Petraeus yesterday gave a talk at the Heritage Foundation in which he more or less echoed Barack Obama's views on negotiating with hostile foreign leaders -- views that McCain has repeatedly subjected to criticism and ridicule.

Asked by a questioner specifically about the disagreement on this topic that McCain and Obama had at Tuesday night's debate, Petraeus demurred a bit, but said: "I do think you have to talk to enemies."

Read the whole story: TPM

Comments

[Avembe]

i ALWAYS felt this guy was a democrat...i'm more and more convinced of that

[desertbloom]

McCain blabs on about his love for the troops and he admiration for Petraeus. Yet, he is rated low among veteran groups, and Petraeus obviously in more amenable to Obama's views about military and diplomatic strategy.

[Lupin77]

Petraeus is very much for BO and should come out and support him. We need diplomacy above anything before attacking other countries like Iraq which had nothing to do with 911. Mc if elected will involve us in a war with Iran.

[shelobo]

OH ! My gosh !! Betrayus has really gone and did it now , now Johns gonna take ALL his medals away ,I betcha !

[applejedi1]

I guess that means that McCain has to apologize to the President of Spain for the slight.

[XME]

I'd be willing to bet that Petraeus also feels you need to LOOK at your enemies when you speak to them...something McCain has proven he's incapable of.

[BIG JOHN]

SOUNDS LIKE AN ENDORCEMENT TO ME. OBAMA BIDEN 08

[Britishdemocrat]

Wow, this has got to be dig at the Bush policy of not talking to terrorists. Course you have to talk to enemies. He is right. The problem with our policies in the last seven years was to just get so-called intelligence from unreliable sources and then act upon it without thinking. And then believe the administration was right without question on the news networks, particularly False News. Bush says 'He is a doer, not a thinker'. What do you think happens when you bomb the hell out of countries like Iraq that have suffered under these dictators? They have all that after being oppressed, wondering where the next bomb will fall. Also, when you kill only a few members of Al Qaeda a month many more rise up. Obama has the best policy as he says we will defeat the people attacked America on 9/11. That is Bin Laden and his cronies. Where does Saddam Hussein comein to it?

[fallsgonnakillya]

It's always refreshing to hear a man of integrity speak. Thank you, General.

[David1752]

WTF?

[David1752]

Where is my last comment?

[AZterritory]

Smart man . . . as they say, "Talk is cheap"(er) than war.

[demfriend]

Thinking about the difference between not only Obama and McCain I think the difference between what some in the military who have followed many more "ideas" of Obama's than McCain's say much more than can be argued in McCain's mind if he paid attention. But that the facts are present and accounted for we over history have had many of our countries representatives have talked to our friends and enemies for us to prevent many wars and times of trouble so much is about this and we know this to be the truth. Why else would we have these people appointed and selected to do just that for us to keep us from misunderstandings and even wars and above all to keep friends and allies which are in short supply with Bush and would be with McCain too.

[grcatty]

Sorry General, but you did, in fact, just walk into that minefield and...

KABOOM!!

I would've liked to have heard a follow up question: "General, do you think that we should have ever been there in the first place?"

[robXdion]

McCain can't even look at and talk directly to Obama.