Down to the (Concertina) Wire

Rolling into the last week of the campaign, it's not a stretch to imagine that the GOP will be scraping the bottom of the slime barrel even harder.

Since the "domestic terrorist," "socialist," and "secret Muslim" smears aren't sticking (while the Palin wardrobe flap seems to be), it's a safe bet that McCain's Rove-inspired campaign crew will default to foreign policy scare tactics: "He's willing to talk -- gasp -- with our enemies!"

This morning's Wall Street Journal has the perfect rejoinder for Obama supporters when faced with McCainiac scaremongering:

U.S. Mulls Talks With Taliban in Bid to Quell Afghanistan Unrest: Gen. Petraeus Backs Effort to Win Over Some Elements of Group

The U.S. is actively considering talks with elements of the Taliban, the armed Islamist group that once ruled Afghanistan and sheltered al Qaeda, in a major policy shift that would have been unthinkable a few months ago.

Senior White House and military officials believe that engaging some levels of the Taliban -- while excluding top leaders -- could help reverse a pronounced downward spiral in Afghanistan and neighboring Pakistan. Both countries have been destabilized by a recent wave of violence. [skip]

The idea is supported by Gen. David Petraeus, who will assume responsibility this week for U.S. policy in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Gen. Petraeus used a similar approach in Iraq, where a U.S. push to enlist Sunni tribes in the fight against al Qaeda in Iraq helped sharply reduce the country's violence. Gen. Petraeus earlier this month publicly endorsed talks with less extreme Taliban elements. [skip]

Current and former officials attributed the White House's policy shift to the influence of Gen. Petraeus. "I do think you have to talk to enemies," he said Oct. 8 during a speech to the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. "You want to try to reconcile with as many of those as possible while then identifying those who truly are irreconcilable."

So when wild-eyed Republicans yell about Obama's dangerously naive foreign policy plans, just smile and calmly remind them that a four-star General thinks that talking to your enemies is actually a smart thing to do.