Does John Ensign Want To Appease The Taliban?

The Republicans just love to talk about "appeasement". If you don't vote with them in dissolving the Constitution step by step you are "appeasing" the terrorists. Essentially, this tactic is nothing else but fearmongering. Democrats simply disagree with the notion that you have to destroy the Constitution of the United States when you want to fight the terrorists. No one in his right mind would want to "appease" terrorists and their enablers.

That's what you would think, right? Well, think again. It seems the Majority Leader in the US Senate, Republican Bill Frist, wants to appease the Taliban. Yup, you heard that right. This is an excerpt from an AP story in the International Herald Tribune (which has since been picked up by news outlets across the U.S.):

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said Monday that the Afghan guerrilla war can never be won militarily and called for efforts to bring the Taliban and their supporters into the Afghan government.

The Tennessee Republican said he had learned from briefings that Taliban fighters were too numerous and had too much popular support to be defeated by military means.

"You need to bring them into a more transparent type of government," Frist said during a brief visit to a U.S. and Romanian military base in the southern Taliban stronghold of Qalat. "And if that's accomplished we'll be successful."

Wow! This almost left me speechless. Now, imagine how all hell would have broken loose if a Democrat would have said this. This is simply unbelievable. Because the Republicans in Congress and in the White House though overtoppling Saddam more important than finding Osama Bin Laden and rooting out the Taliban we find ourselves in a situation where there is a resurgence of the Taliban.

You remember the Taliban? Don't you? The guys who don't like music and women. The guys who just kill anyone who listens to music, plays soccer or any woman who dares not to submit? The Majority Leader in the United States Senate wants to appease these guys? Is he out of his mind?

There was another Senator on the trip to Afghanistan with Bill Frist, Republican Mel Martinez from Florida, who agreed with Frist and said:

negotiating with the Taliban was not "out of the question" but that fighters who refused to join the political process would have to be defeated.

"A political solution is how it's all going to be solved," he said.

A political solution? Because you screwed up? Are you saying that US Military Forces are incapable of defeating the Taliban? Are you surrendering? Appeasing the Taliban? Are you serious?

Since Turn Tahoe Blue is a blog that mostly covers Nevada and California, I would like to know the following from the only Republican representing these two states in the Senate:

Do you support what your Republican colleagues had to say, Senator Ensign?

Do you also plan to appease the Taliban, Senator Ensign?

Do you also think that the US cannot win in Afghanistan, Senator Ensign?

And above all, Senator: Where is Osama Bin Laden?

As far as I know Senator Ensign has not rebuked his two colleagues on this. Why is he silent? And if he remains silent one can only assume that he agrees with Senator Frist and Martinez, one can only assume that Senator Ensign wants to appease the Taliban.

Make sure to make your voice heard. One way of doing so is help defeat Senator Ensign by contributing to the next Senator from Nevada, Jack Carter!

UPDATE @ 1.35pm: The Bill Frist appeasement story is slowly making the rounds on the series of tubes. This from the über-lovely Wonkette:

Frist To Terrorists: 'I Surrender!'

Maybe the October Surprise is “Everybody Goes Crazy,” because that’s the only rational explanation for Bill Frist’s sudden desire to “cut and run” from Afghanistan.

On a visit to bum out American troops, Frist admitted that the United States cannot win the war militarily. The obvious solution, says Dr. Bill, is to give the wrecked country back to the “people who call themselves Taliban” and then run away crying like a little French girl.

A few hours later, Frist’s crazy pills wore off and he was back to the GOP script. “First of all, let me make something clear: The Taliban is a murderous band of terrorists,” etc., terror terror. But he actually stands by his original point: His government lost the war in Afghanistan to some goat herders, and now we need to make nice with the goat herders so we go home and cry like a little French girl.

Still haven't heard from John Ensign. He must be busy appeasing the Taliban.