WTF, Part 2

I just read Dr. Bill's spin on the AP article discussed in the previous post. Here it is:

I’m currently overseas visiting our troops in Afghanistan, but I wanted to take a moment to address an Associated Press story titled, “Frist: Taliban Should Be in Afghan Gov’t.” The story badly distorts my remarks and takes them out of context.

First of all, let me make something clear: The Taliban is a murderous band of terrorists who’ve oppressed the people of Afghanistan with their hateful ideology long enough. America’s overthrow of the Taliban and support for responsible, democratic governance in Afghanistan is a great accomplishment that should not and will not be reversed.

Having discussed the situation with commanders on the ground, I believe that we cannot stabilize Afghanistan purely through military means. Our counter-insurgency strategy must win hearts and minds and persuade moderate Islamists potentially sympathetic to the Taliban to accept the legitimacy of the Afghan national government and democratic political processes.

National reconciliation is a necessary and an urgent priority … but America will never negotiate with terrorists or support their entry into Afghanistan’s government.

Please note that he did not deny saying that he supported efforts to bring the Taliban and their allies into the Afghan government. He also did not deny saying "the only way to win in places like the volatile southern part of the country is to 'assimilate people who call themselves Taliban into a larger, more representative government.'" I know that if I been misquoted on something like that, I damn sure would have said so.