WTF, Part 3

I have done a search of the sites for the New York Times, Washington Post, LA Times, Reuters, ABC News, CBS News, and the Chicago Tribune, and I found only one follow up on the AP article about Frist and the Taliban. The Chicago Tribune ran another AP article today entitled "Democrats Assail Frist's Afghan Comments." Here is my favorite jab:

Phil Singer, spokesman for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, said, "Doctors are supposed to wear the white coat, not wave the white flag. Dr. Frist's proposal to surrender to the Taliban ignores the fact that they enabled the 9/11 hijackers, give safe haven to al-Qaida and remain hell-bent on destroying Western civilization."

Zing!

The article also contains an "explanation" from a Frist staffer:

Amy Call, a spokeswoman for the senator, on Tuesday sought to clarify Frist's comments.

"While touring Afghanistan, Senator Frist made the observation that Afghan tribesman should be brought into the government or risk losing them to the Taliban," she said in a statement. "Giving the native tribes, often targeted by Taliban recruitment, a voice in the government will promote peace and prosperity in the region."

(emphasis added). So, the need to "assimilate people who call themselves Taliban into a larger, more representative government" means "the need to assimilate tribesmen who are not Taliban."

Oh, well of course it does.