Sleepyjeff - She didn't say anything was off-limits; she said your conclusion was silly ... and it is. Dialog doesn't necessarily embolden enemies, no matter how much the right blogosphere keeps repeating it.
Oh, and according to this article, Roosevelt
did engage in dialog with both Hitler and Mussolini.
From
Time - Oct 10th, 1938
Quote:
Then the President proceeded to draft his second appeal to Adolf Hitler, urging not only continued negotiation of the German-Czech issues but also a broad discussion, among all the powers directly interested, of questions correlated with those issues. Said President to Fuhrer: "Hundreds of millions throughout the world would recognize your action as an outstanding historic service to all humanity."
This plea the President further backed up by cabling a personal suggestion to Benito Mussolini that he say a restraining word to Herr Hitler. Mussolini already urged to this by Prime Minister Chamberlain (see p.15), had already talked to Herr Hitler by telephone when Ambassador Phillips in Rome arrived with Mr. Roosevelt's message.
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