Gerald Herbert/AP

When five former secretaries of state talk, the nation should listen. Their collective message: The next White House administration should talk directly to its enemies, not just isolate or demonize them.

In case anyone was missing the point, the panel filled in the blanks. Yes, they were talking about Syria, Russia and Iran, where relations with Washington are rocky or nonexistent. Their words, spoken at a university forum last week, came just days before a debate between John McCain and Barack Obama over the terms and timing of such foreign policy overtures.