Pelosi goes to Syria

[Highwayman]

WASHINGTON —

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will visit Syria, a country President Bush has shunned as a sponsor of terrorism, despite being asked by the administration not to go.

"In our view, it is not the right time to have these sort of high-profile visitors to Syria," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters Friday.

Pelosi arrived in Israel on Friday in what is her second fact-finding trip to the Middle East since taking over leadership in the House in January.

Her repeat trip, an indication she plans to play a role in foreign policy, is also a direct affront to the administration, which says such diplomatic overtures by lawmakers can do more harm than good.

Pelosi will not be the first member of Congress in recent months to travel to Syria, but as House speaker she is the most senior.

White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said the speaker "should take a step back and think about the message that it sends."

"This is a county that is a state sponsor of terror, one that is trying to disrupt the Senora government in Lebanon and one that is allowing foreign fighters to flow into Iraq from its borders," Perino said.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad "probably really wants people to come, and have a photo opportunity, and have tea with him, and have discussions about where they're coming from. But we just think it's a really bad idea," Perino said.

Pelosi's office did not immediately return a call seeking comment on why she was not heeding administration warnings......

FOXNews.com - White House Doesn't Support House Speaker Pelosi's Visit to Syria - Politics | Republican Party | Democratic Party | Political Spectrum

What the heck is this? She’s the Speaker of the House, not the State Dept.

[TexKan]

Will be a real expensive tea party - that's for sure!

[K C Muffin]

I don't get it. Is the US paying for her protection over there? The soldiers have too much to do to try and protect a politician who's just trying to make a name. She has no authority, so why is she going? It's nuts. Maybe a death wish??

[TigerEyes]

One of the worst things that can happen in any emergency response - whether hurricane, tornado, massive fire, terrorist incident, etc. - is a visit by any sort of dignitary. The resources that are needed most to mitigate response are pulled away from what they NEED to be doing in order to cater to the whim of said dignitary - or to provide protection, etc.

I imagine it's the same thing for places like Syria, Lebanon, and other Middle East destinations. People will get pulled from their vital, necessary jobs in order to serve and protect the "important person."

I think she could do much more good if she just stayed home.

[SGT T.]

Have a good trip nancy! Hope you speak dirka!

[aft_lizard01]

This is once again another example of a Democrat doing a 'do as we say not as we do'. I would guarantee if any Republican had tried this while Billy was president the Dems, and their proxy's in the press would attempt to destroy that particular congressman and would not let up until he retired, and he would because Republicans left there spines somewhere in the 1800's.

[K C Muffin]

Originally Posted by aft_lizard01

This is once again another example of a Democrat doing a 'do as we say not as we do'. I would guarantee if any Republican had tried this while Billy was president the Dems, and their proxy's in the press would attempt to destroy that particular congressman and would not let up until he retired, and he would because Republicans left there spines somewhere in the 1800's.

Ouch! Looks like you fit right in, Liz - welcome aboard!

[Highwayman]

From the Washington Post;

Pratfall in Damascus
Nancy Pelosi's foolish shuttle diplomacy

Thursday, April 5, 2007; A16

HOUSE SPEAKER Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) offered an excellent demonstration yesterday of why members of Congress should not attempt to supplant the secretary of state when traveling abroad. After a meeting with Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad in Damascus, Ms. Pelosi announced that she had delivered a message from Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert that "Israel was ready to engage in peace talks" with Syria. What's more, she added, Mr. Assad was ready to "resume the peace process" as well. Having announced this seeming diplomatic breakthrough, Ms. Pelosi suggested that her Kissingerian shuttle diplomacy was just getting started. "We expressed our interest in using our good offices in promoting peace between Israel and Syria," she said.

Only one problem: The Israeli prime minister entrusted Ms. Pelosi with no such message. "What was communicated to the U.S. House Speaker does not contain any change in the policies of Israel," said a statement quickly issued by the prime minister's office. In fact, Mr. Olmert told Ms. Pelosi that "a number of Senate and House members who recently visited Damascus received the impression that despite the declarations of Bashar Assad, there is no change in the position of his country regarding a possible peace process with Israel." In other words, Ms. Pelosi not only misrepresented Israel's position but was virtually alone in failing to discern that Mr. Assad's words were mere propaganda.

Ms. Pelosi was criticized by President Bush for visiting Damascus at a time when the administration -- rightly or wrongly -- has frozen high-level contacts with Syria. Mr. Bush said that thanks to the speaker's freelancing Mr. Assad was getting mixed messages from the United States. Ms. Pelosi responded by pointing out that Republican congressmen had visited Syria without drawing presidential censure. That's true enough -- but those other congressmen didn't try to introduce a new U.S. diplomatic initiative in the Middle East. "We came in friendship, hope, and determined that the road to Damascus is a road to peace," Ms. Pelosi grandly declared.

Never mind that that statement is ludicrous: As any diplomat with knowledge of the region could have told Ms. Pelosi, Mr. Assad is a corrupt thug whose overriding priority at the moment is not peace with Israel but heading off U.N. charges that he orchestrated the murder of former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq al-Hariri. The really striking development here is the attempt by a Democratic congressional leader to substitute her own foreign policy for that of a sitting Republican president. Two weeks ago Ms. Pelosi rammed legislation through the House of Representatives that would strip Mr. Bush of his authority as commander in chief to manage troop movements in Iraq. Now she is attempting to introduce a new Middle East policy that directly conflicts with that of the president. We have found much to criticize in Mr. Bush's military strategy and regional diplomacy. But Ms. Pelosi's attempt to establish a shadow presidency is not only counterproductive, it is foolish.

Pratfall in Damascus - washingtonpost.com

[wordsmythe]

I was driving across the wilds of Kansas today and I caught part of a news story about this and they said something about a delegation of Republicans left the day before Pelosi's and that she's got several Republicans in her delegation as well...

I'll check into it a bit more.

[lurker]

Good find, Highwayman.

Reading through some of the replies brought this chuckle'rrrr

Completely agree with this editorial: Speaker Pelosi seems to suffer from delusions of adequacy. She really should concentrate on doing her new job well and leave the foreign policy to the professionals. It seems that when the Democrats seize power, no matter how marginal, they have an irresistible impulse to embrace Americas enemies. Nancys old enough to know better.

By lindseyf | Apr 5, 2007 6:54:16 AM