This from the typically-liberal Washington Post, no less:
Quote:
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.
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My bet is the best thing her trip accomplished was to give the Syrian terrorists a big belly laugh. The worst is she made the third most powerful government office in the U.S. a laughing stock.
Chad
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"We can have no '50-50' allegiance in this country. Either a man is an American and nothing else, or he is not an American at all."-- Theodore Roosevelt
A wise man's heart is at his right hand; but a fool's heart at his left. Ecclesiasties 10:2
The last four letters in American..........I Can
The last four letters in Republican........I Can
The last four letters in Democrats.........Rats
Location: On an Island in the west coast of New England
Posts: 13,133
RE: Pelosi's foolishness
IMO she was wrong. Partisan politics in a worst case. There are people in our government that are trained and knowledgeable of customs and diplomacy. She is the speaker of the house (elected to Congress) not a foreign policy expert. I wonder how she would feel if the diplomat for eastovershoe walked up to the podium and called the Senate to order.
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Too busy with fishing to spend much time here.
Exactly CI. She made a complete and total fool of herself and showed the world exactly what she's all about, while undermining her superiors. She needs a serious reality check--someone should remind her that she is not Secretary of State or Commander in Chief.
Chad
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"We can have no '50-50' allegiance in this country. Either a man is an American and nothing else, or he is not an American at all."-- Theodore Roosevelt
A wise man's heart is at his right hand; but a fool's heart at his left. Ecclesiasties 10:2
The last four letters in American..........I Can
The last four letters in Republican........I Can
The last four letters in Democrats.........Rats
Pelosi and other Liberals in Congress are now drunk on their own perceived power they think they were crown with in the last election. She and others of her type are running around the world sticking their finger, noses and every other thing in very dangerous, volatile situations.
She's shooting off her mouth trying to play the "peace maker", when she's more likely to embolden states, dictators like Syria/Asad and Iran/"Akdimawackjob" to become even bolder. They must think if America has no more sense than to let a loose canon in a shirt and head scarf come over their in their dens and let them have sport with her as she bows and submits to these terrorist supporting states, then they aren't going to be afraid to keep on supporting terrorists.
They"™re also sticking themselves into foreign policy relations and decisions that are constitutionally the President"™s and the State Departments. We"™ll be fortunate to survive another 2 years with these outlaws in charge or out of control running Congress.
For those who put the demonkats back in power or failed to support their opponents, this is on your head, too.
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MinnFinn
"Now there you go again..." "I'm not going to hold your youth and inexperience against you." -- Ronald Reagan
She didnt make herself look bad. She madethe USlook bad. Can you imagine the reaction in a country wherewomen arent aloud to speak and have to cover up see's a US leader come over there against whatthePresident wanted her to do.
Other countries thinking our prez is to weak to keep some mouthy women inline will not gainany respect and love that so many think are important.
Personally I dont care why they dont like US and dont think we should change anything but they do need to respect us and whenSuperb!!ch puts on her cape and flys overthere to save the day, it only hurts us.
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"What do you mean I ain't kind? Just not your kind."
Pelosi's foolishness
