Nancy Pelosi arrived in Syria today. So far, she has visited a centuries-old market district and the Omayyad mosque in Old Damascus, which is considered one of the most sacred sites in the capital. She will meet with Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad on Wednesday, which makes her the highest-ranking American politician to meet with a Syrian leader in more than 12 years. The last time an American leader met a Syrian leader was in 1994, when President Clinton met Al-Assad's father, the late Syrian President Hafez Al-Assad.
The Syrian media are hailing her visit as a potential breakthrough in icy U.S.-Syrian relations, with the Syria Times calling her a "brave lady on an invaluable mission."
Even the state-run news agency harped on the importance of Pelosi's visit. Headlines from the Syrian Arab News Agency read: "World and Arab newspapers stress importance of Pelosi's visit to Syria" and "Pelosi describes her visit to Damascus as important." [story]
Already, Nancy Pelosi is more effective than Condi Rice.
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I thought she was elected to represent a specific Congressional district, she is a fool who is stepping out of bounds! Lloyd
i tend to agree w/a post i just read. though i wasn't fond of the author's lack of tact his point is well taken. it is one thing to be on a fact finding mission and quite another to be a negotiator.
check out
http://joeleonardi.wordpress.com/2007/04/02/a-challenge/
oh, so three republicant congresscritters are okay to visit syria in your view, but a democrat shouldn't. is this because she is democrat or female?
Criminy, guys. She was elected by her district as their Representative--but also by the House as their Speaker. You know, the post that's right after the VP in line of succession for the Presidency? There's nothing out of line in her stepping up and showing some leadership from her national leadership position!
Frankly, it's a nice change. I don't remember Hastert doing much other than saying whatever he was told to say by the Bush/Cheney/Rove machine and lining his pockets ...
The Syrians are not stupid. She is only being given a warm reception because it is an embarrassment to the Bush administration. Is Pelosi going to follow the Jesse Jackson model and let herself be showcased as propoganda by every two bit dictator on the planet?
Congress people have been going over to Iraq for dog-and- pony shows for quite a while now. What good have they done their constituents? Why can't the Speaker go to Syria?
And yes it would be an embarrasment, if anything embarrased the Bushistas.
Griff
The Bush administration & the neocons still don't get it. The bushie policy of "we against them" hasn't worked & is still not working. The neocons are still sucking up to GWB's history of failure in foreign policies.
Hey Mia,
Just read the link you have there. I think you're right, he hit the nail on the head. There is a constittuional issue here. Though I'm not that taken with Bush, she is realy not in a position to negotiate for the country. Joe had a response to one of his comments. He said if newt had done this when clinton was in office the dems would have gone nuts.
thanks for the link.
Pelosi is filling a vacuum.
How many of you fools really believe she has accomplished anything except undermine US policy? All she is doing, is jumping through hoops (while wearing a headscarf) for President Assad.
Curiously, 'Crusader', your comment is devoid of any evidence that Speaker Pelosi has done anything to undermine US policy.
I have seen the argument that she is third in line of succession. How many times has the Speaker become President? While she may be third in line, presently she is in the legislative branch not the executive branch and that is what defines the Speaker. Speaker is the position she holds now, not may be president if Bush and Cheney both become incapacitated.
Mia