xerxes

Pelosi shrugs off White House criticism

Pelosi shrugs off White House criticism - Yahoo! News

BEIRUT, Lebanon - House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (news, bio, voting record) on Monday shrugged off White House criticism of her impending visit to Damascus, saying she had "great hope" for reviving U.S. relations with Syria and changing its behavior.

Speaking hours after arriving in Lebanon, Pelosi indicated the Bush administration was singling out her trip to Syria while ignoring recent visits by Republican members of Congress.

"It's interesting because three of our colleagues, who are all Republicans, were in Syria yesterday and I didn't hear the White House speaking out about that," Pelosi said, referring to the Sunday meeting of Reps. Frank Wolf (news, bio, voting record), Joe Pitts and Robert Aderholt (news, bio, voting record) with Syrian President Bashar Assad in Damascus.

"I think that it was an excellent idea for them to go," said Pelosi, who is to meet with Syrian leaders Wednesday. "And I think it's an excellent idea for us to go, as well."

In Washington, White House spokeswoman Dana Perino stressed Monday that the Bush administration objected to all visits to Syria.

"We ask that people not go on these trips," she said. "We discourage it. Full stop."

The State Department later said Pelosi was briefed by the Bush administration for her trip, but spokesman Sean McCormack said that did not represent an endorsement of the visit.

The United States has poor relations with Syria, accusing it of interfering in Iraq and Lebanon and sponsoring terrorists — charges that Damascus denies. Perino last week described Pelosi's visit to Syria as a "really bad idea."

Last year, a bipartisan commission known as the Iraq Study Group recommended the U.S. launch a new diplomatic initiative with Syria and Iran. The Bush administration rejected the idea, but the U.S. did participate in a regional security conference in Baghdad last month that also included representatives from Iran and Syria.

Perino said it "sends the wrong message to have high-level U.S. officials going there (to Syria) to have photo opportunities that Assad then exploits."

But Pelosi said she thinks it is a good idea to "establish facts, to hopefully build the confidence" between the U.S. and Syria.

"We have no illusions, but we have great hope," she said.

In Damascus, a state-run newspaper welcomed Pelosi's visit, saying that through dialogue "a lot of misunderstandings (with the United States) could be removed."

Pelosi, who is leading a congressional delegation on a fact-finding tour of the Middle East, said she would speak to the Syrians about Iraq, their role in the fight against terrorism, their support for militant groups such as Lebanon's Hezbollah and the Palestinian Hamas — whose exiled leaders live in Damascus — as well their influence in Lebanon.

Washington has accused Damascus of not doing enough to stop militants from crossing the Syrian-Iraqi border to join the Iraqi insurgency and stoking tensions in Lebanon.

A member of the delegation, Rep. Tom Lantos (news, bio, voting record), a Democrat from California, said the group had no illusions about their visit to Damascus.

"We are going with the clear intention of making our position crystal clear to the Syrian leadership, basically indicating that it is in their interest to return to a position where they can be part of the positive forces in this region and not be in tight alliance with Ahmedinejad's Iran," Lantos said, referring to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Pelosi and Lantos spoke after talks with Saad Hariri, the leader of the Lebanon's parliamentary majority, which is opposed to Syria. He is the son of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, who was assassinated in a car bombing two years ago — an attack many Lebanese blame on Syria. Damascus has denied a role in the killing.

Pelosi also paid her respects at Rafik Hariri's grave in Beirut.

Lebanon is embroiled in a power struggle between the Western-backed Prime Minister Fuad Saniora and the Hezbollah-led opposition, which is trying to bring down the government through boycotts and demonstrations.

Pelosi met with Saniora and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, a major figure in the Hezbollah-led opposition. Hezbollah is considered a terrorist organization by the United States.

Lebanon's anti-Syrian leaders are wary of better relations between Syria and the West, fearing they could weaken efforts to end the Syrian influence in the country, which remains significant two years after the withdrawal of the Syrian army.

__________________
If we contrast the rapid progress of this mischievous discovery of gunpowder with the slow and laborious advances of reason, science, and the arts of peace, a philosopher, according to his temper, will laugh or weep at the folly of mankind. - Edward Gibbon

dalem

Never mind that as Speaker of the House she neither the authority nor the experence to speak officially to foreign heads of state, and that that is the responsibility of the Executive Branch, which she is undermining.

What a dangerous fool she is.

-dale

Ray

Ideal.

This is what is known as Backdoor Diplomacy.

Mutt and Jeff method.

Find out what exactly the other side is thinking and then jointly devise a plan to beat them down(?)

__________________


"Some have learnt many Tricks of sly Evasion, Instead of Truth they use Equivocation, And eke it out with mental Reservation, Which is to good Men an Abomination."

I don't have to attend every argument I'm invited to.

HAKUNA MATATA

Julie

Oh please, that is no different than Cheney going to Pakistan to talk with Musharaff. I also noticed the duck-hunting idiot was too scared to stay overnight.

dalem

No, it's completely different because the Veep is part of the Executive branch.

Do Democrats even read parts of the Constitution other than the First Amendment?

-dale

Dreadnought

Absolutely positively agree!

__________________
Fortitude.....The strength to persist...The courage to endure.

Julie

Ooooooooh. Who cares?

I read about whose doing what about something. Pelosi is following a recommendation of the Iraq Study Group Report.

Shek

Are they a fourth branch of government? I couldn't find the ISG in the copies of the Constitution I looked at.

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"So little pains do the vulgar take in the investigation of truth, accepting readily the first story that comes to hand." Thucydides 1.20.3

Julie

Yall Republicans are still riding that high horse, aren't you? LOL, yall are so hilarious.

If I could see you, I would tell you to read my lips, but you can't, so I won't tell you to do that.

However, I'll make the type larger so maybe you can get it through your head:

THE MAJORITY NO LONGER CARES ABOUT THE EXISTING EXECUTIVE BRANCH, NOR WHAT THEY ARE, OR ARE NOT, DOING

There, understand now?

Shek

So Pelosi lied when she pledged that Congress and the President would work together? That's what you just screamed!

Message received loud and clear - Pelosi lied!

Julie

LOL....for Pelosi to get a Republican to go with her to Syria, she would have to do that at gunpoint I am sure. We sure don't want the speaker stooping to criminal activity, since we've had enough of that the past 6 years, now do we? She is going simply looking for change and/or answers, which is what the American people have requested.

Dreadnought

Wait I've got the answer..Oh thats right I have no plan!

Bush should give her the smack down as well!

Dreadnought

B]the Majority No Longer Cares About The Existing Executive Branch, Nor What They Are, Or Are Not, Doing[/b]

Once Again The Dems Fail To Understand A Critical Factor In Wanting To Be The Commander In Chief...respect For The Command And Respect For The Chain Of Command.

No Respect For The Republicans Now Means No Respect For The Democrats In The Future.

Ray

And Bush said he would smoke out ObL dead or alive!

I presume Pelosi meant that she would work together if only she got a seat next to Bush in the Oval Office!

So, technically, not a lie!

As Bush has not technically told a lie. He sure is smoking and one does not know whether the smoke has killed ObL or whether he is alive!

dalem

See Julie, here's my biggest problem with you and your ilk. You have NO IDEA what you're doing, you just emote your way around a dangerous and uncaring universe.

The government has RULES. They are WRITTEN DOWN. They are NOT HARD TO UNDERSTAND.

The Congress has no part in foreign policy. The Iraq Study Group was a partisan group convened specifically to counter any idea of victory in Iraq. It was not requested by the Executive and is a non-factor.

And your implication that finally it's Spkr Pelosi who is "doing something" is ridiculous. Your hated President and his various advisors have been "doing something" for the last 5 years, you just happen to neither agree with their efforts nor, I daresay, even begin to understand them.

You are, as usual, pontificating from a position of extreme ignorance, and your Democratic legislators (and sadly many of their Republican colleagues) are attempting to GOVERN from a similar position of extreme ignorance.

As much as you frustrate me, I am actually embarrassed for you when you post things like the above.

-dale