Ammo to use on Pelosi trashers regarding the Syrian visit

[zulchzulu]

Here are some snippets for the coming weekend shows and Easter celebrations where the usual characters will try to aim at Nancy Pelosi's Syrian visit. The BushBots can't even see past their own hypocrisy.

Joe Klein:
The Wall Street Journal editorial page, with typical judiciousness, gets the Pelosi trip quite wrong. First, George Logan was not a member of the Congress when he made his "pacifist" trip to France. (He was elected to the Senate three years later, in 1801.) Second, Pelosi did not make the trip to negotiate with Assad, but to talk with him. Third, this is not a "wartime" situation--in fact, we continue to have diplomatic relations with Syria. Fourth, as others have noted, numerous Republican members of Congress have gone to speak with Assad. In fact, it was a Republican, Chris Shayes, who first told me that I should go over and interview Assad. Fifth, the media coverage of this on CNN and elsewhere has been abysmal.
(http://time-blog.com/swampland/2007/04/the_pelosi_flap.html)

The White House apparently had no idea that there were Republicans visiting Syria at the same time that Pelosi was.

White House spokesperson Dana Perino strongly criticized Pelosi's planned visit, saying, "We think it is a really bad idea." "People should take a stop back and think about the message it sends and the message it sends to our allies," Perino said.
(http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=2995828&page=1)

It's obvious that Bush doesn't care what the person who helped steal the 2000 Election thinks about actual diplomacy and legitimate foreign policy.

The Iraq Study Group (ISG), co-chaired by former Secretary of State James Baker and former U.S. Congressman Lee Hamilton, recommended last December that the U.S. engage both Syria and Iran.
(http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewPolitics.asp?Page=/Politics/archive/200704/POL20070403a.html)

Here's a list of the Republicans who were visiting Syria at the same time Pelosi was.

Republican Reps. Aderholt and Wolf are currently visiting Syria. According to a congressional official on Rep. Robert Aderholt’s (R-AL) staff, Aderholt and Rep. Frank Wolf (R-VA) are currently visiting Israel and Syria.

Republican Rep. Hobson accompanying Pelosi on Syria visit. Speaker Pelosi will be traveling with a contingent of members of Congress to Syria. The delegation includes Reps. David Hobson (R-OH), Keith Ellison (D-MN), Tom Lantos (D-CA), Henry Waxman (D-CA), Louise Slaughter (D-NY), Nick Rahall (D-WV).
(http://mediamatters.org/items/200704020007)

Not to be outdone in his usual stupidity, Brit Hume plays the BushBot role so well...and lies as well as Gonzo or Scooter ever could...

Brit Hume said: "Democratic Senators John Kerry and Chris Dodd both today issued statements defending Pelosi's trip. The senators had their own meeting with the Syrian president this past December." But Hume failed to mention that in addition to Kerry's and Dodd's meetings with Assad in December 2006, Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA) also visited the Syrian president later that month.
(http://mediamatters.org/items/200704040016?f=i_related)

More on how the White House didn't know that Republicans were visiting Syria at the same time and then decided to aim their pistols at the Republicans who were there...

"It sends the wrong message to have high level U.S. officials go over there to have photo opportunities that Assad then exploits," said White House spokeswoman Dana Perino.

"The government of Syria continues to undermine the democratically elected government of Lebanon. They are allowing foreign enemy fighters to pass into Iraq through its border with Iraq, which is not only targeting our American soldiers, but Iraqi soldiers, as well as innocent Iraqi people. knows that," Mrs. Perino said.

Mrs. Perino said the Bush administration is also unhappy that three Republican congressmen visited Syria yesterday.

"Our policy and our feelings apply to everybody," Mrs. Perino said.

Rep. Frank Wolf, Virginia Republican, is leading a delegation that includes Rep. Robert B. Aderholt, Alabama Republican, and Rep. Joseph R. Pitts, Pennsylvania Republican.

A spokeswoman for Mr. Wolf said she did not know if he and the delegation of Republicans had met yet with Mr. Assad.

There is also one Republican congressman, Rep. David Hobson, of Ohio, with Mrs. Pelosi's delegation.
(http://www.washtimes.com/national/20070402-024030-6570r.htm)

[Vexatious Ape]

1. Great post.

[mohinoaklawnillinois]

2. Bookmarked and K & R.

Thanks for the info. It might come in handy over the weekend. :thumbsup:

[AX10]

3. Klein got this one right!

:thumbsup:

[soothsayer]

4. The Bush adminstration would lie even if the truth made a better story, as

the saying goes. Can they just not help themselves??

[MiniMe]

5. Gingrich went to meet with Arafat

http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/meast/9805/27/arafat.gingrich/

and trashed the Clinton administration. He was just trying to be helpful.

[zulchzulu]

6. So ya had ta mention the Grinch on this fine mornin'

Could you have warned us? I mean, the mere mention of that scumbag needs some preparation before the mouse click.

:sarcasm:

[Judi Lynn]

7. Really appreciate this helpful information you made available.

Everyone who sees this post will by god be ready for 'em, thanks to you!

Very, very helpful.

[zulchzulu]

8. I hope you get to use the info with wacky Uncle Diddle at Easter dinner

That was my intention.

:rofl:

[AtomicKitten]

9. Excellent post, Mr. Zulu.

you are kicked and oh so recommended

:yourock:

[senseandsensibility]

10. Proud to be the fifth

rec! These are all great points, and I would love to see you mail this to CNN. I know it's frustrating and tempting to ignore them, but I think they should see this.

[zulchzulu]

11. Now news turns out that Bush actually was told by Pelosi beforehand...

http://thinkprogress.org/2007/04/08/rahall-syria-trip

Pelosi told Bush that she and others were going to Syria the day before she left and he didn't protest or offer any disagreement with the decision.

This is the ultimate smoking gun that the whole "outrage" was fabricated, possibly to take the Gonzales disaster off the front page for political advantage.