First House Leader Nancy Pelosi takes it upon herself to replace the Secretary of State, then she prostrates herself by donning the beekeeper outfit, and now she finally gets her comeuppance…from the Washington Post. When you're slammed by the Post you know you've screwed up badly. This just made my week:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/04/AR2007040402306_pf.html
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.
Originally posted by der schwarze RitterLogan act.
First House Leader Nancy Pelosi takes it upon herself to replace the Secretary of State, then she prostrates herself by donning the beekeeper outfit, and now she finally gets her comeuppance…from the Washington Post. When you're slammed by the Post you know you've screwed up badly. This just made my week:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/c ...[text shortened]... ablish a shadow presidency is not only counterproductive, it is foolish.
Originally posted by der schwarze RitterWell what do you expect from Rep. Pelosi? Why do you think she was welcomed in Syria? They know what a patsy she is.
First House Leader Nancy Pelosi takes it upon herself to replace the Secretary of State, then she prostrates herself by donning the beekeeper outfit, and now she finally gets her comeuppance…from the Washington Post. When you're slammed by the Post you know you've screwed up badly. This just made my week:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/c ...[text shortened]... ablish a shadow presidency is not only counterproductive, it is foolish.
The post that was quoted here has been removedDepends on what they talked about of course. If its about commerce of course she is completely within her job. Also, she was never told not to go by the President so she didn't do anything illegal. (at least I don't think)
Sure, its underhanded maybe to talk foreign policy since that's the job of the executive, but I don't know that she did that. If she did though, without permission, she's argueably out of line.
You are correct about members of congress doing what she did many times in the past and they will continue to do it in the future.
The post that was quoted here has been removedShe announced no such intention. She announced an intention to attempt to be a mediator between Syria and Israel. I didn't know the foreign policy of Israel was exclusively the province of the US Executive Dept (the converse seems to be largely true in the Middle East anyway).
I'm not sure that Pelosi' claim about working with Israel and Syria gets around Logan.
Israels relationship with its neighbors is Americas biggest foreign policy concern since the Cold War.
Now, I don't want her arrested or bounced out of office, I just want our government officials to get back in line. Judges make laws, Congress making foreign policy, the Execive doing whatever...
If all of these people can just do what they want, why can't Sulla?
Originally posted by MerkSure and a businessmen talking to a foreign government official about building a factory in that country violates Logan because it "effects" commercial foreign policy.
I'm not sure that Pelosi' claim about working with Israel and Syria gets around Logan.
Israels relationship with its neighbors is Americas biggest foreign policy concern since the Cold War.
Now, I don't want her arrested or bounced out of office, I just want our government officials to get back in line. Judges make laws, Congress making foreign policy, ...[text shortened]... ive doing whatever...
If all of these people can just do what they want, why can't Sulla?
You people need to get a grip.