Because thats the only explanation as to why shed leave this great country to go waltzing around with the terrorists, right? Why would she DARE to undermine George Bush's fantastic foreign policy efforts? By going to Syria, shes sending them a clear message that the United States is interested in avoiding conflict through diplomacy, and we just cant have that.

As if you needed more evidence that Pelosi hates America, look no further than the Middle Eastern press favorable reaction to her visit. If the terrorists like her, then she must be evil.

"Bush thinks Pelosi's visit to Syria would make the Syrian president feel part of the international community again," wrote Masoud el-Henawi in Egypt's al-Ahram newspaper. "The question that gnaws at me now is: Is it better to isolate a country in Syria's weight or start a dialogue with it so that the reality behind its positions becomes known?

"I think dialogue and diplomacy are the best ways to deal with it, even if the American president would look with disgust at such an approach."

Heaven forfend! Here's some more Al-Jazeera-type journalists talking favorably about the visit:

"When I compare it, for example, to the visits of Condoleezza Rice, who is the secretary of state, this definitely created more of a buzz," he said. "People in the States think this is a Democratic propaganda campaign. ... This has been seen totally differently in the Middle East. It has been seen as a breath of fresh air being brought into the region as far as diplomacy."

Some of the reason for that buzz, Dajani said, may be a broad perception in the Middle East that America is politically homogenous, with widespread support in the public and government for the White House's approach.

"Nancy Pelosi defying the administration, it has shown a little bit of a balance of power that people have not been used to seeing from here," he said.

Writing in English for Al-Jazeera's Web site, Seifulah Rahim went so far as to describe Pelosi's visit as a "bold end-run around President Bush, to raise her profile as a kind of Democratic prime minister to Bush's Republican presidency."

A "breath of fresh air." "Balance of power." "Diplomacy." Those are thinly-veiled code words for Hating America and Not supporting the troops. It couldnt be clearer that Pelosis visit has had a positive effect on the perception of America in the Middle Eastern diplomatic community. And positive means bad. Or something.

Pollster John Zogby said a reading of other English-language press from the region also gave the sense that Pelosi was being seen as "the anti-Bush."

"That is extremely important, because there has been serious damage done in terms of both the elite and how they view the U.S. and in terms of general public opinion," he said. "The trip is playing, generally speaking, very well in both regions -- both within Iran and within the Arab world."

A number of outlets, Zogby said, connected Pelosi's visit to a number of developments within the region, such as rumored efforts of talks between Syria and Israel, the newly unified Palestinian government and even some White House measures such as scheduled regional talks on Iraq that are expected to include both Iran and the United States.

"The sense here is that this kind of trip by a leading U.S. official is the start of the glue that might put all of those initiatives together," he said.

No no no! We dont want any sort of glue that will bring people together! We want more saber-rattling and threats of direct military action. Thats how you bring stability to a region. Someone get Condi over there to push everyone around again, asap!

Thankfully some folks back here like Mitt Romney are still willing to call a spade a spade.

"I just don't know what got into her head, to be completely honest with you. Her going to a state which is without question a sponsor of terror and having her picture taken with Assad and being seen in a head scarf and so forth is sending the wrong signal to the people of Syria and to the people of the Middle East," Romney said.

That wrong signal is, of course, that we as a country are willing to discuss our problems with other countries before bombing them. And we just cant have that.

Can we?

Subrosa would never admit to having voted for Pelosi at least 4 times.

SignalNoise

USA

February 2004

APR 08, 2007 11:08 AM

This is kinda really neat stuff. There's th famous, that was more cute saying than true anyway, that "politics ends at the water's edge." More and more, that's clearly breaking down as Pelosi acts more like a "prime minister," in her capacity as head of the legislature, to work about Bush's goofy policies. And, with the proliferation of news media around the world (thanks to satellites and internets), clearly foreign governments and citizens are becoming really sensitive to partisan differences. So, while these actors may have problems with the US, they also recognize they have *more* problems with the current administration than the Democrats in Congress. I hate predictions - but these kinds of moves might actually alter foreign policy actions and the job of the legislature in that arena.

nonfcomm

Pittsburgh, PA

June 2006

APR 08, 2007 11:12 AM

Dammit! What is she thinking? How else will we get to bomb them now?!? We can't bomb people who talk to us!

cunninglinquist

Quakertown, PA

November 2003

APR 08, 2007 11:14 AM

Condi is useless, she was out of her league as National Security Advisor and even more now in her new job. Of course Nancy will get good press, that part of the world hates Bush, but then who can blame them. Creating a war to get Saddam for his father, creating false testimony in front of the American people and then the world at the UN as delivered by Powell.
Why not attack the Republicans that went with her or that have visited the exact same leaders, because you only attack the other party. Also you fire them when they will not enforce the laws the way you want to.
Nancy probably should not have gone, but then neither should any other member of Congress or the House, but since she is in the position of power and can offer a different view of the world instead of Dubya's myopic one she was a welcome visitor.
We need the President to understand that his party was voted out of power because of him and his policies, and he is President not King.

Lemonkid

Canada

May 2003

APR 08, 2007 11:19 AM

Is this level of sarcasm needed for all news politics posts that go up?

zarth

Seattle, WA

December 2004

APR 08, 2007 11:20 AM

nonfcomm said:
Dammit! What is she thinking? How else will we get to bomb them now?!? We can't bomb people who talk to us!

Say what?