wilthrill

Alright. The story is old enough that we have the facts. Ms Pelosi, the speaker of the house announced a trip to Syria. The president asked her not to go but she went. So she flies to Israel and meets with the Israeli prime-minister. She then flies to Syria and mees with Bashir Assad the dictator of Syria. She tells the syrians that the Israelis told her that they want peace and are ready to negotiate with Syria. The Israeli prime minister is so outraged that he interupts his vacation, holds a press conference and flatly denies what Ms Pelosi said.

Meanwhile we have a law on the books called the Logan Act which expressly forbids any american without the permission of the executive branch from negotiating with foreign powers in the name of the United States. The law has not been enforced in the past. Jimmy Carter and Jesse Jackson are just two examples that I can think of where it wasn't enforced.

Before I ask your opinions I'll give you mine. Pelosi should not be prosecuted under the law ONLY because it hasn't been enforced and would be unfair to prosecute her. I think she should be condemned. I think she should resign (although I'm sure she won't) and I think the executive branch should announce that in the future this law WILL BE ENFORCED.

This law was design to prevent EXACTLY the consequences of Ms Pelosi's action. She is a congressperson NOT secretary of state. As a country we can fight about what we want to do amongst ourselves but we must present ONE foreign policy. We can't say to Syria "you have to stop supporting terror or we will get tough" all the while Ms Pelosi is telling the Syrians "don't worry about what our president says". She is free to bitch and moan all she wants. She can influence legislation, change laws and has all kinds of other ways to get her views across. She does not have the right to play secretary of state.

wilthrill

Well aren't any of you people interested in a congressperson who is usurping the authority of the executive, namely the secretary of state? Her party and the president's, for that matter, are IRRELEVENT to the discussion. This is not republican v democrat and has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with Iraq!!!

This IS about the following question:

Should we have 535 (number of congresspeople) different foreign policies with respect to any one foreign nation (Iraq, Syria, Cambodia or Tinbuktu it doesn't matter)???

Mikael

It was a fact finding mission-right. She's probably saying "when my party takes the White House in '08, we'll work with you, Assad."
But, there were Republicans on the trip as well, some who were there before her.
If she were Speaker of the House during Bush's first term, I can almost guarantee she wouldn't have went. But the fact is he has a low approval rating and very little time left in office.
Besides, Bush's foreign policy hasn't really worked well.

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wilthrill

Mikael, a few points:

1. She may have talked to Mr Assad about a future democrat president BUT she also talked to Mr Assad about CURRENT foreign policy specifically Israel's.

She has the right to go on fact finding missions and can talk with whomever will talk to her. She does not have the right to NEGOTIATE with a foreign head of state.

2. The republicans who were with her were not negotiating with Assad. THEY did not proport to carry a message from Israel. Furthermore, I challenge any of you to name EVEN ONE REPUBLICAN (Mikael, you brought up politics) in our lifetimes who has gone to a foreign nation and pretended to be Secretary of State. You know many of us "conservatives" were opposed to Bill Clinton's adventure in Bosnia (no US national security interest, no good guys to root for) but our politicians didn't go NEGOTIATE with Milosovich for god's sake!

3. Bush's approval rating should have nothing to do with it. I'm pretty sure you weren't offering that as justification. You were probably just being realistic with respect to all politicians in noting that politics is a large reason Ms Pelosi (in fact probably the ONLY reason) went to Syria. It is probably true and incredibly sad at the same time.

And now she's talking about going to Iran to negotiate with Mymood Ineedajihad. Now I know most of you oppose Iraq and most of you probably support withdrawing the funding. But a question:

Does it strike any of you as strange that Ms Pelosi will crawl over broken glass to kiss the ass of dictators who SUPPLY THE WEAPONS to kill our troops and yet can't bring herself to meet with the President regarding funding to provide OUR troops with weapons and support? I mean I know Ms Pelosi doesn't like Bush but come on folks, Bush is a bush league sexist when compared to Mymood and Mr Assad....

putzdaddy

Damn it, Mike! I was waiting to see if willthrill was going to start arguing with himself.

Just cracking on ya, willthrill, I still think you're a riot.

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wilthrill

hey putz, the medicine hasn't worn off yet....

sometimes, I'l post again when I see no response and can't believe no one is interested.

who knows one of these days I may end up arguing a whole thread by myself...

Krafty Ken

So when is Pelosi going to be debriefed on this trip? Where are all the transcripts from her meetings which is standard business with these type of meetings?

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wilthrill

Krafty Ken (in the words of Ronaldus Maximux), "there you go again" trying to argue that we should apply standards to Queen Pelosi.

Of course Queen Pelosi and her psychopath supporters (and at this point you have to be a psychopath to support that nut) can deny that any diplomacy took place, all the while maintaining that she was just fixing the problems made by Bush, and god-damnit Queen Pelosi shouldn't be subject to any of the standards that apply to other diplomats and for double god's sake how dare you ask Queen Pelosi to PROVE (or even offer proof) as to ANYTHING she says??? She's queen. It's gospel and you better accept it.

And, by the way, Queen Pelosi is the champion of the little guy and is presiding over the most "ethical congress in history". She told us so!!!

PITBOSS

Sounds like she's went over a couple peoples heads with this one. I really hope theres some kind of consequence for her.

Krafty Ken

Wilthrill, my mistake. I don't know what the hell I was thinking.

__________________
End the occupation from Iraq to Palestine!*Does not include Tibet, Hong Kong, Lebanon, or anyone else under Communist or Islamic subjugation. They need to stop bitching.