Pelosi Challenges White House: If I Gave Syria The Wrong Message, Prove It

[DeclinetoState]

Conservatives and media figures continue to claim, without evidence, that Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) delivered an incorrect message from Israel to Syria during her meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Pelosi insists that Israel’s message was communicated accurately, and has suggested a good way to prove it (http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/news_theswamp/2007/04/was_pelosi_unfa.html):

[Pelosi spokesman Brendan] Daly pointed out that Pelosi was briefed by State Department officials before her meetings with the foreign leaders and that State Department officials also attended her meetings.

So if Pelosi really committed foreign policy flubs of the first order, the State Department is in a position to confirm as much.

The White House certainly received a read-out of what exactly Pelosi and the foreign leaders said in their meetings. Significantly, the White House has not openly accused Pelosi of the foreign-policy missteps the Post had accused her of.

In an e-mail follow-up, Daly wrote: “WH has not said that because in fact the Speaker did not get the message wrong — she included the necessary caveats and did not say or imply that this was a change in Israel’s position.”

Indeed, despite President Bush’s claim that Pelosi’s trip sent “mixed signals,” State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said during his briefing today, “I don’t think [the trip] necessarily complicates anything that we’re doing.”<del>Stink</del> Think Progress (http://thinkprogress.org/2007/04/05/pelosi-syria-prove-it)

[Rhino]

Conservatives and media figures continue to claim, without evidence, that Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) delivered an incorrect message from Israel to Syria during her meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Pelosi insists that Israel’s message was communicated accurately, and has suggested a good way to prove it:....Shocking officials in Jerusalem, where she had visited two days earlier, Pelosi said she also told Assad that Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert had wanted to relay the message that Israel is ready for peace talks with Syria.

That came as a surprise to the prime minister, whose office on Wednesday denied any such conversation and said that "what was discussed with the House speaker did not include any change in Israel's policy, as it has been presented to international parties involved in the matter."

Olmert's office also issued a statement saying it had specified to Pelosi that Israel considers Syria "part of the axis of evil and a party encouraging terrorism in the entire Middle East."....http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,264334,00.html

Too easy.

Next question!

[DeclinetoState]

According to <del>Stink</del> Think Progress, however, the White House agrees with Pelosi and not with Israel.

[MrSanity]

Wake up, Nance.

"Come and sting us" is not a foreign policy.

[Rhino]

According to <del>Stink</del> Think Progress, however, the White House agrees with Pelosi and not with Israel.Actually, that's not what they said. They just said she hadn't significantly torpedoed any of their efforts. They didn't say she hadn't delivered an incorrect message, and she clearly did. The WH is just playing political 'footsie' right now anyway. They have a spinal deficiency that the Israelis do not suffer from.

[Suzie]

Olmert Contradicts Pelosi's Remarks on Israel (http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0WTTkrlYxVGfDkA6w7QtDMD;_ylu=X3oDMTBjMHZkMjZ yBHBvcwMxBHNlYwNzcg--/SIG=11ms907id/EXP=1175893349/**http%3a//www.nysun.com/article/51909) The New York Sun - Apr 04 10:51 PM
UNITED NATIONS — As the speaker of the House, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, helped Syria to escape diplomatic isolation yesterday by saying she conveyed to Syria's President Al-Assad a "message" from Jerusalem about Israel's readiness for peace negotiations, Prime Minister Olmert denied he had given her any such message. The confusion seemed to add weight to Ms. Pelosi's critics, including President Bush ...

Hows that for you Nan? Proof enough?

[DeclinetoState]

[Pelosi spokesman Brendan] Daly pointed out that Pelosi was briefed by State Department officials before her meetings with the foreign leaders and that State Department officials also attended her meetings.

So if Pelosi really committed foreign policy flubs of the first order, the State Department is in a position to confirm as much.But isn't State, irrespective of the administration in office, generally run by career bureaucrats, who may have no particular interest in supporting or opposing anyone else's viewpoint? Isn't this an argument from silence and thus a logical fallacy?
Significantly, the White House has not openly accused Pelosi of the foreign-policy missteps the Post had accused her of.
Another argument from silence?

[Rhino]

Yep. Spinal deficiency.

[bannerman]

nancy BELA pelosi seems to equate her role [ whatever shes playing at at the moment] with winning American Idol

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[Timberwolf]

Pelosi Challenges White House: If I Gave Syria The Wrong Message, Prove It
Too easy...You're lips were moving, weren't they? Case closed. Next.

[thoughtomator]

I don't recall a Speaker of the House ever conducting himself like this. Did Gingrich travel the world in 1995, conducting a foreign policy indepdendent of Clinton's? Is there some precedent for this? Is there a reason the Logan Act is not being applied?

[DoctorDoom]

Is there a reason the Logan Act is not being applied?She's a RAT.

[Beowulf]

And even if Prime Minister Olmert did say that, which he didn't, do you really think Syria will sit at the peace table with Israel when they'll have their standard list of demands that you know Israel won't agree to? They've already given back the Gaza Strip and much of the West Bank. They've given enough.

[DesertFox]

They've given too much. In this war of civilization versus barbarism, civilization needs to buck up and get after it. Israel should go on the offensive and take as much of the Middle East as she can control. Arabs and Muzzies don't like it -- BOOM!

[dajoga]

Uh, Ms. Peeloosely, here's your answer! (http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3385140,00.html)

Terrorists endorse Pelosi's 'good policy of dialogue'


Palestinian terror group members call US House speaker's visit to Damascus 'brave' and hope for talks with Iran; ‘I think the Democratic Party can do things the best,’ Islamic Jihad member says

(snip)

"The Americans know and understand they are losing in Iraq and the Middle East and that their only chance to survive is to reduce hostilities with Arab countries and with Islam. Islam is the new giant of the world,"
[Abu Abdullah] said.

[Wyatt_Junker]

Pelosi Challenges White House: If I Gave Syria The Wrong Message, Prove It
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They're a terror state you shameless glorywhore. They LIE.

Who's the bigger doorknob? Maddy Albright who said everything was just hunky dory when she got a peace agreement from North Korea or this new lunatic on the block?

[Maggie_T]

Too easy...You're lips were moving, weren't they? Case closed. Next.


You beat me to it, Wolfie.

Nancy Pelosi made a sorry fool of herself. She's lucky that the drive-by media (both the local and foreign variety) are minions to the left, which is why she has not been completely buried by an avalanche of criticism. Mind you, the Washington Post pretty much bitchslapped her, and I say kudos to them.

This is what happens when you elect power-crazed feminazis to any position of power. Like champagne, it goes to their head ... plenty of room there.

And anyway, what can you expect from a woman shows up at her swearing-in ceremony carrying a kid in each arm, and another passel toddling behind her, like some poor refugee entering a refugee camp. As a woman, I was mortified. And then, there was this incredibly juvenile and embarassing gesture she made, I think it was the first time she banged the gavel on the desk, or something. She made a gesture with her fists, like saying "Oh, goody! I'm finally here!" Oh, my Lord, it was SO unprofessional it made me groan with shame.

You expect class from someone like that?