Today's context-free WaPo op-ed on Syria and Pelosi

it's a masterpiece of context-free journalism with a familiar theme - smear pelosi and blame the democrats...

headline...

No Results in Damascus

they go on to say...

Congressional leaders leaders who visited Damascus this month to meet Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad gave a practical test to the oft-stated theory that "engaging" his regime is more likely to produce results than the Bush administration's policy of isolating it. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) was particularly unstinting in her goodwill, declaring that she had come to see Mr. Assad "in friendship, hope, and determined that the road to Damascus is a road to peace."

[...]

Three weeks have passed, so it's fair to ask: Has there been any positive change in Syrian behavior -- any return gesture of goodwill, however slight?

after painstakingly listing all of the areas in which nothing has improved since the visit, they render their judgment...

To recount this dismal record is not to endorse President Bush's refusal to engage in high-level bilateral contacts with Mr. Assad's regime. In certain contexts it may be worth trying to talk to Syria -- for example, when negotiations are directed at particular ends, such as securing Iraq's borders, and coupled with forceful diplomatic and economic steps to raise the pressure on the dictatorship. The danger of offering "friendship" and "hope" to a ruler such as Mr. Assad is that it will be interpreted as acquiescence by the United States to the policies of dictatorship. Ms. Pelosi's courting of Mr. Assad didn't cause [imprisoned human rights lawyer Anwar al-Bunni] prison sentence this week -- but it certainly did not discourage it.

the bush administration's insistent labeling of syria as part of the "axis of evil," its refusal to engage in diplomatic dialog, and its attempts to isolate syria, are given only the slightest mention and "engaging" syria (the quotes are the wapo's, not mine) is smirkingly labeled as a "theory" (the quotes are mine, not the wapo's)... why in the world would bashar assad move one inch in any direction favorable to the requests presented to him by lowly members of the u.s. house of representatives when he knows the president's position has not (and probably will not) change...?

but, wait, there's more...

the only congressional name in the entire piece is, of course, nancy pelosi, who, as anyone with two brain cells knows, is a democrat, although the word "democrat" does not appear anywhere in the piece... neither does the word "republican" and neither does any mention of either the republican house member, david hobson, who traveled with pelosi or the republican house delegation, robert anderholt and frank wolf, that preceded her or the republican congressman, darrell issa, that followed her...

although only a short piece and written in the measured, articulate, oh-so-insightful manner of a major newspaper's editorial page, this is a perfect example of the kind of journalistic bullshit moyers demonstrated to such devastating effect in his documentary... it is also precisely the kind of journalistic bullshit that's destroying the american public's right to real news and informed opinion rather than government propaganda...

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A helpful summary of current wingnut thinking

honestly, i don't know how this crap keeps ending up in my inbox, but, nonetheless, i'm finding it to be instructive reading... it's from move america forward... no link... you'll have to go dig it out on your own...

The past few days have been very instructive in realizing the stakes in the war on terrorism. Sometimes people in this country try to tell us that there really isn't a war going on - it's just lies by our Commander in Chief, or an intrusive American foreign policy butting our noses where it doesn't belong.

However, we know better. We know for example that the Iranians were able to take 15 British sailors hostage and then the Iranians taunted the world not to put too much pressure on them, or else we could all guess the consequences. The Iranians meanwhile terrorized the British hostages, making them believe they were going to be executed and telling them that if they would only lie and say they were in Iranian waters, they could go home.

In response the British government told the American Navy to stand down in our naval exercises in the region (that were pre-planned and in response to Iran's development of nuclear weapons). A top Iranian terror operative was released in Iraq in a move that the British government insists was not a quid-pro-quo but which many analysts view as exactly that.

The UN did not punish Iran. The European Union did nothing to show Iran that they would face consequences for their actions.

And in this country, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi along with pro-Palestinian Congressman Darrell Issa (a Republican who has been accused of supporting Yasser Arafat and terrorist organizations such as Hezbollah) were in Syria, appeasing the state sponsor of Islamic terrorism.

This has not been a good week for the free nations of the West. Radical, pro-Islamic terrorist factions managed to win on a variety of fronts by showing strength and intimidating the British government and the likes of Nancy Pelosi to bow down to them in submission.

Ronald Reagan once fought against the Communist appeasers in the U.S. by saying that true "peace" could only be found through strength - PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH.

it's fascinating to me how, in a few short paragraphs, literally EVERYONE - Iran, Islam, Britain, Syria, Hezbollah, Palestine, the U.N., the EU, Nancy Pelosi, and Republican Darrell Issa - is characterized as either the enemy or as an enemy appeaser... what a marvelous worldview...

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A Republican sees Congressional visits to Syria for what they REALLY are

O.M.G... a sane republican voice...

Following his meeting with Moallem, [Congressman Darrell Issa, R-CA] told reporters that he had a "constructive" meeting with Assad, adding that discussions covered many issues.

He said the US Congress members who have recently visited Syria believe that the dialogue they have begun with Damascus "will go on continuously and constructively."

"I have no illusions. We have serious problems to be resolved, but we will resolve them," he said.

He said Pelosi has made clear that the US Congress would continue to carry out fact-finding and to keep the dialogue open. He stressed that the dialogue would continue "leading to better understanding."

Asked to comment on Bush's criticism of the congressmen's visits to Damascus, Issa said: "President Bush is the head of state, but he hasn't encouraged dialogue. That's an important message to realize: we have tensions, but we have two functioning embassies."

< no duh >

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