UPDATE 5pm-ish: More dots. You connect.
Pelosi Going to Syria Despite Objections
WASHINGTON (AP) - House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will visit Syria, a country President Bush has shunned as a sponsor of terrorism, despite being asked by the administration not to go.
"In our view, it is not the right time to have these sort of high- profile visitors to Syria," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters Friday.Pelosi arrived in Israel on Friday in what is her second fact-finding trip to the Middle East since taking over leadership in the House in January.
Her repeat trip, an indication she plans to play a role in foreign policy, is also a direct affront to the administration, which says such diplomatic overtures by lawmakers can do more harm than good.
Pelosi will not be the first member of Congress in recent months to travel to Syria, but as House speaker she is the most senior.
White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said the speaker "should take a step back and think about the message that it sends."
"This is a county that is a state sponsor of terror, one that is trying to disrupt the Senora government in Lebanon and one that is allowing foreign fighters to flow into Iraq from its borders," Perino said.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad "probably really wants people to come, and have a photo opportunity, and have tea with him, and have discussions about where they're coming from. But we just think it's a really bad idea," Perino said.
Pelosi's office did not immediately return a call seeking comment on why she was not heeding administration warnings.
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Half-staff or half-mast describes a flag flying approximately halfway up a flagpole or ship's mast... This is done in many countries as a symbol of respect, mourning, or distress. The tradition of flying the flag at half-mast began centuries ago to allow the invisible flag of death to fly on top of the mast, thus signifying death's presence, power, and prominence. (Wikipedia)
Power Line: Pelosi refusing to support British on Iran?
It's hard to believe, but that's what we're hearing from Capitol Hill. A resolution has been proposed in the House of Representatives that condemns Iran for the seizure of British sailors and marines, expresses support for our British allies. It's hard to see anything controversial in that. But apparently, the resolution has languished all week while Pelosi refuses to allow it to come to the floor.Earlier today, Congressman Eric Cantor wrote the following letter to Pelosi.
Dear Madam Speaker:Fifteen kidnapped British marines and sailors recently became the latest victims of a systematic Iranian campaign of terror and international defiance. The illegal seizure of the British forces is a signal that Iran views us as powerless to prevent it from realizing its aggressive ambitions.
For the sake of our standing in the world, our allies and most importantly the 15 British personnel and their families, I urge you to bring H. Res. 267 to the floor today before we adjourn. The resolution calls for the immediate and unconditional release of the British marines and sailors. It would also call on the U.N. Security Council to not only condemn the seizure, but to explore harsher sanctions to counter the growing Iranian threat.
In case anyone's unfamiliar, Republican Congressman Eric Cantor is the Chief Deputy Whip and represents the 7th Congressional District of Virginia. He serves on the House Ways and Means Committee and is Chair of the Congressional Task Fore on Terrorism and Unconventional Warfare. I met him last fall; he's a nice guy and a vocal supporter of Israel in Congress.
