Boehner Explains It All

Or…it’s only okay if you are a Republican.

Diplomacy is breaking out all over the place as congressional delegations from both parties are beating a path to the Middle East and Syrian President Basher al-Assad. Even the Republicans are being a bit gruff in their characterizations of the Bush policies toward Syria.

Commenting on Bush’s criticism, California Republican Darrell Issa said the president had failed to promote the necessary dialogue to resolve disagreements between the U.S. and Syria.

“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,” Issa told reporters after separate meetings with Assad and his foreign minister, Walid al-Moallem.

After these comments by Issa, House Minority Leader John Beohner tried to put an anti-Pelosi spin on the outbreak of dialogue and diplomacy -

Boehner declined to criticize [fellow Republican Rep. David Hobson] for joining Pelosi, saying her stature gave the visit an imprimatur it didn’t deserve.

“It’s one thing for other members to go,” Boehner said, “but you have to ask yourself, ‘Why is Pelosi going?’ She’s going for one reason and that is to embarrass the president. She is the speaker of the House. She’s giving (the Syrian) government more credit than they deserve. They sponsor terrorism. They have not been at all helpful. I wish she wasn’t there.”

As to support for terrorism, perhaps Boehner missed yesterdays revelation from ABC News that the United States is supporting Jundullah, an offshoot of al Qaeda that operates in the Baluchistan region that straddles the border between Iran and Pakistan, and commits acts of terrorism against both countries.

Speaker Pelosi's bipartisan trip has set off a furor in the White House - they have tried to paint her as a usurper who is seeking to set up a shadow presidency. This is patently absurd, of course. The Speaker's itinerary has not deviated far, if at all, from the norm for a congressional juggernaut to a foreign nation.

What is different is the political climate in a deeply divided America.

"Arguably for the first time since World War II, the U.S. is as polarized on foreign policy as it is on domestic policy, and that makes it all the more significant when a member of the opposition is engaged in direct contact with foreign governments," said Charles Kupchan, professor of international affairs at Georgetown University. "This is the Democrats throwing down the gauntlet and saying, 'The American public lost confidence. It behooves the new Congress to chart a new course.' "