Thursday, April 5, 2007
Go, WaPo
The Washington Post's article today entitled Pratfall in Damascus talks about Speaker Pelosi's trip to the mid-East and her [essentially ex officio] attempt to set foreign policy as if she were a member of the State Department. The article expresses strong disapproval of her actions partly because it's inappropriate for her present policy and partly because she interpreted what she was told by Syrian and Israeli officials. So thoroughly misinterpreted that they corrected her publicly and in print. (Whew.) Perhaps one lesson to be learned is that diplomacy does not come down simply to smiling and being polite. Perhaps she needs to understand that international political statements usually have at least four meanings which are entirely surrounded by smoke and mirrors, and that the trick is to know which one is 'real' while continuing to smile and be gracious, publicly. I guess the Speaker thought she could get by on the novelty of her win combined with her strenuous disagreement with GWB. I guess she was wrong.
In any case, what's most surprising about the Post's article is that the paper's opinions about the current administration are, at best, negative, and yet they wrote this:
In any case, what's most surprising about the Post's article is that the paper's opinions about the current administration are, at best, negative, and yet they wrote this:
[S]he is attempting to introduce a new Middle East policy that directly conflicts with that of the president. We have found much to criticize in Mr. Bush's military strategy and regional diplomacy. But Ms. Pelosi's attempt to establish a shadow presidency is not only counterproductive, it is foolish.Which means, I hope, that we are witnessing the beginning of a return to balance in opinion-speaking in Washington.
How right you are about John Baker's blog. And he's got a lovely story on Norway today. :-)
Thanks for the link to my second blog. I am so apreciative of it.
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