The author’s comparison of Rice with Pelosi is absurd. The “mixed signals” Bush referred to was a nuanced way of pointing out that Pelosi was interfering in the powers of the executive branch. It is not Nancy Pelosi’s place to negotiate with Syria and other foreign states - expecially terrorist states. These matters are reserved for the President and Secretary of State (and the Senate, in matters of treaties and ambassadorial appointments).
Nor Kuchinich’s: who just *happened* to be at lunch with Assad on 9/6.
Right. Unfortunately for the Bush administration, this message was exposed as a complete fraud at the time. Pelosi's trip to Syria would have required a clearance from the U.S. State Department, and (if I remember correctly) was even made on an aircraft provided by the U.S. military -- which doesn't answer to anyone outside the Executive Branch. The Bush administration could have quashed that trip at any time.
These people are all full of sh!t.