Lauer Pelts Pelosi's Foreign Fling: 'A Lot of People Think She Messed Up

NewsBusters ^ | Mark Finkelstein

[governsleastgovernsbest]

I suppose you could chalk it up to his concern for the Dems' long-term best interests, but there's no denying that on this morning's "Today," Matt Lauer absolutely unloaded on Nancy Pelosi and her ill-conceived venture into foreign policy.

The segment was entitled "Democratic Diplomacy: Has Pelosi Gone Too Far?", virtually answering the question by its very asking. In the set-up piece, David Gregory rolled two telling clips. The first was of VP Cheney's comments on the Rush Limbaugh show yesterday to the effect that Pelosi's statement regarding her trip was"nonsensical." The second was of former congressman Lee Hamilton, warning that if his fellow Dems box in the president on foreign policy, Americans might conclude that the Democrats have gone "too far."

Interviewing Tim Russert at 7:06 AM ET, Lauer came out guns ablazin'.

LAUER: Vice-President Cheney called Nancy Pelosi's trip to Syria "bad behavior," a Washington Post editorial on Thursday called it "counter-productive and foolish," and op-ed in the Wall Street Journal this morning goes a step further and suggests her trip may actually have been a felony, that it may have violated something called the Logan Act. Tim, is this the way the Democrats wanted to get off the mark in terms of foreign affairs?

View video here.

RUSSERT: No, they clearly wanted to distinguish themselves from the president's policies, but you have to be careful, as Congressman Hamilton suggested. One ranking Democrat, Matt, said "we have an alternative Democratic foreign policy." That is going to be very difficult to articulate and put into place when you don't control the White House. On the other hand, Speaker Pelosi issued a statement last night on behalf of the bi-partisan delegation she is leading. Her delegation includes Republican congressmen. She is saying she has done nothing wrong or inconsistent with American foreign policy.

LAUER: Well, that's their side of the story. However, if you look back at the mid-term elections, clearly some voters in this country were unhappy with the administration's foreign policy, specifically in Iraq; it's one of the reasons we think Democrats took control of Congress. But if the Democrats and Speaker Pelosi appear to be acting irresponsibly or incompetently, and let's face it, a lot of people think she messed up on this one, what's the impact for Democrats overall?

RUSSERT: It's considerable. The Democrats have always had a difficulty being competitive with the Republicans in the public voter's mind on national security and foreign policy issues. And if the people perceive missteps, it's going to create and underscore that perceptual problem of Democrats.

LAUER: And let's go back to the point you touched on a second ago. If it's seen . . . what is the bigger and longer-term issue here if a political party is seen as usurping presidential power in designing and implementing foreign policy?

RUSSERT: As we learned in 1994 Matt, when Republicans took control of Congress with the Republican revolution and the Contract With America, people voted for change. But the voters are also willing to turn that around on its head, if they believe people have gone too far. That's why this debate is so important.

Message to Speaker Pelosi: how do you know when you've messed up? When David Gregory and Matt Lauer respectfully cite VP Cheney's criticism of you.

Contact Mark at mark@gunhill.net

[Grammy]

"That headscarf nonsense to pacify the muslim sensibilities really was stupid."

I don't recall Condi Rice ever wearing a head scarf.

[Eagle of Liberty]

If anybody from Congress was to go, you would think that it would have been only members from the Committee on Foreign Relations. Here is a list of their Jurisdiction, as per their webpage:

Jurisdiction of the Committee
110th Congress
(As per House rules)
1. Relations of the United States with foreign nations generally.
2. Acquisition of land and buildings for embassies and legations in foreign countries.
3. Establishment of boundary lines between the United States and foreign nations.
4. Export controls, including nonproliferation of nuclear technology and nuclear hardware.
5. Foreign loans.
6. International commodity agreements (other than those involving sugar), including all agreements for cooperation in the export of nuclear technology and nuclear hardware.
7. International conferences and congresses.
8. International education.
9. Intervention abroad and declarations of war.
10. Diplomatic service.
11. Measures to foster commercial intercourse with foreign nations and to safeguard American business abroad.
12. International economic policy.
13. Neutrality.
14. Protection of American citizens abroad and expatriation.
15. The American National Red Cross.
16. Trading with the enemy.
17. United Nations organizations.

[maryz]

I don’t think I ever heard of Hobson before. What do you know about him?

[capydick]

Her delegation includes Republican congressmen.

And this will be the MSM chorus as the criticism escalates; "Well - there were Republican's there too, why arent they being criticized"?

[Elyse]

Thanks for the info. I’m really hoping they just ‘volunteered’ to go along and watch and report back exactly what she was up to the whole time.

[Marysecretary]

That’s actually a very flattering picture of her. She looks rather pretty there. Next time pull the scarf over her head.

[Eagle of Liberty]

The group you posted from Pelosi’s House website is not the delegation that traveled to Syria. They traveled to African nations to evaluate the Darfur issue.

[queenkathy]

I thought she resembled an awestruck teen. She had that totally stupid grin on her face.
What an idiot!

[TomGuy]

Above pix from this thread:

CAPTION: Nancy Pelosi Wearing Headscarf Incorrectly While in Syria

[Paleo Conservative]

Is the first 100 hours up?

[maryz]

Actually, I'm kind of surprised that any members of the Committee (Lantos and Wilson) went. Usually, there's nothing congressmen love better than nosing around in areas where they have no legitimate authority and which they know nothing about! (I don't know who said it first, but "No matter how cynical you get, it is impossible to keep up." LOL!)

[maryz]

Ooops! Never occurred to me she’d have more than one “delegation” — busy little beaver, isn’t she?

[Elyse]

Just watching her immature and self-satisfied grin while wearing her head scarf makes my blood boil.

I hear ya! That picture should be put next to hypocrisy in the dictionary. I better not ever hear her utter a word about Muslim women being forced to cover themselves. I'm sure she will just say she was respecting their traditions, but if they would not show her the respect of meeting her as a western woman wearing western attire, then how can you begin to negotiate with them? That's a slap in the face to woman everywhere, but especially to the ones that are struggling in Muslim countries. Just when I thought I couldn't have any less respect for Nancy Pelosi...

[governsleastgovernsbest]

True, but when you see it in a video clip, there’s something about her self-satisfied smirk that drives me up the wall.

[DCPatriot]

It’s not perceptual Mr Potato Head it’s a reality.

LOL!

[Smocker]

Glad you brought that up, the Catholic Church never officially did away with the concept of women covering their heads when praying in a Church or attending a Mass, a practice that was both biblical and a centuries old tradition.

So, Pelosi being a liberal Catholic, as well as a liberal Democrat among other things, won’t wear a head covering out of respect for her God, or for attending Mass in her own religion, but instead kow-tows to muslim sensibilities for the sake of a good photo op.

[Smocker]

Based on her actions, that’s a good point.

[Eagle of Liberty]

Here is a link to a Dayton Daily News article regarding the issue:

http://www.daytondailynews.com/n/content/oh/story/news/nation_world/2007/03/31/ddn040107hobson.html

[DCPatriot]

That headscarf nonsense to pacify the muslim sensibilities really was stupid.

Nonsense!

It's done for respect of another's culture and belief's.

Women were supposed to enter a Catholic Church with something on their head...sometimes, my grandmother would bobby-pin a hankie during her Novenas.

There is a beautiful photo of 1st Lady Laura Bush wearing a black head scarf going around too. I'll see if I can find it and post it.

[DCPatriot]

Actually, I would consider a protest vote for Nancy Pelosi as POTUS.

OTOH, I would cut off my right hand before voting for Hillary Clinton...and I'm right-handed!