Speaker Pelosi Statement on Visit to Iraq

Press Releases Contact: Brendan Daly/Nadeam Elshami 202-226-7616 For Immediate Release 05/17/2008 Speaker Pelosi Statement on Visit to Iraq

Jerusalem - In preparation for Memorial Day, Speaker Nancy Pelosi and a bipartisan congressional delegation flew today from Israel to Iraq to express the appreciation of the Congress to our troops for their patriotism, their courage, and their service to our country. The delegation met with General David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and Mahmud al-Mashhadani, the Speaker of the Iraqi Council of Representatives. Speaker Pelosi issued the following statement:

“In the meetings in Baghdad today, I made clear that the war must be brought to an end. It has already taken far too many American and Iraqi lives, it has cost far too much in money and the reputation of the United States, and it has drained far too much from the capability of our military.

“The Iraqi officials said that provincial elections would be held this year and that they would be transparent, inclusive, and a step toward national reconciliation. I hope this will be the case.”

Bush Criticism of Appeasement Angers Dems

May 17, 2008

President Bush’s speech to the Israeli parliament sparked a series of denunciations from high ranking Democrats across the country. The President’s characterization of negotiation with terrorist regimes—like the one in Iran that has called for the destruction of Israel—as “a foolish delusion” and akin to Neville Chamberlain’s negotiations with Hitler appears to have touched a nerve in Democratic circles.

Although Bush did not specifically name anyone in his speech, Democratic presidential front runner, Senator Barack Obama (Ill.) called Bush’s comments an “appalling attack on my ‘peace through concessions’ strategy for making America safe. Look, we can’t afford to get involved in a quarrel in a far-away country between people of whom we know nothing.” Obama pointed to the ten-year grace period for Jews to leave Palestine that former president Jimmy Carter negotiated with Hamas as an example of the type of agreement he would seek with “so-called terrorist regimes.”

Obama’s rival for the Democratic nomination, Senator Hillary Clinton (N.Y.) asserted that “while I do not agree with Senator Obama’s appeasement approach, I think it is improper for a ‘lame-duck’ president to commit the nation to policies that could bind a subsequent administration.”

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) fumed that “Bush is undermining my hard work. I went to these people on ‘bended knee.’ I wore the Hijab to symbolize willingness to submit. We were gaining traction toward peace for our time. This partisan attack on Democratic policies is beneath the dignity of the office of the president.”

McCain campaign spokesman Tucker Bounds called Obama’s reaction “hysterical.” “The guy has really ‘stepped in it’ this time,” Bounds chortled. “Here we have the President making a perfectly reasonable remark to the Jewish people who were nearly exterminated by a war brought on by a policy of appeasement and Obama goes ballistic. Such passion in defense of appeasement is a stunning revelation of what an Obama Administration portends for this country.”

Outrage at the President’s speech wasn’t confined to his domestic political opponents. Muhammad Barakei, a Muslim member of the Israeli parliament called the remarks “tantamount to a declaration of war. Hitler was one of the great visionaries of the 20th century. Bush’s insult of him can only fan the flames of hostility toward America for its efforts on behalf of the Zionist conspiracy to conquer the world.”