General
Update on Pelosi to Syria
Which is still not like Nixon to China, but Spacetropic’s latest is a profile of Darrell Issa’s visit and I agree with him here:
Smart-aleck remarks aside, it’s a tricky problem from a Constitutional perspective - which branch has authority to speak on behalf of the United States. One things for certain - we are more powerful when Congresspeople, Presidents and Secretaties of State all speak with one voice when it comes to our most serious interests. That’s the way it should be in a time of war. But channels of communication, especially with external parties, become very confused in any organization when leadership is ineffective.
And that’s the real problem that’s been troubling me about the Bush Administration: Diplomacy and a willingness to forcefully engage both domestic and are international opponents are not worthwhile goals because they feel warm, fuzzy and inclusive. They are worthwhile goals because you need as many people on the bus to get the job done - to be effective. Being hard-headed, blaming everyone else, and locking out diplomacy just hasn’t served us well.
But again, we are going the diplomacy route with North Korea, so it’s not as if Bush doesn’t know how to do it. I’m not sure that our lack of open channels with Syria is not part of a deliberate strategy. Either way I trust Darrell Issa more than Pelosi. He at least would probably check with the administration and be willing to be debriefed out the other end for hard intelligence.
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