Nancy goes Gucci on Mideast Tour

Smiling and ever poised Mrs. Pelosi wowed the hoi poloi and foreign dignitaries while traveling with an entourage of Democrat and Republican members of Congress this week. During her travels Mrs. Pelosi met with various mideast leaders including Syrian strongman Bashar al-Assad. Following her trip to Israel, the new speaker of the House also tried her hand at a bit of mideast shuttle diplomacy by informing the President of Israel's shadowy enemy Syria, of Israel's willingness to begin peace talks with that nation. Following this announcement which seemed like a diplomatic breakthrough the office of Israel's Prime Minister issued a quick and unprecedented "clarification" of the Israeli government's wishes. The office of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert wrote, "although Israel is interested in peace with Syria, that country continues to be part of the Axis of Evil and a force that encourages terror in the entire Middle East."

In diplomaticspeak, this was a polite smack-down of the Speaker's brief carreer as impromptu diplomat. In fact, Mr. Assad has been given the silent treatment from the Bush administration for his funding and material support of terrorists operating against Israel and in Iraq. It is widely believed that Mr. Assad also played a pivitol role in the assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq al-Hariri in West Beirut. The intense International and Lebanese pressure that followed that outrageous act was the catalyst for Syria's removal of its troops from Lebanon after occupying that region for nearly thirty years. Mr. Assad is a bad actor who has a long history in meddling in the affairs of his neighbors and has provided a safe haven for terrorists operating in the region.

The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post and surprisingly USA Today have been highly critical of Mrs. Pelosi's trip to the middle east. Today's Wall Street Journal even brought up the fact that the Speaker of the House has committed a felony by violating Federal Law with respect to the Logan Act.

While all of the criticism and scathing editorials regarding her travelogue in Syria are well-deserved no one can fault the House Speaker for her tony sense of style! I harly think anyone is seriously considering prosecuting the Speaker of the US House of Representatives for violation of the Logan Act. I would'nt be so crass as to advocate prosecuting Nancy in violation of the Logan Act. Maybe they should instead go after Congressman Tom Lantos of San Mateo. The Congressman and head of the House Foreign Relations Committee told reporters while on his trip to the middle east, "We have an alternative Democratic foreign policy, I view my job as beginning with restoring overseas credibility and respect for the United States." Well we must thank our lucky stars for Tom Lantos! How can we ever repay him for his making us palitable to all the world's dictator's and kleptocrats?

The Logan Act states: Any citizen of the United States, wherever he may be, who, without authority of the United States, directly or indirectly commences or carries on any correspondence or intercourse with any foreign government or any officer or agent thereof, with intent to influence the measures or conduct of any foreign government or of any officer or agent thereof, in relation to any disputes or controversies with the United States, or to defeat the measures of the United States, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than three years, or both.

Out of his own mouth Tom Lantos has implicated himself as violating an act that prevents U.S. citizens from interfering with negotiations between the United States and foreign governments. Lantos is in effect saying that there are two foreign policies and two State Departments in the United States. Perhaps he yearns for the bygone days of the Confederacy, when Democrat Senators voted to split from the Union and create their own form of government known as the Confederate States of America?

I vote for an all-expenses trip for Tom Lantos to Leavenworth, Kansas. Maybe Nancy can visit him when time permits and bring him one of those goodie bags the Iranians gave the British hostages upon their release.