"Fla. Senator Defies Bush, Visits Syria" .....Bill Nelson

[in_cog_ni_to]

Fla. Senator Defies Bush, Visits Syria
By ANNE PLUMMER FLAHERTY, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - In a direct affront to the Bush administration, a Democratic senator spent an hour Wednesday with Syrian President Bashar Assad in Damascus, emerging from the meeting to say Assad was willing to help control the Iraq-Syrian border.

Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida, a member of the Armed Services and Foreign Relations committees, met with Assad after the State Department said that it disapproved of his trip. The United States has limited diplomatic ties with Syria because of its support of Hezbollah and Hamas, which the U.S. deems terrorist organizations, and President Bush has expressed reluctance to seek help from Damascus on Iraq until the Syrians curb that support and reduce their influence in Lebanon.

"Assad clearly indicated the willingness to cooperate with the Americans and or the Iraqi army to be part of a solution" in Iraq, Nelson told reporters in a conference call following the meeting. The U.S. says foreign fighters often enter Iraq across that boundary.

Syrian officials have indicated a willingness before to engage the U.S. in discussions about Iraq, which the Bush administration has treated with skepticism. Nelson said he viewed Assad's remarks as "a crack in the door for discussions to continue. I approach this with realism not optimism."<snip>

http://www.comcast.net/news/politics/index.jsp?cat=POLITICS&fn=/2006/12/13/541158.html

[Captain Hilts]

1. He really shouldn't do that. This opens the door to other public officials...

practicing foreign policy. Not good.

This means conservatives will be running around representing the US when we have a Democratic president in 2008.

[elehhhhna]

4. Like when Poppy got Iran to hold our hostages LONGER?

[Captain Hilts]

6. All that stuff. nt

[malaise]

2. Didn't Baker et al also meet with him?

Is it only who Bush sanctions who can meet with people now?

[in_cog_ni_to]

3. Yes. Baker met with him. That was OK and Baker isn't

a member of the Armed Services and Foreign Relations committee. Nelson is. Baker isn't even a member of the freakin' GOVERNMENT in ANY capacity.

[malaise]

5. Fugg Bush

and Co.

[Captain Hilts]

7. Baker was chosen by the senate to write the report. He is a US govt. official.

The trip overseas was part of that. He wasn't freelancing as was Nelson.

[in_cog_ni_to]

13. Baker hasn't been elected to anything. Period. Nelson is a United States SENATOR and

a member of the Armed Services and Foreign Relations committee. James Baker is a nobody...except a warmongering SOB who defends the Saudi Royal family against the 911 families of the victims. You might get away with calling Baker a citizen representative selected by the repukes, but that's it. He's a former official. Nelson is a U.S./Senator/citizen and has every right to go to Syria. The psycho-in-chief has nothing to say about it.

[Captain Hilts]

16. Nelson has the right, but he shouldn't. He is seen as a rep. of the US and...

is not there at the behest of anyone other than himself.

Extend that right to all other senators and foreign policy could get messy/messier.

Florida shouldn't have an independent foreign policy.

Baker - and Hamilton - were there at the behest of Congress. They are govt. officials.
\

[Jacobin]

8. but but but

Syria doesn't like Israel, so we CAN'T talk to them..

:eyes:

[Double T]

9. Someone needs to find a way out of this horrendous mess that bushco.....

has created; bushco will NEVER engage in diplomacy or dialog to resolve this conflict. It NOW APPEARS that bushco's plan is to drag this illegitimate war on until the end of his term and let HIS successor deal with finding a way out of Iraq and cleaning up the bushco MESS. Anyone from our government that is willing to attempt a dialog and resolution with Iraq's neighbors is is at least trying to do SOMETHING, which is FAR MORE than the incompetent bushco has EVER DONE.

[William769]

10. I say Kudos to Senator Bill Nelson.

If no one else is going to do anything, lets let him have a try at it.

[blm]

14. Kerry is there now talking to Syrian pres for the THIRD time since Jan 2005

and Bush has refused to meet with Kerry to discuss what he and al-Assad have discussed personally about his ideas for stabilizing the region.

When Kerry wrote his original withdrawal plans, it was AFTER consulting with regional leaders who HAVE to become part of the solution even if their regimes are not popular within the US.

What does it say that Bush refused to hear al-Assad's most candid opinions to Sen. Kerry? I can't imagine ANY US president not wanting to find a hopeful solution to a war.

[William769]

17. I agree with you.

[TankLV]

11. Good for him!

FUCK bush*!

He doesn't represent me - ever!

He wasn't elected in the first place - AL GORE is my PRESIDENT!

[otohara]

12. At Least He Didn't Go To Cuba

his anti-Castro constituents would have had a fit.

[AnnInLa]

15. AT Least 3 more Senators going, as well

Yesterday, it was reported that Dodd, Kerry and Specter will also be traveling to Syria.

[in_cog_ni_to]

18. GOOD! At least someone is trying DIPLOMACY...which this cabal sorely lacks.

:(