Posted on 12/15/2006 8:48:47 PM PST by kddid
Sen. Arlen Specter, a 26-year Senate Republican, said he will visit Syria despite loud objections by the Bush administration, contending the situation in Iraq is so dire that it is time Congress step up to the plate and see what it can do.
Specter, R-Pa., said in an interview late Friday that he is planning a trip to the Middle East that will include Israel and Syria. The senator said he and other Republicans are concerned that the administration's policies in the Middle East are not working and that other GOP members may follow in his footsteps.
"I've talked to my Republican colleagues, and there is a disquiet here," Specter said.
The visit, coming on the heels of a trip by Florida Sen. Bill Nelson, would be a direct affront to the White House. The United States has limited diplomatic ties with Syria because of its support for Hezbollah and Hamas, which the U.S. deems terrorist organizations. President Bush has expressed reluctance to seek help from Damascus on Iraq until the Syrians curb that support and reduce their influence in Lebanon.
The White House sharply criticized Nelson, a Democrat, for visiting Syria despite Nelson's assertion that the meeting was helpful. Nelson said Syrian President Bashar Assad said he was willing to help control the Iraq-Syrian border, where foreign fighters cross into Iraq.
"We think it's inappropriate," White House spokesman Tony Snow said Thursday of the planned congressional trips to the region. In addition to Nelson and Specter, Sens. John Kerry, D-Mass., and Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., were expected to visit Syria.
"The concern here, among other things, is that this does not strengthen the hand of democracy in the region ... but instead allows the Syrians to dodge the real responsibilities they have," Snow said.
White House spokesman Alex Conant said late Friday that Snow's comments hold true for Specter as well.
The diplomatic push from Congress found revived inspiration from a bipartisan panel that recently recommended the U.S. engage Iran and Syria on the war in Iraq. Bush has remained cool to the proposal by the Iraq Study Group, which was led by former GOP Secretary of State James A. Baker III and former Rep. Lee Hamilton, D-Ind.
In recent days, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice asked Specter in a telephone call not to go to Syria, the senator said. But Specter, who had acquiesced previously to similar requests, said time was up.
"I deferred to them a year ago, and I deferred to them last August," Specter said. "And if there were any signs the administrative policy (in the Middle East) was working, I'd defer to them again."
Specter said he wasn't under the impression he would walk away with a diplomatic deal or believed he was stepping on anyone's toes. But, he added, lawmakers could conduct fact-finding trips that could help inform discussions and still leave foreign policy negotiations up to the White House.
"I now believe that with the report of the independent study group and the administration policy, which is not working, there should be a fresh look at it by Congress," said Specter, who chairs the Judiciary Committee and is a senior member of the Appropriations panel.
Specter's interest in Syria - and willingness to buck White House party line - is nothing new. The Republican has visited Syria 15 times since 1984 and even attended the funeral of Assad's father. The senator visited with then-Iraqi President Saddam Hussein in 1990 and has tried repeatedly to engage officials in Iran, although to no avail.
Specter has challenged the Bush administration's position on other matters as well, including the White House policy toward terrorism suspects.
I never realize ol' Arlen had a death wish.
Doofus.
What a disgusting man this is...and to THINK that Santorum went to bat for him...
My blood is boiling from what he says here.
adds new meaning to cut n run republicans
This guy is a self-important traitorous scum bag of the first order. This is about the most brazen biting of the hand that feeds I have witnessed. The President saved this guy's bacon when all of us wanted him gone and his own state was likely to throw him out.
Disgusting arrogance to think that he and his spineless cohorts could offer anything that would be useful to "enlighten" our professional military commanders and their commander in chief.
Dusting off the ol chant from a couple years back.....
Hey Hey
Ho Ho
Arlen Specter's gotta go!
It was a different context then...........
Bush and the RNC went to bat for their "Scottish Law" buddy over a genuine conservative. Sorry. Bush has only himself to blame for Specter's nonsense.
Maybe they should cancel his passport, (while he is over there.)
So much for the Bush Doctrine
Stop hiding them, Alren .. NAME THEM
NAME THESE REPUBLICANS NOW!
Not gonna get into it with you.....I have had enough of Bush bashing...
What utter rubbish. Congress does not make nor negotiate foreign policy (but don't tell sKerry, et al that :). That is President Bush's job.
If Specter has a problem with the way things are going, he needs to talk to President Bush, not some tin horn dictator of a country the US barely recognizes.
Specter and the rest of these would-be ambassador/politicians need to sit down and STFU and let the proper authorities run US foreign policy. Butt OUT!
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I feel like I have lost my mind.
It feels like we have lost the Presidency.....that these idgits think they can EVEN do this.....
Why doesn't this come under the Logan Act?
Ya know...that idiot ISG thingy was CONGRESS' demand...because they were unhappy with the war.
SOOOOOOO..now, Specter and his GOP friends are saying that the ISG isn't good enough?? they still have to go off on their own and buddy up with their own favorite dictators???
What the heck did WE pay for the ISG for, if they were just gonna go off on OUR $$$$$$$ anyway to kiss Assad's butt???
Excellent idea!!!
You haven't ... They have and this bs will come back and bite them in the ass
So if there are any republicans that back Specter morphing into Jimmy Carter .. they need to come out of hiding a let the public know
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