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
It finally happened, Specter became a "true conservative".
Spector is NOT conservative and saying so is NOT Bush bashing.
We cant win elections by using liberal tactics. Keep that in mind the next time to try to use them.
I hear you. And Bush as well as Santorum supported this guy when he was fighting for his life against a true conservative in the primaries in 2004!
There's a reason why no sitting Senator has been elected President in 46 years (JFK was the last, and before him you have to go back to the 1920's).
Senators evolve into self-important, self-righteous, overbearing nitwits. Even in my own party I can't help but think "pompous pompadour" when I see the image of John Warner or Trent Lott or Senator Hagle. So Spector wants to play the plenipotentiary clown. It won't be the first time.
It does, doesn't it?
And at the hands of our own people.
They best be careful; I have faith in Bush and he WILL come back.
Payback is hell.
Well, that settles it.
I visited my mother in law a lot more than 15 times and went to her husbands funeral.
That doesn't mean I have figured why she hates me.
Specter really is a clueless dip shit
I'm keeping a list.
On Hannity and Colmes tonight, Robert Novak and Bob Beckel were the guests..and this subject was the topic.
Robert Novak said that no way should these Senators take it upon themselves to even talk with Syria considering the war in Iraq...that it made the world think that we have 2 different governments..and aren't speaking as one, re: foreign policy.
Well..Bob Beckel said, "we DO have 2 different governments, Democrat and Bush's Republicans"..
What that tells me is...the Dems have decided to have their own government ASIDE from the actual POTUS/CIC..and they are proud of it.
I guess Specter is just staying with them..and in touch with his old buddy Assad...
I wonder if he will try to go visit his other old buddy, Saddam Hussein while he is in the neighborhood??
It is starting to appear as if the inmates are running the asylum.
Dubya, needs to crack down hard al la Lincoln and arrest some traitors. Control has to be regained.
yes it is
Hey....don't call me out, I didn't start this.
Are you talking about in D.C. or FR? :-)
This makes me physically sick.
What an interloping, seditionist creep. Meglomania, thy name is RINO RAT.
I know what you mean. I had that feeling for a few years now. Leaks from the CIA to the NYT, leaks from the State Department...leaks, leaks, leaks and nothing was ever done...why would anybody (republican or not) fear a Logan's Act or even be charged with Treason. It seems that the liberals have been stepping all over the US with no consequences. It's all coming back to bite us now.
I feel it too.
Et tu, Brute.
Check it twice and bury these traitors.
Under the Constitution, Congress role in foreign policy is limited to ratifying or rejecting treaties, and giving advice and consent to appointments of the Secretary of State and Ambassadors. And of course approving or disapproving funding of the state department and aide to other countries.
Of course maybe he's applying Scottish law, rather than the Constitution, as he has done in the past?
What's the penalty for violation of the Logan Act.
Great question...and I think it is time for Alberto Gonzalez to EARN some of the money we are paying him.
Unfortunately, the American people pay the cost of their quest for power at any cost.
"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."
LOL Howlin.....Lets start in D.C. with those who are actually acting out on their delusions of grandeur.
Right. But remember that POS Chaffee....After KBH and the RNC went all out to help him, he repaid the favor by dumping the Bolton nomination, screwing the President, the Republicans and those of us who think of these things.
Congress lately is like watching a train wreck in the process of happening and there ain't a damn thing we can do to stop it
Good grief....D.C. would be a ghost town!
That was relegated to the trash heap long ago.
Damn shame too! We lost any advantage we had in this frontier of the WOT.
Like I told the OTHER poster that said the same thing...I am not gonna fight about Bush on this.
This is about SPECTER...just like the war is about TERRORISTS!!!
Get it??
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