The White House has conveniently exempted GOP members of Congress from criticism in doing exactly the same thing for which it has attacked Speaker Pelosi and other Democrats. Think Progress reports that the White House today lashed out at Speaker Nancy Pelosi for daring to visit Syria in the coming days. White House spokesperson Dana Perino:
I do think that, as a general rule — and this would go for Speaker of the House Pelosi and this apparent trip that she is going to be taking — that we don’t think it’s a good idea. …
I’m not sure what the hopes are to — what she’s hoping to accomplish there. I know that Assad probably really wants people to come and have a photo opportunity and have tea with him, and have discussions about where they’re coming from, but we do think that’s a really bad idea. But a delegation of Republicans is currently visiting Syria. Michael Lowry, a spokesman for Representative Robert Aderholt, said that the Alabama lawmaker will visit Syria as part of a Republican delegation led by Representative Frank Wolf, a Virginia Republican. Wolf is the top Republican on the House appropriations subcommittee that funds the State Department. Furthermore, Republican David Hobson (R-OH) will be traveling with Pelosi and other members of Congress. Moreover, as the AP reports, “Earlier this month, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Ellen Sauerbrey held talks with a senior Syrian diplomat on how Damascus was coping with a flood of Iraqi refugees, the first such talks in the Syrian capital for more than two years.” Perino wasn’t available to comment about Republican trips to Syria.
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