Is there a difference between a legislator and the prime minister of a country? Yes there is, even if she is a high-ranking legislator. Is there a difference between sitting down to talk about general issues and negotiating the end of a peaceful nation? Yes there is. Is there a difference between Hitler and a two-bit dictator like Assad. You bet there is.

Oh, and by the way, did you criticize the three Republican congressmen who visited Syria last week--apparently with help from the White House? I didn't think so.

The Old New Englander,

Excellent points all the way around.

There is a difference and that I agree, though she is undermining America's foreign policy by giving hope that Syria can continue their support of terror AND win appeasement.

Yes, there were Republican legislators who preceded her, but she is the Speaker of the House after all, AND that is a difference.

Thanks for the comments.

God bless,

Tito

Of course, while she was there, she re-iterated the current US policy - that of the Bush administration - to Assad.

John,

If the opposition leader during WW2 in Churchil's England went to visit Mussolini for some cocktails, photo op, and declaring 'the road to peace runs through Rome' AND then reiterates CHurchil's demand of unconditional surrender, what do you think it looks like to the English back home?

Ridiculous eh?

Well, the analogy doesn't hold, because you're talking about a statement and a policy that are at odds, which really isn't the case with Syria.

I think there are legitimate reasons to criticize ANY legislator taking this sort of trip - that includes Pelosi, the three Republicans who were there just before her on a similar trip, and McCain heading to Iraq and actually contradicting the administration's policy statements in his discussions with the government there - but you've gone beyond that to imply that the message she brought was at odds with our national policy, and it just wasn't.

That said, I think there's a dangerous element of American politics playing out in the foreign policy arena here, and as I said, that's a fair criticism of both Pelosi and McCain. It's just not the criticism you made in your post.