America, Hug Your Enemies

Unlike a lot of other Republicans, a part of me welcomed the transfer of power in Congress from rubber-stampers to challengers. I knew that the Democrats were, ethically or otherwise, no more virtuous or effective leaders than the Republicans. But as I am more of a federalist and constitutionalist than party-line ideologue, last November's election results gave me as much comfort as my principles and views would allow. Only so much.

Anyone who doesn't know that for a plethora of reasons I have a vested interest in Middle Eastern affairs probably doesn't know me all that well. And anyone unaware of my overarching concern for America's well-being would not have my blessing to create a wikipedia article about me.

Looking at news websites this morning, I saw that the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, had this weekend toured the holy sites of Jerusalem. She was in Israel leading a congressional delegation to the region. Her next stop, after Israel and the Palestinian territories, is Syria. Syria, you may recall, is not an American ally and is in fact a state-sponsor of terrorism.

Syria, after all, helps arm Hizballah. Only al-Qaeda has successfully killed more Americans than Hizballah.

Needless to say, Speaker Pelosi's visit to Damascus isn't sitting well with the Bush Administration. Whatever qualms one may have with the president on his Iraq policy, global warming or the firing of U.S. Attorneys, when it comes to his Syria policy there's little to dislike unless you're fond of those people who are continually conspiring to kill us.

Syria is not a friend of the United States, but is rather an ally of our enemies. Treating a foe as a foe is something we should do more often, and if we're going to treat a foe as a potential friend, we should at least trust our instincts about whether having that potential friend is worth the pain they may cause us by their betrayal.

Whether Nancy Pelosi is visiting Syria out of spite, to anger President Bush, or because she has a delusion not limited to Californians that dictator Bashar al-Assad is simply misunderstood...she's causing America harm.

Were she visiting Syria with the blessing of the White House, backed by a word of encouragement or two, that would be one thing. But to visit a state-sponsor of terror as a sort of thumb-nosing to the administration is stupidly divisive, and just as disturbing as cosying up to a Syrian dictator based on your principles is.

Sometimes I get the feeling that certain Democrats are trying to turn the United States into Europe, and that certain Republicans are steering us toward Russian-style (Putin-esque) democracy. Mistaken such views may or may not be, I do know this: Congress should be working with the White House, not pursuing foreign policy goals that serve more to the benefit of a specific party than the country as a whole.

This goes for Republicans as well as Democrats.

What's next, a Pelosi-led trip to Venezuela, where she can party with Cindy Sheehan and Hugo Chavez in Caracas while denouncing Bush? No wait, she should go to Cuba first, to consult with the Castro brothers, Raul and Fidel. Can't you just see the accompanying publicity campaign? It'll go something like this: "America, Hug Your Enemies".

Yeah, hug 'em - and ignore the knives they intend to plunge into our backs.