Front-page Wash. Times article touted Pelosi's popularity in Syria with purported person-on-the-street interviews
A May 2 front-page Washington Times article headlined "Syrians bolstered by visit of 'good American' Pelosi" asserted that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), who recently visited Syria to meet with President Bashar Al-Assad, may have become "[t]he second most popular politician in Syria." The article noted that the "White House criticized her visit," but did not mention that a Republican -- Rep. David Hobson (OH) -- was part of Pelosi's delegation, as Media Matters for America noted. Nor did the article report that a Republican-led delegation met with Assad three days before Pelosi's visit and that Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) met with him a day after. As evidence that Pelosi's visit had "warmed Syrian hearts with her trip last month to Damascus," the Times quoted a "Damascus laborer," a Damascus resident "who spoke on the condition of anonymity," and "an Iraqi woman who has emigrated to Syria," all of whom were unnamed in the article.
The Times article was the latest in a series of Times stories making baseless accusations against Pelosi, making Republican claims without challenge, or echoing Republican talking points, as Media Matters has documented.
The Washington Times article was discussed on the May 2 edition of MSNBC's Tucker when host Tucker Carlson, after reading a comment from an anonymous Syrian quoted in the Times story, said: "Wow! Nancy Pelosi. Trips have consequences, don't they? At least according to this person." In response, A.B. Stoddard, associate editor of The Hill, asserted that the delegation "was a mutually beneficial trip for Mr. Assad and Mrs. Pelosi." Neither Carlson nor Stoddard noted the Republicans who recently traveled to Syria.
From the May 2 Washington Times article:
The second most popular politician in Syria these days may be an American: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
The California Democrat warmed Syrian hearts with her trip last month to Damascus, an event that people still share with visiting Americans as conversational currency.
"Nancy Pelosi is good, yes?" asked a Damascus laborer who found himself sitting next to an American at a greasy gyro stand this week. "Nancy Pelosi, good American."
Pictures of Mrs. Pelosi and Syrian President Bashar Assad -- officially Syria's most popular citizen -- still turn up on the local news channels, especially during coverage of the dispute between President Bush and Congress over the Iraq war spending bill.
Mrs. Pelosi's two-day visit to Damascus was a major news event here. Camera crews trailed her as she bought sweets in the ancient Hamadieh souk, made the sign of the cross at what is thought to be the tomb of John the Baptist and donned a black abaya to visit the historic Omayyad Mosque.
Mrs. Pelosi, 67, is praised as "a friend of Syria," and that makes her more influential than Oprah Winfrey and more appealing than the old Hollywood movies shown on satellite television.
Many Damascus residents say her private visit with Mr. Assad and senior ministers shattered Washington's attempt to isolate the regime.
"She was enormously popular here, a hero," said one such resident, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. "This is the best thing that has happened here, if it proves [Mr. Assad] was right not to give concessions."
Along with recent visits by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and officials from the European Union, the resident added, Mrs. Pelosi's trip "bolsters the regime with the Syrian people, and it shows that isolating Syria won't work."
More than burnishing the regime's image in Syria, Mrs. Pelosi is seen as the well-dressed woman who stood up to President Bush, possibly the most unpopular figure in the Arab world after former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.
The White House criticized her visit, both on the constitutional grounds that she was usurping executive powers and on policy grounds that she was undermining months of diplomatic efforts.
Mrs. Pelosi said she raised substantive issues with Syrian leaders, urging them to stop insurgents from entering Iraq, help win the release of Israeli soldiers thought to be held captive by Lebanese and Palestinian militias, and end Syria's support for terrorist groups.
But nobody talks about that now.
"I love her," said an Iraqi woman who has emigrated to Syria. "She's a grandmother, so handsome, so cute. I see myself, my old self, in her."
Despite the lingering personal affection, few expect U.S. policy to change as a result of Mrs. Pelosi's visit.
"She is a different face of America, but she does not have ideas, any solutions," the Iraqi woman said. "I watch TV all day, and I know that only the faces change."
From the May 2 edition of MSNBC's Tucker:
CARLSON: Washington Times today, A.B., has a piece how Nancy Pelosi, one of the most popular people in Syria -- the number-two most popular person in Syria. Let's put the quote up here. This is from an average Syrian on the street. Quote: "She was enormously popular here, a hero [...] This is the best thing that has happened here, if it proves [Mr. Assad] was right not to give concessions. [Pelosi's trip] bolsters the regime with the Syrian people, and it shows that isolating Syria won't work."
Wow! Nancy Pelosi. Trips have consequences, don't they? At least according to this person.
STODDARD: I mean, I think this was a mutually beneficial trip for Mr. Assad and Ms. Pelosi. She's big in Demascus, and that's big for her. And she knew exactly what was going to happen on this trip. She wasn't going to change policy, she was going to get criticized by Republicans and by the White House, and she was going to show President Bush that she can start a big -- you know, make waves, get the debate going, and get a lot of attention, and that's what she did. And it doesn't surprise me in the least that they're calling her a hero there.
CARLSON: Right, I'm not surprised at all.
Wow. The Republican party really has reached the point of intellectual bankruptcy.
Maybe Pelosi could run for head terrorist of Syria?
Maybe you could run for head moron on the shortbus
Ah, hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha, head moron on the short bus!!!! Solon, you are a genius. I can't stop laughing at you. Everything you say is comical to me!!! Hahahaha!!
Glad I could amuse you. Personally I didnt think it was that funny. Just returning the serve.
Solon, that would be the little yellow bus.
Your not funny, you are insulting though.
Do these troglodytes even realize that the man who signs their paycheck claims to be the Messiah? Do they even care? Do they believe it themselves?
"She was enormously popular here, a hero," said one such resident, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. "This is the best thing that has happened here, if it proves [Mr. Assad] was right not to give concessions."
So Tucker has shown that at least one anonymous resident of Damascus has as limited an understanding of diplomacy and foreign policy as the GOP.Well done.
Okay, for grins, let's assume that the hack writer for The Times didn't just fabricate this. If an average Syrian citizen has positive thoughts about an American politician, how is that a bad thing?
It's a bad thing because our efforts to win the WOT are never going to come to fruition if we continue to talk to countries, even those who are not our allies, at the risk of stirring up Pro-American sentiment.
And showing these Syrians speaking in coherent sentences, even the ones who consider a meeting an endorsement of their leaders, is a blatant attempt to humanize them.
That makes them harder to bomb, and would involve forcing our government to do their job.
Simple. The GOP believes that Middle Eastern folks should only appreciate those American politicians that are willing to bomb them for their own good. How else will they learn about the liberating force of true Democracy unless we drop it on them from 5000 ft?
How will the Right Wing Media respond to War Criminal Sec Rice talking to the Syrian FM? After the weeks of venom tossed at Speaker Pelosi, will the right wing haters like Tucker Carlson apologize to Speaker Pelosi or condem Condi like they did Speaker Pelosi? My guess is they will spin this .
Well, you know exactly what they'll say...Pelosi overstepped her authority. Watch for it.
Or, it could be that Rice had to go and undo the damage done by Pelosi...to "re-isolate" Syria, if you will.
Yes, I am sure that is the spin Rush, Hannity, O'Reilly, Carlson, et al will say.
This probably will go way over your head since you have obviously never read the Constitution. The executive branch conducts foreign policy under our system, not the legislative branch. Rice, as secretary of state, is part of the executive branch. Pelosi, on the othr hand, is part of the legislative branch and, hence, does not have the authority to conduct foreign policy for this country. Got it?
This will probably go over YOUR head since most things do. I HAVE read the constitution. Do you think Congress has NO function whatsoever in dealing with foriegn leaders? ALL money spent comes from appropriations bills that according to the Constitution MUST BEGIN IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Does Syria get foriegn aid? Why yes they do. Do you have ANY evidence that Pelosi was negotiating or undercutting the administrations policies vis a vis Syria? Everything I have read from those AT the meetings says she didnt. Bush is NOT GOD, nor is he Pharoah. Congress has been travelling abroad and meeting with foriegn leaders since the inception of our country. Bush has no say in where the Speaker of the House goes or who she talks to. IF it can be shown she is offering negotiations that would undercut the administrations foriegn policy say like Hastert did in Columbia when Clinton was president then you would have a point. If you cannot cough up such evidence you have NO POINT. Not 'conducting' foriegn policy doesnt mean Congress has no right to TALK to foriegn leaders.
"shattered Washington's attempt to isolate the regime."
Gee, I guess that's why the Secretary of State just met with her Syrian counterpart. Pelosi must have really screwed things up.
If you interview a random sample of people in 95% of the countries of the world, Pelosi would be found to be popular, or at least more popular than Bush Jr.
Why doesn't the Washington Time interview Guatemalans, or Spaniards or Russians? Because they don't want their readers to know that Democrats are admired throughout the world.
I strongly believe that Americans are still well liked around the world despite the damage done by Bush and his Administration. There is so much damage that they have done to our standing around the world I just hope that 2 years from now we will have a better light .
We are respected. Still, the Bush regime has set some very disturbing precedents, especially when it comes to preemptive actions and the treatment of prisoners. How can we bill ourselves as the world's model for peace, freedom, democracy and justice when we have a President who thinks his job would be much easier if it were a dictatorship?
I think, if given the choice, the world prefers, "ask questions first, then bomb," as opposed to vice versa.
"Because they don't want their readers to know that Democrats are admired throughout the world"
I disagree- this very item is showing that Dems are liked- Because evildoers like being appeased!
This doesn't stop being entertaining, this Republican fear of actually dealing with foreigners. I tuned in Laura Ingraham this morning on the way to work , and she seems to be jumping on the Mitt Romney bandwagon. She played a clip of him referring to Pelosi's trip, in which he opined that she should not have "bestowed this honor" on the Syrian leader.
We're at a point , as the lone Super Power, where viable candidates for our top elected office consider talking to non-lapdog nations "bestowing an honor" on them.
And we wonder why it's not difficult to find people who don't respect the US.
We are not seen as a super power any longer due to our leadership not acting in the best interests of the country and the people.. Also the inability to effectively fight asymmetrical threats. Also the huge trade imbalance. Also the disintegration of our borders. Also the ever growing national debt.
We're like Britain after WW2, all over but the shouting.
"And we wonder why it's not difficult to find people who don't respect the US."
Good point. For example, this website is owned, operated, supported, and patronized by this very type of person.
Then why do you waste your time here?
I think it's just more projection from j4son. Seeing people who actually love and respect America enough to look at it critically is pretty scary for the "patriotic" flag-waving zombies.
It lust seems like such a waste for a guy who is clever enough to substitute 4's for A's, and 3's for E's.
Maybe it's like a vacation for him. Somewhere to relax and refresh between rocket surgeries.
Not really however this website has an infestation of ignorant parasites like YOU that fit that description.
Good point. I'll bet that the average citizen on the street in London has a higher opinion of Pelosi than Puddinhead George. In fact, I remember a British tabloid that ran a headline after the 2000 election..."How Could 48 Million Americans Be So Dumb?"
Tucker Carlson
Who exactly are these sources that Tucker is citing?What poll numbers has Tucker cited to say that Nancy Pelosi is this popular in Syria?I thought Conservatives did not believe Syria was a viable nation to even discuss who is popular and not?Tucker Carlson for years has been towing this line and playing these types of world games with the public. When will MSNBC Stop enabling this man?
The Washington Times is the worst piece of trash with the possible exception of the NY Post. I would not take a word of it seriously.
I find it very difficult to believe that an ordinary Syrian citizen would have any established concept in their minds as to what a "good American" really is, especially considering that the government and Baath party own and control much of the Syrian media.
Hi Pete,
Don't forget this is not 1960, ordinary folks all over the world now have access to information from all over the globe. What was the technology that started the Checkeslovakia revolution? The VCR. The state run media would say one thing, but bootleg videos exposed their lies (kind of reminds me of MMFA). So, don't be surprised if "ordinary" middle easteners have a more sophisticated understanding than the average American, in there neck of the woods, geo polotics is literally a life and death subject.
The "Murkin" people have been long conditioned that "those people over there" are brainwashed to "hate America".
The people over there are taught that the west is the "Great Satan" and is populated by infidels.
So, with all this hatred and fear being fomented by both sides, it must have been quite a shock for the "average" Syrian on the street to see, instead of a fire-breathing satan tearing the flesh from their limbs, a kind, grandmotherly looking woman, smiling and greeting them as fellow human beings. What a shock! Why yes, I believe Pelosi knew "exactly" what she was doing. By disarming them, she was able to prevent a bloodbath.
The wingnuts find this totally unacceptable because they CANNOT allow us to see a human side to this vague "enemy", way over on the other side of the world, in this war where success is always just beyond the horizon.
I think I'll go re-read 1984.
I can't say I understand the thesis of this article. Is it that the Times article is insinuating that Pelosi is "bad" because she is popular in Syria? If the story is about Pelosi's popularity, why is it relevant to talk about the Repub visit, or that a Repub was in her party? It's not about them, it's about her apparent popularity in Syria. Everything that MMfA quoted seems to bolster the benefit of Pelosi's visit to the US image, so I'm having a hard time understanding why this was posted.
dexteritas, I think the point is that it reinforces the spin that Pelosi was "appeasing" the enemy.
Notice the one quote from an anonymous Syrian who considers her a hero for confirming that Assad was right not to give concessions.
It's playing to the audience that sees foreign policy as frightening, and middle-easterns people as evil-doers.
It's basic Republican Propaganda 101. The fact that Pelosi is popular among the subhuman Syrians makes her an appeaser. It helps to accuse her of "giving aid and comfort to our enemies" since that reflects the language of the Constitutional definition of treason. You have to think like a Troglodyte to see the "logic" of these things.
I suppose. It wasn't written very well..I can't imagine how the average middle-of-the-roader would take it as a negative against her.
I don't think it's directed at middle-of-the-roaders.This is stuff for the 30%ers, the GOP base.
I was wondering why it included pitchurs. Doesn't explain the multi-syllabic words, though.
What a terrible thing that the Syrians have been appeased!
One horrific consequence of that I just heard on The Newshour (PBS) is that Syria is moving to limit the flow of insurgents into Iraq. OMG! Now Rice is talking to the Syrian foreign minister. We can probably count on her to make it clear that we don't need their stinkin help.
The average person wouldn't. However, I guarantee you that the average Rush Limbaugh listener will foam at the mouth when Rush tells them about it.
Dext,
From your posts it looks like you are seeking to understand how the mainstream media is controlled in the US. This site is an excellent resource for up to the minute coverage of this subject. You might find a documentary "Out Foxed" to be a good source that summarizes recent the recent (last 40 years) of media ownership and control in this country. For instance, the worlds largest manufacturer of fighter jet engines (GE) also owns NBC. I am one of those crrrrrazy liberals that believe this is wrong, how can we believe NBC will uncriticaly cover defense issues when their corporate bottom line is affected by how many countries we are occupying. For instance, approximately 48% of world wide defense expenditures are spent by who? That's right you and me and the other 250 million taxpayers in the US. Seems kind of crazy don't it? But it almost never gets mentioned in the main stream press.
So you want the one gentile run network to sell?
Gee, the Syrians like an important American leader who actually visits their country, pays respect and opens a dialogue... as opposed to an important American leader who ignores and/or villifies their country and invades one of their neighbors without provocation and therefore destabilizes the region. Go figure.
Appease the enemy?
Not Bush.
W talked to Jesus, the Prince of Peace, Mr. Turn the Cheek, last night and he told him to kill the enemy.
Maybe if Condi plays her cards right she can become the third biggest hero in Syria.
You mean right after the Prophet Muhammad and Jesus Christ?
There is much confusion here, which I will try to clear up.
From the article:
"Nancy Pelosi is good, yes?" asked a Damascus laborer who found himself sitting next to an American at a greasy gyro stand this week.
"She was enormously popular here, a hero [sic]," said one such resident,...
And from MMfA transcripts:
Stoddard:"And it doesn't surprise me in the least that they're calling her a hero [sic] there."
Both the article and MMfA's transcripters mistyped the homonym for "gyro" when spoken. Consequently, there is no issue here. A "pelosi" in Syria is merely a type of lamb sandwich, a favorite repast of the locals. They love them there, as their quotes attest. Stoddard was misinformed by Carlson, who misinterpreted the Times article due to a typo. Isolating Syria won't work because they already have everything they need - A gyro named a "pelosi".
Har! Brilliant.
Yes, other than the moronic use of "homonym" instead of "homophone", it is probably the most brilliant collection and arrangement of words in the history of the world.
- A DIFFERENT
I think homonym and homophone have more overlap than they used to,and I didn't bust you on it, so you're still 100% brilliant.
Besides, I didn't want to be accused of launching an ad homonym attack. Guffaw!
Now THAT's funny. Anybody who doesn't think that's funny is obviously homophonic.
You forgot: (I'm including these words as part of my neo-con outreach program called "NWOTD" Neo-con Word of the day.)
Homosapian
Homo-erectous (one of my favorites for some reason)
Homophile
Homograph
Homonymity
Ok, not sure why you placed me (I think) in your post :) Argh, need more coffee.
MMFA can't seem to hold a consistent argument here. The GOP is now irrelevant they tell us because they are now in the minority. However, MMFA then throws a hissy fit when no one mentions that the GOP representatives--all of whom rank below Pelosi--also met with Assad.
MMFA makes a big deal about Bush being hated in the world, yet throws another hissy fits when it's pointed out that Pelosi is popular in Syria.
MMFA wants it both ways.
Kevin, you missed one- MMFA cited person-on-the-street interviews, while one was at a greasy gyro stand, and not in the street at all.
I agrre with you here, Kevin. I don't see the problem with this WA TIMES article. It was, I felt, pretty much pro-Pelosi. Either MMFA reader is seeing something different than us, or MMFA didn't post the entire article. One sentence about the WH displeasure with the trip scattered amid the praise from the Syrians and Iraqis shouldn't make this a hit piece. I think maybe whomever at MMFA analyzed this may have gotten up on the wrong side of the world today.
I don't understand what is so bad Peolosi being popular in Syria.
Every literate person knows that Pelosi didn't interfere with foreign policy in Syria, that she advised Bush beforehand that she was going and he voiced no objection, that there Republicans visiting Syria before her trip, on her trip, and after her trip. Unfortunately, it is apparent that most Repubicans are numbered not among the literate people in this once great and beloved nation.
Tucker Carlson is a liar, and so is the Repubican cheerleader he interviewed. Both knew what they were saying twisted the truth beyond all recognition. It's not "opinion" when you know you are speaking untruths.
As for the Moonie News, come on, people! Why in hell is a Syrian citizen who is saying nice things about Syria only willing to speak under the guise of anonymity? That claim made by the Moonies is as lame a lie as you are ever likely to see in print. Carlson quotes it and highlights it on his show only because he knows his audience is intellectually challenged and will believe whatever he tells them.