Since when does the President of Latvia get a Joint session of Congress?

[kentuck]

What the fuck has she done that is so important? As both Parties do one of their annual suck ups in the Joint Session, it is sickening. Is this a Republican ploy to make George Bush look legitimate? Get both Dems and Repubs together smiling and shaking hands and kissing and slobbering over each other? What is the purpose of this "joint session"?

[Patsy Stone]

1. Wasting time

All about wasting time...

[Norquist Nemesis]

2. Time out.

They needed a break from the heated but defeated GMA before taking up a contentious flag burning issue.

:sarcasm:

[jaxx]

3. Do they have oil?

[Viva_La_Revolution]

4. It's a diplomatic suck up session. They do this kind of thing often

no reason to get your knickers in a twist.
It's not like the congressmen were working on anything important anyway.

President of Latvia addresses joint session of Congress
President of Latvia Ms. Vaira Vike-Freiberga is visiting Washington DC between June 5 and 8 to address joint session of Congress on June 7. During the visit she will also have a meeting in White House and with State Secretary Rice. Before coming to Washington President Vike-Freiberga spoke at the Academy of Achievements annual award event on June 3 in Los Angelos.

President Vike-Freiberga is supporter of strong links between Europe and US and by many is described as moral leader of Central and Eastern Europe. Senator McCain once described her as "the favorite President of my President".

At the meetings with the US officials President will discuss the following issues. This year in November President Vike-Freiberga will host NATO summit in Riga (last summit took place in 2004 in Turkey). To host the next summit right after Latvia became member of the Alliance is a special privilege and a great honor. On the other hand, it is not surprising giving the fact that Latvia participates almost in all NATO missions, is adapting armed forces to new security environment and shares and supports the US President's strategy of spreading the freedom and democracy around the world. Consequently, the main theme of the summit will be about transforming NATO into force capable of facing modern challenges far away from territories of the Allies, and to project and sustain it's expeditionary force. Another quite important topics will be NATO operations in Afghanistan, training mission in Iraq, Kosovo, Bosnia and others. President Vike-Freiberga has made it a priority to support Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova in their endeavours to become members of NATO as well.
http://www.president.lv/?lng=en

[muriel_volestrangler]

5. Perhaps she's Bush's favoured candidate for UN Secretary General?

Vike-Freiberga, who has been mentioned as a possible U.N. secretary general to replace Kofi Annan after his term expires in December, was also to discuss energy security issues as related to Russia, especially in light of Moscow’s recent gas dispute with Ukraine, the embassy said.

http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?F=1851248&C=america

They might just be giving her a bit more international visibility. I've no idea if she is pro-Bush, but if Latvia has troops in Iraq, there's a good chance she is.

[sarge43]

6. Isn't Latvia part of the Allience of the Poor and Pitiful? n/t

[FSogol]

7. She's from Distractistan. n/t