Did White House Privately Back House GOPers' Trip To Syria While Bashing Pelosi?

[CatWoman]

Let's see if all the big news outlets who lavished so much coverage on the White House's attack on Nancy Pelosi for her trip to Syria have any time for this.

It's well known by now that even as the White House was slamming Pelosi for her Syria trip GOP House members were making their own trip to Syria. This has drawn lots of attention already.

But check this out: It now looks like the White House might have actually been helping these House Republicans arrange their trip to Syria at the same time they were criticizing Pelosi for going there! Who's the source of this allegation? The chief of staff to one of the GOP Congressmen who went to Syria, that's who!

Take a look at this story from Pennsylvania's Lancaster Intelligencer Journal:

While U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's upcoming visit to Syria has caused the White Houe to bristle, a little-publicized rendezvous took place Sunday between Syria's president and Lancaster County's congressman.

And though Bush administration officials have been criticizing Pelosi, it's not clear what role the White House and the U.S. Department of State played when U.S. Rep. Joe Pitts and two other Republican congressmen met with Syrian President Bassar Assad.

Pitts is a Chester County Republican who represents Lancaster County.

Gabe Neville, Pitts' chief of staff, said Monday the conference between Assad and the three Republicans was intended to be "low profile."

"It was done in cooperation with the administration," he said.

Maybe I'm missing something, but the chief of staff to this Republican Congressman who went to Syria stated unequivocally that this trip was "done in cooperation with the administration." That would be the very same administration that has spent days and days attacking Pelosi for doing the same thing -- attacks that the big news orgs have eagerly spent a great deal of time and resources amplifying.

It's unclear what this GOP chief of staff's description of "cooperation" between these members of Congress and the administration means in practice. It could end up amounting to nothing at all. But it's certainly worthy of follow-up questions, wouldn't you agree?

We'll be pursuing it tomorrow.

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/horsesmouth/2007/04/did_white_house.php

[sam sarrha]

1. also lied about her not going to Israel first..

[rodeodance]

2. as my dad used to say" They are a bunch of Crooks!!

[BayCityProgressive]

4. Syria

BAAAAAAAAAD...Pakistan and Saudi Arabia Goooooooood :eyes: . I am sure the fact that Syria doesn't have a free market system has nothing to do with Bush's hatred of them..

[SammyWinstonJack]

6. My Dad still says that! Life long Democrat, my Dad! And a Union Organizer!

[orwell]

3. Yes...n/t

[Solly Mack]

5. and Bush said today he told BOTH parties it wasn't a good idea

to go to Syria - that it sent mixed messages.

[williesgirl]

7. Off to the greatest page - let's ask KO to investigate!

[grannylib]

8. Didn't Dana Perino say that the WH 'discouraged' the rePigs from going

too??
Golly, could she have LIED??? :sarcasm:

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

9. The Press Is Again COMPLICIT By Keeping This A Secret From We The People!!!! Kick!! eom