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# Posted 10:55 PM by Ariel David Adesnik

TWO CHEERS FOR NANCY PELOSI: Reuters reports that:

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California said unless [Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al] Maliki "disavows his critical comments of Israel and condemns terrorism, it is inappropriate to honor him with a joint meeting of Congress."

Well it's certainly nice to see that even San Francisco liberals are standing strong with Israel. Of course Pelosi understood that her support for Israel was on the cheap, since George Bush certainly wasn't going to rescind Maliki's invitation.

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Comments:

I enjoy the irony of this. The liberals have long accused the Bush administration of going into Iraq to take it over and that the current government is just a US puppet. It now turns out that the Republicans have no problem with the Iraqi government speaking its mind even if it differs from our opinion, but the liberals think they should be puppets and say what we tell them to say.

# posted by

Anonymous : 8:30 AM

Beinart's got an interesting op-ed in today's Wash Post arguing against Pelosi. He makes a good point on the side that 'allowing' Maliki to express a viewpoint in clear opposition to the US helps solidify his leadership in Iraq. Accordingly, when Pelosi suggests he be disinvited to Congress, she's pandering to right-of-center voters while making a bad foreign policy move. This only reinforces my distrust for Democratic leaders.

# posted by

Anonymous : 9:25 AM

She is not pandering to right of center voters but Jewish voters. She sees how the support of Israel by the President is playing with the Jewish community (see the lobbying in favor of John Bolton)and wants to undercut that.

# posted by

Anonymous : 9:59 AM

as both a democrat, and a supporter of Israel, I am deeply embarrased by this.

It is not at all in Israels interests to see the US fail in Iraq. Pressing Maliki, who faces a fragile political situation in Iraq, to say things that will complicate his life, and make him appear our puppet, cannot help American success in Iraq.

# posted by

Anonymous : 10:40 AM

You'll note that the actual Israelis weren't complaining about Maliki addressing Congress--it's just a cheap pander by the Democrats.

I have to wonder how long the Democrats will be able to hold onto a pro-Israel position when throughout the whole rest of the world, the left is violently anti-Israel. (Of course, worldwide, the right doesn't like Israel that much either. Cue Phil Ochs's "National Brotherhood Week.")

# posted by

sean : 5:04 PM