Political Punch

I saw John McCain on the Daily show recently, and his comments reflect that he feels the need to let the surge work, and give Petraeus an opportunity to make this plan work. I don't think he needs to be at the House hearing, because he supports the General and the current plan, he has been in Iraq recently and he does not support a timetable for withdrawing.

And I expect to see your comments soon on how John McCain skipped the Senate vote altogether. And of course you will explain how this was "different."

Democrats complain that the Bush White House is the most secretive in history. Yet, Ms Speaker Nancy Pelosi optioned only for a private, one-on-one briefing, and when that was a no go, substituted a 30-minute phone conversation. This is not transparency. No transcript of the phone call, so we have no idea what Ms Pelosi asked or said, no record of what General Petraeus responded or said.
What in this world was more important for the Speaker? And can we trust whatever future statements she makes about Iraq, when she didn't attend the briefing? She could have learned from her colleagues' comments and questions, and from the General's expanded answers and comments. Ms Pelosi's statements and actions since she took the gavel, are a step backward for placing women in high positions; she fits the worst stereotypes.

Thank you for at least writing a blog on this. I've been wondering why I haven't heard more about this on the news (although admittedly, I haven't seen that much news the past few days).
Nothing i've found has actually said what the scheduling conflict was, or gave any other explanation than that as to why Pelosi absolutely could not attend the meeting. I see absolutely no excuse for any Congressional Leader to NOT be there, unless they had some serious life or death medical emergency on the way to the briefing. I don't care what political party you put next to your name. This is the biggest issue facing our country, and Petraus is the one who's leading on the ground.
Democratic Congressmen(women) campaigned on Iraq being the most important issue, and voters gave them the majority and leadership position because of it. They have consistently focused on doing something different in Iraq, and mostly having a deadline. It's time to stop talking, and whining, and claiming you can play a big game. Don't claim to know the best path to take in Iraq, and the best way to deal with American troops when you won't even listen to and question the guy who's gonna be stuck carrying out your orders.
Pelosi not showing up was beyond lame, and as a voter whose taxes pay her salary, I want to know where she was and what she doing that was so much more important.

Is Petraeus briefing only the House? If so, previous posters should note that McCain is a Senator. There's a difference...As for the "if it were Gingrich" question, I don't see him passing up an opportunity to get in front of a camera, but if he did I would feel he was missing an opportunity to press the issue. If this issue is as important to Pelosi as she claims it is, she would be there. What is more important on her schedule? Is she miffed she didn't get the one-on-one she wanted? As for Lynch, I think the spin would be the same, if not more so, to portray a woman as a warrior. Either way, it's shameful to put her in this position of having to deny acting more bravely than she already was.

Of course Pelosi should be in the hearing room to meet en masse with the General. Information gathering is all important to her job description as a Congressman and as Speaker.

Classic. John McCain blew off the briefing today to campaign in New Hampshire and Tapper does not mention it. Hmmm. Wonder why?

Of course, ABC and your blog fail to report that John McCain, the senior Republican on the Armed Services committee, will not be at that meeting EITHER in order to CAMPAIGN. Yeah, I could re-write that last comment as:

How else can this be spun other than pure partisan politics? The fact that John McCain will not even clear his schedule to listen to one of the most important men speaking on a deadly serious and hugely important topic speaks VOLUMES about the type of person John McCain as as well as the entire Republican agenda. But don't plan on hearing Katie Couric raking him over the coals anytime soon - This is small potatoes to the violations of the Logan act when several Republican congressmen met with that weasel Assad, yet there was nary a peep from the Corporate media. SHAMEFUL.

I should note that compared to the RAKING Pelosi got in the press over her meeting with Assad (yes, she did get raked for that), the Republican congresscritters did the same thing, and even defended Pelosi, and the press did NOT cover THAT.

Enough right-wing whining.

say what? I'm supposed to imagine that Gingrich is a democrat? In what bizarro universe does this hypothetical take place, and if he's a democrat, what are the republicans like (eek!) (The "D" must be a typo, right?)

I dunno. I think the pull out of Iraq vote is a tremendous victory. I mean, it hasn't happened yet. But if it does, I'm going to have a hard time mustering up feelings of ill will towards Pelosi.

That said, it's like the invasion - the devil is in the detail. W already proved how dangerous it is to disregard practical considerations. Pelosi owes it to the country to make this her top priority and really do the diligence. I'm disappointed to read this.

As for you Jake, don't you know, you're going to get hammered no matter what you write? It's nice that you care though.

Jake,
I couldn't find an amial address for you so I'm posting this here.

Why is the news media ignoring the story of GWBushes drinking problem? Is it true our family values President referred to his wife Laura in derogatory Imus type terms (the C word) to a member of the press corps?

Is it because this isn't considered news and is only hypocrisy?

Bush is going against the advice of his experts and sending in more troops to Iraq. Was he 'under the influence' when he nade that decision?

I won't even ask about the alledged affair with Condolezza Rice!

Why is the news media ignoring the story of GWBushes drinking problem? Is it true our family values President referred to his wife Laura in derogatory Imus type terms (the C word) to a member of the press corps?

Is it because this isn't considered news and is only hypocrisy?

Bush is going against the advice of his experts and sending in more troops to Iraq. Was he 'under the influence' when he nade that decision?

I won't even ask about the alledged affair with Condolezza Rice!

You are right, Jake, it is newsworthy. What is also newsworthy is the declining clout the president and vice president have with their insistence that the bill will be DOA. With that statement known and well covered, the democrats are bravely -- my word -- moving on with what they feel is a better approach. The American people have spoken, will the president listen?

Jake, this IS an important issue, and I agree with your position for the very reasons stated in the fourth paragraph of today's blog. The unanswered question behind all of this is "Why can't Speaker Pelosi attend the briefing today?" If she has other, more important business, she should naturally be excused. But this other, more important business would certainly have to be monumental in nature for her to get a pass.

Doesn't she, and the Dem leadership in the House, realize what kind of message this sends to the public? Not attending the briefing would indicate that they're politicians who don't seem to want to work with anyone else and who don't want their own world views distorted by reality--the very things which they accused the Repubs of being in the last election!

Jake,

Pelosi should hear what the General has to say... even if she knows he's there to sell the Bush Administration policy, as every other General has since the War started. He knows who he works for.

It is ironic that he's there the same week as the as Congress hears how the Army (read Pentagon) made up the stories on Pat Tillman and Jessica Lynch as a continuance of it's War marketing strategy.

It's all about the attempt to create an alternative reality to the stark facts on the ground that the military situation in Iraq is horrible and the political situation worse.

Iraq is a Humpty Dumpty country and all the US troops can't put it back together.

How else can this be spun other than pure partisan politics? The fact that she will not even clear her schedule to listen to one of the most important men speaking on a deadly serious and hugely important topic speaks VOLUMES about the type of person Nancy Pelosi is as well as the entire Democratic agenda. But don't plan on hearing Katie Couric raking her over the coals anytime soon - This is small potatoes to her violations of the Logan act when she met with that weasel Assad, yet there was nary a peep from the liberal media. SHAMEFUL.