Truthdigger of the Week: Nancy Pelosi

Truthdig tips its hat this week to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, who drew criticism from the Bush administration for meeting with Middle Eastern officials, including Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and members of Saudi Arabia’s advisory council. Pelosi soldiered on all the same, delivering a message to Assad from Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert (which Olmert later disclaimed) about the possibility for establishing peaceful relations between the two countries if Syria meets certain conditions.

President Bush accused Pelosi and her traveling team (which included Ohio Republican David Hobson) of sending “mixed signals” to Assad, and Vice President Dick Cheney told Rush Limbaugh that he believes “a significant portion of the Democrats,” including Pelosi, are opposed to the Iraq war and “prepared to pack it in and come home in defeat, rather than … support a policy that will lead to victory.” Pelosi begged to differ, telling the Associated Press on her way home this week that her traveling team’s “message was President Bush’s message,” and that the publicity her nine-day trip attracted only helped the cause.

More links:

A member of Pelosi’s traveling group, Rep. Tom Lantos, fires back at her critics.

Dick Cheney weighs in on Rush Limbaugh’s radio show.

Pelosi visits Saudi Arabia.

A Washington Post editorial scolding Pelosi for her “foolish shuttle diplomacy.”