Why are U.S. officials meeting with Syria?

[KevinTheOmnivore]

If Democrats want to dictate foreign policy, then win the presidency. Same goes for the Republicans who went there.

I don't blame them for WANTING to create a new policy, because our president has failed to articulate a strong policy on these matters. However, they (especially Pelosi) undermine the Executive Branch (we'll still apparently have this after 2008, I hear) by going over there, despite the president's wishes. It tells a petty puppet like Assad that we have no clear voice, no clear policy and that we're nothing to fear. LBJ once said he'd rather have his enemies inside the tent pissing out, rather than outside the tent pissing in.

This certainly isn't the first time this has happened-- Bill Richardson took it upon himself to speak with dictators and thugs all of the time. But Syria plays a DIRECT role in the financing of terrorism. They undermine our efforts in Iraq, and support groups that threaten our allies. Bush's inability to govern doesn't give the Speaker, nor random members of the House (who also voted for the Syria Accountability Act, btw) the right to set their own agenda independent of the Executive Branch.