“So, Congresswoman, what was it like when you met with Bashar Assad?”
“I kept getting distracted by his weird chemical smell.”— Jim Geraghty (@jimgeraghty) January 25, 2017
Democratic Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard revealed this afternoon that during a recent trip to Syria, she had a chance to sit down with President Bashar al-Assad to discuss the “suffering” of the Syrian people. She failed, unfortunately, to acknowledge Assad’s role in their suffering.
Gabbard’s getting plenty of criticism for her decision. NRO’s Jim Geraghty is among those troubled by this revelation:
Look, Syria’s a mess with no easy answers, so it’s wise to try to have a little humility when discussing it… (1/?)
— Jim Geraghty (@jimgeraghty) January 25, 2017
ISIS are bad guys, al-Nusra Front (or whatever they're calling themselves) are bad guys, and Assad's side is full of bad guys.
— Jim Geraghty (@jimgeraghty) January 25, 2017
Because of that, the United States should be at least wary about being too close to any of those forces.
— Jim Geraghty (@jimgeraghty) January 25, 2017
— Jim Geraghty (@jimgeraghty) January 25, 2017
But you can't go and hang out with Assad after he's gassed people. You just can't.
— Jim Geraghty (@jimgeraghty) January 25, 2017
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And you _really_ can't come back and start sounding like the US is the malevolent aggressor and poor Assad was just sitting there
— Jim Geraghty (@jimgeraghty) January 25, 2017
I realize aim of the trip was supposed to be sympathy for Syrian victim of civil war. But it's coming across like https://t.co/yqnSah6cyx
— Jim Geraghty (@jimgeraghty) January 25, 2017
"Pleased to meet you. Hope you guess my name." pic.twitter.com/cMR32cgxy7
— Jim Geraghty (@jimgeraghty) January 25, 2017
But, as Geraghty reminds us, it’s not as if Gabbard’s move is totally unprecedented for Democratic legislators:
Old traditions die hard, I suppose. pic.twitter.com/ic2oOwhl1d
— Jim Geraghty (@jimgeraghty) January 25, 2017
Oooof.
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Related:
‘Unethical’? Dem Rep. Tulsi Gabbard says she met with Assad
Shameless: Pelosi rescues Obama, puts ‘humanity’ on the hook for Syria ‘red line’
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