Major Ouch

I have mentioned – repeatedly – that the media was desperately trying to signal to Nancy Pelosi that she was about to run out of media cover for her behavior. (Not that I think Nancy Pelosi deigns to read the Crabitat daily – or ever for that matter). But guess what? Pelosi just hit the wall – and rather hard. She is being called – hard – in the media for her stunt visit to Syria. Oh, and for her ineptitude in dealing with a country that has long been a problem for the US.

Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution clearly assigns to the president leading authority for foreign policy. (''He shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make treaties…'') Members of Congress have routinely traveled the world to offer the good will of the American people, fact-find and to visit with those in military service. What was different in Mrs. Pelosi's visit with Bashar al-Assad in Damascus was that she extended her portfolio too far.

Had she emerged from her meeting with the usual statement that the talks were ''cordial and constructive,'' there would have been no problem. It is true that Syria has been put in isolation by the Bush adminstration due to its role is enabling terrorism, but no harm would have been done with a simple visit, even if the White House didn't like it. (Republicans were along on this trip, and have visited Damascus in the past, without objection or rebuke.)

Rather, it was Mrs. Pelosi's attempt to redefine U.S. policy toward Syria and the Middle East that were troublesome. First, she told reporters that she had been authorized by Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to tell Mr. Assad that Israel was ready to have peace talks with Syria. Mr. Olmert quickly repudiated that, saying that his country's position regarding Syria, which it considers part of the ''axis of evil,'' has not changed. Even worse, Mrs. Pelosi's characterized Mr. Assad's comments to her as new willingness for Syria to return to peace talks. Again, more experienced Middle East hands pointed out that Mr. Assad has been saying the same thing for some time, but Syria's hard-line stance has not changed.

The cover is all gone. Pelosi is about to hit the big time in ravaging media coverage. This should be interesting to watch.