Here's Glenn Nye's "Perspective" (elevandoski - 3/3/2008 12:24:03 PM)
Given Rep. Thelma Drake's miserable record of lockstep support for President Bush's misguided Iraq adventure, it's not surprising that she's looking for new perspectives on this issue. Perhaps Drake might consider a foreign policy expert with years of experience in the Middle East, or possibly a respected diplomat or academic with knowledge of the region? On second, thought, this is even better:
Mother- actress- humanitarian- goodwill- ambassador Angelina Jolie got a new title on Saturday: campaign issue.[...]
Drake on Friday urged that Jolie, who recently returned from a trip to Iraq on behalf of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, be invited to a House Armed Services Committee hearing on the plight of displaced Iraqis.
Travis Burk, a spokesman for Drake, suggested Saturday that Nye is engaged in "hyper-partisanship" and said the congresswoman is interested in hearing from Jolie "in her role as a goodwill ambassador."
"Her perspective is every bit as valid as Glenn Nye's," Burk added.
That last quote is highly revealing, given Nye's extensive service in Iraq, "advis[ing] a U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) program, working closely with military colleagues to stabilize Iraqi neighborhoods by creating employment for over 70,000 Iraqis." Nye is also a graduate of the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.
Now, if Thelma Drake thinks that a movie actress, however accomplished (I loved her, by the way, in Lara Craft: Tomb Raider and The Bone Collector!) is more qualified to offer advice on Iraq than someone like Glenn Nye, that's certainly her right. But I guess it's also our right to question whether Thelma Drake is seeking out and listening to the best advice on Iraq, especially given Drake's record of poor judgment in this area since 2002.
h/t: Too Progressive and Not Larry Sabato
I'm not saying that Angelina Jolie is some kind of expert on Iraq. Obviously Nye has much more actual experience and knowledge about what is going on in Iraq. However, I do not want to see Jolie turn into some sort of punching bag (or punch line) just because of something that one of Thelma Drake's aides said. If everybody with her kind of money took her kind of interest in global charity work, the world would be a much better place.
I know you aren't actually trying to insult Angelina Jolie. I'm just saying that you should watch where you take this thing.
Maybe they can discuss Drake's various votes to cut SCHIP - should be interesting
or maybe they can talk about how many times they have been married...
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