Can you blame him?

I don't think I can blame Bill Nelson for meeting with Syria's Bashar Assad despite objections by the State Department and the White House. However, one of the quotes in the story seemed a little politically contrived.

Assad "clearly indicated a willingness to cooperate" in controlling its border with Iraq, Nelson told reporters in a conference call following the meeting.

Nelson needs to be very careful with his words. There's a long history of American officials being played by foreign strongmen. Of course, Assad is going to show a willingness to do anything; he must be delighted that a U.S. senator is defying the administration that has Syria in the doghouse. He'd probably show a willingness to play patty cake with Ariel Sharon's vegetative carcass if Nelson had asked.

Nelson needs to recognize that this is a long shot of a diplomatic move, and try to appear slightly more conflicted about the visit.

But the actual act of meeting with Assad is commendable. The United States needs all the help it can get in Iraq, and that includes coercing Syria by whatever means necessary. If the Bush administration is unwilling to do that, so be it. Maybe it's up to the Democratic Congress to embarrass them into doing it.