The Washington Post reports this morning that several lawmakers visiting Baghdad were angry to discover that soldiers and others had been provided with brief 'bio cards' summarizing the lawmakers' views and votes on Iraq:
In the soldier's hand was a thumbnail biography, distributed before each of the congressmen's meetings in Baghdad, which let meeting participants such as that soldier know where each of the lawmakers stands on the war. "Moran on Iraq policy," read one section, going on to cite some the congressman's most incendiary statements, such as, "This has been the worst foreign policy fiasco in American history."
The bio of Rep. Ellen O. Tauscher (D-Calif.) -- "TAU (rhymes with 'now')-sher," the bio helpfully relates -- was no less pointed, even if she once supported the war and has taken heat from liberal Bay Area constituents who remain wary of her position. "Our forces are caught in the middle of an escalating sectarian conflict in Iraq, with no end in sight," the bio quotes.
"This is beyond parsing. This is being slimed in the Green Zone," Tauscher said of her bio.
I have not seen the 'bio cards,' and have no information on who prepared them. If any reader is able to provide that information, or a copy of the actual cards, we'd like to see it and post it here. Further, to the extent that the cards were inaccurate, or unfair representations of the Members' views, then any reasonable person might be angry--but the only real complaint seems to be that one of the bios was out of date. The only serious allegation made by the Post, and apparently confirmed by all three members of the delegation, is that "an American" was whisked away by security personnel after he tried to approach the group:
At one point, as Moran, Tauscher and Rep. Jon Porter (R-Nev.) were heading to lunch in the fortified Green Zone, an American urgently tried to get their attention, apparently to voice concerns about the war effort, the participants said. Security whisked the man away before he could make his point.
Tauscher called it "the Green Zone fog."
"Spin City," Moran grumbled. "The Iraqis and the Americans were all singing from the same song sheet, and it was deliberately manipulated."
It sounds troubling, but if the three of them couldn't even say whether this American was a member of the U.S. military, how do they know that he was trying to get their attention "to voice concerns"?
And what else? The Iraqi national security advisor prefers watching cartoons to speaking with Jim Moran? Who wouldn't?
Update: Think Progress has the bios. It seems the only real distortion was that the bio stated that Moran didn't vote to set a timeline for withdrawal when he did. Is it possible the Post meant that these Dems were being slimed as supporters of the war?
