HIATT VERSUS BAKER

Fred Hiatt is a Bush apologist and all-around toadie for the neo-cons. James Baker is an established "old school" conservative and was co-chair of the Iraq Study Group. Hiatt's editorials get read with approval on-air by Sean Hannity, Baker's op-ed don't even get mentioned.

Hiatt reacts to Pelosi's Syria visit by condemning it:

"We came in friendship, hope, and determined that the road to Damascus is a road to peace," Ms. Pelosi grandly declared.

Never mind that that statement is ludicrous: As any diplomat with knowledge of the region could have told Ms. Pelosi, Mr. Assad is a corrupt thug whose overriding priority at the moment is not peace with Israel but heading off U.N. charges that he orchestrated the murder of former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq al-Hariri.

James Baker has a more realistic approach to Syria:

The president should beef up regional diplomacy, particularly that involving Syria and Iran, by establishing an Iraq International Support Group to encourage the participation of countries that have a critical stake in preventing Iraq from falling into chaos. He should move to further engage all parties to seek a comprehensive peace between Arabs and Israelis.