Dodd's Trip to Syria a Mistake

Sen. Dodd's latest trip to Syria has received the ire of the President, but has gotten him in the news. Tony Snow explained the President's position:

"A lot of times, you know, a member of Congress may think, `Well, I'm going to go there and I'm going to tell them exactly the same thing. I'm going to take a tough line,'" Snow said. But, he added, "You can take a tough line all you want, but the Syrians have already won a PR victory. And so it's important to realize that in this case, it is not that there is a want of communication. We do have diplomatic relations with the Syrians, and they do know what our position is, and that position is not going to change."

The United States has strained diplomatic relations with Syria because it backs Hamas and Hezbollah, which the U.S. regards as terrorist groups. Dodd had wanted to visit Syria in April, but was discouraged by the State Department. This time, the department did not object, but officials were also not enthusiastic.

It seems to me that Dodd is desperate for attention and credibility in anticipation of his presidential bid. He'll be traveling with John Kerry, a politician well-known for his liberal beliefs. At this point, it is unclear how Dodd is trying to position himself for his presidential run. Will he try to run as an experienced statesman capable of bringing a divided country together? Or, more likely, as a liberal senator from New England who will appeal to the Democratic base? Unfortunately for him, Hillary Clinton already has the position largely staked out, so perhaps Dodd is trying to go even further to the left of her, as evidenced by his trip with Kerry.