Cognitive dissonance

So the White House decides to bag on Pelosi for going to Syria. Spokessuit Dana Perino (hat tip to ThinkProgress):

I do think that, as a general rule — and this would go for Speaker of the House Pelosi and this apparent trip that she is going to be taking — that we don’t think it’s a good idea. …

I’m not sure what the hopes are to — what she’s hoping to accomplish there. I know that Assad probably really wants people to come and have a photo opportunity and have tea with him, and have discussions about where they’re coming from, but we do think that’s a really bad idea.

A total partisan hit job but that is just politics. This is a contact sport and Pelosi is a big girl. This line of attack is completely ridiculous, however, because a whole delegation of both Democrats and Republicans are currently in Syria. You know, in spite of the fact that that Administration has sucked at governing, they have been incredibly effective at the political side of the equation. That is until now. They cannot even get their act together while taking a cheap shot and the Speaker. So very, very lame.

Moreover, the White House is now in a position where it will have to take one of three options.
1. Defend the Pelosi remarks and look like a bunch of buffoonish partisan hacks.
2. Retract the statement and look like a bunch of clueless partisan hacks.
3. Throw the Republican contingent of the delegation under the bus and say it was a “really bad idea” for them to go to Syria as well. I am sure that would be a popular decision on the Hill.

I believe this is the textbook definition of shooting oneself in the foot.