Let's talk about political grandstanding....

This is rich:

A group of about 20 House of Representatives Democrats sent a letter to House Speaker Dennis Hastert urging the Illinois Republican to secure an apology from Maliki or cancel the address on Wednesday to a joint meeting of Congress. Some said they planned to boycott the speech.

Uh-huh. Who said we were gonna allow the elected leader of a country to express his opinions or the opinions of his (largely Shia...you know, like Hezbollah) majority constituency when he talks to Congress? That would be a slap in the face to those who sacrificed so much to get him there in the first place, right? But, of course, abandoning Iraq in the midst of the violence (an oft-suggested policy change suggested by said Democrats) is not a slap in the face to those who sacrificed, right?

So...Maliki appeals to his base in a speech. The Dems decry his appeal to his base in an appeal to their own (just not the "Get out of Iraq" portion of the base). And what do the Republicans do? I'm sure THEY'D never stoop to such lows, right? Right?

Ah...the joy of politics.