Shells fired at Somali airport as plane carrying US congressman...

A Mogadishu airport staff member says mortar shells were fired toward the airport as a plane carrying a U.S. congressman took off safely from the Somali capital.

[Fidel]

Wow,those Cuban Black Caucus members really get around.

[Earnest in Evanston]

Wait, what? Somalia has a president?

I thought this so-called country was lawless with no central government?

Did this Congressman really meet a tribal leader or someone controlling a region through force and not democracy?

[Welcome Comrades]

Would somebody tell them that Bush is out of office and that they love us know. News travels slow in this part of the world I guess.

[SupportTheTroops]

More disappointing news for Republicans to digest. The terrorists missed the Democratic Congressman.

[Leroy Jenkins]

rats they missed

[Dude]

It is wonderful to be loved by the rest of the world again. I'm sure things will be back to normal once they get their apology for shooting 3 of their pirates.

[John Birch]

As I read this about the Somali's, I realized there is some good in everyone.

[May]

Let's stay out of Somalia. We just need to arm our merchant ships and protect ourselves. The Somalis haven't had a government in 18 years, if they really wanted one, they could have created one. Don't make it another Iraq.

[reality]

Very dumb on this "congressman's" part to be in Somalia during a hostage crisis!

[The Idaho Kid]

Photo op. Is he running for re-election soon????

[Alex]

We should send all members of congress to Somalia........Why not just send all politicians there.

[Barter Town]

Somalia is right out of Mad Max at the Thunderdome.

[Black Hawk Down]

These people are animals...let them live like animals. We should stay out of Somalia or just bomb the crap out of them too!

[Rick]

What a shame. They missed him. Now there's a function that the pirates can help us with. Congressman eradication. Especially the grandstanding ones like this guy.

[George]

Too bad. . .maybe next time.

[stewart]

Those Somalians must not realize our politicians are only there to add an item to their "experience" and inflated egos for electioneering purposes and it would make no difference if we lost a congressman or two. In fact, the mortar firing was probably staged or imagined for the politicians' benefit. If not, do you think we could send some local politicos including all Daleys' goon aldermen?

[Earnest in Evanston]

I see the editors corrected its earlier story that made no mention that Somalia has no government.

But I'm still confused as to how Somalia has a president but no government. Did Payne meet with the dominant tribal leader who operates the region via force?

Calling a Somalia leader president is like calling the leader of the Latin Kings mayor of Chicago.

Also, did the White House approve of Payne's visit? Why didn't Obama send a diplomat over there?

Oh, I forgot, the media is not allowed to ask tough questions that might make "The One" look bad.

[delta]

I'm generally not in favor of it, but in Somalia's case, I think I'd go with genocide.

[doityourselfweat her com]

There's more to this story then being reported.
First, "one" Congressperson goes nowhere alone when there's camera time to be had.( What was the cost of this junket?).
Second, he told reporters he met with Somalia's president and prime minister ... I say, "name them"! Somalia is so splintered no one entity can claim to represent this "made-up" country.
What was he really doing there?
Also, I question his mortar shell experience. It reads more like a V.P. Biden exaggeration.

[The Idaho Kid]

What a waste of ammunition, they missed.