"I believe in a strong presidency."

[Jermyn Davidson]

"I believe in a strong presidency. I don't know if I would have signed the letter. I don't trust the president on this, quite frankly, though I don't know if I'd go public with it to a foreign government," he said, adding that it sets the wrong "precedent" to publicly go to a foreign government to undermine the president of the United States while he or she is dealing with that country."-- Representative Peter King (R)

"In thirty-six years in the United States Senate, I cannot recall another instance in which Senators wrote directly to advise another country  --  much less a longtime foreign adversary  --  that the President does not have the constitutional authority to reach a meaningful understanding with them," Biden wrote. "This letter sends a highly misleading signal to friend and foe alike that that our Commander-in-Chief cannot deliver on America’s commitments  --  a message that is as false as it is dangerous."-- Vice President Joe Biden (D)


Here is the article where these quotes are from.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/0...usaolp00000592


What do you think about this Republican Senate action?

[n david]

Should the 47 Senators have written the Iranian leaders? I read the letter in full after my post and am disappointed with it, to be honest. My 5-year old daughter could have written a better letter.

A better way to address the situation would have been passing a Concurrent or Simple Resolution.

The letter is really bad, as in just condescending and dumb. I'm sure the Iranian leaders are well versed in the US Constitution, perhaps moreso than even our current President, who continually seeks ways to cut Congress out of its privileges and duties.

The most annoying part is now you have Biden the blowhard out there pontificating along with other Democrats on how that kind of thing has never been done, when (in fact) the Democrats have interferred with a Republican President who was in the middle of negotiations as well.

Go back in time to 2007, when W was President and Nancy Pelosi was the House Speaker. W was trying to isolate Syrian President Assad and sanction him for supplying arms to insurgents in Iraq. Against the wishes of the State Dept and White House, Pelosi and other Democrats flew to Damascus to meet in person with Assad.

This is all politics. Biden and the other Democrats need to shut up, because their party leader and others much worse. Honestly, meeting in person is much worse than simply writing an open letter which wasn't even mailed to Iran.

Again, the best course of action would have been passing a Concurrent or Simple Resolution, not publishing this badly written letter.

But I don't want to hear the Democrats about this. They've done it themselves.

It's all politics, only the roles are reversed.

[Jermyn Davidson]

Doing almost the same thing is not the same as the same thing and it definitely doesn't make it the right thing.

[Originalist]

Originally Posted by Jermyn Davidson

"I believe in a strong presidency. I don't know if I would have signed the letter. I don't trust the president on this, quite frankly, though I don't know if I'd go public with it to a foreign government," he said, adding that it sets the wrong "precedent" to publicly go to a foreign government to undermine the president of the United States while he or she is dealing with that country."-- Representative Peter King (R)

"In thirty-six years in the United States Senate, I cannot recall another instance in which Senators wrote directly to advise another country  --  much less a longtime foreign adversary  --  that the President does not have the constitutional authority to reach a meaningful understanding with them," Biden wrote. "This letter sends a highly misleading signal to friend and foe alike that that our Commander-in-Chief cannot deliver on America’s commitments  --  a message that is as false as it is dangerous."-- Vice President Joe Biden (D)


Here is the article where these quotes are from.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/0...usaolp00000592


What do you think about this Republican Senate action?

Ted Kennedy used to write Soviet officials before Reagan would go to an arms summit to give them advice on how to out negotiate the President.

I applaud what these Senators did. Unlike Ted Kennedy, they were warning an enemy, not encouraging one.

[Jermyn Davidson]

Originally Posted by Originalist

Ted Kennedy used to write Soviet officials before Reagan would go to an arms summit to give them advice on how to out negotiate the President.

I applaud what these Senators did. Unlike Ted Kennedy, they were warning an enemy, not encouraging one.

When Ted Kennedy did what he did, do you think his actions were undermining the actions of Reagan?

[n david]

Originally Posted by Jermyn Davidson

Doing almost the same thing is not the same as the same thing and it definitely doesn't make it the right thing.

I expected this kind of a response from you. Funny how you bash the Republicans over something, then shrug when told that the Democrats did either the same or even worse previously.

Pelosi flew to Damascus and met with Assad, undermining what W and the administration were trying to do. That's far worse than publishing an open letter.

You want to complain about something, complain about obama constantly cutting Congress out of the process. And don't say Congress isn't doing anything about this issue, because obama hasn't consulted them as per the Constitution requires.

Instead of following Article II, Section 2, Clause 2 of the Constitution, which requires consulting Congress and obtaining a supermajority for any treaty, obama thinks he can use the Sole-Executive Agreement...but then throws a hissy fit when Congress reminds the Iranians that any SEA obama makes can be repealed or modified by the next President or by Congress.

Again, IMO a Concurrent or Simple Resolution would have been the best route. It could both warn Iran and deliver a rebuke to obama for not following the Constitution.

And speaking of that, weren't you, obama and the Democrats throwing a massive hissy fit a couple weeks ago over some alleged breach of protocol by Boehner in inviting Netanyahu to speak before Congress.

Politics. Democrats whine about Republicans not following some fake protocol, but their own president won't follow the Constitution.

smh

[Jermyn Davidson]

Wrong will always be wrong.

The President is in the process still of negotiating to AVOID war.

[n david]

Originally Posted by Jermyn Davidson

Wrong will always be wrong.

The President is in the process still of negotiating to AVOID war.

Then you agree the President should follow Article II, Section 2, Clause 2 of the Constitution and consult with Congress to obtain a supermajority before finalizing any treaty with Iran?

BTW, obama's negotiating skills are awful. Putin played him with both Syria and Ukraine. It's one thing to be a skilled negotiator and obtain results which are in the best interest of the US and allies, it's another thing to be a bumbling idiot and allow a deal which is only in Iran's best interest.

[Jermyn Davidson]

Originally Posted by n david

Then you agree the President should follow Article II, Section 2, Clause 2 of the Constitution and consult with Congress to obtain a supermajority before finalizing any treaty with Iran?

BTW, obama's negotiating skills are awful. Putin played him with both Syria and Ukraine. It's one thing to be a skilled negotiator and obtain results which are in the best interest of the US and allies, it's another thing to be a bumbling idiot and allow a deal which is only in Iran's best interest.

This isn't a formal treaty.

[n david]

Originally Posted by Jermyn Davidson

This isn't a formal treaty.

Right. The administration is using this excuse as the reason for not consulting Congress.

It's also why these 47 Republicans wanted to remind both the Iranians and obama that any Sole-Executive Agreement made between obama and the Iranians could be either repealed or modified by the next President or by Congress.

Wouldn't you rather he just do what's in the best interest of the US and consult Congress on what he's negotiating with Iran?