Illegal Diplomacy Caution pure politics

04-06-07, 02:05 PM

No one has brought it up, and I've been waiting, I will do it myself.

'House Speaker Nancy Pelosi may well have committed a felony in traveling to Damascus this week, against the wishes of the president, to communicate on foreign-policy issues with Syrian President Bashar Assad. The administration isn't going to want to touch this political hot potato, nor should it become a partisan issue. Maybe special counsel Patrick Fitzgerald, whose aggressive prosecution of Lewis Libby establishes his independence from White House influence, should be called back'.

'For Ms. Pelosi to flout the Constitution in these circumstances is not only shortsighted; it may well be a felony, as the Logan Act has been part of our criminal law for more than two centuries. Perhaps it is time to enforce the law'.

http://opinionjournal.com/extra/?id=110009908

dean_acheson · 04-06-07, 02:16 PM

Since we decided not to say anything controversial in here, I wasn't going to touch this with a 10 foot pole.....

TteFAboB · 04-06-07, 02:28 PM

I wouldn't touch it with a 15 foot pole...

04-06-07, 02:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dean_acheson

Since we decided not to say anything controversial in here, I wasn't going to touch this with a 10 foot pole.....

Doesn't seem to have stopped anyone else so why should it stop you dean?
The left has this thread going. If it isn't politics..............
Appeasement policy towards climate change

She brought Israel, another soveriegn nation, into her funky leftist halucinacion.

04-06-07, 04:22 PM

Nancy Pelosi should resign.

Enigma · 04-06-07, 04:38 PM

Lurchi · 04-06-07, 04:39 PM

According to diplomats and TV correspondents - who met the Syrian president personally - he is obviously really worth being talked to.

Of course this is diplomacy, something the current US President is obviously not really fond of - he prefers to push buttons instead which is surely less straining.

Let's see what a smart lady can do ...

heartc · 04-06-07, 05:46 PM

http://medienkritik.typepad.com/

Enigma · 04-06-07, 06:44 PM

Bush's "Iraq study group", which he all but completely ignored, suggested the US, in fact, Bush, needs to do just what has been done by the majority leader here. Engage Syria and other countries in the reqion in direct diplomacy. It's obvious this administration isnt about to do it. So, the incoming party, I guess, is getting a head start....

I havent read nearly enough about this visit to form an opinion of how foolish or productive it was yet, so the jury, at least for me, is out on that. It only takes a foot stomping tantrum from the White House to get the right to stomp right along with them....

Enigma · 04-06-07, 06:46 PM

Oh, not to mention the GOP's visits to Syria.....

P_Funk · 04-06-07, 08:00 PM

This is so ironic. We're ready to bury the Democratic House Speaker because she might have allegedly done something slightly unconstitutional, while we just look the other way on Bush doing what he will when laws and constitutions and Geneva Conventions don't fit his policy model.

And in the mean time while Bush won't deal with the Democrats in power they just have to sit there for 2 more years and just wait for Bush's term to be up and then hope they get the Presidency before they can do anything at all to correct what they view as being wrong with the way America is heading? Why were the Democrats elected at all then? To stand there and be bi-partisam while they just say "yes sir" to all of Bush's policy demands on the budget? What is the point of the House if they can't do ANYTHING? They obviously can't check the White House's executive powers since thats just wrong to leave the troops hanging. but then Bush won't budge on anything.

Seriously this is just an internal-American game of political brinksmanship where the established power won't budge for any kind of compromise wth the newly elected oppostion.

This is obviously a case of the right wing thinking that they can do whatever they want while the left wing can't do anything that the right wing doesn't like or else its unconstitutional. Sounds like theres been alot of progress in bi-partisanism lately.

bradclark1 · 04-06-07, 08:16 PM

Maybe take care of this first.
Republican Representative Darrell Issa of California, a Lebanese-American, traveled to Syria as well and met with President Bashar al-Assad, as he had done in 2003.

dean_acheson · 04-07-07, 02:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by P_Funk

This is so ironic. We're ready to bury the Democratic House Speaker because she might have allegedly done something slightly unconstitutional, while we just look the other way on Bush doing what he will when laws and constitutions and Geneva Conventions don't fit his policy model.

I guess I'd ask you to elaborate on what unconstitutional actions and what violations of the Geneva Convention our current administration has the current administration committed?

I'm not going to pretend to stick up for Darrell Issa, I'm not a big fan of 'what Pelosi did is ok b/c some Republican member so Congress did it too" type arguement. Just because I am a Republican doesn't mean I have to defend idiots in my own party.

How's that for bi-partisan?

bradclark1 · 04-07-07, 04:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dean_acheson

I'm not going to pretend to stick up for Darrell Issa, I'm not a big fan of 'what Pelosi did is ok b/c some Republican member so Congress did it too" type arguement. Just because I am a Republican doesn't mean I have to defend idiots in my own party.

How's that for bi-partisan?

Great but a party shouldn't howl and demand justice when it was evidently ok for a Republican to do the same thing four years earlier. That "type argument" is good when it makes a point and the point is made like it or not.

dean_acheson · 04-07-07, 05:25 PM

Um, my point was that it was stupid for a Republican to go to Syria also.

There is a difference between a back bencher and the speaker that should be noted.

04-06-07, 02:05 PM	#1
waste gate Stowaway Posts: n/a Downloads: Uploads:	Illegal Diplomacy Caution pure politics No one has brought it up, and I've been waiting, I will do it myself. 'House Speaker Nancy Pelosi may well have committed a felony in traveling to Damascus this week, against the wishes of the president, to communicate on foreign-policy issues with Syrian President Bashar Assad. The administration isn't going to want to touch this political hot potato, nor should it become a partisan issue. Maybe special counsel Patrick Fitzgerald, whose aggressive prosecution of Lewis Libby establishes his independence from White House influence, should be called back'. 'For Ms. Pelosi to flout the Constitution in these circumstances is not only shortsighted; it may well be a felony, as the Logan Act has been part of our criminal law for more than two centuries. Perhaps it is time to enforce the law'. http://opinionjournal.com/extra/?id=110009908

04-06-07, 02:28 PM	#3
TteFAboB Admiral Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 2,247 Downloads: 4 Uploads: 0	I wouldn't touch it with a 15 foot pole... __________________ "Tout ce qui est exagéré est insignifiant." ("All that is exaggerated is insignificant.") - Talleyrand

04-06-07, 04:38 PM	#6
Enigma The Old Man Join Date: May 2005 Location: At comms depth, obviously. Posts: 1,476 Downloads: 7 Uploads: 0	__________________ "Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it." -Mark Twain

04-06-07, 06:44 PM	#9
Enigma The Old Man Join Date: May 2005 Location: At comms depth, obviously. Posts: 1,476 Downloads: 7 Uploads: 0	Bush's "Iraq study group", which he all but completely ignored, suggested the US, in fact, Bush, needs to do just what has been done by the majority leader here. Engage Syria and other countries in the reqion in direct diplomacy. It's obvious this administration isnt about to do it. So, the incoming party, I guess, is getting a head start.... I havent read nearly enough about this visit to form an opinion of how foolish or productive it was yet, so the jury, at least for me, is out on that. It only takes a foot stomping tantrum from the White House to get the right to stomp right along with them.... __________________ "Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it." -Mark Twain

04-06-07, 06:46 PM	#10
Enigma The Old Man Join Date: May 2005 Location: At comms depth, obviously. Posts: 1,476 Downloads: 7 Uploads: 0	Oh, not to mention the GOP's visits to Syria..... __________________ "Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it." -Mark Twain

04-06-07, 02:16 PM	#2
dean_acheson Ace of the Deep Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Midwest - USA Posts: 1,057 Downloads: 42 Uploads: 0	Since we decided not to say anything controversial in here, I wasn't going to touch this with a 10 foot pole.....

04-06-07, 04:22 PM	#5
waste gate Stowaway Posts: n/a Downloads: Uploads:	Nancy Pelosi should resign.

04-06-07, 04:39 PM	#7
Lurchi Planesman Join Date: May 2005 Location: Wilhelmshaven, Germany Posts: 181 Downloads: 35 Uploads: 0	According to diplomats and TV correspondents - who met the Syrian president personally - he is obviously really worth being talked to. Of course this is diplomacy, something the current US President is obviously not really fond of - he prefers to push buttons instead which is surely less straining. Let's see what a smart lady can do ...

04-06-07, 05:46 PM	#8
heartc Samurai Navy Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Munich Posts: 562 Downloads: 71 Uploads: 0	http://medienkritik.typepad.com/

04-06-07, 08:00 PM	#11
P_Funk Ocean Warrior Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Canada, eh? Posts: 2,537 Downloads: 129 Uploads: 0	This is so ironic. We're ready to bury the Democratic House Speaker because she might have allegedly done something slightly unconstitutional, while we just look the other way on Bush doing what he will when laws and constitutions and Geneva Conventions don't fit his policy model. And in the mean time while Bush won't deal with the Democrats in power they just have to sit there for 2 more years and just wait for Bush's term to be up and then hope they get the Presidency before they can do anything at all to correct what they view as being wrong with the way America is heading? Why were the Democrats elected at all then? To stand there and be bi-partisam while they just say "yes sir" to all of Bush's policy demands on the budget? What is the point of the House if they can't do ANYTHING? They obviously can't check the White House's executive powers since thats just wrong to leave the troops hanging. but then Bush won't budge on anything. Seriously this is just an internal-American game of political brinksmanship where the established power won't budge for any kind of compromise wth the newly elected oppostion. This is obviously a case of the right wing thinking that they can do whatever they want while the left wing can't do anything that the right wing doesn't like or else its unconstitutional. Sounds like theres been alot of progress in bi-partisanism lately. __________________

04-06-07, 08:16 PM	#12
bradclark1 Ocean Warrior Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Connecticut, USA. Posts: 2,794 Downloads: 29 Uploads: 0	Maybe take care of this first. Republican Representative Darrell Issa of California, a Lebanese-American, traveled to Syria as well and met with President Bashar al-Assad, as he had done in 2003.

04-07-07, 05:25 PM	#15
dean_acheson Ace of the Deep Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Midwest - USA Posts: 1,057 Downloads: 42 Uploads: 0	Um, my point was that it was stupid for a Republican to go to Syria also. There is a difference between a back bencher and the speaker that should be noted.