as a Non America i would be interested in hearing a defence of this

[RichD]

sounds crazy to me ..almost criminal

47 GOP Senators Write Open Letter to Iran over Nuclear Talks

by Josh Feldman | 3:08 pm, March 9th, 2015332







47 Republican senators have sent an open letter to the leaders of Iran about the ongoing negotiations over nuclear power, serving as a provider of “knowledge of our constitutional system” and what powerPresident Obama has in agreeing to it.
The sole purpose of this open letter [PDF] is to help explain how the American government works to Iran. For example:

The offices of our Constitution have different characteristics. For example, the president may serve only two 4-year terms, whereas senators may serve an unlimited number of 6-year terms…

What these two constitutional provisions mean is that we will consider any agreement regarding your nuclear-weapons program that is not approved by the Congress as nothing more than an executive agreement between President Obama and Ayatollah Khamenei. The next president could revoke such an executive agreement with the stroke of a pen and future Congresses could modify the terms of the agreement at any time.

[lonewolf]

sounds crazy to me ..almost criminal

Why does it not sound crazy to you when Obama bypasses congress, which he has done many times?

Do you understand how the American government works, or in this instance how it does not work?

Do you understand the three branches of government, the supposed balance and separation of power under the US constitution?

If you do, could you please explain it to Obama?

[RichD]

Why does it not sound crazy to you when Obama bypasses congress, which he has done many times?

Do you understand how the American government works, or in this instance how it does not work?

Do you understand the three branches of government, the supposed balance and separation of power under the US constitution?

If you do, could you please explain it to Obama?

so educate me here ..what role does congress play in this negotiation? where was the bypass?

[Tuff Gong]

Why does it not sound crazy to you when Obama bypasses congress, which he has done many times?

So far Barry has used his Executive pen about three times. He still has a lot more ink left compared G.W. Bush and all most other Presidents.....but who knows it early days yet.

Of course this is just the latest ploy to tale down Barry by Coup d'état.
USA Budget = Lock Down Congress
Obama Care = Lock Down Congress
Federal Appointments = Lock Down Congress
Immigration = Lock Down Congress
Nuclear Deal with Iran = Side with Reich Master Bibi, flirt, with the Logan Act and beat the drums of war with their fellow Republican Guard Comrades in Iran.

Do you understand the three branches of government, the supposed balance and separation of power under the US constitution?

If you do, could you please explain it to Obama?

Do you?

[RichD]

The backlash continued Tuesday after 47 Republican senators sent a signed letterto Iran's leaders warning them against cutting a nuclear deal with the Obama administration.
The letter, organized by Senator Tom Cotton, a freshman from Arkansas, warned Iran that “we will consider any agreement regarding your nuclear-weapons program that is not approved by the Congress as nothing more than an executive agreement between President Obama and Ayatollah Khamenei. The next president could revoke such an executive agreement with the stroke of a pen and future Congresses could modify the terms of the agreement at any time.”
The New York Daily News on Tuesday put photos of Cotton, Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on its front page along with the boldfaced headline “TRAITORS.”



The Wall Street Journal took down the letter in an editorial Tuesday calling the deal with Iran possibly “the security blunder of the young century” and saying that Congress should vote on it, “which is why it’s too bad that Republican Senators took their eye off that ball on Monday with a letter to the government of Iran.”
MSNBC's Mika Brzezinski also had harsh words for Cotton, criticizing him a few minutes before he was scheduled to appear on Morning Joe (where he defended the letter).
“If anyone had any reservations that what the Republicans did when they brought Benjamin Netanyahu to Congress to address Congress was not an effort to undercut the president, this then could perhaps seal the deal in your mind that everything they do is focused in almost an obsessive and destructive way to undermine the president and to undermine the president’s effort to get a deal as opposed to going to war,” she said.
White House press secretary Josh Earnest on Monday said the letter's goal was to “undermine” negotiations with Iran, but also noted that if the Obama administration reached an agreement over Iran's nuclear program that it would not be a treaty subject to congressional ratification.
Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, meanwhile, said it was highly unusual for a political party to insert itself into a foreign-policy negotiation in opposition to the president.
“Republicans are undermining our commander-in-chief while empowering the ayatollahs,” he said from the Senate floor Monday. “We should always have robust debate about foreign policy, but it's unprecedented for one political party to directly intervene in an international negotiation with the sole goal of embarrassing the president of the United States.”
On Twitter, observers were quick to call the move by Senate Republicans “treason.”






But the president's critics often have used the same word to describe Obama's foreign policy moves.


And some, like prospective presidential candidate Ben Carson, have levied that charge with regard to domestic spending.



According to the U.S. legal code, the definition of treason is fairly specific:

Whoever, owing allegiance to the United States, levies war against them or adheres to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort within the United States or elsewhere, is guilty of treason and shall suffer death, or shall be imprisoned not less than five years and fined under this title but not less than $10,000; and shall be incapable of holding any office under the United States.

While Iran has been a U.S. enemy for some time, no official war declaration exists. It's hard to see how the negotiation of a nuclear deal, or the opposition to one, would rise to the level of treason. What has been perfectly clear since the start of the year is that Congress and the president see the Iran issue through different lenses. From the invitation of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to speak in the House of Representatives without first consulting Obama, to the letter sent to Iranian leaders on Monday, the level of distrust between the two parties has reached new levels.
Alison Elkin contributed to this report.

[Peasie]

This latest move by the Republicans is disgraceful. They have embarrassed the United States. The Iranian government has caught them on their foolish showboating and schooled them:

Zarif said he was astonished by the letter, saying it suggests the U.S. lawmakers "not only do not understand international law" — a subject in which he is a professor — "but are not fully cognizant of the nuances of their own Constitution when it comes to presidential powers in the conduct of foreign policy," Source

[Peasie]

One comment from an article in the WSJ

Guys, forget about red and blue for a moment. Consider the repercussions this has on US diplomacy. This letter, especially being an "open" letter, is a letter for the rest of the world, not just Iran. Undermining the President of the United States shows weakness in the ranks, and in turn makes the United States seem weak.
It'd be one thing to have this letter in opposition to an agreement that has been set, but no agreement has been set yet. The message is literally "We don't know what deal you're making with the President, and we don't care. We're going to nullify it once he's out of office."
Consider the diplomatic consequences this has. Without the letter, if Iran refuses any deals then Obama can say "Iran is being unreasonable. I came to them with terms and they decided they weren't interested in keeping the peace blah blah blah." The point is this puts political pressure on Iran in the global playing field. But with half the senate undermining the President, if Iran refuses any deals, they can just say "President Obama, half of your country doesn't even want this deal, why would we?" We lose our ability to pressure Iran.
Forget about partisanship and red and blue for a moment. Forget the whole "well they did this in the past" finger pointing. Understand what is actively happening right now. Understand how this hurts the country, not just any one party, moving forward.

[kia027]

Why does it not sound crazy to you when Obama bypasses congress, which he has done many times?

Do you understand how the American government works, or in this instance how it does not work?

Do you understand the three branches of government, the supposed balance and separation of power under the US constitution?

If you do, could you please explain it to Obama?

Can you explain to me where has Obama bypassed Congress without mentioning the executive order which he has the right to do and has used it the least of his predecessors?

[kia027]

This latest move by the Republicans is disgraceful. They have embarrassed the United States. The Iranian government has caught them on their foolish showboating and schooled them:

Zarif said he was astonished by the letter, saying it suggests the U.S. lawmakers "not only do not understand international law" — a subject in which he is a professor — "but are not fully cognizant of the nuances of their own Constitution when it comes to presidential powers in the conduct of foreign policy," Source

Republicans getting schooled by Iran. Boom!!

[j-kid]

Sounds very much like treason to me?

[Tuff Gong]

Do you understand the three branches of government, the supposed balance and separation of power under the US constitution?

If you do, could you please explain it to Obama?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_...ht_Export_Corp.

United States v. Curtiss-Wright Export Corp., 299 U.S. 304 (1936),^[1] was a United States Supreme Court case involving principles of both governmental regulation of business and the supremacy of the executive branch of the federal government to conduct foreign affairs. The Supreme Court concluded not only that foreign affairs power was vested in the national government as a whole but also that the President of the United States had "plenary" powers in the foreign affairs field that was not dependent upon congressional delegation.

[RichD]

President of the United States had "plenary" powers in the foreign affairs field that was not dependent upon congressional delegation.

in case any body else don't know what Plenary mean

Full Definition of PLENARY

1
: complete in every respect : absolute, unqualified <plenary power>

[Tuff Gong]

in case any body else don't know what Plenary mean

Full Definition of PLENARY

1
: complete in every respect : absolute, unqualified <plenary power>

LOL....In other words.... The King At The Controls!

[RichD]

GOP Iran Letter Was A Push For A Regime Change War And Defense Industry Profits


By: Rmusemore from Rmuse
Wednesday, March, 11th, 2015, 9:37 am




While many Americans are still outraged over the 47 Republican senators’ “open letter” to Iran, there are a new batch of idiots asking to join the “propaganda ploy.” Shortly after the “press release” was made public, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal and former Texas governor Rick Perry nearly wet themselves asking to join the children posing as U.S. senators. Likely, Sarah Palin, Ted Nugent, and Duck Dynasty’s Phil Robertson will be begging to sign the letter soon.


There has been a raging chorus clamoring for legal action against the mentally-challenged 47 for everything from violating the Logan Act to sedition to treason and nearly everything in-between. However, there will be no charges filed because as painful as it is to admit; the 47 are not guilty of treason or sedition or violating the Logan Act. As obvious as it may seem that they are traitors, according to the U.S. Code even that charge is doubtful. Although their goal was interfering with “measures of the United States,” the Iranians are smart and took the open letter for exactly what it was; pathetic propaganda and a gross display of Republican ignorance of the Constitution and international law. It is what one expects from a bunch of petulant punks who are too stupid to understand they embarrassed themselves by lacking even an eighth-grader’s understanding of the document the swore to uphold.


First, the letter was a press release; it was not a personal communication sent to Iran’s leaders. It is also not evident their goal was causing harm to the United States or overthrowing the government. What they are guilty of is hubris and being cretins, and although they seriously deserve to be harshly punished for having the audacity to think they have power over the President leading America’s participation in United Nations Security Council negotiations; the best Americans can hope for is they are humiliated. But that is not likely though because childish malcontents, and Republicans, are never embarrassed.


What is also curious, is the various pundits asking what the 47 hoped to accomplish. Even Hillary Clinton said, “one has to ask, what was the purpose of this letter?” Clinton proffered what she said were “two logical answers. Either these senators were trying to be helpful to the Iranians or harmful to the commander-in-chief in the midst of high-stakes international diplomacy. Either answer does discredit to the letters’ signatories.” The truth, and true purpose of the letter, has really never been in question; specifically because the filthy little neo-con who originated it has broadcast the purpose for the world to hear for months.


Freshman Tom Cotton, the neo-con Senator from Arkansas admitted openly the purpose in organizing the “open letter” to Iran is derailing the United Nations P5+1 negotiations to expedite an Israeli-started war with Iran for “regime change.” In fact, in January while addressing other neo-cons at an event hosted by the advocacy group Heritage Action for America he said; “The end of these negotiations isn’t an unintended consequence of congressional action. It is very much an intended consequence. A feature, not a bug, so to speak.” Cotton has made no secret that he wants and is working to see that the negotiations fail which is why corrupt John Boehner invited Netanyahu to fear-monger Congress into passing legislation to derail the negotiations.


Fear mongering Cheney, Bush, and Netanyahu-style is not unique to Cotton. He won his Senate seat in Arkansas by telling frightened imbeciles that he would fight for their very survival as their senator because “ISIS and Mexican drug cartels joining forces to attack Arkansas is an urgent problem.” He also made sure to inspire really scary images of Nazis for conservatives when he went on to compare American participation in international negotiations with Iran to the appeasement of Nazi Germany in the 1930s.





In fact, Cotton is a Cheney, McCain, Cruz, Graham, and George W. Bush perpetual war supporter on steroids. He is as staunch an advocate for incredibly higher defense spending and pre-emptive war everywhere as he is for cutting all domestic spending. He subscribes to the Bush aggressive foreign policy agenda and as The New Republic noted, no matter the geographical region in question, whether it is Syria, Iran, Russia, ISIS, or apparently Mexico, “Cotton can be found at the hawkish outer edge of the debate.” To say there is never a war he would not support is a gross understatement. In fact, Cotton has made perpetual calls for immediate military intervention in Iran for regime change a la Bush and Iraq. In December, a month before being sworn in as a senator, he called for America to supply Israel with B-52s and bunker busting bombs to use in their imminent strike against Iran; a strike that guarantees America’s entrance in a war on Iran for regime change and to heap untold wealth on the defense and oil industry.


It should come as no surprise then, that after issuing the “open letter” to derail talks with Iran, the very next day Cotton made an appearance at an “Off the Record and strictly Non-Attribution” event with the National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA). NDIA is a very powerful conservative lobbying and professional group for defense contractors advocating for America’s next Middle East war. The Arkansas warmonger met with leaders of the military industrial complex made up of executives from all the major military businesses such as Northrop Grumman, L-3 Communications, ManTech International, Boeing, Oshkosh Defense, and Booz Allen Hamilton, among other many other firms. It is noteworthy that the B-52s and bunker-busting bombs Cotton wants America to ‘give’ to Israel to bomb Iran are both items manufactured by Boeing; a major NDIA member.


When the NDIA director of legislative policy, Jimmy Thomas, was asked if Cotton was going talk about the success and progress toward war with his open letter to Iran he said “Most members talk about everything from the defense budget to Iran…so it’s highly likely that he will address that in his remarks.” What should be frightening to Americans is that the NDIA helps shape conservative legislative policy and gets regular updates on conservatives’ progress in serving Israel’s push for an American war with Iran. Thomas said bringing Cotton in to apprise the defense industry of progress on a war with Iran was scheduled in January, and that “certainly we bring people to the platform that have influence directly on our issues.”


Maybe even stupid Americans can think back to the last neo-con who wanted “regime change” in another Middle East country (Iraq) at Benjamin Netanyahu’s urging. That turned out so well for the nation that America’s debt will increase another $4 trillion over the next decade for the “regime change” war, 655 thousand innocent Iraqi civilians were massacred, and it created the Islamic State (ISIS, ISIL, IS) extremists that the Islamic Republican of Iran is helping America fight. Through it all, the Koch brothers, Dick Cheney’s Halliburton, and the military industrial complex earned hundreds of billions over a war neo-cons pushed for regime change. In fact, creating profit for the defense industry is part and parcel of Cotton’s purpose in organizing the “open letter” press release everyone is up-in-arms over.

[Tuff Gong]

GOP Iran Letter Was A Push For A Regime Change War And Defense Industry Profits


By: Rmusemore from Rmuse
Wednesday, March, 11th, 2015, 9:37 am.

Well it would be the only way to explain a so-called Presidential hopefuls and especially a Libertarian such a Rand Paul adding his fingerprints to the Letter.
But if war and profiteering from war is such a central component in the plans of the GOP Presidency it makes you wonder if they have not learned from G.W.'s time in Office?

Is Troika Bush-Cheney-Rumsfeld grand fail, only a lesson for Liberals?