"There are things you simply don’t do." Netanyahu's upcoming Congressional address

MSNBC

The point, of course, is that in the Obama era, Republicans have no use for the maxim about politics stopping “at the water’s edge.” For many GOP lawmakers, there is no American foreign policy – there’s the president’s foreign policy and there’s a Republican foreign policy. If the latter is at odds with the former, GOP officials are comfortable taking deliberate steps to undermine the White House.

[...]

At the risk of sounding overly dramatic, I honestly don’t think this has ever happened before, at least not in our country. In effect, Boehner has invited Netanyahu to play the legislative branch of the U.S. government against the executive branch of the U.S. government, and the Israeli prime minister is happy to accept that invitation.

Cynicism about our politics is easy, but this isn’t just the latest outrage of the week. We’re talking about the ability of the United States to conduct foreign policy.

This is a little scary. We're looking at the possibility of an unprecedented divide of power within the highest echelons of our government, on a very divisive issue. Worse still, a lot of the right-leaning media are spinning this as the President snubbing the Israeli PM, rather than Boehner going over the President's head and trying to take foreign policy into his own hands. How will this play out in the long run? Is anyone else seeing the cause for possible alarm that I am?

In 2007, then Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, went against the Bush administrations decision to meet with Assad.

Context is very important.

originally posted by: beezzer
In 2007, then Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, went against the Bush administrations decision to meet with Assad.

Context is very important.

Context sure is important.

To wit:

history.house.gov...

And:

history.house.gov...

This is nothing new.

Just the White House/MSNBC crying 'victim'.

Obama should snub him he didn't invite him over he and he has no right to address congress. Boehner should be held in violation of the Logan act because the only reason why he is bringing Benny over here is to try and interrupt the peace negotiations with Iran. Boehner does not have the right to interfere with the peace negotiations with another government the secret service should meet Benny at the airport and send him right back to Israel.

a reply to: buster2010

He has EVERY right.

Congress has invited speeches by dignitaries throughout its history. Initially, the standard manner in which both the House and the Senate received addresses by foreign leaders was to invite dignitaries to a one-chamber reception. This procedure required either unanimous consent or resolution by the chamber that wished to receive the foreign leader. The Marquis de Lafayette was the first foreign leader to address a House Reception on December 10, 1824. Though typically used to receive foreign dignitaries, five notable exceptions included receptions to honor United States Major General William Tecumseh Sherman in 1866, United States General Jonathan M. Wainwright in 1945, United States General Lucius D. Clay in 1949, United States Senator Hubert H. Humphrey in 1977, and United States General H. Norman Schwarkopf in 1991.

These receptions are not associated with other informal, social receptions and lunches provided for foreign leaders on behalf of congressional leadership or individual committees. In the post-World War II era, the practice of using one-chamber receptions largely disappeared. The last House Reception to honor a foreign leader was held for Mexican President José Lopez Portillo in 1977.

history.house.gov...

That hatred for all things Israel sure runs deep.

a reply to: AshOnMyTomatoes

I agree with you, it's disrespectful and sets a bad precedent. Republicans keep doing childish things; add this to the list.

During the Bush/Cheney era, Republicans used to characterize such moves as borderline treasonous.

Never thought I'd agree with Republicans.

originally posted by: buster2010
Obama should snub him he didn't invite him over he and he has no right to address congress. Boehner should be held in violation of the Logan act because the only reason why he is bringing Benny over here is to try and interrupt the peace negotiations with Iran. Boehner does not have the right to interfere with the peace negotiations with another government the secret service should meet Benny at the airport and send him right back to Israel.

You mean like this?

www.noquarterusa.net...


I am waiting for Obama to be charged with Logan act violations.

Well lets face it are you surprised?

THe president cant make it on short notice to be in Paris after terrorists attack.......

But he can cut a trip short to be in Saudi Arabia to meet with family of a dead prince notorious for barbaric practices and mistreatment of women

And were surprised hes upset that BIBI is coming to town?

NOpe not me, not one bit

Hopefully with any luck the grace of the Israeli people, Netanyahu will lose the next election in March and you Americans won't have to put up with this bulls# any longer.

a reply to: neo96
No he doesn't not on his own. Read a link before posting it.

This procedure required either unanimous consent or resolution by the chamber that wished to receive the foreign leader.

Where was the unanimous consent by Congress? You do understand what the word unanimous means right? If one person in congress is against him speaking to congress then he does not have the right to invite him. Where is the resolution?

originally posted by: neo96

originally posted by: beezzer
In 2007, then Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, went against the Bush administrations decision to meet with Assad.

Context is very important.

Context sure is important.

To wit:

history.house.gov...

And:

history.house.gov...

This is nothing new.

Just the White House/MSNBC crying 'victim'.

This isn't a simple "left vs. right" issue. This is our President (i.e. chief foreign policy figurehead) conducting sensitive meetings on the topic of nuclear Iran, and a foreign leader who is a bitter enemy of Iran entering the U.S. to talk to a Congress that does not agree with the President on any issue. This is a very clear and dangerous signal to both the people of the world and the U.S.

a reply to: ManBehindTheMask

THe president cant make it on short notice to be in Paris after terrorists attack.

That could be because we are actually fighting terrorist unlike the ones that showed up.

originally posted by: ManBehindTheMask
Well lets face it are you surprised?

THe president cant make it on short notice to be in Paris after terrorists attack.......

But he can cut a trip short to be in Saudi Arabia to meet with family of a dead prince notorious for barbaric practices and mistreatment of women

And were surprised hes upset that BIBI is coming to town?

NOpe not me, not one bit

I missed this!

That says it all.

Dunno how he could look Netanyahu in the face after giving Hamas millions of dollars.

originally posted by: AshOnMyTomatoes

originally posted by: neo96

originally posted by: beezzer
In 2007, then Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, went against the Bush administrations decision to meet with Assad.

Context is very important.

Context sure is important.

To wit:

history.house.gov...

And:

history.house.gov...

This is nothing new.

Just the White House/MSNBC crying 'victim'.

This isn't a simple "left vs. right" issue. This is our President (i.e. chief foreign policy figurehead) conducting sensitive meetings on the topic of nuclear Iran, and a foreign leader who is a bitter enemy of Iran entering the U.S. to talk to a Congress that does not agree with the President on any issue. This is a very clear and dangerous signal to both the people of the world and the U.S.

READ THOSE LINKS.

Then try to spin that again.

After watching 6 years of Obama's foreign policy decisions it's clear he doesn't know what the hell he's doing.

originally posted by: buster2010
a reply to: ManBehindTheMask

THe president cant make it on short notice to be in Paris after terrorists attack.

That could be because we are actually fighting terrorist unlike the ones that showed up.

Youre telling me Abbas and Bibi arent fighting who they both think are terrorists? They are fighting EACH OTHER and they could show up.....TOGETHER to stand besides EACHOTHER and their are bombs going off on their borders!

Stop with the cop out......

Seriously he cant make that show of solidarity,because its too short notice but he can show up to this monsters funeral?

a reply to: neo96

After watching 6 years of Obama's foreign policy decisions it's clear he doesn't know what the hell he's doing

I think he knows exactly what hes doing

originally posted by: Sunwolf

originally posted by: buster2010
Obama should snub him he didn't invite him over he and he has no right to address congress. Boehner should be held in violation of the Logan act because the only reason why he is bringing Benny over here is to try and interrupt the peace negotiations with Iran. Boehner does not have the right to interfere with the peace negotiations with another government the secret service should meet Benny at the airport and send him right back to Israel.

You mean like this?

www.noquarterusa.net...


I am waiting for Obama to be charged with Logan act violations.

Ed Morrissey is an idiot. In 2011 Obama was not only a Presidential candidate he was also President. Also Obama didn't have to do anything to draw down the troops in Iraq that paperwork was signed before Bush left office.

a reply to: buster2010

I guess you forgot that congress by it's creation doesn't have to ask the president for permission to do anything.

Oh well.

originally posted by: neo96

originally posted by: AshOnMyTomatoes

originally posted by: neo96

originally posted by: beezzer
In 2007, then Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, went against the Bush administrations decision to meet with Assad.

Context is very important.

Context sure is important.

To wit:

history.house.gov...

And:

history.house.gov...

This is nothing new.

Just the White House/MSNBC crying 'victim'.

This isn't a simple "left vs. right" issue. This is our President (i.e. chief foreign policy figurehead) conducting sensitive meetings on the topic of nuclear Iran, and a foreign leader who is a bitter enemy of Iran entering the U.S. to talk to a Congress that does not agree with the President on any issue. This is a very clear and dangerous signal to both the people of the world and the U.S.

READ THOSE LINKS.

Then try to spin that again.

After watching 6 years of Obama's foreign policy decisions it's clear he doesn't know what the hell he's doing.

Someone deciding that our elected president "doesn't know what he's doing" doesn't grant them carte blanche to begin acting as President II to foreign dignitaries, particularly not without the President's consent. I don't care how little you like Obama; the US must present itself to the outside world in one voice, or things become complicated and potentially dangerous.