On Monday, March 9, forty-seven Republican Senators signed an open letter to the leaders of Iran telling them frankly that a nuclear arms deal made with the Obama might not stand. It is a fair warning. The president may have the authority to negotiate foreign treaties, but the Senate has to ratify those treaties before the United States will be bound to them. The Senators are letting Iran know that any treaty that will allow them to develop nuclear weapons at any time in the future will not stand.
Hillary Clinton immediately tweeted that the letter undermines American leadership and no potential candidates for the presidency should be signing on to it. NBC Nightly News took up the torch on the 11th, claiming that the letter violated the Logan Act and that the Senators have committed treason.
Oh, yes, Hillary and NBC have taken the high ground and are standing up for ... what? The rule of law? Really? This open, transparent letter, put out for everyone to see is equal to treason? And it is unprecedented? Well, let's see. What does NBC think of the following?
Was it treason when Ted Kennedy wrote a letter to Soviet Premier Yuri Andropov in 1983 attempting to undermine Ronald Reagan's diplomatic efforts with the Kremlin?
Was it treason when Jimmy Carter wrote a letter to the United Nations in 1990 undermining President G.H.W. Bush's efforts to build a coalition against Saddam Hussein?
Was it treason when Senator John Kerry traveled to Nicaragua in 1985 to meet with the communist ruler, Daniel Ortega, whom the Reagan Administration was opposing?
Was it treason when Nancy Pelosi traveled to Damascus to show support for Syrian President Assad after President G.W. Bush named Syria as part of an axis of evil, and after Bush requested she not go?
Was it treason when Michigan Congressman David Bonior traveled to Baghdad to meet with Saddam Hussein and undermine President Bush right before the invasion of Iraq?
Where were Hillary and NBC when these letters and events happened? Why weren't they crying "treason" over these? Oh, yeah, I forgot. The rule of law only applies to Republicans. Democrats have always considered themselves above the law. That's because they are such bastions of truthfulness, integrity, and transparency!
The Logan Act, which they are now all touting, is a 1799 law that makes it a felony for unauthorized citizens to enter into negotiations with foreign governments on behalf of the United States. But that is not what is happening here. The forty-seven Senators are not negotiating. They are the ones who will be voting on whether or not to approve any treaty Iran signs with Obama. They are just giving a clear warning that any treaty that gives away the store and allows Iran to develop nuclear weapons will not stand.
The letter also stands as a reminder to Obama that the Senate means to follow the rule of law. Obama's immediate reaction was to guarantee that any treaty he enters into with Iran will not allow them to build nuclear weapons. If that cannot be verified there will be no treaty. Of course, we all know how credible Obama's promises are, and there is really no reason to believe this one will be any different.
If NBC were really concerned about treason, they'd be looking at the White House. Of course....
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