"Did 47 U.S. Senators Just Commit Treason..."
Mar 9, 2015 23:18:43 GMT
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tincin and foolana like this
Post by Deleted on Mar 9, 2015 23:18:43 GMT
Thoughts? I just can't even right now. Wtf were they thinking?
www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2015-03-09/did-47-u-s-senators-just-commit-treason-by-attempting-to-sabotage-iran-deal-
www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2015-03-09/did-47-u-s-senators-just-commit-treason-by-attempting-to-sabotage-iran-deal-
Foreign Policy
Did 47 U.S. Senators Just Commit Treason By Attempting to Sabotage Iran Deal?
Mar 9, 2015 5:15 PM EDT
Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid says the letter by his Republican colleagues aims to undermine President Obama while "empowering" Iran's mullah's.
David Knowles David Knowles
t writerknowles
News that 47 Republican senators sent a signed letter to Iran's leaders warning them against cutting a deal with the Obama administration had many Americans openly questioning whether the action constituted treason.
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."
White House press secretary Josh Earnest 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.
“Republicans are undermining our commander in chief while empowering the ayatollahs.”
Harry Reid
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, many 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.
Did 47 U.S. Senators Just Commit Treason By Attempting to Sabotage Iran Deal?
Mar 9, 2015 5:15 PM EDT
Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid says the letter by his Republican colleagues aims to undermine President Obama while "empowering" Iran's mullah's.
David Knowles David Knowles
t writerknowles
News that 47 Republican senators sent a signed letter to Iran's leaders warning them against cutting a deal with the Obama administration had many Americans openly questioning whether the action constituted treason.
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."
White House press secretary Josh Earnest 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.
“Republicans are undermining our commander in chief while empowering the ayatollahs.”
Harry Reid
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, many 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.
