Negotiating war conveniently.
The problem with what Obama did is twofold. First, Senator Obama has no authority to negotiate on behalf of the executive branch, which has sole authority to conduct foreign policy. Second and most important, Obama attempted to interfere against the interests of the United States. He can ask all the questions he wants, but when Obama started pressing Iraqi officials to stop negotiations with the executive branch — in other words, break one level of diplomatic contact and freeze a military alliance in time of war — that crossed a line and clearly violated the Logan Act. It also makes clear that Obama would do anything to get elected, even harm diplomatic relations between the US and an ally.
http://hotair.com/archives/2008/09/17/mafpac-ad-hits-obama-on-iraq-interference/
September 17, 2008 at 8:30 PM
I find it perfectly reasonable that he thinks a meeting to discuss something so important should be postponed until a not-lame administration (his OR McCain’s) can see it through, and until the current circus is over. Here’s more from the original article:
“Obama insisted that Congress should be involved in negotiations on the status of US troops – and that it was in the interests of both sides not to have an agreement negotiated by the Bush administration in its “state of weakness and political confusion.”"
The Logan Act has only been enforced once (in 1806). It’s outdated, and there have been several attempts to revise and remove it. Representatives from the US are in *constant* communication with foreign bodies. There have been decisions by the Supreme Court and the State Department which indicate that it’s only a problem if the actual terms of a treaty are circumvented. He just wants to wait until this election cycle is over.
Do you not think it’s a political move that, after so many years in Iraq, a withdrawal agreement would be organized just before an election?
September 17, 2008 at 8:43 PM
Kenneth, he is not POTUS. He has NO business discussing these plans at this time. Sure you have to anticipate the future, but he is not CIC and it is wrong for him to be negotiating time tables.