Calling Aesop! (or Jeff) (h/t RWS)
Let’s concede for the sake of argument that this WSJ editorial is overblown:
A hard drive recovered from the computer of a killed Colombian guerrilla has offered more insights into the opposition of House Democrats to the U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement.
A military strike three weeks ago killed Raúl Reyes, No. 2 in command of the FARC, Colombia’s most notorious terrorist group. The Reyes hard drive reveals an ardent effort to do business directly with the FARC by Congressman James McGovern (D., Mass.), a leading opponent of the free-trade deal. Mr. McGovern has been working with an American go-between, who has been offering the rebels help in undermining Colombia’s elected and popular government.
I’d still like to know where this dude gets off attempting to conduct foreign policy.
More Wright wrap:
Hitchens: Wicked and Stupid
Sowell: Janus-Faced
Sullivan:
“Smack-Starved Monkeys”? Didn’t the Nuge record that?
oh, I was thinking Glenn Campbell.
God I love the smell of citizen journalism in the afternoon…
As an elected member of the Politburo for the USSTaxachusetts, Rep McGovern learned from Rep. Pelosi that each individual Congressional district can conduct its own foreign policy.
Fuckers
Don’t worry Nishi, it’s not like there’s any evidence that some Democrats hate their country so much that they’d lay down with leftist terrorists.
It’s just a hard drive. It doesn’t even have any biology. And I’ve heard that it was planted by some Chimpy MC’Hitlerburton minion anyway…
I’d still like to know where this dude gets off attempting to conduct foreign policy.
Dan, that’s felony treason.
I live in McGovern’s congressional district. I am appalled,livid,astounded,ashamed – How can someone get away with purposely undermining the foreign policy of the United States by consorting with a designated terrorist organization? How is this different than meeting with Hamas or hezbollah? Columbia has an elected government. They are strong U.S. allies. This would be like negotiating with the Taliban to overthrow the elected government of Pakistan. I hate living in Massachusetts.
Ohohoho. Nancy. Jimmy has some splainin’ to do.
Wait. What the hell kind of “business” would a Congressman be doing with a narco-terrorist group? Buying drugs? Selling weapons?
And how is this different from Kennedy and his under-the-table contacts with the Soviets? Is it possible there isn’t a force for evil in the world that the Democrats haven’t climbed into bed with?
A beaver and a stallion?! Seriously? And we’re the fucked-up mouth-breathers incapable of nuanced thinking?
I give up.
I am too lazy to look this stuff up tonight, but it seems that there are specific laws against doing this kind of shit. I guess letting San Fran Nan get away with it just opened up the floodgates.
How long until we find out that Barney
Frankhad Uday and Qusay’s cell phone numbers?You thought I was going to call him a gleenwald, didn’t you? Homo-escort-service-ophobes.
Pelosi? This guy comes from the land of Ted Kennedy and John Kerry, both of whom have forgotten more on the subject than Pelosi will ever know, such as how to keep such things on the QT. It may be time to throw MA out of the union.
Gee, d’ya think we’d extradite him to Colombia if they asked?..
“The Reyes hard drive reveals an ardent effort to do business directly with the FARC by Congressman James McGovern (D., Mass.), a leading opponent of the free-trade deal.”
The stuff that the WSJ had revealed an indirect connection. And the letters were of that middleman promoting himself, not from the Congressman.
“I’d still like to know where this dude gets off attempting to conduct foreign policy.”
Probably, like most Americans, following the first amendment in deciding who he talks to. But it wouldn’t surprise me if foreign entities deal with congress all the time via lobbyists and other middlemen.
Certainly. And those lobbyists have to register as agents of foreign powers.
Now, why would McGovern (D) even entertain the thought of talking with a representative of FARC, and is the middleman involved registered as an agent of FARC?
I somehow doubt he is, considering FARC’s a terrorist organization.
“Now, why would McGovern (D) even entertain the thought of talking with a representative of FARC,”
Because Congress is going to deal with policy that involves FARC, and Congressmen are going to want to be informed of it.
“and is the middleman involved registered as an agent of FARC?”
From the letters it didn’t look like he was an agent or a lobbyist for FARC, and was actually saying he didn’t want to be, so my guess would be no.
He’s in apparent violation of the Logan Act. From the Wikipedia article:
The treaty power places negotiation with foreign governments within certain branches of the government, it does not leave them to private citizens. The Logan Act is likely constitutional on those grounds. IIRC, Billy Carter got in trouble regarding some dealings with Libya, but I’m too lazy to look that up.
Beyond that, there is the utter unseemlyness of a US Represenative sitting down with a terrorist group in order to undermine the stated foreign policy of the United States. seems to me it kind of goes against that oath he swore when he took office. But I’m old-fashioned that way.
Probably, like most Americans, following the first amendment in deciding who he talks to.
or
Which may just be unconstitutional, given not just our first amendment but also the powers of congress.
I missed the part of the 1st Amendment where it gives back bench Representative authority to conduct foreign policy.
darlas – That is a pretty incredibly expansive view of the 1st Amendment. Especially when he is an elected offical in our government. Simply put, Rep’s do not have the power or right to negotiate with foreign governments, and especially terrorist groups. Period.
JD, my honky–How’s the house situation, man?
“darlas – That is a pretty incredibly expansive view of the 1st Amendment.”
Try reading it literally!
“Simply put, Rep’s do not have the power or right to negotiate with foreign governments, and especially terrorist groups. Period.”
Simply put, you miss out anything that is complicated by congress’s powers.
And then try reading it in light of more than 200 years of judicial history.
Given that we’re at war with terrorists, I’m not sure that conducting unauthorized negotiations with a terrorist group falls under McGovern’s First Amendment protected free-speech rights.
So when a elected representative is sitting in his kitchen talking to the phone sex girl in his tighty whiteys and bathrobe at 2am, he gets to say, at that MOMENT in his exsistence, he’s not an elected representative and is protected by the 1st amendment? So Larry, David and Eliot went about their defense completely the wrong way. Then, by extension, he can tell a terrorist, the Prez really doeswn’t mean it and I’ve got your back and not fall afoul of that living document.
“Given that we’re at war with terrorists, I’m not sure that conducting unauthorized negotiations with a terrorist group falls under McGovern’s First Amendment protected free-speech rights.”
Then there’s also the matter that they’re not unauthorized negotiations if they’re (1) not negotations or (2) within his congressional authority.
But simply put, we’d like to ignore all that and instead point to the 200 year old law that nobody has ever been charged with violating.
“So when a elected representative is sitting in his kitchen talking to the phone sex girl in his tighty whiteys and bathrobe at 2am, he gets to say, at that MOMENT in his exsistence, he’s not an elected representative and is protected by the 1st amendment?”
Why would he need to claim he’s not an elected representative to have first amendment protections?
“Then, by extension, he can tell a terrorist, the Prez really doeswn’t mean it and I’ve got your back and not fall afoul of that living document.”
Like I said, feel free to write ahamadinawhatever and share your thoughts with him as to the likelyhood dubya will kick his ass.
Somebody thought it was a negotiation: “The Reyes hard drive reveals an ardent effort to do business directly with the FARC by Congressman James McGovern (D., Mass.)” Seeking to do business with somebody kind of involves negotiating.
As for it being within his congressional authority, that’s a defense, but you have to show it. You can’t simply assert it and expect anyone to buy it.
Congress as a whole has these powers. unless he was doing this at the direction of a commitee or a higher congressional authority, wouldn’t you say this at least resides in the area of unethical? Don’t you think the State Department should have been informed of what he’s up to?
“Congress as a whole has these powers. unless he was doing this at the direction of a commitee or a higher congressional authority”
Why can a committee do something that one congressman cannot? A congressman has a vote and the constitutional authority to be informed in making that vote. The constitution doesn’t seem to set up ‘higher’ congressional authorities.
“Don’t you think the State Department should have been informed of what he’s up to?”
Prudentially, or Constitutionally? Maybe the first, but not the latter.
Never seen someone put forth an argument for a Unilateral Congress before. First time for everything.
By the way, darlas, you might want to look up the definition of the word congress. Just a tip.
I think you mean Unilateral Congressperson, Curly, but yeah, that’s kinda interesting. I mean, hell, why are they votin’ on crap when they can just do stuff on their own?
Sure they need to vote to pass laws. But to talk to people? That’s ridiculous.
If I were talking to a representative of a terrorist group, my communications would be monitored in case of actionable intelligence about that terrorist group.