30 Years of Reckless Republican Ratfucking

The president embarks on delicate negotiations with the Islamic Republic of Iran...he is firm in his belief that in the presidency resides the sole power to conduct the foreign relations of the United States.

When these negotiations are uncovered, this is the primary argument presented by the president and his defenders against the angry opposition of the Congress. The president is Ronald Reagan. The negotiations are regarding the exchange of weapons for American hostages, something the president vowed he never would do, and something he already told the country he hadn't done. The deal was facilitated in part by Israeli intelligence operatives, which is no surprise. Israel already agreed to sell Iran $40 million in weapons in a deal that had fallen through. Also, in deciding to sell the arms, the president was inspired partly by a book about combatting terrorism put together by an ambitious Israeli politician named Benjamin Netanyahu.

Now, we have a president again embarking on delicate negotiations with the same fractious and unpredictable state. This time, instead of arming it, he is trying to reach a deal by which Iran will agree not to build nuclear weapons. Republicans in the Congress, heedless of the principles on which their party stood 30 years ago, and on their own initiative, invite that same Benjamin Netanyahu to come to the Congress to give a speech aimed at undermining the president's policy toward Iran and sabotaging any deal. This, say these members of Congress, is necessary to maintain Congress's role in helping to manage the foreign policy of the country.

Charles Pierce 

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