I’ve heard a lot of folks calling for The Forty-Seven to be charged with treason for the disgraceful letter they wrote to Iran.
Regardless of their actual guilt, I think it is safe to say that legal charges will not be brought.
They've done something else, however. They have finally jumped the shark in their pursuit of vengeance against Obama for having the unmitigated gall to get himself elected.
Since the day he first took office in 2009, Republicans in the Congress have made it their primary goal to show America just what a bad idea it was to elect Obama.
Trying to undermine the president’s efforts to accomplish anything worthwhile has been and continues to be the foundation of everything they do.
I’m sure I don’t have to list all the examples of this. My point is not about the number of times they've tried to obstruct Obama. Instead I'm focused on the fact that as they continue to fail their mission, their level of obstructionism continues to increase each time.
OH, THOSE FRESHMEN
Every two years, beginning in 2010, there is a new and improved batch of right wing extremists coming in to our legislature. Each time, the new class feels they must escalate the level of subversive action against Obama.
In 2015, the face of the newbies is Tom Cotton, who, considering that he's only been a Senator for 10 weeks, isn't wasting any time.
In an effort to take obstructionism to the next level, Mr. Cotton decided to take the mission beyond domestic policy and attempt to show the entire world that Obama should not have been elected.
It makes some sort of twisted sense, I suppose. Seven years of domestic subversion and the guy is still in office and doing well, considering the circumstances. Time to kick it up a notch.
IT'S GO TIME!
His stated objective for penning this letter, is to let Iran know that Pres. Obama is under the false impression that he has the authority to speak and act on behalf of the United States.
Cotton managed to convince 46 other senators that the letter will do nothing more than embarrass and diminish Pres. Obama.
What his action actually has accomplished is to embarrass himself, the U.S. Congress, Pres. Obama, and the entire nation in the eyes of the rest of the world. I do not believe that this Harvard educated Senator was unaware of the foreseeable consequences.
WOULD YOU LIKE SOME COLLATERAL DAMAGE WITH YOUR SUBVERSION?
I believe instead, that he was willing to accept the larger consequences in order to achieve the lesser consequence. I cannot know what is in Mr. Cotton’s mind or heart so I cannot know for sure if part of his objective was to elevate himself in the public eye. If it was, he can go to sleep each night chanting the words of former president Bush, “Mission accomplished!”
It seems he was and is willing to it accept the collateral damage of diminishing America in the eyes of the world, in order to put himself on the national stage.
Mr. Cotton is 37 years old. He certainly isn't going to throw his hat in the ring for the Republican nomination in 2016. Four more years (or more likely, eight) will be a different story.
By the time 2024 comes around his actions in 2015 will be far in the past. He has a lot of time to create other topics of interest about himself.
Having said that however, three senators who signed on as part of The Forty-Seven ARE contenders for the Republican nomination in 2016 and remember, general election season begins in 18 months.
ALL'S FAIR!
If Rubio, Paul, or Cruz is the nominee, I can already picture the Democrat’s TV spot.
The following excerpt from “the letter” will be on the screen in front of a photo of the candidate.
" ...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."
Queue ominous voice over, from that guy who says “IN A WORLD..."
18 months ago, Senator [insert name] published an open letter to be seen by the entire world, stating that the President of the United States does not have the authority to negotiate with a foreign leader.
Do you really want a President who believes he is powerless to conduct foreign policy?"
Then there will be those pesky general election debates. You know what I'm talking about -- the debates where the Republican nominee has to "pivot" away from the whack-a-doodle positions he had to claim in order to be nominated.
If I were moderating one of those debates and one of those three men was the Republican nominee I would ask the following question.
“Senator, you've stated on the record that you believe the president of the United States does not have the authority to negotiate agreements with foreign countries that will last longer than the term of that President. How will this affect your own relationships with foreign leaders?”
Will this campaign issue cause the Republican candidate to lost the election? No one can say - but now that the letter is out there it will, beyond doubt, become an obstacle.
Did Mr. Cotton consider this? Maybe. Maybe not.
Have they jumped the shark? Will this near-treasonous act force the less extreme members of the Republican caucus to put their collective feet down?
Only time will tell, of course.
Even if they have gone too far, do not expect any immediate shift in Republican attitude.
Keep in mind that when Fonzie jumped the shark, Happy Days stayed on the air for 3 more seasons. Shark jumping is not the end – it is only the beginning of the end.