Lots of deserved criticism of late for Arkansas’ freshman U.S. Senator Tom Cotton (R-Neocon Tea Party) for the ridiculously condescending (and, ironically, Constitutionally inaccurate) letter he authored to Iran in hopes of undermining sensitive negotiations concerning their nuclear program.
But while Cotton richly deserves all the criticism he is now roundly receiving, even from some in his own party, let’s please not forget about the other 46 U.S. Senators, all Republican, who also signed onto that letter.
This was not a hundreds-of-pages-long bill or something. It was five simple paragraphs long and each Senator appears to have signed onto it by hand. They have no excuse.
You’ve probably heard about it, but may not have actually read it in full. Until I did, I figured it was likely another bit of obnoxiousness from the GOP, akin to inviting Netanhayu to speak to Congress without White House approval, but the outrage around it was largely a partisan attack from Democrats against Republicans who’d written the letter for the usual, silly partisan reasons.
But it’s way worse than that. It’s unprecedentedly obnoxious, embarrassing and just childishly condescending. And it doesn’t take any particular allegiance to the Democratic Party or the White House to see that. It just jumps off the page.
Again, it’s just five grafs long and rather astonishing. Read it, if you haven’t. It’s posted in full below or read the PDF. And remember: 47, theoretically grown-up U.S. Senators actually signed onto this thing. On purpose. Including the entire GOP leadership in the U.S. Senate, none of whom had the adult sense to stop them!…
‘United States Senators Demand the US is Incapable and not to be Trusted With Negotiations’ .. These are the Generic overseas headlines being ran right now around much of the world, including some countries who are in the discussions with the US….. So heartbreaking,..
What in Heavens name were these 47 United States Senators thinking when they decided it would be wise to do this to our country?
To write a letter to another country to warn them that their country dealing with the Executive Office of the United States is not in their nations best interests, is complete and utter treason by any reasonable standard I can come up with.
They are seemingly unhinged and possibly will be even more dangerous in the next sophomoric stunt they are certain to pull if not reigned in.
I’ve never been so politically disgusted in my life..,. I’m so mad I could spit..
Is that the best criticism you can come up with? they are “stupid” and “childish”? Exactly how far do Republicans have to go before you start calling them traitors? They are actively sabotaging the government at all levels. It really pisses me off seeing how milquetoast democrats are being about this whole thing. Imagine the opposite. Weak.
Here is a response from Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
According to reporter Eli Clifton, newly released FEC filings show that Sen. Tom Cotton who wrote the seditious GOP Senate letter to the leaders of Iran, received $960,250 in supportive campaign advertising in the last election cycle from the Emergency Committee for Israel (ECI), a right-wing group headed by the neoconservative pundit, and Neo-Con war monger, Bill Kristol.
So now we know “the price of Cotton.” I wonder how much ECI, and neo-cons like Bloody Bill Kristol spent to buy other U.S. Senators?
Rogerelio said @ 2:
I also called it “ridiculously condescending” and “Constitutionally inaccurate” and “unprecedentedly obnoxious”. Granted, I was rushing to put my radio show together (where I used a few more words when discussing it), but I’m sure I could have come up with more.
They would have to do something that qualifies under the legal definition of treason. Are you saying that these 47 U.S. Senators committed treason and should be put to death (the punishment for treason)?
Okay. Are you saying they “are levying War against” the U.S.? Or that they are “giving Aid and Comfort” to its “Enemies”? If so, which enemies? (As far as I know, there has been no war declared against Iran, so I’m guessing they’re not the “Enemies” in this case. But I’m open to your argument.)
I don’t need to imagine the opposite. I recall when Republicans inaccurately called Democrats “traitors” and “treasonous” when they had a disagreement with the then Republican President. I didn’t think those Democrats committed treason either.
But, it’s the first time I’ve been described as “milquetoast” to my knowledge, so thanks for that — even if others have also inaccurately referred to me as a Democrat in the past.
Thanks for your thoughts though!
“Is that the best criticism you can come up with? they are “stupid” and “childish”? Exactly how far do Republicans have to go before you start calling them traitors? They are actively sabotaging the government at all levels. It really pisses me off seeing how milquetoast democrats are being about this whole thing. Imagine the opposite. Weak.”
As a long-time reader and occasional financial contributor to this site, I feel the need to interject.
One of the chief differences between the Reactionaries and the Progressives in this country is that the Reactionaries are way more tribal. They will circle the wagons for their media mouthpieces even when – especially when – they’re wrong. Progressives can’t seem to stop fighting amongst each other to see who the “purest progressive” is.
Bickering over word choice smacks of the double-digit IQ mouth-breathers who have to hear “Terrorist” or “evildoer” or “Islamofascist Nazi Socialist” to let them know you’re on the same propagandized page as them.
I for one am thankful that this “milquetoast” – who was one of the few who called out Holder and Obama for protecting their war-criminal predecessors (in 2009 at the apex of “yes we can!”, no less), covered the Don Siegelman travesty when no one else did, gave no quarter to financial oligarchs during the bailout bonanza of 2008-2011, is one of the few who even acknowledges the complete illegitimacy of our electoral process (and is by far the best coverage of it), and covered Snowden/Manning/et all as they should have been.
AMONG MANY OTHERS.
Add that to the fact he is running this site on a small budget for what is obviously a labor of love – the belief that representative democracy reflecting the will of the people and not the wishes of the oligarchy is possible and worth fighting for – and your comment looks very small.
Then again, Americans are notorious for being bad at knowing who their allies are and who their enemies are.
Kyle –
Just a quick note to say thank you. And it’s good to know that at least a few folks have been paying close attention here for a long time.
Oh yeah. Been a big fan since the dark days of Bush The Younger.
Andrew Jackson said, “One, with courage, makes a majority.”
You are appreciated. If even 10-20% of this country showed solidarity we’d have this oligarchy dissembled in no time…