America's First Diplomatic End-Run

Edmund-Charles Genêt

America's founding fathers set a solid precedent in heading off one of this nation's first foreign policy crises in 1793.   Edmond-Charles Genêt  had been made the French ambassador to the United States during the French Revolution.   Genêt traveled through the new United States taking his government's cause directly to the American people before even presenting his diplomatic credentials to President Washington.  By trying to export the French Revolution, "Citizen Genêt" stirred up a lot of angry emotions from South Carolina north to Pennsylvania, much to the chagrin of a U.S. administration which professed neutrality between warring European nations.    American factions under Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton, usually at odds with each other, agreed that Genêt had to go and President Washington asked France to recall Genêt.   Meanwhile, the political situation in Genêt's home country had gotten so volatile during the French "Reign of Terror" that the fiery ambassador had to request asylum here to avoid the guillotine there.   The consensus of Washington's cabinet meant Genet would lose his job but not his head.   The U.S. successfully averted major European entanglements until the War of 1812.    France had been an important ally of the United States during the American Revolution, but Washington wisely recognized the French Revolution as a different phenomenon.

It is no secret that House and Senate Republicans will do anything to derail President Obama, but even the early heated factions of the late 18th century could come together in presenting the United States as one when dealing with other nations.   Like France, Israel has historically been been a strong ally of the United States.   Extending an invitation to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address a joint session of Congress two weeks before he faces his own very contentious election without discussing this with President Obama is a horrible precedent set by Speaker Boehner.   To pretend that this invitation is anything other than pure partisan politics designed to insult President Obama is a big lie and a mockery of the executive branch itself.   Most Americans share Israel's concerns over Iran's potential nuclear capability, but Netanyahu failed to use his bully pulpit by offering any viable options to the current nuclear negotiations with the Iranian regime.   For all we know, upcoming elections could change Israel's leadership soon.   Where will all this GOP equating Netanyahu with Churchill  and Obama with Chamberlain get us then?

UPDATE 3/9/15:   47 GOP U.S. Senators sent a letter directly to Iran's ayatollahs stating they or the next President could scrap any deal resulting from the current nuclear negotiations made between the U.S. and Iran.   Does the Iranian regime really need an American civics lesson?    Perhaps that course could include the Logan Act of 1799, which these Republicans violated with this latest shameful diplomatic end-run.